The numbers of women with chronic lung disease has reached epidemic levels. There now are more new cases of women’s lung disease than men’s. The cause is smoking, whose rates increased in women during the 1960s and 1970s. Now the tars and nicotines have come home to roost, even among women who quite decades ago. .
But wait. There’s more. Doctors misdiagnose, neglect to treat, and treat with the wrong regimens patients with lung conditions. Not only that, but women—and men-- with lung disease are stigmatized as causing their own bad health and therefore come to feel they are not worthy of medical treatment.
If that’s not being a shit, I don’t know what is. The tobacco company glamorized smoking. Then science discovered the links between smoking, health, and death. The tobacco companies covered up by saying there was no conclusive evidence.
People got chronic fatal diseases, about 24 million in the United States today. Then blame was heaped on those who smoked. Many took the blame and do not get the health care they need. Those who became wealthy from tobacco sales are now dead after a life of luxury or are still living believe they are virtuous because they are wealthy.
Of course, there could be some bad consciences among those who enriched themselves on tobacco sales. If there are, I’d love to hear from them. jgilgun@gmail.com
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