[sarahk]

My dad died in 1980 and whenever I visited him (he lived in the SI, I lived in the NI) I used to give him hell about smoking.

A couple of years earlier we'd been to a hypnotist show and as part of the show 4 people were offered the opportunity to stop smoking.

During the early '80s my folders were adorned with stickers saying "kiss a non smoker, taste the difference" which we all thought was terribly racy.

So I KNOW that people know in the '70s that smoking was bad.

I don't doubt for a second that the tobacco companies tried to hide evidence and make smoking sexy etc but there was no shortage of info to the contrary.

Then again, that heart surgeon the other day tried to make out he'd never heard of P. Yeah right!