Arlene:

Yes, but many of us here were born WELL BEFORE 1955. For us, there was a lot of social pressure to start smoking in young adulthood. The military even provided free cigarettes in some instances. (There is a reference above on how the World Cruise attracts an older group of guests and therefore has a higher percentage of smokers.) Several M.D. friends of mine say that smoking is more addicting than many illegal drugs to some people. This is like debating whether a person who is an alcoholic is an addict, or merely a drunk. Depending on the person, it may be either -- but many are alcohol addicts.

Is an addiction (Tobacco, alcohol, or drug) a "disability" that should (but isn't) protected at all by the ADA and similar laws? It's a matter of opinion. I only know that many of us had a very difficult time quitting smoking, and I know that it was a true addiction in my case. I'm glad I've been "cured" for the last ten years.

That's probably why I urge a little compassion for those still "hooked", and prefer that smoking be allowed in those areas least likely to bother or injure us non-smokers during this "generational transition period" while we still have some around who got "hooked" back when smoking was "cool."