Ciggyfree Blog

“One thing that we humans do very well is to defend ourselves psychologically, and our most potent weapon is denial. But when confronted with a terminal disease, denial flies out of the window. We have to find another defense.”

If we are smokers, and lung or throat cancer is diagnosed, denial is replaced with a sense of shame and/or guilt…For many, smoking after being told that they have a life-threatening illness is their way of saying: “I did it my way, I don’t regret it and I am still in control.”

— Professor Robert West 
Director of tobacco studies at Cancer Research UK

In September 2002 Barb Tarbox was diagnosed with incurable lung (stage IV) and brain cancer at the age of 41.

She smoked two packs of cigarettes a day since the tender age of 11. She smoked for 30 years, totaling a 60 pack-year smoking history.

She died May 18, 2003 after speaking to more than 50,000 students about the dangers of smoking.

View long version (15 minutes) or short version (3 minutes) and transcript.
Warning: This video contains strong emotional material regarding Barb Tarbox’s experience with terminal lung cancer caused by smoking.