World figures and their smoking stories
- By Zhang Tingting
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E-mail China.org.cn, June 3, 2013
"Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship" is the theme of this year's World No Tobacco Day, which takes place on May 31, and aims to encourage smokers across the globe to observe a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption. Smoking is the main cause of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, and pulmonary emphysema, and the health hazards of second-hand smoke are also well documented.
The subject of smoking is close to the heart of a number of high-profile global figures, so let's take a closer look at how smoking affects the lives of the great and the good.
Obama: quitting smoking is harder than running for presidency
The 51-year-old U.S. president Obama was once a heavy smoker and he initially kicked the habit in early 2010 thanks to nicotine gum and a promise made to his wife Michelle that he would give up smoking if she agreed to his running for the presidency. He subsequently won the election, but the smoking habit proved harder to conquer than the U.S. electorate, with the U.S. media picking up on the humorous story.
According to Michelle Obama, the president originally intended to quit smoking not for the good of his health, but to set a good example for their daughters.
Argentine president Kirchner: miscarriage caused by smoking
Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner signed a decree on June 13, 2011, banning smoking in public and work places. The president, a former heavy smoker, also talked about her experience of losing a child as a result of smoking.
She says she smoked two packs of cigarettes each day when she was younger, while her husband was a much heavier smoker. In 1984, Kirchner suffered a miscarriage while pregnant with her second child and further attempts to get pregnant failed until she finally quit smoking in 1988.
"It is a rational measure for us to carry out a smoking ban in public places since it aims to remind the masses of respecting health, respecting the smoker himself as well as respecting others."
Saif Gaddafi: refused to be a victim of second-hand smoke
The second son of former Libyan president Omar Mouammer al Gaddafi kept a recording when he was captured on Nov. 19, 2012, saying he refused to breathe in second-hand smoke during his captivity.
A journalist from Reuters who was on the spot revealed that when Saif Gaddafi was being escorted on a plane, he was silent, facing away from the other passengers. When someone lit a cigar, he said: "The plane is totally closed, smoking can cause us death."
Laura Bush: Recreational smoker
Laura Bush, wife of former U.S. president George W. Bush, was a heavy smoker. It is said that in response to being asked what her hobbies were by Bush's grandmother, Laura replied: "I read, smoke and I admire for a living." Following her marriage, she eventually quit smoking in 1992, however, some reports revealed that despite her clean public image, Laura was incredibly impatient in private, turning to cigarettes to deal with pressure on the campaign trail with her husband. Her public image was maintained, thanks to the sterling work of her assistants, who kept news of her habit a secret.
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