> Then again, I've never seen cigarettes ruin an entire family and for them to end up in financial ruin and without a house. In the US, your hypothetical mothe

> Then again, I've never seen cigarettes ruin an entire family and for them to end up in financial ruin and without a house. In the US, your hypothetical mother who smokes and gets lung cancer could easily bankrupt the family and leave them in financial ruin (you know, if your family tries to pay for the treatments so she doesn't die). Oh yeah, we're talking about the UK here...carry on.