[rubidium]

Because smoking has been in the headlines, but it's not news anymore that it's killing so many. The editor of that newspaper would get fired for making that a headline everyday.

It is news that there's a new flu-like virus emerging, spreading, and having a relatively high rate of mortality.

[bryanrasmussen]

People also discount things that will probably kill them decades from now in a horrible way if they don't change their behavior instead of things that will maybe kill them weeks from now in a horrible way if they're unlucky.