[bell-cot]

> ...not going to impress every eighteen-year-old.

Quite true. OTOH, I know a guy who was still a heavy smoker in his early 50's. Plenty to live for - corporate V.P. & rising, great girlfriend, his kids getting out of college.

If he had any interest in quitting, it was a well-kept secret.

~8 years later: After a few not-quite-good-enough attempts, his oncology team found a chemotherapy drug toxic enough to kill the lung cancer that had spread all through his body. Faced with "or die", and missing his oldest daughter's wedding day, he signed off on the side effect. Those were as advertised: He now lives in a hospice, and needs to a couple good, strong caregivers to safely get out of bed. On a good day. "Never really there for him" is a pretty accurate description of how well his brain is working, too.