Of course, everybody has the right to live their lives just as they want. They have the right to gauge their own health and what they will and won’t take into their bodies. That must be why they think it’s fine to take in carbon monoxide, ammonia, hydrogen sulphide and formaldehyde in regular doses throughout the day. The fact that they are still breathing means it’s still fine to reduce the amount of oxygen their body receives.

They are more than happy to allow their resting hearts to beat an additional 36,000 times per day, putting a strain on the heart and blood vessels, but hey, they’re still working! They are more than happy to pour a full eight ounces of tar into their lungs, coating their mouths, throats and airways every year with the substance that prevents the lung lining and immune system from doing their jobs. All this and more is the right of the smoker.

But is it not the right of the passive smoker to walk in the fresh air without subjecting him or herself to this sort of poison? Is it not the right of every child to have the healthiest start in life possible? Passive smoking is no less dangerous than smoking itself. In fact, the poisonous chemicals in exhaled smoke can be more dangerous depending on a person’s health. A passive smoker does not have the option to stop smoking, particularly if the smoker is in their own home.

When a smoker inhales these poisonous, addictive, killer chemicals, they coat their mouth, throat, airways and lungs with products that make the immune system inactive. The lining of the throat will, after a short amount of time smoking, thicken and change into the perfect breeding ground for throat cancer.

The lungs themselves are a highly complex and efficient network of intricate airways that keep your body functioning. The cilia in your bronchi are paralysed while smoking but, due to their efficiency, overnight they will begin to recover. By the morning, they are desperately attempting to clear the lungs of the thick yellow/green mucus that has built up. The lungs want rid of this because it is exactly this type of environment that encourages the growth of viruses, respiratory diseases and cancer. This is the precise reason a smoker will cough first thing in the morning and what puts them off from trying to stop smoking. However, it is a good sign that the body is working on repairing the damage already done.

It is everybody’s right not to stop smoking and allow this state of affairs to continue but is it their right to put everyone else at risk by becoming a strain on the NHS through preventable illnesses related to smoking?

The longer you continue to smoke, or passive smoke, the bigger the strain on your lungs. Eventually, your lung will lose some of their elasticity but because this happens over a period of time it is less noticeable and often put down to the aging process. As is the wrinkling of skin and the grey, aged look that accompanies a smoker. This is not age, this is the effect of smoking and cannot be reversed.

In industrial environments, health and safety dictates a safe level of carbon monoxide a person can be subjected to each day. A smoker’s blood will contain 600 times that safe level. You wouldn’t dream of sucking on an exhaust pipe so why would any reasonable thinking person subject themselves to this?

Smoking opens up the body to all sorts of onslaughts. The reproductive system, as well as sexual performance, will be adversely affected as well as the sense of taste and smell. Still, it is up to the individual that wishes to believe that smoking as done them no harm whatsoever.

“We’re really excited about it,” said Mulally, Ford CEO. “There’s no reason why we can’t really build cars and trucks that people really do prefer.” Ford is obviously facing murky future due to its declining sales in the previous years. This is the very reason why the automaker is making all it can to assuage its ailing condition.

Ford celebrates its 104th year in the auto industry. However, the red date will not be celebrated pompously because of the dilemma and challenges that the automaker is facing. Ford lost $7 billion through September last year. Further, it is also expecting a decline in vehicle sales, worse financial results and negative cash flow this year.

To return to the right track, Ford is sticking with its Way Forward turnaround plan that will eliminate a total of 44,000 salaried and hourly jobs and will close 16 plants. Also, the automaker aims to freshen up its lineup. With said turnaround plan, Ford is expecting to gain small profit by 2009. To get through the hard times, the automaker ventures in a $25.45-billion financing deal that uses nearly all its assets. According to some critics, if the gamble won’t pay off, Ford might eventually file for bankruptcy.

Mulally said Ford is making great progress toward integrating its engineering systems around the world, which are used to design and manufacture new products. He also suggested that Ford would have a deal to sell its ultra-luxury brand Aston Martin by the end of 2007.

When asked about the Ford-Toyota talk, Mullaly answered, “I’ve learned a lot from them.” He added that the top executives have talked about a variety of mutual interests “especially advanced technologies.” Mulally noted, “Despite the numbers, last year was a year of significant progress for us. It’s like building a house. We built the foundation last year.”

Ford is also stepping up incentives on top-selling vehicles to generate more momentum for this year. Ford is also busy promoting Edge, Mustang, Escape and the F-Series. The automaker is also absorbed in 0 percent financing on auto parts for Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner. Escape and Mariner are set to be replaced with a redesigned version in the future. In addition, Ford is offering low lease specials on certain F-150s. Owner-loyalty discounts, for one, offers discount range of $500 and $3,000 on certain models. Auto parts for 1992 Ford F-150 have established a well-defined reputation for decades now.