Smoking With Diabetes, CDC's New Graphic Ad

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just released a second round of graphic anti-smoking ads, the first was in March 2012. The ads, featuring real-life stories, have been successful in getting people to quit. Although, public reaction to the campaign has been mixed (to use CDC's word "intense"), given the graphic nature of the images.

Here's Bill's story:

Bill is angry with himself that he ever accepted that first cigarette. "When I was 15, I started smoking. It was a stupid thing I wish I could take back."Bill has diabetes. He learned the hard way that smoking makes diabetes harder to control. At 37, Bill went blind in his left eye from a detached retina—damage to the inner lining of the eye. He also had kidney failure. Two years later, he had his leg amputated due to poor circulation—made worse from smoking. "I lost my leg, and that's when I quit," he says.

You can see the rest of the photos and tips here.

Smoking without diabetes is bad enough ... it raises your risk of a heart attack by 3-fold, which is a lot as far as risks go. Since most people with diabetes die of a heart attack anyway, smoking with diabetes pretty much seals your fate. ________