The tobacco industry knows that their products kill when used as intended, and yet, they choose to continue to mass produce, market, and sell cigarettes every single day. No other company or industry does that.
John is one of their many victims. And his family is grappling with his loss.
As his sister Sandra shared:
The loss of my brother John crippled our family. We share this deeply personal video only because John’s dying wish was that no one would ever have to go through what he did.
Cigarettes destroyed his health and took him from us way too soon.
Even after a year if someone mentions his name, it hurts. The only blessing is my brother asked Jesus to be his savior and is now safely in heaven.
We invite anyone currently facing nicotine addiction to seek help to quit immediately. Your family deserves a few more years with you.
In the video, John says, “I wish to hell that you don’t start smoking.”
From his hospital bed, he motions around himself and say, “you see all this stuff here? That’s the only thing keeping me alive right now.” He goes on to describe everything he’s now experiencing noting that the video is his “last will and testament” because “either tonight or tomorrow, I’ll be dead.”
Smokers are victims of the aggressive tobacco industry that hooks them on addictive and deadly products.
If you are facing nicotine addiction and ready to take back your life, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit smokefree.gov to receive free resources. If you’re worried about quitting during the COVID-19 quarantines, we’ve got resources specifically available on that here.
While John was unique in his desire to use his final days to encourage others to quit smoking, his death from smoking is unfortunately quite common. Please consider making a donation to ASH to help us build a world where no one has to die from tobacco products. No donation is too small in the fight to take down big tobacco.
