Dan Murfman said:
Well it's not as bad as his first I don't mean to be insensitive post in this thread right after he announced he had cancer.
Yet, it was accurate. Squamous cell carcinoma has some of the best long-term prognosis of all cancers. It sounds like Schilling went through hell and back, but the results of his tobacco use could have been much worse.
Bone Chips said:Yeah, it was the "bulletproof" part I was referring to. You're right, in 1983 there was good awareness out there as to the long term consequences of chewing tobacco. But of course no 15 year old ever thinks 1) longterm, and 2) that the rules apply to him.
I could say a lot more on this topic, but I've learned over the years it's pointless to debate the levels of moral responsibility associated with addiction. It's a no-win proposition for the addict. What I will say, however, is that of all the addictions I've ever had - and I'm talking hard drugs here - nothing was as hard to quit as chewing tobacco was. And it wasn't even close.
I can understand how someone could be easily influenced and ignorant at 15 years old. But Schilling retired in 2007 at age 40 and states that he chewed his entire career. I think what's he saying is absolutely spectacular and could be a huge help to a ton of people. But unless we acknowledge that people have free will and a responsibility to educate themselves about their own health, there's really no point in his message.