Bart Giamatti

One of the most tragic aspects of Bart Giamatti’s death is going almost unnoticed: that smoking killed him. The story on his untimely death only mentions in passing that he was a chain smoker.

Sudden cardiac death has been proven to be much more common in smokers (not to mention the slow deaths from emphysema, lung cancer and other maladies). The tobacco companies will again get off scot-free of their responsibility for the demise of yet another famous and worthy man.

DANIEL TEMIANKA, M.D.

Palos Verdes Estates