Lucky Strike

Re “Smoker Agrees to $100-Million Award,” Aug. 22: Let me get this straight. Richard Boeken chooses to take up cigarette smoking, becomes addicted to cigarettes, subsequently develops lung cancer as a result of his decision to smoke cigarettes and now the cigarette company owes him $100 million? Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Boeken is yet another example of the pathetic nature of the irresponsibility plaguing our nation.

Rod Guyton

Torrance

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If Boeken, a smoker, can get $100 million for his addiction, which led to lung cancer, what should my family get? Our mother, a nonsmoker who was often exposed to secondhand smoke, died at 58 of lung cancer.

Mary Anne Vincent

Corona