Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States. In the twenty first century everyone knows the harm that smoking can cause and yet people still willingly risk their lives for the habit. I am one of these people. I would not throw myself in front of a bus; I would not take Drano from my kitchen and choose to ingest it. One of human being’s greatest instincts is survival. So why do I engage in this life threatening activity?