Since I was in Orlando, I took my wife and five children along for a visit to Disneyland, Animal Kingdom and MGM Studios.  WOW!  This was a powerful example of human creativity and it was overwhelmingly clear that Disney’s mission statement could be summarized in one word---FUN.  As a neurosurgeon, I have a keen eye for detail and I am not easily impressed.  When my family wasn’t looking, I was scrutinizing the details of the layout and design, costumes, presentation format, behavior, faux masonry, architecture and craftsmanship right down to the painting of the baseboards of the storefront facades.  The attention to detail was nothing short of amazing and the army of “detailists” must work by night because I saw no one doing maintenance.

  Although each of these parks was quite different, there was a consistent attention to detail and it was clear that this also had been applied to keeping the parks clean.  In fact, they were conspicuously clean.  I never saw a single soda straw, candy wrapper, drink cup or any form of litter whatsoever except for one thing---cigarette butts.  It is beyond me to understand how those who smoke seem not to see cigarette butts as litter.  These parks were so remarkably clean and well kept that no one else would even think of throwing their litter on the ground yet the people that I witnessed smoking would routinely drop their cigarette butt and grind it with the sole of their shoe or flick it into a nearby flowerbed.  The park had employed some young men and women to walk about with long handled dustpans and brooms to sweep these up.  My same eye for detail noticed that these dustpans were full of nothing but cigarette butts.  The behavior of the people involved was also interesting.  Sometimes these butts would land on the ground and rest for no more than a few seconds before those sweeping would politely excuse themselves for sweeping near the guests’ feet yet these guests never offered an apology or offered to pick up their own litter.  After a while I became so sensitized to this that when I saw someone nearby putting out their cigarette in the usual fashion, I went over to them and directly asked them to pick it up---and they did. 

  While I respect each individual’s right to make choices, I couldn’t help but feel that it was unfortunate that this type of role modeling and lack of compassion, leadership and responsibility was being repeatedly and publicly displayed in one of our nation’s largest children’s parks.  If you smoke, please help all of us by accepting the responsibility of keeping our streets and parks free of this litter.  And, please be responsible in accepting the consequences of your choice. 

  The medical evidence linking tobacco use to disease is still overwhelming but despite the serious risk of disease from tobacco addiction, people (especially impressionable young people) respond to the lure of tobacco advertising.  These slick advertisements suggest that glamour and machismo is linked to the use of cigarettes, snuff and chewing tobacco.  Nicotine is a harmful drug that is rapidly addicting and the long-term effects shorten lives.  Next week is the Great American Smoke-out and a good opportunity to help yourself or someone you know to quit smoking.  There are many effective quitting strategies, ask your physician.