There's a scene from the classic 1951 sci-fi film, "The Day the Earth Stood Still," where two doctors are having a conversation regarding the humanoid alien known as Klaatu. They discuss the alien's amazing health, remarking his species' much longer life expectancy; and then one doctor offers the other a cigarette.

Today, this scene is unintentionally humorous in retrospect, as the risks of tobacco use have been better-realized. In fact, the Associated Press put out a report this year that indicates that smoking in the U.S. has reached a new all-time low. Unfortunately, it would seem that many of my contemporaries have not received the memo that smoking of any sort is a path towards a needlessly agonizing death by respiratory disease, as I have seen far too many adults around my age with a vaping pen between their lips.

The fact that Marlboro owner Phillip Morris International sells "e-vapor products" should raise alarms for everyone. I, for one, would sooner consume a cannabis edible than even consider using a vaping pen.

Max Ian Engel

East Lyme