Where There's Smoke, It's Dire

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death, responsible for one in five deaths in the U.S. annually. A longtime smoking habit is estimated to reduce average life expectancy by at least 10 years.

But smoking costs more than lives. WalletHub, a personal finance company, recently released a report on the economic costs of smoking: more than $600 billion nationally. The company broke it down by state (plus Washington, D.C.).

The five states with the highest smoking costs:

1. District of Columbia

2. Maryland

3. New York

4. Connecticut

5. Rhode Island

And the five states with the lowest:

47. Tennessee

48. Alabama

49. Missouri

50. North Carolina

51. Mississippi

Some other burning stats:

-- The average out-of-pocket cost per smoker is $179,745 over a lifetime. Smokers in New York will pay the most, shelling out 1.8 times more than smokers in North Carolina, who pay the least.

-- Each smoker will lose an average of $675,601 income over a lifetime. Smokers in the District of Columbia will lose the most income -- 1.9 times more than in Mississippi, where smokers will lose the least income.

-- Each smoker will incur an average of $232,498 in smoking-related health care costs over a lifetime. Smokers in the District of Columbia will pay the highest amount -- 2.9 times more than in Tennessee, where smokers will pay the lowest amount.

Body of Knowledge

There are eight basic blood types (think AB or O positive), but there are other, much rarer types. The rarest of all is called Rhnull, colloquially known as "golden blood." The color does not mean Rhnull looks different. It's red too. Nor is it in some way more pure, safer or better than other blood types. It is dubbed "golden" because it is extremely rare.

Caused by a genetic mutation, there have been less than 50 known cases of Rhnull blood in human history. Apart from rarity, what makes Rhnull notable is that because it lacks all Rh antigens typically found in blood, it is a truly universal donor type, acceptable to any recipient. Conversely, people with Rhnull blood cannot receive any other blood type and are encouraged to stockpile their own blood for potential future need.

Mark Your Calendar

February is awareness month for hearts, cancer, prenatal infections, children's dental health, age-related macular degeneration and teen dating violence. Studies show that one in three teens experiences physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner before they become adults.

Doc Talk

Ephelides: Common freckles, benign and genetically determined, though their presence can indicate a higher risk for skin cancer due to ultraviolet light exposure

Phobia of the Week

Emetophobia: Fear of vomiting. Aeronausiphobia is the specific fear of vomiting due to airsickness.

Best Medicine

Doctor: How about a local anesthetic?

Patient: I'd prefer an import.

Hypochondriac's Guide

Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome is a rare congenital disorder characterized by a trio of symptoms: a port-wine stain that forms on the skin, varicose veins and enlargement of a limb or other body part, such as part of a torso, a single buttock or fingers on one hand.

It is caused by genetic mutations that affect cell growth, leading to localized overgrowth and vascular issues. There are treatments for complications, such as bleeding and pain, but no cure.

Observation

"I've got this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left side." -- Marvin the Paranoid Android in Douglas Adams' 1979 novel "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"

Medical History

This week in 1995, researchers announced they had linked brain structure to "perfect pitch," the ability to identify or produce a specific musical note without any external reference. People with perfect pitch were found to have an enlarged planum temporale, a region in the left hemisphere of the brain.

However, scientists noted that to have perfect pitch, a person must be exposed to music before age 10. Failing that, having an enlarged planum temporale does not of itself normally coincide with having perfect pitch later.

Ig Nobel Apprised

The Ig Nobel Prizes celebrate achievements that make people laugh, then think. A look at real science that's hard to take seriously and even harder to ignore.

In 1992, the Ig Nobel Prize in art went to Jim Knowlton for his anatomy poster "Penises of the Animal Kingdom." A second prize went to the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts for encouraging Knowlton to extend his work in the form of a pop-up book.

Med School

Q: Which organ is responsible for producing bile?

A) Liver

B) Pancreas

C) Pituitary

D) Thyroid

A: A) Liver. Bile's main function is to help digest and absorb fats and fat-soluble vitamins, eliminate some waste products, and neutralize stomach acid. The pancreas produces insulin. The pituitary in the brain helps control growth, metabolism and other glands. The thyroid in the neck regulates metabolism and calcium levels. Annoying people also produce bile in other people.

Curtains Call

In 1985, 17-year-old high school student Jason Findley was in a bedroom of his grandmother's house in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, where he had retreated to call his girlfriend. Outside, a storm raged.

Minutes later, a cousin came into the room to find Findley lying dead on the bed, the telephone receiver still next to his ear. Experts initially suspected electrocution through the phone line, but an examination of wires and cables in the house and an autopsy found nothing to prove that hypothesis.

Subsequently, other experts suggested Findley died from an electrical surge or acoustic shock through the phone that was not strong enough to burn or singe flesh or wire but was powerful enough to stop his heart.

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To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.