Dr. John Spangler, a professor of family medicine at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina, said when smokers inhale, the radioactive particles damage the tissue on the surface of the lungs, creating "hot spots" of damage. When combined with other cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco, Spangler said the damage from radiation is potent.
More importantly, according to the same report, Polonium's radioactive particles also don't simply vanish when cigarette smoke blows away. Spangler said smokers may not realize how long this radiation can linger in their homes. "Some of these radiation particles hang around for decades and decades," Spangler said. "You're emitting radiation when you smoke, and your family, your dog, your cat are all inhaling that radiation. How many smokers want to expose their child to radiation?"
According to another anti-smoking advocate, Megan Yarbrough -
However, today’s headlines actually drill home a far more important point — our society has a very short memory. Nearly the exact same story hit the stands in 2008 after the publication of a study by Mayo Clinic and Stanford University.And - I'd like to add my opinion to the mix in stating that perhaps other people knew about the radioactivity of cigarettes even before 2008, and as far back as the 1980s. But no one was listening back then either. Like Megan says, we tend to have short memories.
What do I mean?
I could be wrong, but I'd like to think that perhaps the rock group, The Firm, knew that they were being poisoned from all of the secondhand smoke they inhaled while playing at their various gigs, and tried to warn others about the dangers.
But, don't just take my word for it. Here's video of them explaining their unfortunate medical condition to fans at one of their concerts -