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When she draws on her cigarette through tensely pressed lips you feel sorry for the cancer stick, wondering who is killing who.

It is probably no surprise that the three cities in which citizens now pick a joint more often than a cancer stick are those hipster-loving soul mates: Portland, San Francisco and Seattle.

Policy changes and growing public awareness - not product bans - helped turn what was considered a chic, stress-relieving diet tool into what is now more commonly viewed as a smelly, overpriced cancer stick.

“But”—Hugo lit his own cigarette—“it's my duty to point out, this isn't just about smoking a humble cancer stick.”

With a bad feeling tumbling around my insides, I set down my bags and rambled into Mom’s room—a dim cove fragrant with Mom’s cancer stick of choice.