USA entered World War II to prevent Hitler's anti-smoking campaign from succeeding
Nazi doctors were the first to discover the link between smoking and cancer and instead of sitting on the evidence they publicised it. Posters, public health campaigns, bans of smoking indoors etc.

This pissed off the big American tobacco companies enough that they lobbied the US government to enter the war to finish off the European squabble once and for all. The threat of Hitler closing down the huge European markets to cigs couldn't be contemplated.

Here's a sobering stat.

Deaths in World War II: 60 million people.
Death due to cigarettes since WWII: 338 million people.

And yet Hitler is the evil demigod and cigs are still on sale in Tesco.

BTW: I utterly made this conspiracy theory up on the spot. Think it'll catch on?
( rob, Mon 5 Dec 2011, 13:28, 5 replies)

You fail to mention
that more than 400 million people died of smoking during WWII.

Careless and sloppy. Almost too easy.
(username failed moderation, Mon 5 Dec 2011, 13:35, closed)

I really, really like this made up rubbish
and shall be passing it on to anyone I can.
(Kitty Fantastico "Dwarf, Anorexic and In a Fight ", Mon 5 Dec 2011, 13:35, closed)

I like these kinds of statistics.
Although you're not confusing "demigod" and "demagogue" are you?

My favourite statistic of late: I worked out that current world energy use is equivalent to the energy of the eruption of Krakatoa every 16 hours.
( Moon Girl Technologies horrendous beanbag, Mon 5 Dec 2011, 15:50, closed)

I am
actually I first wrote "demigog" and thought that can't be right.
( rob, Mon 5 Dec 2011, 16:30, closed)

I like this for two reasons
1) I think it can catch on

2) My 20 a day habit is now an anti-facist statement.
( prince-igor si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses, Mon 5 Dec 2011, 16:51, closed)