Actually if you are a non US smoker where they have the graphic images on the packs (like the UK for instance) there are stick on labels available to cover them up. See:
http://www.fakefags.co.uk/ Here's a link to an interesting study or warning label effectiveness from Stanford:
http://prevention.stanford.edu/research/publications/detail.asp?438 Here's another one from NCI:
http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/grants/abstract.asp?ApplID=6621687 Brian's right - some people just can't quit. I had a second class petty officer friend in the navy (who was a chain smoker) tell me once "Anybody can quit smoking -it takes a man to die of cancer". I'll bet money that he inevitably proved his manliness!
Like Helen's friend my sister died of lung cancer (inspite of her being treated at MD Anderson) and emphysema. She smoked right up until her pre-death coma.