I agree that there must be something we are doing now that we didn't do earlier. Like you said Patty we are eating more pesticides and chemicals rather than organic food.. So much of our food is prepared food or preserved food. Look at margarine the chemicals alone and diet pop...(sugar substitues)

I think also we keep better records now. The numbers may have been higher but not recorded or the cause of death or illness unknown.

This being said supports what ya'll been saying though...although smoke cannot be good for humans in anyform.