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This is a seperate issue on top of the injurious effects of smoking. The point is that tobacco companies were well aware that their continued use of phosphate based fertilizers high in radium was resulting in radioactivity in the end product.

They were also acutely aware that this radiation would contribute to cancer over time. There are simple methods by which this could have been avoided but they were concerned it would reduce the addictiveness of their products.

They killed people on purpose. That's pretty messed up.

Tobacco is a plant that happens to be highly effective at uptake and storage of heavy metals from the soil. You have to be super careful how and where you grow it, and with what fertilizer.