At least four former 'Marlboro man' dies from smoking-related disease.
Eric Lawson, a bit part actor and star of Marlboro cigarette adverts has died aged 72.
 |
| Eric Lawson, pictured in an undated Marlboro advertisement provided by his wife, Susan, died earlier this month. He was the fourth Marlboro Man actor to die of a smoking-related disease. |
An American actor has become the fifth former “Marlboro Man” from the long-running series of cigarette advertisements to die from a smoking-related disease
Eric Lawson, who portrayed the rugged cowboy character in magazines during the late 1970s and early 1980s, died from a lung condition at his home in San Luis Obispo, California.He was 72.
Mr Lawson, who started smoking when he was 14, suffered respiratory failure due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to his wife, Susan.
At least four other stars of the acclaimed series of commercials, which styled filtered cigarettes as masculine accessories from 1954 to 1999, also succumbed to illnesses linked to smoking.
In October 1987, David Millar, one of the first Marlboro Men on television screens in the 1950s, died from emphysema at 81 at a hospital near his home in New Hampshire.
Almost five years later, Wayne McLaren died at 51, after a long struggle with lung cancer. In his final years he used his status as a former Marlboro Man to mount a high-profile lawsuit against Philip Morris, which manufactures Marlboros, and warn the public about smoking’s health risks.
“Tobacco will kill you, and I am living proof of it,” were some of his last words, his mother said shortly after his death in California.
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon