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Hi Ron,

This thread started because for the last 10 years I
have been hearing anecdotal evidence of a connection
between stopping smoking and the diagnoses of PD.
Several references to this possiblity have been made
in recent postings, prompting me to instigate the straw
poll.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I am not suggesting
that stopping smoking causes PD.  In fact I would have
no problem with rejecting that possibility out of hand.  It
may be, however, that some active component (nicotine?)
masks PD symptoms (or even slows the progress of the
disease). In this instance quitting smoking would have the
apparent affect of accelerating the onset of PD.

The straw poll is an attempt to put a figure to the juxtaposition
of quitting and PD diagnosis in terms of this list.

As regards possible smog connections, this can't be possible.
I mean PD isn't confined to the Los Angeles area is it.

 *grin*

Dennis.