In Steve Kilar's article "Families, neighbors mourn lives cut short" (Jun 15) about the deaths of teenage friends Courtney Angeles and Emerald Smith after they were struck by a hit-and-run driver, he states "Outside Courtney's home, mostly young mourners smoked cigarettes to calm their nerves." There is no medical proof that cigarette smoking in young teens calms nerves. Implying this may cut other young teens' lives short, though. And trust me, they won't be dying calmly.

G.P. Webb