Ferris. I may be old, but I am not bitter. After forty years of flying, I am now a happily retired ex-smoker. I agree the DC 9 in Canada (the one in the training film) was a smoking related accident and a tragedy that should never have happened. I'm not sure whether the Varig one was proven to be caused by a smoker, faulty toilet pumps can get very hot. However, smoking bans will encourage hard core nicotine addicts to find ways round them, and it will most likely mean smoking in toilets (and disabling smoke detectors) which was were the fire started in previous accidents. I also agree with other postings that the cabin did suffer from nicotine-itis, which was bad. It was also noticeable from the smell on their uniforms, who was or was not working in the smoking sections when they visited the flight deck for a quick fag! But then, that was a thing of the past.
Don't sit in the sun too long, it addles the brain.