BREAK SMOKING'S DEADLY CHAIN.

Byline: Ann Landers 

Dear Ann: Several years ago, my aunt developed lung cancer. She was a three-pack-a-day person. I was very fond of her and stopped by frequently to see how she was doing. One morning when I opened the front door, there she sat with two lit cigarettes in her mouth, three cigarettes burning in an ashtray and two more between her fingers. She was fumbling with the pack trying to get another one out.

I looked at her husband and asked, ``What in the world is she doing?'' He replied, ``She doesn't know what she's doing.'' The cancer had gone to her brain. Within a week, that dear woman was dead.

I hope this letter helps some young smokers decide to quit.

- Phillipsburg, N.J.

Dear N.J.: So do I, but don't bet the rent. Young smokers are convinced they are indestructible and it will never happen to them. Can you stand one more letter on the subject?

Dear Ann: Have you noticed an increase in the amount of smoking that is being shown, not only on TV but in the movies, too?

Just the other night, on a program about a Chicago hospital, I saw the chief of staff smoking a cigar and a female doctor smoking a cigarette. To a lot of TV viewers, these are real people and, in this case, respected doctors. I'm sure some folks think, ``If they smoke, can it really be all that bad for me?''

More and more, we see the ``good guys'' on TV smoking. This sends a message to millions of people that it must be OK, not to mention fashionable. I realize the tobacco companies are all-powerful, but do they have enough clout to get so much free TV exposure?

- Concerned Citizen in California

Dear Concerned: This is not about clout. The cigarette companies deny that they are doing product placement, but it wouldn't surprise me to find out they still have a lucrative financial arrangement with TV and movie producers.

It is a known fact that cigarettes kill over 400,000 Americans every year. The vast majority of nicotine addicts will tell you they started to smoke when they were 15 or 16 years of age. Addictive personalities, those who have tried everything, will tell you it is easier to get off cocaine than cigarettes.

And now, would you believe, cigar smoking for women is being pushed as the latest ``chic''? I was asked by a magazine editor who was doing an article on the latest ``fashion trend'' of women smoking cigars, ``What do you think of it, Miss Landers?'' My reply - ``Wonderful, if you like brown teeth, bad breath and holes in your clothes.''

Dear Ann: You say you deal with all kinds of problems. Well, here's something different. How can I get rid of cockroaches in my apartment? They refuse to die.

- Infested in N.Y.

Dear Infested: Apartment dwellers must band together and demand that the building manager spray all the apartments at the same time. If the manager is uncooperative, threaten to call the Board of Health. That'll do it.

Gem of the Day (Credit Woody Allen): Two elderly women at a Catskill mountain resort are talking. Ida says to Bessie, ``Isn't the food here terrible?'' Bessie replies, ``Yes, it's awful - and they give you such small portions.''

MEMO: Write to Ann Landers, care of Daily News Features Department, P.O. Box 4200, Woodland Hills, Calif. 91365-4200.