Wayne McLaren, a former "Marlboro Man" who developed lung cancer and became an anti-smoking crusader, has died at 51.
McLaren, who said he smoked 1 1/2 packs a day for about 25 years and was diagnosed with lung cancer about two years ago, died Wednesday in Costa Mesa, Calif."Some of his last words were: `Take care of the children. Tobacco will kill you, and I am living proof of it,"' said his mother, Louise McLaren.
McLaren, a rodeo rider, actor and Hollywood stuntman, was one of several dozen models hired in 1975 to appear in Marlboro magazine and billboard ads, evoking a tough and handsome smoker's image for the brand.