"Desperate Housewives" actress Kathryn Joosten has taken aim at the producers of "Mad Men" for the heavy use of smoking in the period TV hit. Former smoker Joosten quit after she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2001, and, after battling the disease for a second time in 2008, she has become a fervent anti-cigarette activist.

The actress, who plays Karen McClusky on "Desperate Housewives", has called for Mad Men bosses to either cut down on the on-screen smoking or stick a disclaimer in the credits of the show, which is set in the New York advertising agency world of the 1960s, warning fans of the hazards of nicotine.

She says, "They should at least have a disclaimer at the front of the show saying smoking is relevant to the time and place... and it's not recommended because it causes cancer."