The microbiologist would not support the claims of the smokers. First, S. aureus has mechanisms that protect it from phagocytosis, and it is capable of killing phagocytes with leukocidins. Weakening the phagocytes would not be expected to have as great an effect against S. aureusas against some other organisms. More important is the consideration that S. aureus would not be the only organism affected if the immune system were significantly weakened. The smokers would probably have other severe infections if the phagocytes were inhibited to the point of increasing the severity of staph infections. The phagocytes most affected by smoking are the alveolar phagocytes of the lungs, whereas the phagocytes involved in fighting staphylococcal infections are primarily neutrophils.