smokers are human too!

i was inspired (if you could say that) by the vegetarian thread posted on the message board, “Is it right to eat meat in front of a vegetarian?”…

i am a smoker. my hometown is boulder, colorado, a city which definitely does NOT cater to the smoker. i have been a smoker for about 8 years now- i can still go days without smoking, don’t smoke more than half a pack a day (no more than a pack on big party nights), but I do admit that i’m addicted. hell, a smoke feels REALLY good.

I know about ALL the dangers of smoking. christ knows i’ve heard them all before. so i can’t stand it when people patronize me and preach to me. that’s just without class. i am not starting this thread so you can tell me smoking will kill me.

what does get my goat, and i’ve experienced this a lot recently, is when people attack the smoker, not the habit.

in the same way i don’t try to convert people to my religion, or convince people that eating meat is necessary, or push my social and political views on others, it pisses me off that people will look at me as a BAD PERSON just because I smoke. TV commercials attack the smokers as dirty devils with no self-control. others can’t stand the fact i smoke so they make a big deal about it-they ignore me because i smoke, not simply to get away from the smell, but because I must be a rebel, a BAD person because I DO IN FACT enjoy the pleasures of a good smoke.

i am on my milk crate now, asking all you non-smokers out there to give it a break! just because we smoke we are not bad human beings. we do not lack self-control. we are not less fun to be with. stop attacking the person, or i might revert to similar immature acts as attacking your corrupt belief systems, based purely on selfish ignorance, not acceptance. and be careful of such hypocritical comments, because your habits are not all peaches and gravy.

i won’t blow smoke in your direction, i won’t smoke in an airplane or other no smoking area. i won’t light up in your home or give cigarettes to your kids. i am a human too, so to all you advertisers and others out there, judge me, not my habit.

my last question on the matter for now: if you found out a candidate for president smoked, would you NOT vote for him/her based on that? if so, you have your priorities all wrong, and you should go back to kindergarten.

peace,

:
m

No! (Meaning it doesn’t matter to me).
I’m a non-smoker, & have noticed lately that smokers ask me if their smoking will bother me. This is usually at outdoor cafe type places in the U.S.

Peaceful smoking to ya!

violet, you are a truly accepting person. i wish everyone thought like you do. thanks.

m

I’m a non-smoker, and the only time smokers bother me is when they come up and sit right next to me at the (outdoors) train station and their smoke drifts straight into my face. That isn’t fair as I was there first and I would have to get up and leave my seat if I wanted to avoid the smoke. For what it’s worth, if the smoker was there first I would just avoid the seat and have no complaints at all as it would then be me who was disturbing the smoker (and forcing him to move or be uncomfortable) rather than him doing it to me. It’s not like he is breaking the law. The key is consideration for others. That is why some people can justify blaming the smoker rather than the habit, as the habit is almost irrelevant. We could be taking about listening to loud music on personal stereos here.

Apart from situations like the above, it is easy to avoid the smoking areas if you want to so I don’t see why people should complain. You mention you don’t blow smoke in people’s faces and only smoke in appropriate areas so IMO you have the right to do whatever you like and I will never judge you on whether you smoke or not.

In general I’d say, sure, smoke all you like in your home, in open spaces, and public places where it is allowed, I can avoid it then and won’t judge the smoker a bit, but if they give me no choice and blow it in my face I’ll think they’re an inconsiderate asshole.

I like it already.

Well, yes. When I do that, it’s because I object to the smoker, not the habit.

Just because a person smokes does not make them a bad person. A person smoking without due consideration for others is, while I wouldn’t go as far as to say they are a bad person, being a jerk. In the same way you don’t try and convert me to your religion, or make me eat meat, or push your social and political views on me, I ask you not to force your smoke on me. (Generalised ‘you’ and ‘me’ there of course, as we’ve never had actual contact.)

Well, no. If you’re smoking at the time then you are actually considerably less fun to be with. Something about the cloud of disgusting smoke in my face rather spoils my enjoyment.

Thank you for that at least, but it’s a small favour. You see, smoke diffuses. Whether or not you are blowing smoke in my direction, if we are inside then it rapidly expands to fill the entire room. Particularily if there are multiple people smoking. So, while we at least avoid sitting in a dense cloud of smoke, we still get a strong smell of it, often long after we’ve left the area (that smell clings horribly).

Oddly enough, no single factor would determine whether I voted for a particular candidate. Smoking would probably be a black mark against him, 'though unless his policies were pro smoking it shouldn’t really be, but it certainly wouldn’t decide my opinion on it’s own.

Capital letters might be an idea if you wish to be able to tell people they should go back to kindergarten without appearing hypocritical.

I admit I have something of an unfair anti-smoker prejudice. It could be that I’m bitter due to the sheer number of bars, restaurants, clubs, etc. which are overwhelmed by the smell of cigarette smoke, making it almost impossible for me to use them.

If what you are saying is, “What is your opinion, but if it differs from mine, you are wrong!”, then this belongs either in MPSIMS or the BBQ Pit.

Off to MPSIMS.

I agree with most of what you say, Racer1, but I don’t agree with this. Loud music is not hazardous to my health. Once you turn it off, loud music does not stay in my clothes for days afterward or litter my beach or get flicked out of cars.

Also, this confuses me, albatross.

Not sure what you’re trying to say there. As far as I’m concerned, I do my best to keep an open mind for smokers until they prove me wrong. But it’s hard in light of the things I constantly see smokers do (littering, inconsiderate smoking, taking frequent/long smoke breaks, being around me while reeking of cigarette smoke). And it’s hard because I have friends who probably do all of the above.

The bottom line for me is that when I experience the above, it’s awfully difficult to restrain my thoughts to “Oh, it’s just a bad habit.” On the flip side of all that, it makes me happy to see a considerate smoker. So thanks to you, albatross, and other considerate smokers. I think most of us non-smokers sincerely appreciate your efforts.