h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I address fellow smokers.
If you are a born-again anti-smoker this is not for you!
Why is it that the world, his wife, his Aunty Mary and her second cousin twice removed thinks that it is perfectly acceptable to insult smokers?
It is not acceptable to say to someone who is 2lbs overweight "Ooh, aren't you fat? Go on a diet"
It is not acceptable to say to 5'0" me - "Ooh - aren't you short? Why don't you grow?"
It IS, apparently, acceptable, to go into great detail about my smoking habits.
No-one ever asks whether I enjoy it. Actually, no-one ever asks whether I combine it with illegal substances (I don't) to enhance any enjoyment I may get.
Lots of people ask if I've tried to stop; have commented on the fact that I dare to smoke when I have children. Blame me for the fact that 2 of them have had glue ear (1 hasn't). Ask about my finances - which no-one would dream of doing if I took 3 expensive holidays a year.
Lighten up - folks.
My smoking has cost you not one penny, but put huge amounts into the exchequer over the years.
You want your taxes to go up? Ban tobacco.
I respect your rules - I don't smoke in your house or car if that's what you prefer - but I don't insist you smoke if you visit me. I DO object if you turn up your nose if I smoke in my own house - and some of you do!
Any more fellow sufferers out there? Talk to me!

I am a sufferer. I suffer form asthma. An attack might be triggered by, oh, to pluck something out of the air..... a faceful of exhaled tobacco smoke.

To the best of my knowledge being in a room full of fat people is unlikely to give you cancer, heart disease or respiratory infections. The same cannot be said for smokers.

Help yourself, any time you like, but not when it compromises my freedom to breathe clean air. Thanks for your consideration.

I am a smoker.
I am not particularly proud of the fact, but then again, I'm not ashamed either. I don't smoke in other people's homes unless they say i can. I don't smoke in restaurants or shops, or on Public Transport. I don't force my smoking on anyone.
I do, however, object to the constant criticism and insults of non-smokers. If i choose to smoke in the privacy of my own home, or in the open air, then I fail to see what gives people the right to insult me. It's rude and judgemental, and yes, it is considered ok to insult me. I would never pass comments on someone's size, stature or looks, i don't drink but I don't go into pubs and moan about others doing so.

Rant over, I thank you!

Smoke in your own home if you like, I don't care, but not please in public spaces (even open ones). People walking along with a cigarette dangling languidly from one hand - with the lit end precisely at eye level for a toddler. People exhaling smoke as you walk along behind them - so you can't avoid inhaling it. Smoking in public is just plain inconsiderate, especially given that smokers are a minority.

ok, well then, the next time you see me in the park, enjoying a quiet ciggie, just don't sit next to me.

And I don't walk along with my ciggies at toddler height...I have kids of my own and fully realise the dangers.

I have to go now, I'm off to sit in my garden and smoke!

I'm not talking about walking up to someone who is smoking, sticking my face in their smoke, and then complaining about it. That's mad. My problem is when I'm walking along the street and the person in front lights up - I get smoke, and I'm allergic to it.

ok, Guy, I do see your point, honest!
But please understand, there are some of us smokers who are not the embodiment of all evil! Not all smokers are inconsiderate louts, and we don't like being tarred with the same brush.

I quite agree. I don't hate smokers, I just dislike inconsiderate behaviour.

Did anyone ever think that the smoker is not the begging of the chain? I never see anyone who smokes as "evil" just misled, and sadly addicted. I will always say to someone that cigarettes are dangerous and all that, but they are not the problem. If u look at the problem thoroughly try to look a little bit further. It has been proven that nocotine is an addictive drug, and a few years back te amount of nicotine legally allowed into a cigarette was reduced, yet at the same time the test for measuring nicotine was changed to show lower levels than the old tests. This may be just rumour, or it may have some standing in the world, but I do ask that smokers be considerate around those who dont smoke, and those of us who do deteste the tobacco industry for what it has forced upon the world do not see the smoker as the problem. It is the big buisnesses who are only interested in their profits and not the populace. I ask them this, if cigarrettes kill, then eventually u will kill or seriously hurt your entire smoking community, who then will buy your product?

Did you see that Philip Morris was actually asking one government to promote smoking - it kills people younger, so saving the country money! This is not only breathtakingly arrogant, but utterly amoral. How can those guys sleep at night?

On a mattress stuffed with dirty money, thats how!

Firstly the only thing more annoying than people telling me it's bad to smoke, is drunk people saying it's bad(I have nothing against drinking)it's just I go for a few beers and my drunken friends have the gaul to say smoking is bad for you...they choose to ignore the health risks that go with drinking.
Also I'm 20 and it bugs me when my older cousins ask me why I smoke and then don't except my answer...why did you ask at all if all you're going to do is ignore the only point of view that really matters.

Well, you have bad friends then. Although they have some right on their side - drinking in moderation may have some health benefits, and at worst is health neutral, whereas smoking even in moderation has no known beneficial effect and is definitely proven to increase risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke. Plus smoking increases these risks for people around you, as they inhale second-hand smoke.

Drinking is not risk-free, and when combined with driving is profoundly undesirable, but the issues with alcohol are more mixed than with tobacco. There is no known safe way to consume tobacco.

Cheers!

[note from grammar nazis: it is "gall" not "gaul."]

Just to let you know that drinking has huge health implications - regular drinking increases the risk of liver dieases, binge drinking can cause permenant psycosis - the only differance being that drink is socialy acceptable and the risks involved less widely know. So if people are going to wage a holy war againt smoking because of the health risks at least they should be consistant and not just look at one side of the story.

I understand that people fell strongly about passive smoking - but they must understand that I have the right to smoke as well. What gives you the right to tell me to stop?..if I'm in a place (eg the smoking section of a resturant) and I'm allowed smoke, don't ask me to stop...if it bothers you that much just leave.

Just to let you know that drinking has huge health implications - regular drinking increases the risk of liver dieases, binge drinking can cause permenant psycosis - the only differance being that drink is socialy acceptable and the risks involved less widely know. So if people are going to wage a holy war againt smoking because of the health risks at least they should be consistant and not just look at one side of the story.

I understand that people fell strongly about passive smoking - but they must understand that I have the right to smoke as well. What gives you the right to tell me to stop?..if I'm in a place (eg the smoking section of a resturant) and I'm allowed smoke, don't ask me to stop...if it bothers you that much just leave.

I acknowledged the fact that drinking has health implications. But whereas drinking in moderation is believed by many doctors to be beneficial to health, and by most to be health neutral, smoking has no known benefiocial effects and smoking to any degree, including passive smoking, is believed by just about every doctor in the world to damage your health.

The "freedom" issue is much abused. I know of no incidence of a non-smoker causing a smoker to have an asthma attack by breathing out smoke-free air, whereas smoke causes me to have asthma. If a single person in an enclosed are smokes, they make the area unpleasant and in some cases immediately dangerous to the majority (remember: most people these days don't smoke) who prefer clean air. Rights bring responsibilities: if you have the right to smoke, you have a responsibility to ensure that by doing so you don't make the place you are in unusable by the majority who don't smoke. And that means, in my book, pubs and restaurants should be non-smoking by default with a smoking area if they want. But then, any pub which is smoky doesn't want my business.

Ever thought that you might be slightly boring and offensive?

Since, I have quit smoking I can be all smug and say how good I feel now the little white tube doesn't rule my life anymore. I get up in the morning and I function. I function well and I used to be intollerable untill I had a cigarette. Yes smoking is your rite if you want to do it do it. I dont even mind passive smoke. I work in a smokey environment and have friends that smoke in my car.
What helped me quit was the money factor, no matter how rich/poor I am or how cheaply I could purvey a packet of cigarettes. I resented the amount of cash that I was burning. $1000 a year on cigarettes was just too much. My friend spends $3000 how much do you burn? If I gave you a $1000 cash present, could you burn it? Wouldnt you prefer to keep it and buy a new suit? Go on a short holiday? Give the cash directly to Phillip Morris?

I am a very boring person, but inoffensive (unlike tobacco smoke which *is* offensive).

Many people have argued this point and I don't think that we are going to come to any sort of conclusion here but...(and there is always a 'but'!). You point out that it is my responsibility to consider the veiws of others(eg asthmatics) saying that I should be mindful of them...Why? why is it MY responsibility? If you have asthma shouldn't it be your responsibility to keep away from situations that involve smoke? Why is it the smokers responsibility?

you made the point that you don't go to smokey bars so this isn't nessesarly directed at you - but poeple who care enough to ask you to put out a cigarette shouldn't allow themselves to get into that situation...they should consider the smokers rights just as he should consider theirs.