Cigarettes don't kill people, people kill people

Quite a woman, that Squinney!

I live under what is probably a delusion, in that nobody in my family has ever died of cancer (or gotten cancer), so it's just not in our genes. Both my grandparents lived well into their 80s and smoked. My mother died young, heart-related and probably indirectly from smoking, but she smoked way more than I do. I like to think that if a physician ever told me I had to stop, that would make it easier to do so, once and for all. I have quit a few times but have never developed another effective mechanism to take it's place. It's weird because I have good self-discipline otherwise, and I never say never, but I'm not winning this battle yet.
I've had two serious, long term relationships. Neither guy smoked. Neither has ever complained of those things which LRR Hood claims to be so, thank goodness. But then, I am fastidious in personal hygiene, if nothing else.
Most people's vices do effect the people around them. Smoking is just one more. I will happily accept a smoking ban as soon as everyone else is banned too!

I have known a number of persons now dead from the effects of smoking, including close relatives. Funny thing, none had the will to quit smoking once they found out.

Quitting is difficult. I tried many ways of doing it and finally quit cold turkey. I was a long term heavy smoker but since I quit 14 years ago I have never slipped. I woke up one day and decided that if I couldn't get the better of a lousy plant, I was a pussy, and there's no room in the animal kingsom for a pussy bear.

Way to go, bear.

I knew a woman who's husband smoked... she died of lung cancer... then he quit.

The thing to me is, the verdict on smoking is in. I don't think there is very much doubt left on the long term health risk smoking presents.

And so, I think questions of smokers "rights" are secondary to the government's obligation to safeguard the public, which means its only a matter of time before children in homes with smokers will be removed by child welfare agencies. Substitute "toxic waste", "nerve gas", "radiation", or "pollution" for cigarettes and the rationale becomes clearer.

Personally, I think you should have the right to kill yourself in whatever manner you sees fit, as long as you aren't taking the unwilling along with you. And if someone wants to start "smokers only" businesses, in hermetically sealed buildings, I have no objection. In fact, I wish the cigarette makers would drop all pretense and make their products more lethal. Smokers are already aware of the risk. Why fool around with the chance that it might not happen to you?

<takes doglover out back, beats her up>

I agree with ya insofar as the kids go. But I don't have kids and the car is one of the only places I can smoke (I live with a non-smoker so I can't smoke at home).

Just read the rest of the posts, man there are few things that can get people more self-righteous than the topic of smoking. I'd forgotten about that and it elicited a small laugh.

I have always stopped short of kicking people's a's in the matter. I figure one day I will meet the exception.

Aw, come on, I thought the smoke-easy, and the weak buffalo, were kinda funny!

Non-smokers stateside have a religious fervor, 'witnessing' and bringing 'salvation' to every 'sinner'. It's odd, most people are not as comfortable interjecting their judgements on other people's lives except in things like this.

Heck, I'm used to it, I just treat them like Jehovah's witnesses. I never bother people with any element of my smoking yet the mere fact that I smoke makes some think that they need to enlighten me.

I get it, it's not healthy. Now I wish they'd go bother people eating in McDonalds or something, there are other sermons they can give that are just as necessary.

Ah, you brought it up first.

No kidding!
DLowan, I thought the smoke-easy was funny!

Well, it WAS a dig at Prohibition!

I couldn't agree more. What a bunch of whining maggots.

You mean strangers come up to you on the street and tell you you ought not to be smoking?

I never realized that was done in the states. I'll be doing it the next time I head to MudSock. Share the joyous news even further.

Yeah. "Would you mind putting that out? I don't like that smeeeeeelllllll.."

It's just so self-righteous and annoying, as I watch the noxious fumes being pumped out from the million or so cars that are driving by.

Oooooh, but it does stink. I had clothes that never left my suitcase on my last trip to MudSock - and they stunk from the cigarette smoke in the fella's apartment. The smell in the dogs' fur was disgusting.

You should start smoking. That annoyingly keen sense of smell will be gone in no time.