Smokers........... "You Bastards!"

Originally posted by SR
It's amazing how people always ignorantly claim smoking alone damages there health when practically everyday i guarauntee you will work with or be subject to something that poses a danger to your health yet you do so unwittingly probably or probably don't care. Walking down a street next to a road damages your health and gives you a risk of cancer from fumes but en masse of people stopping every car and telling the drivers to somehow stop there emmissions. Plastic has been linked to causing cancer but you never hear of these people banning it.

Good point. I've seen actual lungs from deceased people for a demonstration. They showed a lung of a non-smoker from NYC i believe and then the lungs of a smoker who smoked a pack a day for over 30 years, from a suburban area on Long island. The non-smokers lungs were almost identical to the smokers lungs in the way of damage. It was very interesting to say the least.

Originally posted by AcesInTheHole

Originally posted by Griff

Originally posted by UM_Gazz
Smokers are the modern day lepers, exclusion is not enough, they are a health risk to non-smokers, wherever they go, if they choose to smoke they are putting others at risk. Other than gathering them all up for extermination, what else can the world do with them, other than create laws to keep them away?

How about accomodate them with a place to smoke? Remember the smoking rooms at the airports? What was wrong with that?

I'm a smoker and even I find these rooms to be quite nasty. I'd much rather wait untill i can get outside than sit in a smoke filled room of death. Unless they have a state of the art ventillation system, which most don't, although they should.

*emphasis mine

This is how a lot of non-smokers feel about people smoking near them...know what I mean?

Look, I smoke on occasion...and I'm not going to one of the people who claims that they are a perfect angel and never smoke around anyone else, and always make sure to lock myself in a box before lighting up...but it I do try to be somewhat considerate.

The fact of the matter is I'm technically a smoker who hates smokers! A complete hypocrite. I can't freaking stand the "oh you dont like my smoke? I'll blow my smoke in your face...how do you like that? nah nah nah nah nah" mentality. I find it so incredibly immature and selfish. If I'm not smoking a butt, i want to breathe clean air! The argument that "this is 'merica buddy, its a free country i can smoke where I wan" really holds no water...simply because as much right you have to smoke, other people have the right to breathe fresh air! I wish there were still designated smoking areas. .

It all comes down to humans are just selfish animals. Everyone wants it their way and their way only.

Originally posted by realyweely
None at all though I might like the one you sit in.

Talk to the other nine bar owners and ask them to create the same if you like it so much.

Originally posted by YoBrandonRaps
It all comes down to humans are just selfish animals. Everyone wants it their way and their way only.

Good point and what is really at the epicenter of this debate. No one wants to give an inch.

In the immortal words of Jack in Mars Attacks:



Smokers have given but it's STILL not enough for non-smokers. As I posed earlier, 9 to 1 ratio for non-smoking/smoking establishments, the member said, "But I might like the one you're sitting in." NO GIVE. This #'s got to stop. Ever heard of a 2 way street? We're even willing to give you a LOT more lanes.

Originally posted by Griff


Good point and what is really at the epicenter of this debate. No one wants to give an inch.

I'll debate that. Smokers have given a LOT, QUIETLY.

Well, as an asthmatic - and someone who has been resuscitated once after a very severe asthma attack, I've never understood why anyone would want to willingly screw up their lungs by smoking.

Speaking as someone who has never smoked - what smokers don't realise - because they are in the thick of it - is that the smoke is all pervading, and sometimes what you take in through the filter is a damn site less toxic than whats being just burnt into the open air. The smoke affects peoples eyes as well as their breathing and leaves a stale stench on clothes that becomes immediately noticeable as soon as you exit the smokey environment.

Having said that its been quite rightly pointed out that perfumes are just as bad, and to me they are. I once had to move tables in a resteraunt to get away from a woman who was drenched in some sickly sweet smelling concoction that made me feel nauseus. No doubt she thought that she smelt great

That having been said, although the bans/smoke free zones etc work in my favour I do believe people have a right to choose what they do to themselves. That having been said, the difference between what is socially acceptable and not tends to get dictated by the majority, and thats the way it is.

Originally posted by Griff

Originally posted by YoBrandonRaps
It all comes down to humans are just selfish animals. Everyone wants it their way and their way only.

Good point and what is really at the epicenter of this debate. No one wants to give an inch.

Thats a broad generalization at best. I'm hoping to quit soon, we all know its bad for us, and if it was easier i think the majority of smokers would quit. If you think humans are just "selfish animals" than you need to start meeting some new humans I always take consideration of others' feelings when I smoke, which is why I usually go outside. I guess I'm a self hating smoker, because ciggarettes make me sick too

Originally posted by intrepid
I'll debate that. Smokers have given a LOT, QUIETLY.

But not by their own accord. Forcing someone to do something doesn't equate to them giving something. See my point?

Originally posted by neformore
Well, as an asthmatic - and someone who has been resuscitated once after a very severe asthma attack, I've never understood why anyone would want to willingly screw up their lungs by smoking.

It's called ADDICTION. People try it and smoke occasionally at first, but it soon becomes to late. Not that its impossible to quit, but you really have no idea if you've never smoked. When your addicted, its very tough to kick the habit. If it was easy, the tobacco companies would be out of buisiness. That will never happen.

People are hardly "willingly" trying to hurt themselves. No ones ever tried to commit suicide by smoking cigs.

Originally posted by realyweely
None at all though I might like the one you sit in.

BTW I am a musician and my friend was a vocalist all his life in a band and never smoked a cigarette in his lfe yet died of Lung Cancer

People like you really **** me off.
IF and I do mean IF there was one bar in ten that allowed smoking and you perferred it over your other nine non smoking bars, is that really the smokers problem? Sounds to me like you're just being a little childish. (MUMMY I WANT THAT ONE!! NOW!!).

Originally posted by AcesInTheHole
Thats a broad generalization at best.

Yes, it is broad.

I'm hoping to quit soon,

Good luck. I'm 3 weeks into it this time around. Last time, 9 months. The time before that, about 2 months.

we all know its bad for us, and if it was easier i think the majority of smokers would quit.

I agree.

If you think humans are just "selfish animals" than you need to start meeting some new humans

I always take consideration of others' feelings when I smoke, which is why I usually go outside. I guess I'm a self hating smoker, because ciggarettes make me sick too

When I smoked, I was always (mostly) considerate of others. I tried to blow my smoke up and away from people and if it didn't work would appollogize to people for blowing smoke in their face.

Originally posted by AcesInTheHole
It's called ADDICTION.

I usually tell it to people like this. Imagine being a heroin addict and heroin being readily available at the corner market. Makes it really hard to quit.

[edit on 6/1/2007 by Griff]

Originally posted by Griff

Originally posted by AcesInTheHole
It's called ADDICTION.

I usually tell it to people like this. Imagine being a herion addict and heroin being readily available at the corner market. Makes it really hard to quit.

This is quitting in a nutshell.

To add to this comment, using the heroin addict analogy, it's also like seeing a bunch of people doing heroin in front of you when you are trying to quit. Only with cigs, it's almost impossible to avoid being around these people which adds to the problem of quitting.

Originally posted by AcesInTheHole
Only with cigs, it's almost impossible to avoid being around these people which adds to the problem of quitting.

I don't know about that. Seems like smokers have been legislated in a corner. Surely you can avoid that corner.

thats exactly what im getting at first the took away the less dangerous plant completely now they dont want us to smoke in resteraunts thats why there was a smoking section in the first place you know im not an ass i dont smoke when theres little kids nearby or an elderly person ((unless there doing what i like to call "the judgement stare")) but i like to not have to go out in the rain snow.....tornado whatever to have to smoke

Coupla points:
1) Having worked in ICU for 26 years, I can tell you that I've seen a lot of 90 year old wheezers that might be dying of lung cancer or emphysema but at 90 years old something is going to kill you off. In those same 26 years I have never seen a fat 90 year old. They don't make it that long even if they never smoke. Apparently our government is is aware of which group (fatties or smokers) is costing more money because they are now offering a tax break to obese persons to lose weight but not offering a tax incentive to smokers to quit smoking. You can write off your Jenny Craig/Weight Watchers/Gym Membership if you're obese but you can't write off your Nicotine patches, gum, hypnosis, etc.
2) Most people I've talked to who are rabid anti-smokers (not just non-smokers but rabid anti-smokers) give their number one reason for not wanting smoking in public as being that they can't enjoy a drink with their friends if the place is smokey. As a good citizen, I want those people to have a safe, healthy, clean-air refuge where they can poison their livers in good health. And then they can fill up their lungs with fresh air, stagger out to their cars, get on the road to drive to their next anti-smoking rally where they can protest against people who endanger the health and well-being of others with their irresponsible behavior.
3) These are usually the same people who want pot legalized although it has about 10 times more tar than any cigarette on the market. And for those who didn't notice: pot is a smokable item.
4) I could go on but you get the idea. I gave up smoking one time for 4 years but I never got to take a break at work until I took up smoking again. I have to actually leave the floor (and some places-the hospital grounds) to get away and actually have a break during my 12 or 16 hour shift. If I could get away from the "health" industry I could probably get healthy.
5) One last thing. I've smoked since I was 10 years old (35 years) and I can still outrun the overweight 26 year old across the street and not be near as winded at the end of the race.

Originally posted by realyweely
None at all though I might like the one you sit in.

You WOULD like the smokers bar because the non-smoking majority of bars will be full of tighted a$$ed, behavior control, d-heads while people are actually relaxing in the one smokers bar.

Better atmoshere socially.

Let's keep it clean folks. I understand your anger but this is still ATS. OK?

Intrepid,

I smoke, and I'm slowly but surely cutting back; not only as it affects myself but others. I've tried the cold turkey method, and believe me, you may as well have labled me: TheDeckster, instead of TheDuckster! - nasty temper.

Anyways, besides the health related concerns, that I'm sure everyone is pretty well familiar with, I want to mention 'financials'.

Think of all the tax money that the government made off of us poor smoking slobs. Holy Crap!

Had our government properly allocated these monies toward the National Deficit, instead of the usual mis-management tactics, our country could be debt free today!

Think about it...that's a helluvalot of moolah!

I wonder how many politicians secretly smoke a big fat stogie on a warm beach, while reminiscing about how they bilched tax payers out of their hard earned monies?

[edit on 1-6-2007 by TheDuckster]