My Smokers' Rights: Plus a few questions for my fellow addicts.

Once again, thanx for the flags and all the replies guys, smokers and nonsmokers alike.

At least we have all stayed civil (for the most part...though a couple of the nonsmokers couldn't resist showing their colors) and had an entertaining discussion thusfar.


Let's keep it going.


Jasn

Hi Simius,
Next year in the UK we will get horrid pictures of dead peoples lungs on our cigarette packets (which cost about 5 pounds 50 pence for 20 in the UK!)

"The graphic images, which include the corpse of a lung cancer victim and a tumour growing from a victim's neck, will be shown on all tobacco products by 2009.

One of a number of anti-smoking images on the Department of Health's website
The hard-hitting images will be on all tobacco products by 2009

It is part of a new Government campaign to try and cut the rates of smoking."

www.telegraph.co.uk.../news/2007/08/29/nsmoking129.xml

Well,I'll be getting a bit fat roll of duck tape in time for that one I think.
Not because I'm "in denial" either,I shall explain:
Reason one is because although I don't make a habit of leaving cigarettes around kids,there always the possibility they could see the pictures and get totally freaked out-maybe thats part of the idea,but I would not want to expose such images to children.
Reason two-if I wish to look at such images I will go to a medical website,at the time of my choosing thank you very much,and not when I sit down to have a smoke after a nice meal,as dictated to me by a government containing many people I would be happy to see face war crimes in the Hague.
Reason three-IMO,to constantly be bombarded by such imagery,especially with the connotation that "this will be you one day" will actually increase the risk of cancer-due to the fact that it is on your mind every time you see the packet.
I know people will say its all to help you quit,but I am very sorry-I will do that at the time of my choosing as well.
Sorry rant went on a bit longer than expected.

bureaucrash.com...

[edit on 29-8-2007 by Silcone Synapse]

reply to post by Silcone Synapse


We've got those here already. You get pretty desensitized to them, with the exception of the one with 2 small kids. The caption reads, "Please don't poison us." If that doesn't speak to you, you shouldn't have kids. Or smoke, or both.

Thats dark Intrepid,but your right,no one should smoke around kids-I didn't ever used to smoke around non smokers,which is lucky really as now its the law.

As long as lobbyists are doing their jobs then we will not stop smoking
in our own homes. I am from Canada, the pack here is about $10.00 for a
Belmont kingsize. We can not smoke in any public place, we can not smoke
between 2 walls and a roof, and we can not smoke on patio's in bars.
However we can still smoke outside, and as long as we have lobbyists that
are paying off the government smoking will not be banned.
But the government is taxing it to the max and it is probably still going to
go higher in price, which I hate. I remember smokes used to be sold for about
$4.00 a pack.
Either way I am attempting to quite now, and it is not working!

Sounds familiar Equinox-just like UK.
I was just thinking about something slightly related-My mother smoked all the way through pregnancy before I was born-20 a day.Then she stopped before having my bro and sis...thing is I am 13 stone,6` 5' tall,and my bro and sis are are lot smaller.
Should be the other way round maybe?
Unless I would have been 7`5' and 20 stone if she didn`t smoke. heheh

BTW equinox,what are doing to quit?Patches worked for me,although the first few days felt really weird.
Started again 18 months later though

[edit on 29-8-2007 by Silcone Synapse]

reply to post by SimiusDei


Wow man i was thinking i was the only one rolling his own ha.I buy Gambler tubes and tabaco.Its cheap and gets the job done.

BTW as far as smokers rights.None heh

Oh yeah,
Golden Virginia rolling baccy for me every time....works out about 10 of your USD per 28grams.
Lasts longer than cakky filter smokes.

Originally posted by SimiusDei

Those of you who are, what's your favorite brand of RYO tobacco and papers?

Can't believe I've missed this. I started rolling my own years ago, and the only time I buy a pack is during a long night of bar hopping after I get sick of feeling like a living museum.

I used to smoke Drum, but then I started to notice a big difference in the taste of the smoke. After a while I heard that Drum had sold their seeds and recipe to a US subsidiary, which was supposedly the reason for the difference in taste.

Now I smoke a few different brands because I can't find a smoke shop that regularly has one I like. Most of the time it's American Spirit, but whenever I can find Look-Out, or Bali Shag then I pick up a can.

[edit on 29-8-2007 by phoenixhasrisin]

My Opinion

Health Warnings whether they have the 2 children on them or the other crap I

could care less if they are on anything.

Well I was giving up, I hardly smoke anyway, but this darn thread just made me walk all the way to the shop, IN the rain, just to get a pack of ciggies.
Oh yes, it is a demon...excuse me while I enjoy it in the privacy of my own home.
ha, my first useless post - see what addiction drove me to????

Originally posted by shadow_soldier1975
you have NO right to smoke...NONE....so stop crying about it......smokers always compare cigs to alcohol, junk food, or drugs....NO COMPARISON!!!! Alcohol gets YOU drunk and messes up YOUR body, the same as junk food and drugs...sure the effects of them could lead to an accident where others may get hurt but they do not directly effect others the way cigs do.

As soon as you light up, us non-smokers have to smell that *SNIP*, and breath it in WITHOUT choice....no matter how hard you TRY to keep it away from us....if i want your drink of alcohol I have to come over and take it, your nasty cig air is unavoidable. So stop with this our right to smoke stuff.....if you want a place to smoke...take your money and others smokers money and build SMOKERS buildings. Inside there you and all your fellow smokers can smoke, joke, eat, smoke some more etc....

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Snipped out censor circumvention



[edit on 28/8/07 by masqua]

I love when non-smokers get on this rant about second hand smoke and then hop into a huge pollution machine gas guzzling truck.
If you drive anything bigger then a car, or gets less then 29 mpg. Then shame on you, and you are just as responsible for polluting my environment.

I want anyone with a vehicle over that gets under 30 mpg to pay a pollution tax, to start cleaning up our air.

The fact is, you get locked for 4 hours in a small room with a smoker, you may cough a little and smell bad. But lock someone up in a room with a car running, well, good luck to you.


[edit on 29-8-2007 by nixie_nox] To add:

Also, if you use any pesticides, herbicides, or any other cides, you need to be fined for deliberately polluting the water supply that I use.


If you cut your grass more then once a week, so you can have a "living rug" you need to be fined for that for willingly polluting the environment for one of the most wasteful habits known to mankind.

If you toxic household cleaners, and detergents and fabric softeners, you also should pay a hefty penalty for deliberately polluting water supplies with toxic chemicals.



[edit on 29-8-2007 by nixie_nox]

The bias against smokers is outright horrid, not only from the government, but also from the private sector as well. The insurance companies want you to quit to cut their costs, yet try to get Blue Cross/Blue Shield to cover a prescription like Chantix. NOT COVERED. The government taxes the hell out of cigarettes and uses the money for offensive anti-smoking ads, yet they refuse to use these very funds that we paid to help someone to quit. They refuse to acknowledge that someone NOT smoking is a better deterrent for kids than any television, magazine or radio commercial.

A smoker for 20+ years, I know that smoking isn't great for my health, but it's something that I enjoy doing. I don't smoke indoors. If I see someone walking nearby I try to blow my smoke away from them. I ALWAYS dispose of my butts properly, yet despite all of it, I still get the dirty looks and the occasional comments. It doesn't matter what you do, people hate you because of the misconception that I'm harming their health!

- It doesn't matter that they wake up in the morning and brush their teeth with fluoridated toothpaste.

- It doesn't matter that they down gallons of caffeinated coffee.

- It doesn't matter that they spend an hour or more per day in their SUV spewing deadly carcinogens.

- It doesn't matter that they eat fast food for lunch laden with MSG.

- It doesn't matter that they stress all day over things they can't control.

- It doesn't matter that they have a cocktail or two after they get home.

It doesn't matter, because all of their problems stem from my smoking outside, 20+ feet away! I'm infringing on their freedom, regardless of the fact that they've never done a thing to protect said freedom, nor do they have any concept of what freedom and liberty is all about. It defies logic!

Most people have an inherent fear of death, and they erroneously think that any change in lifestyle will prolong the inevitable. I don't share that sentiment. My husband died 2 years ago at the age of 41. He didn't smoke. He didn't drink. He didn't do drugs. He wasn't overweight. He worked out everyday, and was in better physical condition than 99.9% of the general population. He died regardless of his habits, (or lack thereof) but it drove it home to me that we don't control our destiny. When our number comes up, it's over, and there's nothing that we can possibly do to change fate. Why not live life doing as you choose?

I have several offices across the country, some of which I may only visit once a year, some less often. About a year ago I showed up at my office here unannounced during a 2 day layover enroute to the far east. I parked in front of the office, finished my cigarette, and walked inside. The first thing I heard from the receptionist was "If you're here applying for the admin job, WE DON'T HIRE SMOKERS... SORRY." To say I was miffed was an understatement. I asked where Dave (the branch manager) was, and was told that "Mr. Xxxxxxx isn't in yet, and when he gets in, you're in his parking spot, so you need to move your car." I told her that he could park in the space next to mine, and she rolled her eyes and called for the office manager. I walked to Dave's office, picked up the phone, and attempt to called Dave. Enter the office manager and receptionist. The office manager walks up to me, and before asking any questions hangs up on my call. He then tells me that he's going to throw my ass out of his office! I handed him my business card, and there was TOTAL silence. I can now guarantee that all my offices have a clear-cut policy regarding smokers. What people do outside of the office is largely irrelavant with the exception of criminal activity. All entering are treated with respect. If this kind of crap can happen in one of my offices, it can happen anywhere.

The people who place warning labels and pictures of burnt lungs and victimized kids on cigarette packages are EITHER:

1. first-rate idiots who dont know a thing about negative-placebo-effect, negative-mind-programming

2. or they do know and are actively involved in a conspiracy to perpetuate and increase illness.

it must be one of these two and I am not sure which I´d prefer.

reply to post by SimiusDei

I only smoke around a non smoker after asking if they mind and NEVER in a public place. I smoke in my car and in my home. So are you telling me I have no right to do that? If that's the case, I suppose your rights are meaningless as well.

I see where you are going with this however, cigs kill thousands upon thousands of people each year and they are still legal. If you stick by your reasoning about people being able to do what ever they want in their homes, [SNIP] The whole "we can do it at our home because we are not hurting anyone" argument will never get you anywhere. Just because something is legal, doesn't make it right and just because something is illegal doesn't make it bad.

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[edit on 29-8-2007 by elevatedone]

There wouldn't be a problem with smokers if they would learn to respect non-smoker's rights also.

That is where the problem started. The government found that second hand cigarette smoke is harmful and therefore it was placed on the packages as a warning. Smokers ignored the warning.

Then they banned smoking in restaurants, businesses, parks and beaches. Some cities like Calabasas CA have even banned smoking in public. California also passed a law that two years ago that declared smoking within 20 feet of any entrance or operable window of a public building was illegal. Smokers still ignore the law.

Not only that, check out the litter at the street corners and gardens. The filthy cigarette butts are everywhere!

Ergo, most cigarette smokers are irresponsible, inconsiderate, and disrespectful of others and the environment. Against such people we have to make laws to protect the majority.

In other words smokers clean up your act and there won't be any further outlash against your filthy disgusting habit. Who in their right mind wants to smell like a filthy ashtray anyway? That just stinks!

Originally posted by SimiusDei

Also, a question for everyone. How do you feel about the constant efforts to increase the tax on cigarettes?


While I understand the rights of a nonsmoker to not have to share in my cigarette smoke (and yes, I actually respect it and try to avoid exposing those that don't want to be exposed)

I wish all smokers were like you -_- ... to bad most aren't, and im sure thats why most look down upon smoking, including myself. I hate people walking right next to me and lighting one up forcing me to have to move.

but on to your question... I believe they continue to raise it because they know you are hooked, and that you'll continue to buy it so that you can continue to smoke.

nyarlathotep

my mom was a bartender, and a smoker, her boss and friends in that bar also drank, and they smoked....matter of fact, most of my mom's brothers and sisters also smoked, and drank......guess how many died from liver disease....from lung cancer??
liver disease, I can think of five or six that died from liver disease....not one that died from lung cancer.

also, as far as the drinker only harming themselves....I know this one is wrong...
being a kid around drinkers isn't too much fun, can be disgusting sometimes, and well, quite frankly can be just a little frightening...I am speaking from experience here, as someone who was dragged to those bars sometimes while my mom worked..
and well, one of those nice hud apartment complexes I lived in once had this family in it, and there was a little girl....and well, at least once a week, she would go door to door through the neighborhood asking if she could spend the night...mommy and daddy were drinking, and she didn't want to be home.....ya, it only hurts the drinker, sure....

the thing here is though.. you can be penalized for being a bad drinker dawnstar,
you should have called the cops and child services to have the parents face their problem.
those who are harmful to others while drinking can face consequences.. but rude smokers who blow it in other's faces dont have to

Originally posted by SimiusDei
Actually, since you obviously haven't seen their show.....THEY don't say anything. They consult experts from BOTH sides of the argument and let them say what has to be said. They simply host the show and are the comedy aspect of it.

You're right, I haven't seen the show, that's why I quoted someone who did see the show and said that P&T said it was BS that 2nd hand smoke caused cancer.

Originally posted by SimiusDei
EDIT: Perhaps you should reread what I said. I said SOME non smokers were Nazi's (meaning nazi like as in oppressive d***heads.) which I followed up directly with thanking those non smokers that were polite in their discussions.

--Jasn

My apologies, you have been very polite and I regret typing that.