Its not like any of the non-smokers ever THANK me for my consideration...
No one's ever thanked me for not punching them in the face when I walk past, either.
It's great that you're considerate enough to be aware of who's around you when you're smoking, but the fact remains that the majority of smokers are not. I never said that all smokers are inconsiderate (or at least I don't think I did).
But believe, people are still gonna be breathing your smoke even if you're holding the cigarette in the other hand when they walk past, and it also still leaves anyone behind you breathing your smoke until they can walk past you. To me, saying that I should appreciate how considerate you're being for putting your cigarette in the other hand is like saying I should be thanking someone for slapping me because they refrained from hitting me any harder.
If you only smoke in your own home, and there's no one there that minds the smoke, then fine, but smoking in public is still inconsiderate no matter how much you try to minimize the harm to others.
Emily
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Wow, you really are blunt aren't you. The fact remains, however, that the situation I have described, and the one you have compared it too are completely different. Incomparable, as it were. As in, there is no logical comparison between them.
However, as I am here to set a good example, and not get furious with people that press my buttons, I feel I must back out of this thread.
It's such a shame when narrow minded opinions overrule. But, I guess thats the way the cookie crumbles.
Right, cause not wanting to breath toxic crap every time I go outside for no other reason than someone else enjoys producing it is ever so narrow minded.
Emily
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My deodorant doesn't produce any fumes, and I don't use hairspray, but yes, I'd have a serious issue with someone walking down the sidewalk spraying aerosols behind them just because they felt like it. Since cigarettes have no purpose other than to provide pleasure to the smoker, I do think it's selfish to expect others to put up with the disgusting and carcinogenic smoke because it amounts to pursuing pleasure for oneself at the very direct expense of the comfort and well-being of others.
Emily
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First of all to invisible girl, when they ban all cars and lorries and their exhausts and when governments switch to producing all energy without pollution (something the US government has repeatedly refused to do then i may listen)
To get back to the original debate do i think it would be a good idea to hide cigarettes under the counter as proposed by the English Government (although if its successfull the Scottish Government ll no doubt follow suit)
then if it discourages young children from smoking then well and good but i do have my doubts! Sometimes with mental illness as well dr's don't want us to stop smoking because they feel that it could inflame the illness! So swings and roundabouts me thinks!
then if it discourages young children from smoking then well and good but i do have my doubts! Sometimes with mental illness as well dr's don't want us to stop smoking because they feel that it could inflame the illness! So swings and roundabouts me thinks!
I never realised that they encouraged the use of and perscribed tobacco now. I was always under the assumption that they didn't want those who are already addicted to stop. What swing and what roundabout? Its rather simple from my perspective :P
No they don't prescribe tobacco, but with certain illnesses they advise you that it may do more harm to stop smoking at that particular time! That's why some wards do have exemptions from the ban as to some other designated areas! Well in Scotland anyway! As for swings and roundabouts what i mean by that getting back to the debate is that ok children may not see the cigarettes blatantly being sold but they'll still see them being bought and they'll still be seen outside! So me thinks it may be a counterproductive exercise in many ways! But at the end of the day it is a perfectly legal activity, does a lot less harm than car exhausts etc, and with the amount of tax that comes off a packet of cigarettes, the money from smokers is paying one heck of a lot of money to the treasury and the health service!
Personally, and feel free to disagree with me, I think that hidin cigarettes under the counter may discourage children from starting smoking, but it won't stop current smokers from smoking anyway. The best way to cut down smoking would be to stop selling cigarettes in the first place, but as the government receives over £2 billion a year from cigarette sales, they don't want to earn l;ess money, so this isn't practical. I think all we can do is raise awareness of the dangers, and try to discourage children and teens from starting, and so slowly decreasing the percentage of the population that smokes.
One of the main problems is that many of the older generations have been brought up in smoking families, because not long ago, it was considered healthy to smoke, and soldiers in the last war were provided cigarettes in their ration packs, and so their children were brought up with a smoking father, thus giving the impression to their children that it is ok to smoke. Of course now there is scientific evidence that smoking is harmful to our health, but Nicotine being an addictive drug, people find it difficult to give up, and many don't want to.
The law banning smoking in enclosed public places (June 2006) says that smoking is banned anywhere in the UK that is more than 50% enclosed, and this is usually abided (is that a word?) by, but it does not stop people smoking on the streets where it is not enclosed. Also, this law is UK only, and does not include any of mainland Europe or other countries and continents. However, it is a start, and may help to reduce the effects of smoking on the non-smoking population when people must now go outside to smoke. I also believe that people must not smoke within 1m of any enclosed space, meaning that other people can get out of a door without having to walk through a cloud of second hand smoke.
What would it take for me to stop smoking?
I don't know to be fair.
My grandfather is dying from a smoking related illness and it is heartbreaking to watch him disintergrate from the man I once knew.
But as it stands, unless I get hit by a bus or another freak accident I will still outlive him.
Thus the balance is still there.
Children outliving parents etc.
Sorry to have caused any confusion, invisible. In UK smoking is now banned in pubs, shops and all public places indoors. Our pubs now have squalid little "extensions" where at any given time you can see the addicts huddled together for warmth in our English winter before crawling back into the pub for a further slurp of their drinks.
I'm not sure what the score is regarding smoking at, say, football matches which are outdoor but involve huddled masses - no doubt someone on the site will tell us - but I know that I'd find it offensive to have someone smoking within 20 yards of me in the open air, because of the contrast which I've referred to earlier.
And, just in case I've not made my views abundantly clear, while I sympathise with smokers and their addiction to their fags (and their inalienable right to kill themselves if they want to), I hate, hate, hate smoking, and I can't help looking at those who do smoke as weak creatures who won't face up to the damage they're doing to themselves and others (directly or indirectly).
This is getting rantish, for which I apologise - but my intentions are entirely honourable, as the Bishop said to the actress (when/where - there's a quiz subject if ever I heard one!)
nothing would make me give up to be honest.If I want to give up I just will....when I want to. Im having a hard enough time keeping off another addiction :p
There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you.
But there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.
I aint no abacus but you can count on me.
It wont take anything for me to stop smoking. Iwill when I feel good and ready (and I have been advised by my doctor that it would be harmful to do so at the moment). We have a smokers area at my ward and it's far enough away from the main building that it shouldn't really affect the other patients unless they decide to come with us.
"Don't do anything by half. If u love someone, love them with all ur soul. When u go to work, work ur ass off. When u hate someone, hate them until it hurts." - The Legend that is Henry Rollins
"... and I need you now somehow, and I need you now somehow ... on my knees for you... in my head the flesh seems thicker..."
Voice of Reason for: I-used-to-be-positive, Sisters: Hollz and Fading Star, RYL Adopted Daughter: bright red scream
If only this happened in Brazil... here, if counters sell cigarretes and advertise them, they're supposed to have a large image of a rotting leg, a man with his limbs amputated, dead rats, and the most scary one: a a twisted and curved-looking cigarrete with a caption saying that smoking causes sexual impotence.
In mainland europe the warning labels are now gross pictures and apparently thats coming to the uk soon...
Last edited by troubled_sorrowz : 27-03-2008 at 05:28 PM.
Reason: spellingssss
"Don't do anything by half. If u love someone, love them with all ur soul. When u go to work, work ur ass off. When u hate someone, hate them until it hurts." - The Legend that is Henry Rollins
"... and I need you now somehow, and I need you now somehow ... on my knees for you... in my head the flesh seems thicker..."
Voice of Reason for: I-used-to-be-positive, Sisters: Hollz and Fading Star, RYL Adopted Daughter: bright red scream
i hate being made to feel like a criminal because i got addicted to ciggarettes during the most traumatic time of my life. especially when i take great care not to bother other people. and i think its really mean to prejudge people before knowing the full story. but of course, the full story might mean you have to get down off your high horse once in a while, and heaven forbid should the horses back get cold.
I realize that nicotine is highly addictive, and I certainly don't condemn people for it, but at the same time I abhor the behavior, and I very much resent the attitude that non-smokers should be expected to tolerate cigarette smoke for the convenience of those who do smoke.
As an attempt at an analogy... there's a kid in the class I teach who has some significant behavior problems, and is often disruptive to class. His teacher has had to send him out of class several times while I was there because of his behavior towards his classmates. I don't blame him for it, nor does his teacher, because it's really clear that it's not something that he can control, and it's the result of psychological disorder. But that doesn't mean that the other students should have to put up with his disruptive behavior.
It's the same idea with smoking - it's not the individual's fault that he/she is addicted to cigarettes, but that doesn't make it okay to smoke in public.
Emily
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i hate being made to feel like a criminal because i got addicted to ciggarettes during the most traumatic time of my life. especially when i take great care not to bother other people. and i think its really mean to prejudge people before knowing the full story. but of course, the full story might mean you have to get down off your high horse once in a while, and heaven forbid should the horses back get cold.
Yep!
There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you.
But there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.
I aint no abacus but you can count on me.
You know the only thing hiding ciggerettes under the counter will do is make people buying there first pack of ciggies or being underage and not knowing what to ask for to go in the shop and go "uh can I have a packet of ciggerettes" instead of "Can I have 10/20 *insert brand* please" and then, how about if you wanna swap brand? you also won't know the new brands and urgh it will suck..like Erin said, I'm sick of feeling like a criminal because I smoke.
under/on/by the counter, I'm still going to buy them because smoking is my lifestyle choice like not smoking is someone elses lifestyle choice.
Life can be beautiful if you let it.
Step back, breathe and take it in
i hate being made to feel like a criminal because i got addicted to ciggarettes during the most traumatic time of my life. especially when i take great care not to bother other people. and i think its really mean to prejudge people before knowing the full story. but of course, the full story might mean you have to get down off your high horse once in a while, and heaven forbid should the horses back get cold.
Quote:
Originally Posted by griddlebone
Yep!
But would you say the same for a loud drunk walking down the street? A homeless person begging for money off of you? Or a person who was high on illegal drugs walking towards you? I bet you have as much prejudictic view as any other person. Just because people have strong beliefs on this view, doesn't mean that they are attempting to make themselves seem bigger than you. An di'm sure that nobody ever intended to appear that way.
