I have often wondered why people smoke cigarettes. Aside from the fact that anyone who smokes is an inconsiderate asshole who is polluting my world and ME SPECIFICALLY whenever that person smokes in my presence, why would anyone want to smoke in general.
There aren’t too many reasons that I can think of why people begin smoking. There are those who saw it at some point and thought it was cool. Maybe your parents or someone you thought of as glamorous as a child. And that’s a totally understandable reason for a person to take up smoking. Well, anyone that’s under the age of twelve and still has posters of rock stars and teen idols on his or her walls. Then there’s peer pressure; those who were ‘forced’ to smoke because their friends do it and they don’t want to feel left out or get razzed. Sheep, basically. The last thing that comes to mind is someone who just wants to experiment. Again, understandable. Hey, I’ve experimented with heroin, but I didn’t decide to continue doing it on a regular basis for the rest of my life. Whereas many cigarette experimenters do indeed continue smoking straight up until death; sometimes even due to those very cigarettes.
I honestly can’t think of any other reason.
It’s not like when you smoke that first ever cigarette you go, “God DAMN that was good! That was the best FUCKING experience of my life!”. Yes, I have smoked cigarettes as well as other substances and I can say from my own experience that the first cigarette is not a pleasure. In fact, I’ve spoken to MANY cigarette smokers and just about all of them said that their first experience with smoking was particularly NOT pleasurable. They had to go back and do it again… And again… Until they were addicted.
ADDICTED, you say? No smokers are addicted. Every one of them can quit whenever he wants. He just doesn’t want to. Um, yeah, you’re addicted. No, no, any time I get busy I totally forget about smoking altogether. In fact, I’ve gone for days even weeks without a cigarette when I get busy. Uh-huh. Well, let me tell you something. I run. I hate it. The minutes drag. The SECONDS freaking drag. It makes me want to freak out sometimes. However, I’ve found that when I keep my mind occupied with music, or even daydreaming, the minutes can fly by without notice. See the correlation? Keep busy and you can forget about what your body wants you to do. Sorry, smokers, you’re addicted.
To say it’s your “CHOICE’ to smoke is ridiculous. YOU’RE ADDICTED. Therefore, by definition, you have NO CHOICE.
And thusly, I feel about you the same as I feel about all addicts. You’re weak; physically and mentally. It doesn’t make you a bad person. It doesn’t mean I personally couldn’t totally love you despite your addiction. Hell, my own mother was a HEAVY smoker for over 40 years and if you tell me I don’t love my mother I’ll tell you to your face to go fuck yourself.Still, I see a smoker as exactly the same as I see an alcoholic. Come to think of it, every alcoholic I’ve known has been a smoker. That’s not to say that every drinker smokes or that every smoker drinks. I’m sure that’s not the case.
Now we must add to this argument I’m drawing up the point that there is now SO MUCH evidence that shows how detrimental cigarettes are to people who use them that if you WEREN’T addicted you would have to be literally STUPID to want to smoke.
Ok, then. I’m sure I’ve offended many people with my rant. And people who I consider my friends may 1) think I don’t like them as much as they thought and/or 2) might no longer like ME as much as THEY thought. I hope that’s not the case. I don’t hate anyone because he or she smokes, but I do hate the fact THAT he or she smokes.
I’ve heard all sorts of bullshit arguments from people who smoke on why they should be able to not only smoke, but do it anywhere they want. None of their logic has stuck with me. The most basic conviction is that it’s a persons right as a free individual. On this, I do agree. People have the right to be as stupid as they want. However, they do not and should not have the right to force me or anyone who does not want to be associated with that vileness to have to deal with it.
I know many smokers who would say, “Fine, stay the fuck away from me then.”
They may or may not know it, but I do. However, there are others I know who can’t get away from those foul smokers as easily. Know any smokers with children? I truly feel awful for those kids. I always have the option to walk out the door when someone lights up. I also have the option to smack the offending asshole up the side of the head with a brick and then crush out the smoldering butt on his butt. A child does not have these options. And truthfully, many others don’t either. Say, you’re at a party and people are smoking in the house. Sure, you COULD leave the party. Or maybe you can’t. Maybe you got a ride there and have to wait. Now you can no longer stay in the house where your good friends are watching something cool on the tube, or singing songs, or playing guitar. You have to go out in the fresh air where there’s only a stray dog to keep you company and it keeps farting whenever you go to pet it! Or you could just deal with not being able to breathe. I mean really, is oxygen that important to anyone?
Certainly, people who know me and know that I’m deathly allergic to cigarette smoke and become physically ill when confronted with it probably think I’m overreacting. I know smokers who have said to my face that second-hand smoke has absolutely no effect on anyone; that’s all bullshit made up by the MAN to try to take my heroin away (excuse me, cigarette). To that I can only say ‘FUCK YOU’ and I only wish there was some way to make you as sick as I feel when forced to breathe smoke.Well, I’m not sure if there was a point to this rant, but it always feels good to write down my thoughts and as I’ve been experiencing a little writers block the last week, it feels doubly good.
I hope I haven’t upset any of my friends, cause I truly didn’t mean to. You should realize how much I care for you by the fact that despite my strong beliefs I still want to hang with you.
However, I stand by every word I’ve written and if you have a reply you know where to find me.
I never hide.
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