Here is the way I see it. We are all impacted by the choices we make. Back in 1959 I first started observing smokers while working in the grocery business. After doing so, I chose not to smoke for the following reasons:
- Money. In 1959, cigarettes cost $5 a carton. That was expensive back then. Today, cigarettes cost $5-$9 a pack; not a carton, a pack. A married couple could spend as much as $13,140 for a years worth of tobacco products.
- I did not want to taste and smell like an ashtray.
- I did not want to burn holes in my clothing and car upholstery.
- Lastly, my no smoking decision ultimately focussed on not wanting to commit suicide by slowly killing myself one cancer stick at a time. I was only 16 years old when I decided not to smoke.
Now that I am almost 72, I guess I could start smoking. It normally takes cigarette smokers 30 years to move from either “rebellion smoking” or thinking they are really cool, because they smoke, to breathing from an oxygen tank, followed by death. At that rate, if I start now, I will be 102 years old before smoking polishes me off. Of course there is still the money issue. I think I will still say nope to dope. I am talking about legal dope like cigarettes and marijuana. Nope to dope. That is still my motto.
Cancer stick hanging out open car window forces others to breath in thoughtless smoker’s secondhand smoke.
Having said that, I hasten to admit that each of us should be free to make our own personal choice about smoking. After all, the USA is promoted as a free country.
All I ask is, if you want to smoke, smoke, but keep all your smoke to yourself. I do not appreciate waiting in line at a traffic light while a smoker hangs their cancer stick out their open window and allows their stinking second hand cancer producing killer smoke to drift into my car.
If smokers like smoking so much, then they should roll up their car windows and turn their car ventilation system to recycle air. That way they can enjoy all the benefits of smoking as their smoke gets repeatedly recycled through their car interior. Because they work hard to get smoker’s delight, they might find they can destroy their bodies even faster if they keep all that smoke inside their car.
So smokers, if you want to kill yourself, don’t let me slow you down. I will not impose my choice on you. In fact, if you love smoking, why not light up 2 or 3 cigarettes at once. If one is good, think how much better 3 cigarettes will be and actually for big mouth smokers you might be able to fit 4 cigarettes into your mouth. Once you have all 4 cancer sticks fired up, enjoy yourself. This could prove to be an all time peak tobacco experience.
All I ask is that you leave us non-smokers out of your accelerated rush to pain, suffering and death.
While I am at it, let me tell you what else I think. Authorities need to create two more traffic tickets. #1. We need a $1000 ticket for those who smoke and assault others with their second hand smoke because they refuse to roll up their car windows.
#2. We need a ticket for those who smoke with kids in the car, including pregnant women. For smokers who are into abusing and killing kids with second hand smoke, a $5,000 ticket might help them change their dangerous behavior.
Don’t take my rant for it. Check out what the American Cancer Society says about the negative impacts of second hand smoke.
Lastly, if any of my smoking friends are reading this article, try not to be mad at me. I am not mad at you. I just want the two of us to be able to make our own individual well informed choices about smoking. I promise not to make your smoking choice. You decide. In return, please do not make my smoking choice by forcing me to breath your second hand smoke.
And that’s the way I see it.