I have smoked a little bit in the past but it has been over 2 years. I can see how it can become addictive, so I have made the effort not to do it. However, my sister and her husband smoke, and of course, this has upset my parents to no end, especially my father who watched his dad smoke and drink himself to death. It is definitely a sore spot with my family. At least, they don't smoke when they visit my parents. As far as I know, they have not tried really hard to quit. I am not going to judge others and tell them not to smoke, but I do not like going to places and leaving with cigarette smoke on my clothes.
I don't smoke...never have...but...this Rockets season is pushing me that direction! BTW...good luck RocketMan Tex. ALL of your loved ones will appreciate your decision one day. There isn't a day that doesn't go by that I wish my grandfather hadn't hit the butt during WWII. It eventually led to his death.
I have a couple of things to say about this... First, secondhand smoke (ETS) has not been proven to be statistically significant in causing ANY harm to non-smokers. If you really want to go study by study I'd be happy to do that. The studies show you have as much chance of getting cancer etc from ETS as from a peanut butter sandwich or grilling out in your backyard. Eating too much salt is much more likely to harm your health. Second, there are so many butts outside buildings because most buildings are non smoking. If they could smoke in their office they'd use an ashtray. I'm suprised you can see butts on the sidewalk elsewhere considering the normal about of large pieces of litter. Comparatively, its a minor problem. More public ashtrays (and less facist non-smokers) would go a long way to solving this. For shared offices there could be a (well ventilated) smoking room, or you could work somewhere else. Third, on smoking in public places (bars, restaurants). Its the market that determines whether you can smoke inside (or at least it should be). If a restaurant/bar loses enough business and customers say they won't come back because of the 'smell' or whatever, then they'll either change their policy or accept the loss in business. Having the government TELL a business owner that no smoking is allowed is antithetical to the basic freedoms we are supposed to enjoy in the US. The same goes for restaurant/bar employees. If a bar can't find anyone who is willing to work in that environment, then they'll have to change their policy or compensate the employees for the smoking environment at a higher wage. You don't HAVE to work in a particular place, and you don't HAVE to frequent a particular bar or restaurant. You choose to, and so you can choose to go somewhere else, or work somewhere else if you can't stand the smoke. Fourth, we as citizens in a supposedly free (within limits) country CHOOSE to do all kinds of things that are harmful to our bodies. We stay up too late, work too much, drink too much alcohol and too many softdrinks, eat too much fatty food, eat too much salt, and exercise too little. Do you want to live in a place where the government tells you when to eat, sleep, and take a s**t? One that rations your calorie intake and bans alcohol and everything else found to be 'bad for you' or 'cancer causing,' and that forces you to get on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes a day??? I don't, and that's why I like living in a free country. Where Mom can use butter and a crap load of sugar in her apple pie... Finally, smoking is cool. Everybody's doing it...
Hang in their RocketMan Tex ! I'm with you !!! Last year I made it 8 months, This time its for good ! S.J.
Human urine contains hydrogen and oxygen. Water contains hydrogen and oxygen. No need to ask me if I drink water. www.deuchbagswhospendtonsofmoneytryingtomaketheiradslooklowbudgetandhip.com BTW Im only a casual smoker, But my hate for "thetruth.com" rivals my hate for the Yankees, Jazz, and Packers. And thats strong.
I've never smoked cigs before, but I have come close a few times whenever finals have come around... I'm less likely to smoke though now because this last November around Thanksgiving, my dad was diagnosed with emphysema, and he hasn't smoked in 18 years... I also don't give a **** if some stranger smokes cigarettes, nor do I wonder why they smoke.
heh Pole. Im sorta neutral on smoking man, and I can understand where youre coming from. Can you understand where Im coming from? Youve got to admit. TheTruth.com **** is some of the deuchiest stuff ever.
I only smoke when I'm on fire. Freak: You are wrong about musicians and smoking. Nearly every one of my musician friends (smokers or not) absolutely HATE having to work in smokey clubs. Even the smokers prefer to take it outside because they hate having to inhale the second hand stuff. One of the reasons I stopped playing live on a regular basis was that the smoke in clubs was making me sick. I would be sick for a day or so after my gig and I just couldn't take it any longer. My only argument with smoking in restaurants is this: Restaurants complain that, if smoking was banned, they wouldn't be able to compete. With whom, though? If it was banned in ALL restaurants, how exactly would they lose out? What, people would suddenly decide to stay at home forever so they can smoke??? I don't care if people smoke, but I don't want the litter on my ground that comes from butts and I don't want the smoke blown in my face. I don't care what people believe about second hand smoke, it makes me sick and that's all I need to know about its health benefits.
You obviously aren't understanding this... some of us don't give a flip if people smoke. I don't care if it's legal or illegal. I don't care how stupid it is. Just don't go smoking that crap while people are trying to eat around you or in other public places... that's what most of us care about. We're not asking to lobby, we're just asking for common courtesy.
You know why GB started this thread, right? He's a gum salesman! <img src="http://www.viewaskew.com/clerks/images/pics/veronica.gif"> Who's leading this mob?
Congrats Tex. My dad started smoking around 17 and he stopped when he was 53. It took him a heart attack in 1987 to stop his smoking.... luckily he survived.
What is there to understand, DoD? It's legal, just as wearing an obscene shirt out in public is, just as being affectionate with your gay lover is, just as mothers can breastfeed their children in public. I agree about common courtesy, but we both know many people simply aren't.
I've been a smoker before, but am not now. I used to be a social smoker when I was drinking. Something about a beer and a cigarette just makes them go well together. Then, during final exams one year, I started smoking seriously. I got up to about two packs a week. Then I sort of caught myself. My dad's a life-long smoker, and I don't want to end up hacking all the time like him. So I quit.
I've never come close to smoking, there is just something about dying from cancer that doesn't entice me.
Jeff..to your point about smoking in restaurants...In Austin you don't have the option to smoke in a restaurant...and trust me it doesn't hurt thier business at all. Went to visit a friend in the land of the plastic people recently..they don't allow smoking in bars in Cali. I smoke..and thought I would hate it. Turns out I loved it! Even as a smoker I hate going home smelling like an ashtray...doesn't allow me to get the maximum amount of use out of my clothes before I take them back to the dry cleaners. I understand the argument that "this is america and we should have a right to smoke anywhere we damn please!"....I agree with that argument..but it seems to me that smokers don't really take into consideration other peoples space. I don't think it is a concious decision by smokers...it is just not being aware that your actions could be offensive to others. BTW reason I smoke: Pure and simple addiction. Wish I never started..wish I had the strength to quit.
To be honest, I think it is probably about in line with most of the population but I do know this much...most of the professional guys I know (not the garage bands, etc) hate the smoke in clubs. I think younger players smoke more but older one's smoke less. When you've been around it, it gets old. I do know that even the players who smoke don't smoke much during gigs and prefer to smoke outside on breaks. Many of them, even though they smoke themselves, hate smoke inside of clubs because there is so much of it in such a small, concentrated area. Now, how many of them smoke things other than cigarettes? That's a WHOLE other story!
