Smokers

mustangsheba · Feb 8, 2002

Nicotine is the most addictive substance we have available to us. Fortunately, I'm not addicted to smoking. My Mother loved to smoke. She quit four or five times and finally quit for good when she had a hysterectomy in 1969. To the day of her death in 1998, she swore that if she were ever to take one puff, she would be right back to a pack a day. I strongly suspect she would take up a pipe rather than pay the price of a pack of cigarettes nowadays however. I really appreciate considerate smokers. I am appalled at people who think it's okay to dump their ashtrays in the middle of a parking lot or smoke in a restaurant or the house of a nonsmoker. On the other hand, I have a problem with city ordinances banning smoking in bars. We just need to be considerate of one another under any circumstances.

mario_ragucci · Feb 8, 2002

Yo Willie - I just want you to know that I respect peoples choice to drive a car everyday. I shouldn't transcend too far in my assertions here, because many folks have no choice but to drive everyday, so it's hardcore for me to suggest they should not. But you can't deny that our American ADDICTION to personal transportation and gasoline has caused Americans to become somewhat bent, and disliked abroad. Again, I don't want to ruffle anyone because many folks would shut down without a car and a gasoline supply. What's this hafta do with smoking? Well, even though something is harmful doesn't mean you hafta be all self-rightous about it. Can't we all get along? I'm not defending smokers; I'm just saying we have bigger fish to fry when it comes to making a positive change in things than to bug out about people who want to smoke cigarettes. From every mountain-side; Let freedom ring!

Paprikat · Feb 8, 2002

I admit I am a smoker. I also consider myself a considerate one because I smoke outside, not in my house, only with other smoker's, only on my assigned breaks. I will not light up in say a bus shelter where I know my smoke will irritate people.

I am proud to live in a province where smoking is banned from public places, like malls, restaurants and most bars. It is a horrible, filthy habit and I have tried to quit many times. It is an addiction and I can literally feel it in my blood when I haven't had a smoke for awhile. All I can say is my doctor told me that it often takes an average of seven times for most people to quit. Tried patches, gum, accupunture, hypnosis...willpower, and I seem to get sucked back into it, and I hate to say it, but it is usually a bad day at work was the trigger that started me to resume smoking once I have quit. Oh, well. I won't give up, I'll keep trying to quit. By the way, do smoking support groups exist, say like alcoholics anonymous? I don't think I've ever heard of one!

thisnurse · Feb 8, 2002

oh god how tiresome.

i grow so weary of preaching.

i smoke because I LIKE IT.

I LIKE the way a cigarette tastes.

I LIKE the way they make me feel.

am I stupid..OF COURSE!

why am I paying the tobacco companies to kill me?

because I LIKE THE WAY IT FEELS.

Tell me more about the hazards, I dont know about them. Tell me more of your personal ancedotes, because I have never/heard seen them before.

I WILL STOP WHEN I AM READY..NOT WHEN YOU DECIDE.

AND THE THING THAT MAKES ME THE ANGRIEST ABOUT ALL OF THIS IS THAT NONSMOKERS THINK THEY HAVE THAT RIGHT. WELL YOU DON'T.

Take a look at the binge drinking thread. I said in an earlier post on this topic that drinking would be the next logical choice of the dogooders.

You drinkers better hope that us smokers dont lose our rights any time soon cos mark my words...YOU ARE NEXT.

Mario, I liked the Ted Bundy face much better.

nurs4kids · Feb 9, 2002

We need to be realistic here, people. There ARE inconsiderate smokers and there are non-smokers who LOOK for reasons to bit*h about smokers. I would love nothing more than to wake up tomorrow and there be a ban on the sale of all tobacco products; not likely since the gov't is making a killing (no pun intended) from the sale of these products. Smoking is, to me, kinda like homosexuals say homosexuality is...who in their right mind would CHOOSE either? I smoke because I'm addicted, no other reason. I read about people in their 30's dying of lung ca and it makes me sick in the pit of my stomach, then I light another one. It's a strong addiction, period. No, I have no right to pollute others who made better judgements than me by choosing to never take that first puff, but as long as cigs are legal people WILL smoke and non-smokers will be "offended".

In my many years of riding motorcycles, I've been hit, or nearly hit, by coke bottles, beer bottles, cups, cig butts, CARS, dogs...you name it, it aims for a motorcycle. I don't think it would make much sense to speak of outlawing cola's or cars because of a few inconsiderate idiots.

Smokers SHOULD be considerate (don't smoke in non-smoking areas, in non-smokers houses or where non-smokers are obviously offended by smoke ) and smokers should only gripe when it's a legitimate gripe instead of griping because they resent the habit.

Non-smokers fussing and complaining will never make smokers quit smoking, believe me my parents have tried this tactic with me and my siblings for years, it only makes us want another cig. Smokers will never be seen as deserving equal rights because we CHOOSE to smoke and it IS a nasty habit that affects not only us, but those around us.

The best we can do is try to be considerate, regardless of which side of the smoke you're on.

JMP · Feb 12, 2002

Dear NURSE FOR KIDS.....

I have been watching and waiting and I CAN NOT STAND it anymore. I can not let you get away with comparing smoking to being gay. I can not believe no one else is going to call you on this one.

When you say " who would choose to be a homosexual" do you realize how ignorant and backward and insulting that is? Something tells me you don't. And then, to compare it to smoking. Lumping a sucking a cigarette together with gays. Come on. Give your head a shake.

I am not gay. I am a very PROUD mother of a gay son, however, and I deeply resent your comments.

RETHINK your rational.

night owl · Feb 12, 2002

I guess I'll get in on this one...I smoke because I like it, especially with a cup of coffee, or after a meal and when I post a reply! No one is going to tell me not to smoke. I am considerate when in other people's cars, or amongst people who don't smoke. I resent the fact that I can't smoke 25 feet from a building and I don't! I figure I'm outside and that's good enough for me or whomever. They say I can't smoke in the bathroom well guess what I've done that too. I resent the fact that when I'm OUTSIDE in a ball park I can't light up...I have to go outside the stadium to have a smoke yet I can sit between two beer guzzelin fools cussin and swearin at the umpire. I'm sick and tired of being treated like a freekin criminal just because I smoke . It's a free country and if I want to smoke I will. I have to laugh about the time I was at the check out in the grocery store and couldn't reach the pack of cigs. I asked this lady if she could hand me a pack of Benson and Hedges menthol and she said, "Oh I'm not touching those! I don't want to give you cancer!" And my reply to her was," And you're a dumb a$$!" Everyone laughed. There are fools, and then there are fools!..........sheesh.............!

mario_ragucci · Feb 12, 2002

Then there are the people who spit, and I hate them. Nothing is worse than seeing someone spit on the pavement I hafta walk on. And, sometimes I see young women spitting too. It is something about the younger people who feel spittting is cool. Not tobacco - just out and out spitting amylase, or whatever. Forget about cigarette butts being bad on the ground, I don't mind that. I hate to see a spot where someone has spit. When I can see someone spit, it causes me to have a reaction to them. When I am having a break between classes, it is repulsive to be enjoying a smoke, and then someone will walk up and smoke and spit, like, its okay to spit near me because I am smoking. I get mad, and I don't even want to smoke anymore. These young folks think it is cool. It's not.

BABYGIRL_RN · Feb 12, 2002

I AM A SMOKING AND PROUD OF IT. BEING A SMOKER IS MY RIGHT, NOT YOURS. NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO JUDGE ME BECAUSE I AM A SMOKER. WHEN I AM AT WORK, I TAKE 3 5-10 MINUTE BREAKS, THAT IS ALL. FEWER TO NONE IF WE ARE BUSY. I DO NOT LEAVE MY PTS FOR OTHER NURSES TO CARE FOR THEM. I ALWAYS FININSH MY WORK AND CHECK ON MY PTS BEFORE GOING OUTSIDE TO SMOKE. I RESPECT NON-SMOKERS WISHES OF NOT BEING AROUND SMOKE, SO YOU SHOULD SHOW SMOKERS THE SAME RESPECT. I HAVE THREE CHILDREN WHO HAVE NEVER HADE ASTHMA, OR ANY OTHER LUNG PROBLEM. PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO BLAME SOMETHING ON SMOKERS. YOU NON-SMOKERS NEED TO LEAVE MY RIGHTS THE HELL ALONE, AND WORRY ABOUT YOUR OWN LIFE. OH YEA, I DO NOT EVEN TAKE MY FULL 30 MINUTE LUNCH BREAK. AND IF YOU WANT YOUR BREAKS, GO TAKE THEM. DON'T BLAME THAT ON US. YOU NON-SMOKERS NEED TO STOP BEING SO JUDGEMENTAL. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF PEOPLE ALWAYS JUDGE EVERYTHING YOU DO. NO ONE WALKS A STRAIGHT LINE ALWAYS, SO IA M SURE YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING THAT IS BAD FOR YOU!

I HAVE ASLO KNOWN PEOPLE TO DYE FROM LUNG CANCER THAT WERE NEVER SMOKES OR EVER BEEN AROUND SECOND-HAND SMOKE.

thisnurse · Feb 12, 2002

mario....amen on the spitting.

id rather look at cig butts any day.

night owl...and youre a dummazz...lmao

i agree about the beer guzzling fools, but dont worry, once they ban smoking everywhere..they are next to go.

baby girl...do ppl REALLY die from lung cancer that have never been smokers?

surely they must have looked at a cigarette once, thats prob how they got it. lol

AND i dont want the nonsmokers taking up OUR tables in the smoking section. we cant smoke in your section, you should HAVE TO in ours.

JMP · Feb 12, 2002

Ignorance loves company. Just read the last few posts to prove that point.

However, I can not for the life of me understand how well educated people can be so ignorant.

I guess you somehow have to justify the horrifing thing you are doing to yourself and others around you every time you light up one of those BUTTS. The thing that I don't understand is this. Studies how that smoking is much more prevalvent among people with less education.Smoking is highest among people living below the poverty level.

According to heart and stroke studies, smoking causes 75 percent of all coronary heart disease, OVER eighty percent of all lung cancers and second hand smoke causes bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma among children exposed to it.

It smells really bad, makes your teeth yellow and is GROSS.

Four out of five smokers say they want to quit ( if they are being honest). Each year 1.3 million Americans quit successfully.

The saddest part of all of this, THREE THOUSAND , yes 3,000 young people START SMOKING EVERY DAY.

Lung cancer has now outranked breast cancer as the leading cause of death among women.

Now, no one can say " well I did not know that". People on this board are, for the most part, nurses. Set an example. Stop comparing smoking to eating a donut, drinking a beer, spitting on the sidewalk. For heaven's sake, see smoking for what it is . A KILLER.

willie2001 · Feb 12, 2002

JMP, thank you for getting back to the point. That being, smoking is a killer. There is no rationalizing it. It's poison and it's been proven. Comparing it to anything else is pointless and ridiculous.