Smokers

Q. · Feb 12, 2002

I could care less who smokes. It's a personal choice. But...DON'T smoke in the NON-smoking section of a restaurant and start a fight with me about personal rights, yadda yadda when I ask you to put your butt out.

DON'T fling your butts outside at me. Put them in your ashtray! They stink up your car you say?? Well..they hit my head when I'm on the bike! Take responsibility for your own trash for god's sake!

AND...I don't want to hear ad campaigns about how smokers "had no idea" that nicotine was addictive and a killer and wo is them.

That's my story and I'm stickin to it. :devil:

thisnurse · Feb 12, 2002

the point is NOT that smoking is bad for you. yes ignorance does love company. thats evident when willie jumps in and gets back to the "point"

Now, no one can say " well I did not know that"--are you kidding? where did anyone say they didnt know smoking was going to kill us. ive not seen one smokers post that says that. not one of us are debating the issue that smoking is killing us.

maybe thats YOUR point.

MY point is that my smoking IS NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS. MY POINT is that YOU have NO RIGHT to tell me that I can or can not smoke. You begin your post with an insult and then prove just how ignorant YOU are.

JMP · Feb 12, 2002

If it makes you feel better, this nurse, then stick with it. Your loss, not mine. :-)

thisnurse · Feb 12, 2002

and THAT jmp IS the point. its all im trying to say

ohbet · Feb 12, 2002

Sure nurses smoke cause of the stress,its a drug,its an addiction and from my perspective ,its also unethical,as we wouldnt encourage the practice to our patients so we shouldnt do it ourselves.Its not appropriate.

night owl · Feb 12, 2002

Call us what you may, ignorant fools, addicted fools whatever...I still enjoy a cigarette and I still have a right to smoke one. As long as I respect non smokers rights, I don't see how I'm bothering anyone. Maybe I shouldn't smoke in the bathroom, but I don't feel safe going outside at night alone. I do bring my can of air freshner when I go in to puff away and hey, I'm on the unit if something should happen. All they have to do is yell my name and I'm right there. I know that it's a stinkin, rotten, nasty, dirty, deadly habit, but I'm addicted! Don't you get it? I'm addicted like someone is addicted to morphine!!! It's not easy to quit for some people. Others it is. If they had a program that locks you away and dries you out like alcoholics, I'd be the first to admit myself, but they just don't have that kind of program and for the life of me, I don't know why. I need help to quit, I just can't quit on my own. I understand the non smokers point of view and respect their wishes, but at least try to understand ours...most of us would love to quit if we had the chance and the right kind of help. We are DRUG ADDICTS plain and simple. Don't tell me to go to Smoke Enders because I need to be in an inpatient program that's how addicted I am. I've smoked for, let's see...30 years now. It's hard to break a 30 year old habit without help. It's these young kids I'd like to kick in the a$$... They do it because it's cool??? 30 years ago I did it because it was cool. With all the information that has been fed to the public over the years, why would anyone start today? Now they are the fools!!! And I'm a bigger fool because I'M ADDICTED!...Ain't life grand???

OneChattyNurse · Feb 12, 2002

Well....this thread sure did take a turn. The ORIGINAL question was why do so many of us smoke. I don't think this was intended to be a smokers bashing session. Smokers are not ignorant to the risks of smoking...we have heard them all. For various reasons (that are our personal choice) we chose to ignore the risks and continue to smoke. I am not sure how we can be so judged for doing something that when done in the appropriate place is LEGAL! My smoking does not personally affect anyone on this board. Therefore, I don't feel anyone here has the right to judge! Let's just get back to the indended topic of this thread and QUIT THE BASHING!!!!!

Shari

willie2001 · Feb 12, 2002

This nurse, you are absolutely right. Your smoking is nobody's business but your own. I don't presume to tell anyone whether they can or cannot smoke. You are well aware that you are slowly killing yourself. You are responsible for your own actions, right. If it is ignorant to recongnize that smoking is a bad thing, then all I can say is Ignorance is bliss! (and much more healthful).

Q. · Feb 12, 2002

And I just want to point out...I've heard MANY, MANY ads - the lady with the throat cancer who speaks through those devices - it's on the radio. She claims it's the tobacco companies fault because SHE didn't know nicotine was harmful and addictive. Maybe you haven't heard or seen these ads - but I have - and it's friggin annoying.

It's all about rude, self righteous smokers who give those smokers who are considerate bad raps.

angil · Feb 12, 2002

I smoke. Quit for a year and a half, and due to a week from hell, and yes part of that was my nursing job, I started smoking again. Non-smokers are entitled to the same amount of breaks as smokers. They just choose not to take them, and then whine about the smokers actually taking theirs. I have known nonsmokers who leave the floor, and say, I need a fresh air break. Coffee break, quiet time, a walk, call your break what you want, and do what you want on it, just as we're entitiled to do what we want on ours too!

mattsmom81 · Feb 12, 2002

Isn't it a county in Maryland where some PC group got it made into law that cigarette smoke can't blow over another's lawn or something ridiculous like that??? I call control freaks like this the "smoke police"..LOL! I don't smoke, never have. But the only time I've ever objected to nurses' smoke breaks is if they go in 'herds' or abuse their time limits. I feel the latter groups can find many additional means of shirking their unit responsibilities....and usually do in my experience! :)

thisnurse · Feb 12, 2002

f it is ignorant to recongnize that smoking is a

bad thing, then all I can say is Ignorance is bliss! (and much more healthful).

huh?

no, ignorance is mandating the behavior of another when it has no impact on you. ignorance is assuming that a group of NURSES dont understand or think that smoking WILL (notice the use of the word WILL not can) kill you.

ignorance is attacking the person of one you cant win an argument with. ignorance is just plain not knowing.

i am not ignorant. my behavior is stupid as far as smoking is concerned.

i too am tired of being bashed by the righteous nonsmokers.