Nasty ciggy
I know, I know.
I should be more tolerant. More understanding. I can’t afford to offend one half of the world’s population like this. But I just cannot keep it to myself any longer. I hate big butts.
And you know what? Little butts piss me off too.
Stinky, screwed up, little butts with lipstick at one end.
They revolt me. They make me gag.
I have made it my mission in life to expunge them from the perimeter of the building where I work. You might think I ought to have something better to do but the truth is I don’t.
There is no higher calling than working to rid the world of cigarettes.
They are vile. They are poisonous.
But worst of all they are stupid.
If you’re a smoker trapped in the cycle of craving the very thing that is actively killing you and those around you, you have my pity. You really do. But that is not the same as my sympathy. And I fully acknowledge that.
I don’t want to see you die. I truly don’t. And I’m sure you don’t too.
So you know what? Quit smoking. Get on a programme. Do something.
I’d like to see cigarette production stopped world-wide. I mean, how stupid can the human race be to make money out of something that kills members of its own race? And don’t give me all this crap about people having the right to smoke if they want to. Isn’t that the same as heroin users saying heroin should be freely available for those that want to use it? You can’t trust the logic of these people; they’re addicts, for God’s sake! It’s the addiction talking!
Illness and disease through cigarette ‘consumption’ costs health services the world over trillions. It costs time and energy. It causes hardship and trauma.
Let’s cut off the supply and choke the demand now. People will get over it.
Let’s stamp out smoking. Like a cigarette. Let’s kick its butt forever.
Yeah! Go, people!
OK. Rant over.
Whoo! I need some marijuana.
About Stephen Herrick-Blake
Your intolerance is stunning. I am a former smoker, and believe me when I say that quitting has been one of the hardest battles I have fought. Nicotine is one of the world’s most addictive substances. From the New York Times:
“Scientists have found, for instance, that nicotine is as addictive as heroin, cocaine or amphetamines, and for most people more addictive than alcohol.”
-http://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/29/magazine/nicotine-harder-to-kickthan-heroin.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
People who are addicted to cigarettes have a disease, the same as alcoholics or drug addicts or addicts of any kind. I’m sure that people with other diseases don’t “revolt” you.
Your sanctimonious blather is made all the more upsetting due to its inclusion on a blog that tends to be a place of tolerance and reality. Humor, yes, but never this sort of vitriolic diatribe. I expect better of this site.
Twitter Name: toriwoods
Tori, I am truly sorry if I have offended you. Truly. You seem to have taken my diatribe against cigarettes and the cigarette industry rather personally. It was not meant – nor do I think it is – an attack on smokers. It is an attack on cigarettes which I am sure you and I both agree (given that you have won the hard battle to give them up) that they are nasty and the world would be better off without them.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
Oh and just for the record: nowhere do I say that smokers revolt me. I said that cigarettes revolt me. And they do. By all means accuse me of stunning intolerance against cigarettes (I’ll glady wear that on a T-shirt) but do not accuse me (falsely) of intolerance towards smokers.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
I accept your apology, and I offer mine in turn for my heated words. Throughout the entire time I was smoking, however, people said exactly these sorts of things all. the. time. And I firmly believe in the inherent right of every individual to do exactly as they please. Even if it is of detriment to themselves, if the activity doesn’t harm others (example: not blowing smoke rings in the vicinity of a baby) every person has the right to make choices, good or bad. Just because some are alcoholics doesn’t mean booze should be banned. Same thing here. A cornerstone of freedom is being allowed to make choices.
Twitter Name: toriwoods
It’s a tricky argument, isn’t it? I feel jittery when I feel that people’s freedoms are being trampled on and you’re right – people do and should have the right to make choices. On the other hand, being human, I can’t help but slap my own forehead in frustration when people make choices that are patently bad or that will ultimately lead to their premature death. I guess my rant was meant to be against us a species – how we often fly in the face of our own intelligence to do stuff that is bad for us. I do however think that companies who make money from cigarettes exist in a very morally grey area. Thank you for getting back to me. And I truly think you victory over cigarette addiction is a major achievement.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
One of the things I emphasise to my children, and this is re-inforced at their respective (NZ) schools is that with Rights come Responsibilities.
An expectation of funded health care (which my daughter’s life depends on)also carries a weight of responsiblity to our fellow citizens who pay the taxes that fund the drugs, therapy, disability devices….
Love your punchline Steve.
Good point. We might make individual choices but they themselves do not exist in a vacuum. They impact those around us both directly and indirectly.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
Meh. I really don’t care if someone wants to smoke. As long as they aren’t doing it in my workspace, or in my home, how does it affect me?
But then I feel that way about alcohol, marijuana and other drugs, too. And junk food and trans fats and etc.
It’s not my body, so why should I dictate what goes into it?
Twitter Name: thepsychobabble
A very sane outlook if I may humbly say so.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
Hear hear!
Twitter Name: toriwoods
OMG I almost want to say something really horrid and prejudicial just to stir up the proverbial hornet’s nest and get everyone in a blather.
But I can’t.
Because I’m in awe of the maturity going on here. Where are the random insults, the sweeping generalisations, the snide one-offs? You people ….. are really mature and awesome.
Thanks for making me believe again.
Twitter Name: ReadilyAParent
Perfectly said. I was going to high-five both Tori and Steve for the maturity and intelligence shown during their discussion.
It’s a total turn-off when opinions cause a bunch of crap being slung.
Both of you…way, way cool.
Twitter Name: ASassyRedhead
And thank you Carrie. We’re all just a bunch of swells.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
Shucks, Dara, you’re making me blush (and not for the first time).
;-)
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
Thanks! Dialogues are more important than diatribes, I tend to think, and I always enjoy a discussion with intelligent people.
Twitter Name: toriwoods
Me too. The discussions here have certainly made me rethink my attitude and also think about where I am coming from with it. All very useful.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
Mark my words, the avenger is on your trail for this insolent diatribe, and your wispy beard will be singed before a single butt is extinguished.
I take it from this that you are a consumer of the infernal weed?
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
Certainly not! You don’t have to be a smoker to enjoy watching a beard getting singed.
But think of the damage it could do to your lungs…
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
I hate cig smoke too, but people do all kinds of stupid things everyday….it’s life. what about the person on the motorcycle w/o a helmet? pa-leeeeze. there are some dummies out there…
There are indeed but I’d like them all to stay alive long enough to become un-dummies..
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
I am with you Steve, 300%… I hate fat butts too.
The cigarette industry is as corrupt as they come. Just see the lovely book “Thanks For Smoking”. They are similar to the pimps who prey on peoples’ addiction to sex. They are dealers. They are scumbutts.
We know enough about smoking now to know that cigarettes should be eradicated. Terminated with extreme prejudice. Those who market cigarettes to children are the worst of the lot.
What really bothers me though, is the acceptance and mental laziness involved in saying “if someone else wants to smoke, it’s not my problem, so let them…” etc, ad nauseum. The fact of the matter is, a significant amount of my taxes and your taxes will go to pay
for providing health care for people who have been too lackadaisical or too consciously or sub-consciously suicidal to give up smoking before it caused them irreversible and terminal health problems.
You say, “Let them smoke if they want”? I say, “Let them pay for their own health care, and don’t use the taxes I pay to prolong their cancerous and emphysema stricken final days.” If they knew in advance that they would have to pay for their own medical care, maybe, just maybe, they would think twice.
It is possible to quit smoking. It is sad that people are dying in droves of lung cancer and all the other health issues directly resulting from smoking, but even sadder that they allowed themselves to be ruled by the addiction and ruled by cigarette corporation executives… ruled right into their graves.
It was kind of where I’m coming from but actually Tori above did make a good point (that I had conveniently chosen to ignore) that cigarette addiction in some people is just as fierce as heroin addiction. In my own experience my dad smoked in his early life and gave up when I was a kid – he seemed to do so with ease (though this might be my childhood’s selective memory). However, I also had an uncle who smoked and who just could not give up no matter how hard he tried and lung cancer got him in the end. Addiction is a very personal thing, I guess.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
I am also for people having the right to make their own choices, as long as they don’t affect others. But that is where the conundrum comes in, it seems that just about everything a person does somehow affects another. I mean, I have a love for cakes and brownies, which certain harm anyone. However, if I continue eating them at the rate I wish I could, I would probably be another one of those who ends up with Type 2 diabetes, and adds to the health care costs of America. It makes my brain hurt to think about it. I think I need a brownie for some “energy” to do so.
Great post!
Bernice
Twitter Name: womanonajourney
*That was supposed to say that brownies and cake certainly can’t harm anyone (of course, if you are gluten intolerant or diabetic it would though)
Twitter Name: womanonajourney
It feels a cliche to say it but: everything in moderation.
Except for brownies. I mean, no one can eat brownies in moderation, right?
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
What is it that causes people to start smoking in the first place? Is it peer pressure when they are young? Is it because they have addictive personalities? Is it to escape from something stressful in their lives? A combination? As well as your thoughts, Steve, I’d be interested to know from Tori, or any other person with experience, why they think they began?
My only experience of being confronted with smoking on that level was at school and it was very much a peer pressure thing. However, I was lucky in a way – I was uncool and nerdy and when I refused no one was surprised or cared.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
I think everyone has different reasons for smoking. I had my first cigarette because I was curious. No peer pressure, no perceptions of being “cool.” I just wanted to know what it was like. And I enjoyed it tremendously. It would be several more years before I became an actual smoker, and I think that transition happened, again, because it felt good. For those who have never smoked, smoking can be wonderful. Yes, it’s potentially lethal, makes your clothing stink, etc. and etc. But what often doesn’t get talked about is how wonderful it can be. For something so lethal, it is delightful for many people, myself included. Nicotine is a fascinating drug– it enhances moods, it can calm you down, wake you up. It almost seems to do whatever it is you need it to do. It is the perfect complement to a cup of coffee or a beer. It is a wonderful way to get out of the office for 5 minutes to clear your head. It can be a bonding ritual among friends, it can help you sort through problems. If I sound like I’m lionizing it, I don’t mean to. I’m just trying to express something to non-smokers what they might not know: smoking feels fantastic. That, in a nutshell, is why people choose to smoke despite the reality of its harmful effects on their health. I don’t know a single former smoker who doesn’t get the urge now and then. It’s addictive for a reason, and not just chemically.
Twitter Name: toriwoods
What you say makes perfect sense – things are addictive for a reason and that reason is nearly always because it gives us some sort of high. It’s the physical, psychological dependency that is damaging though… that and ultimately the very real damage it does to our bodies.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
You know, I really wish smoking wasn’t bad for you because, when I smoked, I really, really enjoyed it.
I was never an early-morning dragger, but that first lunchtime fag, pint in front of me, was bliss. Cleared the mind, emptied the bowels and sent me back to work with a spring in my step.
All finished with now, and I’m richer for it, financially and physically: I can no longer bear the smell of tabacco.
And you are right, of course, it is time to consign the evil weed to the ashtray of history. But it was fun, for a while.
This is an experience I’ve never had. I’m sure if I’d had a love affair with the weed my view on it would be different. However, I can only express the view that I have.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
You know, I really wish smoking wasn’t bad for you because, when I smoked, I really, really enjoyed it.
I was never an early-morning dragger, but that first lunchtime fag, pint in front of me, was bliss. Cleared the mind, emptied the bowels and sent me back to work with a spring in my step.
All finished with now, and I’m richer for it, financially and physically: I can no longer bear the smell of tabacco.
And you are right, of course, it is time to consign the evil weed to the ashtray of history. But it was fun, for a while.
Your comment was so good it had to be said twice…
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
Thanks – I thought it was a corker too.
To be completey honest, it was a mistake: the first time I pressed the submit button I got an error message that read something like “615 – SQL header insufficiently disinterred. fricassé is not regular” which I took to mean that it had not worked. So I went back and pressed it again and a little box popped up and said “Gotcha, twat!” which I thought was quite rude. Technology really hates me.
Fricassé might not be regular but it certainly makes me.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
I, too, am in awe of the respectful tone everyone is managing to uphold in the face of a volatile topic. Nice work, ladies and gentlemen.
Owen, I agree with you – cigarettes do nothing but cost us all money. Tori, I agree with you, too – nicotine is horribly addictive and former smokers face a daily battle to stay on the wagon (as a former-heavy-smoker family member commented on successfully giving up smoking, “I feel like I’ve lost a good friend.”) Kudos to you for continuing to fight and win the battle.
These monumental costs to individuals and to the public at large make it hard to understand how we continue to condone the sale and smoking of tobacco, and yet we do, and we even sanction it legally. Tori, is it possible that you would never have started smoking cigarettes in the first place if they had been illegal, and extremely difficult or impossible to come by?
Twitter Name: Katriina
Good point well made. This is why I would like to see cigarette production stopped world wide. Not to punish smokers but to save the potential smokers of the future. If they’re not available to our kids and young people they cannot become ensnared in the trap of addiction.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
I have no personal experience so I am loathe to give any opinion. However….. as someone with an addictive personality, and recognising this as early as my late teens, I can say that I made the conscious choice not to start smoking, not to even try it, on the advice of my parents who warned me sagely that “it only takes one puff”. I was too young to even understand what a puff was. But thank God they said it and I heeded it. I knew enough to know that if I’d started, well… I think I’d still be puffing today.
I despise cigarettes as much as you, Steve. I sit amongst smokers when I’m trying to enjoy outdoor dining. They look at me. I look at them. While I’m waving and coughing and trying valiantly to enjoy my meal that tastes like passive smoke. Nice. But I say nothing. Because at the end of the day, I know that they are obviously unable to *not* sit there and affect those around them, for if they could control it (I’d like to hope), surely they would.
You’re way much nicer than me is all I can say, my friend. I think what bugs me most about the whole cigarette issue is that our governments condemn heroin and cocaine use, they ban it and criminalize it… and yet nioctine, which is just as damaging and addictive is not only available but also taxed – our governments willingly make money out of cigarettes and those who suffer under it’s addiction. Ban production completely and you halt the spread and the perpetuation of the entire problem for future generations.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
Personally, I advocate the legalization of many things, including marijuana. I don’t partake, but I don’t see why on Earth it should be illegal while cigarettes and alcohol are perfectly legal. I don’t think any government should have the right to ban these things. Nor do I think soda or trans fats or etc. should be banned– I always will fall on the side of personal freedom.
Twitter Name: toriwoods
Nobody wants a nanny state… but at the same time, on a personal level, would you not intervene in some way if your kids were getting into hard drugs, even if they were adults at this point?
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
Oh, absolutely! I don’t have kids yet, but I did counsel my little sister against smoking because our family leans towards addiction. And in terms of alcohol or any other experimentation, I tried to impress upon her the importance of safety in all pursuits. In other words, OK, drink at a party. Just don’t drive, and don’t drink so much that your ability to make decent decisions is totally flushed away.
I guess I feel it is the job of a parent, or a sibling or other trusted older person, to offer these sorts of guidance. They can be the “nanny” if need be. That’s entirely appropriate. It just concerns me to think of ceding that control to the government.
Twitter Name: toriwoods
I agree. But this is what worries me about the cigarette industry. The government make a handsome revenue out of it and although they are curtailing the sale of cigarettes here in the UK there is no ban on production and yet other drugs are severely criminalized. To my mind there is no difference between nicotine and heroin (though possibly a question of degree). It seems a huge double standard to me.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
Great post and equally great comments. I smoked from about aged 11 to 31 and loved it at the time, although I knew it was extremely detrimental to my health and indeed my relationship as t’husband said my snoring was nightmare.
I am personally in the camp of ‘it’s your body’ and whilst I understand the argument of the taxpayer picking up the bill for health care (in the UK), you could say that about eating badly, drinking, extreme sports, crossing the road….
Ultimately, the bad guys here are the tobacco companies, and at least we all seem to agree on that.
Twitter Name: vbincatalunya
We do which ultimately is very comforting. If we remove them the whole issue will eventually disappear.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
Steve it does seem stupid for people to smoke when they know it will/could kill them in a particularly ugly, uncomfortable way. Don’t understand it myself.
Nor me… but this links back up to TimeWarden’s comment above: why do people start smoking in the first place? Surely ignorance is no longer a defence?
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
Steve, how silly of me to hope that you’d be writing about big, scrummy buns (tastefully illustrated).
I think you should refrain from writing on health issues, keep it simple – your life and its vagaries. It’s bad for your health. You haven’t given out your address by mistake. You better watch out as you’ll be smoked out and no mistake.
I have no fear of smokers sneaking up on me. I’ll be able to hear them coming.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis
Just to be clear, I’ve never smoked. Far too mean. And I’m aware of the argument that smokers should pay for their own health care. But it seems to me that this is a slippery slope; you either treat everybody or you don’t bother at all. If you exclude smokers, then do you exclude obese people? And how obese do you have to be? What about those who play dangerous sports? Do you make the footballer or rugby player pay to have their broken leg fixed? What of the motorist injured in an accident; if he/she is found to have been speeding then do you send them the bill?
I think most smokers would say they pay a fortune in taxes anyway and deserve a little back. If everybody gave up smoking tomorrow, there’d be a king size hole in the finances.
I’m certainly not advocating a withdrawal of medical assitance for anybody – merely pointing out that illnesses produced by our own unwise life choices often adds to the burden of the health service as a whole. My main argument is that stopping production of cigarettes would benefit us all as a species both in terms of improved health and financial cost. The former is certainly more important than the latter.
Twitter Name: pocketropolis