Smokers

I've always had something against smokers. My rationale is that smokers, and in turn, passive smoking is bad for my health. This comes in both the lung cancer threat and the fact that it doesn't really help my athsma.

There was another reason why I didn't really like smokers. They usually had a very smokey fragrance to their breathes. After a while, you can tell how much people smoke by how bad their breath is. Some people aren't bad, you can't actually tell they smoke. Maybe they use a lot of mouthwash. Some others don't seem to make that kind of effort, or really smoke a lot. Its really bad when they're close and talking to you. Is it alright to ask them to point their mouths in a different direction?

I was alarmed last week when I saw that even though Australia had one of the lowest smoking rates in the Western world, the rate was still about 17% (I'm assuming thats just the population that can legally smoke, otherwise we're in trouble). It was only alarming because I wouldn't think 17% of the people I know actually smoke, but recently, working in an office with a relatively smoker rate has perhaps changed this. Its also forced me to change the way I look at smokers. They're no longer the brainless idiots who seem to be wasting their money on an evil and ultimately useless vice, but they're actually quite normal. I still think they're wasting their money, but then, we all have things which we waste our money on - this was just their thing.

I remember one of the things a smoker said at a drinks night: "You're all going to die anyway." He seemed puzzled that people didn't indulge in the thing like he did. Well sure, we're all going to die, but I didn't really want to smoke. I think I'd rather sleep or spend the money gambling. At least thats more exciting. I didn't really see that as a good justification to smoke. Others have come up with better.

The thing is, you probably don't really need a good reason to smoke. People just do it because they enjoy it. But people who are meant to be role models for children also seem to smoke a lot. I remember when a bunch of teachers from my primary school had a function at the restaurant. It turns out most of them actually smoked quite a lot, and even cigars. This, of course, was before the law forbade people from smoking inside restaurants etc. I'd understand if they smoked to reduce the stress caused by working with a bunch of screaming little smart arses all day. But even some of the greatest minds and winners of the "Most Quoted People" in the world smoke(d). People like Winston Churchill (Prime Minister of Britain during WW2), Thomas Edison (inventor of the lightbulb), Douglas McArthur (Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in the Pacific theatre during WW2) just to name a few.

No wonder the smoking rate is still so high.