I'm sure everyone has said this already, but the only reason smoking gets on my nerves is because it affects me as well. Not only my lungs, which I admit would take a lot of second-hand smoke to truly affect - but my clothes and my breathing as well. I happen to have bad allergies and my sinus cavities are clogged a lot; whenever I am around cigarette smoke I can literally barely breathe; I have to breathe through my mouth to even get air in. And it's smoke-filled air.
I didn't use to care at all about smoking and smokers. I snapped one day when I went into a gas station with a bunch of old guys smoking one morning. I went in, paid for gas, and left. When I got in the car, the people riding with me said I smelled like a cigarette and BO mixed together. That is truly disgusting. I waited for it to go away, but ended up having to wash the clothes I wore. Anything that others are allowed to do in public that affects me in that way should be regulated much heavier than it is now. Make them smoke outside - EVERYWHERE. Anything that KILLS other people and makes me gasp for breathe and makes my clothes stink needs to stay away from me and others that don't want it.
Obesity and snack food isn't tackled because it doesn't kill other people if YOU eat a jelly donut. If you smoke, do it in your house, car, away from others who aren't smoking. It's disrespectful for that shit to be around others.
I do truly feel sorry for smokers. I have an entire family of smokers. But I have no sympathy because of its effects. Something that affects you, is one thing - but when I get affected by it with no choice, that's another thing.
I realize I can "just go to another gas station" or "just go to another bar or restaurant." But we shouldn't have to. Why should non-smokers have to go out of their way to accomodate for others? Why do smokers get the privelage of dominating territory which isn't theirs? They shouldn't. The only reason they do today is because smoking was at one time considered harmless; it was ingrained into society as a meaningless and harmless form of enjoyment, and it is still here today because the removal of a huge habit like this from a country will take a looooooong time.
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Off the record, on the q.t., and very hush-hush.
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