Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Not smoking should be my choice . . . right?

dd3953 · 01-31-2008, 05:05 PM

We all know that there more than enough reasons for one not to smoke [cigarettes].

We also know there are a number of reasons why one should not eat meat, cut down trees, throw away things that can be recycled, eat too much fast food, drink too much alcohol, take too many pills at one time, or jump over the Falls in a barrel. However, we can chose to do these things when ever we want to.

Why should I be forced to smoke outside - in the cold? Isn't that why we had smoking sections? I understand that we are to believe people are dying from second-hand smoke. But we are also supposed to believe that smoking weed while babysitting will lead to you to kill the kid you are sitting for - and if you smoked weed you would know this is not true.

I can't find the numbers, but I read that out of all the people who get cancer only about 20 to 30 % get lung cancer. And that only about 15% (I'm rounding up here) of that 30% is caused from smoking. Does smoking cause some other type of cancer that I don't know about? Have these numbers greatly changed? Or was I told wrong in the first place?

Four years ago a college (in NY state) allowing smoking in the dorm rooms. Three years, when I became a student, the rules changed - you had to go outside. Two years ago the rules changed again, and had to be 25 feet away from any doors in order to legally enjoy a cigarette. Now, I work at this college, and the only store on campus that sells cigarettes are no longer selling them. The folks who run the college want to band smoking - unless you are in a parking lot. In a parking lot? I'm ALREADY outside. Non-smokers are already pissed I get a few extra 10 minute break during the work day (not that they would want to deal with me if I didn't take that break) but now you piss them off more by making 20 minutes, because it's going to take me 10 to get to and from the parking lot. Also, lets encourage all the smoking students (who pay way too much money to be here in the first place) lets encourage them to break the rules.

The store not selling cigarettes would be fine - if the closet gas station/store was not a 30 minute walk away. I know how long it talks to walk there, I didn't have a car then, don't have one now.

The college believes they are following a good example. This is because Wegman's - a major grocery store - has stopped selling cigarettes. However, no one took the time to see WHY Wegman's has stopped ordering new shipments of cigarettes. There reason being - people are buying less. This is because Wegman's charges too much for their cigarettes, but instead of lower their prices, they have decided to stop selling them all together. It is not like they were acting for the good of the people.

Cigarettes are also one of highest taxed products you can find. Why is everyone so quick to support the media in their "kill the smokers" campaign? I mean, what would you do if everyone really did stop smoking? Do we have jobs for all the people working in the fields and factories? Do we have the money to cover what's coming from the taxes on cigarettes?

Fine smoke kills, but cigarettes are not (yet) illegal and I should be able to enjoy one. But if this keeps up smoking will no longer be my choice - I mean it will be, but I'll be risking getting arrested and/fined for doing so.

01-31-2008, 05:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
dd3953 Psycho: By Choice Location: dd.land	Not smoking should be my choice . . . right? We all know that there more than enough reasons for one not to smoke [cigarettes]. We also know there are a number of reasons why one should not eat meat, cut down trees, throw away things that can be recycled, eat too much fast food, drink too much alcohol, take too many pills at one time, or jump over the Falls in a barrel. However, we can chose to do these things when ever we want to. Why should I be forced to smoke outside - in the cold? Isn't that why we had smoking sections? I understand that we are to believe people are dying from second-hand smoke. But we are also supposed to believe that smoking weed while babysitting will lead to you to kill the kid you are sitting for - and if you smoked weed you would know this is not true. I can't find the numbers, but I read that out of all the people who get cancer only about 20 to 30 % get lung cancer. And that only about 15% (I'm rounding up here) of that 30% is caused from smoking. Does smoking cause some other type of cancer that I don't know about? Have these numbers greatly changed? Or was I told wrong in the first place? Four years ago a college (in NY state) allowing smoking in the dorm rooms. Three years, when I became a student, the rules changed - you had to go outside. Two years ago the rules changed again, and had to be 25 feet away from any doors in order to legally enjoy a cigarette. Now, I work at this college, and the only store on campus that sells cigarettes are no longer selling them. The folks who run the college want to band smoking - unless you are in a parking lot. In a parking lot? I'm ALREADY outside. Non-smokers are already pissed I get a few extra 10 minute break during the work day (not that they would want to deal with me if I didn't take that break) but now you piss them off more by making 20 minutes, because it's going to take me 10 to get to and from the parking lot. Also, lets encourage all the smoking students (who pay way too much money to be here in the first place) lets encourage them to break the rules. The store not selling cigarettes would be fine - if the closet gas station/store was not a 30 minute walk away. I know how long it talks to walk there, I didn't have a car then, don't have one now. The college believes they are following a good example. This is because Wegman's - a major grocery store - has stopped selling cigarettes. However, no one took the time to see WHY Wegman's has stopped ordering new shipments of cigarettes. There reason being - people are buying less. This is because Wegman's charges too much for their cigarettes, but instead of lower their prices, they have decided to stop selling them all together. It is not like they were acting for the good of the people. Cigarettes are also one of highest taxed products you can find. Why is everyone so quick to support the media in their "kill the smokers" campaign? I mean, what would you do if everyone really did stop smoking? Do we have jobs for all the people working in the fields and factories? Do we have the money to cover what's coming from the taxes on cigarettes? Fine smoke kills, but cigarettes are not (yet) illegal and I should be able to enjoy one. But if this keeps up smoking will no longer be my choice - I mean it will be, but I'll be risking getting arrested and/fined for doing so. __________________ [Technically, I'm not possible, I'm made of exceptions. ]