[Just your average movie goer]

This rant is a little bit of therapy for me. I just need to get this out right now.

I hate smoking. I hate smoking so very, very much.

What do I hate the most about it at the moment? I hate the fact that its proliferation around the globe is at insane proportions and virtually no government seems to care. In Japan for instance, virtually every person (man or woman) above the age of 17 smokes... literally. In Korea, every male in that very large age group smokes. Yet neither government seems to acknowledge that there's a problem. In Japan for instance, the government allows cigarettes to be sold from vending machines that are placed on every single street corner in the country.

Another thing I am frustrated by is the stupidity of people who take up the habit. There is no excuse for anyone my age or younger to be smoking. We have been told time and time again our whole lives of all the dangers of smoking - lung cancer, heart attacks and the rest of it. But the fact of the matter is that even now, new people are starting the habit.

It is illegal to sell cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18? It should be illegal to sell cigarettes to anyone who was born after 1970.

Now I'd like to have a go at the different types of smoking behaviours that particularly irk me -

People who smoke indoors.

Anyone who steps into an enclosed environment with limited air circulation and thinks 'Hmm... I might light up a cigarette' is too stupid to enjoy the priviledge of breathing oxygen.

People who smoke near infants and small children.

Shoot them in the head. Take them out the back and shoot them in the head.

People who smoke in a line of people at a bus stop or other similar setting.

This is really inconsiderate. When there is a line of people at a bus stop, they have no choice but to wait there until the bus comes. People who step into such a line and just light up with no regard for anyone else in the queue need a good clip in the back of the head with a 2 X 4.

People who smoke outside the entrances to buildings.

These people are sick. They make entrances into little gauntlets so anyone entering or leaving a building has to pass through a cloud of smoke. This is really where police need to enforce the laws about loitering.

People who smoke while they're driving.

In Australia, it is illegal to drive while using your mobile phone. This is because it is a distraction when you're driving and that could potentially cause an accident. Surely having a burning cig in your hand while your operating a vehicle could also be a distraction?

Also, it's a bit hard for me to forget that time when I saw a guy smoking in his car, who when he threw his cigarette out, burnt down all the foliage on the traffic island.


Okay, now onto one of the things that angers me the most - the arguments smokers put forward for their "rights"....

Many smokers say that whether they smoke or not is their choice. They like it because it makes them feel calm and so what's wrong with it?

Here's the problem. It's NOT their choice. "Their" choice affects everyone around them. Cigarette smoke is unsightly, it smells terrible and it really irritates my throat. I get quite sick from prolonged exposure to cigarette smoke and I hate just how damn dirty and nasty it is. When smokers light up, they are exposing everyone around them to it. And what's more, their secondhand smoke causes more harm than what they themselves inhale.

I don't mind if they want to adopt a life threatening habit for themselves and destroy their health. But how dare they make that decision for other people? And how on earth does any government think it's reasonable that they should have that right?

I remember talking to a friend of mine who smoked. I asked him "Why don't you inhale all of that smoke instead of blowing it around everywhere?"

He replied "Well, I inhaled it once and it made me feel sick."

To which I told him. "Well, now you know how I feel."

Is this an individual right? To be able to pursue habits that negatively affect the comfort, health and well-being of others? If so, should I exercise it for myself? Perhaps I may. I could buy a large collection of aerosol cans and spray them in smokers' faces.

If anybody asked me to stop this, I could just simply say "Well, it's my personal choice. You see, spraying aerosol into other people's faces makes me feel calm."

This post has been edited by Just your average movie goer: 25 September 2004 - 01:57 AM

[jariten]

i agree with you totally. it also seems like the amount of places where you are actually able to smoke is becoming less and less. and as for Japan, the goverment have started campaigns to cut down on smoking in public places, while walking and so on (with a possible view to give people fines in the future). and it really does seem to be working. perhaps others can be more specific about their own little bit of the world.

[Just your average movie goer]

Hey! We agree on some things! Welcome to this end of the forum, Jariten. Your news about Japan is good. When I lived there last year, the situation looked pretty bleak. Also, people seemed to largely ignore any No Smoking signs, which was particularly irritating. When I was in Tokyo last year, it seemed that the government allowed people to smoke in their hotel rooms, inside public buildings like the exhibition halls and almost anywhere they pleased. But when there is a tiny little place in the public sphere where they weren't allowed to light up, people still smoked. I'll have to come back and check on Tokyo one day.

[Little princess]

Out of curiosity...


Are there significantly more smoking related deaths in the countries you mention?

[Just your average movie goer]

I don't believe so. But without meaning to sound like a bad person, I think this is a problem. These countries need the wake up call. Jariten may be able to provide more information on the situation with smoking deaths in Japan. He speaks the language so he'd probably be more in tune with the news there. I'd be curious to find out what the facts are for Korea.

[SimeSublime]

I work for a sporting venue which is completely smoke free, meaning that at quarter, half and three quarter time all the smokers rush for the gates to smoke outside. I can say straight away that having to hand out passouts to people who reak of smoke, then having to take them back as they blow the last of their cigarret into my face, is not what I would deem pleasent activity. A lot of my friends smoke. I don't ask them why, simply because I don't want to get into a debate on the subject, but they all realise that those of us who don't smoke don't like it at all, and they tend to apologise the moment the wind blows the slightest bit in our direction. Unfortunatly, most smokers aren't that conscientious about those around them, which is really quite annoying.

[Helena]

I agree. I don't think banning the sale of cigarettes would help - it doesn't work for any other drug, after all - but I am in favour of a ban on smoking in public places. It seems to be working well enough in Ireland, although of course some pub owners are whinging about it. However, I believe the reason governments are reluctant to take action is twofold: they're afraid of losing smokers' votes, and they get a lot of tax revenue from cigarette sales.

I believe that the number of smokers in Britain has fallen recently, and hopefully it'll fall even more now that tobacco advertising has been banned. Whether the government will have the courage to take it a step further and ban smoking in all workplaces, I'm not sure.

[Just your average movie goer]

The situation over there sounds a lot better, Helena. As for the government's fear of losing smokers' votes, I've thought of this myself too. I really think all competing parties need to get together about important issues like this and just agree to all hold the same policy on them.

Then they can say to the voters, "Regarding smoking in public, we're all against it. If you don't know which is the party for you, look at our economic and social welfare policies instead."

[Just your average movie goer]

Sorry for double-posting.


Tobacco advertising - ah, this is another thing that really irks me. When I was in Japan, tobacco advertising was everywhere. What bothered me was that they used images of people who lived healthy lifestyles to promote these products.

They were selling cigarettes by showing pictures of active healthy people who go to the beach and swim and enjoy nature, people like myself. They're using our healthy lifestyles to promote products that we're against. That is really uncool.

If they want imagery for promoting cigarettes, I'd say they should be banned from false advertising. Therefore they can only use images that show dirty smoke clouds around people, filthy ash trays and the millions and millions of disgusting cigarette butts that cover the ground like a blanket at Shibuya station in Tokyo.

However, I prefer no advertising at all, like in England and Australia.

[Melissa]

You're unfairly judging smokers as if they're bad people! It's an addiction. I started when i was young and niave. I was going through a really hard time and yes a cig would briefly make me feel better. Regret it so much now but boy am i struggling to quit!

[Heccubus]

Thank you, Melissa. Just because I smoke, I'm not a bad person. Hell you seem to think I'm relatively a-okay, JYAMG, but you probably had no idea that I smoke. However, I only smoke indoors when I'm at a bar, which is pretty much the only place that it's allowed; I don't have any infants kicking around to smoke near, so I guess we're all covered there; if I have a cigarette while waiting for a bus, I'm outside, so I don't see what the problem is; and I don't drive, but take my word for it that it isn't THAT MUCH of a distraction.
I guess all I have to say is quit whining. People smoke. Nothing you can do about it.

[Helena]

I'm well aware that smoking is an addiction and that many smokers are trying to quit - I know several people in this situation. However, I think that some smokers - not all, but some - have no idea quite how unpleasant others find it to be around people who are smoking. If people want to smoke in private where it doesn't bother anyone else, that's fine by me - but in a public place with other people around, it's no longer just a matter of personal choice. Risking your own health is one thing, forcing other people to risk theirs by breathing your smoke is another.

[Heccubus]

On the other hand, most smokers find that non-smokers have no idea how unpleasant it is when they consistently complain about those who smoke. They just assume that we're to go out of our way for them. Put simply, if no one tells us it's bothering them, no one is going anywhere.

[Helena]

On the other hand, most smokers find that non-smokers have no idea how unpleasant it is when they consistently complain about those who smoke.  They just assume that we're to go out of our way for them.  Put simply, if no one tells us it's bothering them, no one is going anywhere.

OK, first you say that people complain too much, then that they don't complain enough? When it comes down to it, Heccubus, you're the ones who are making other people suffer because of your disgusting habit - and yes, you may be addicted, but then no one forced you to start smoking in the first place. I don't see why I should have any more sympathy for people who smoke in public than people who play loud music in public, or engage in any other kind of antisocial behaviour.

[Just your average movie goer]

I don't judge all smokers as bad people but I think all of them have made a serious mistake in starting. Especially someone as young as you, Heccubus. You've known all your life that smoking is a bad habit and you knew it was addictive before you started it... and yet you went ahead and did it anyway.

Now I'm not saying you're a bad person. You're a good guy and many smokers I know are. However, you, like other smokers I know, really shouldn't have started in the first place. That was a mistake.

I had a friend in Japan who smokes. He's a great guy and he was generally pretty considerate of other people. He never smoked upwind from me and always ate with me in the non-smoking sections of the restuarants. And I hope if you are around non-smokers, you extend the same courtesies.

However, a lot of smokers don't - and this is what I was complaining about.

I guess all I have to say is quit whining. People smoke. Nothing you can do about it.

Heccubus - that's a very flippant dismissal of something that is a VERY SERIOUS global problem. My rant was just the tip of the iceberg.

The proliferation of smoking is one of the most serious problems in the world today and it extends far further than most smokers would care to realise.

To manufacture your cigarettes, third world countries are forced by the world bank to grow tobacco in exchange for a small amount of money with which they can import food to feed themselves.

The world bank should let them grow food crops that they can use to feed themselves and sell the excess - and eventually break out of their situations.

But due to the ever fluctuating tobacco industry and the enormous amount of money circulating around with it, these countries have to put up with this less than perfect situation which in order to get enough aid to survive, they are forced to partake in a system that is designed to keep them on the brink of starvation so they will continue feeding the tobacco industry.

Yes, there is a similar situation with coffee too but it is not as widespread. But anyway, the next time you take a puff on a cigarette, I want you to think about it.


On a personal note when you tell me to stop whining, you need to consider the effects of second hand smoke. This stuff is really poisonous, mate. Personally speaking, this irritates my throat to no need and seriously affects my breathing.

When I was a child, I had asthma and asthma attacks were a regular occurence. As I grew older, my asthma became dormant and I can lead a very comfortable life breathing regularly. However, exposure to cigarette smoke inflames my asthma in a very brief period of time. Prolonged exposure has caused me asthma attacks and nausea and a whole lot of other great things.

So when you tell me to stop whining, you can imagine how angry I was at your little comment.

You are a good guy, Heccubus. But you really oughta be a bit more thoughtful of other people when rushing to defend your habit.

There is a reason why I specifically brought up the point about people thinking that choosing to smoke is a personal choice. It is NOT.

This is something that affects the people around you.

And I truly believe that the divide between smokers and non-smokers is a human rights issue.

There is a conflict here - smokers want the right, obviously, to smoke.

Non-smokers want the right to breathe fresh air and not be forced to breathe in pollutants and other poisons just because someone else wants to breathe them.

The right to fresh air morally far outweighs the right to contaminate it with a vile substance. Not legally however. But what is legal and what is morally right are not always the same.

Maybe you are right about one thing - that there is nothing I can do about smoking. I don't know. But in whatever ways I can, I am going to always try to do something about it.

I'll reiterate. Smoking is not some harmless little personal habit. Smoking an extremely serious global problem that in light of all evidence, reason and logic, is just insane. Something is truly wrong with the world for smoking to be so widespread and so accepted in mainstream society.

THIS is what the rant is about, Heccubus. If I'm complaining about not being able to play Mario Kart on Saturday, then that would be whining. But if I'm complaining about something this serious, then please pay a little more respect.

You're the moderator, mate, not me. You should be setting the standard. You just posted another thread on the matter of people making inappropriate flippant comments at other users. Come on, let's not be hypocritical here.

You're not a bad guy. I didn't say you were. Knowing you smoke doesn't make me think less of you. It just makes me wish you would quit.

I like clean air, Heccubus. I'd like to live in a smoke-free world. Is that such a crime?

This post has been edited by Just your average movie goer: 25 September 2004 - 12:23 PM