I don't smoke and I don't hate smokers. Most of my friends are smokers, my mom is a smoker, I can't ever go anywhere with any group of friends without bumping into a smoker.
1. I asked myself a lot of times "Why do they smoke?" Specifically, what makes you continue smoking if your first time will, inevitably, be awful? Or is there a possibility that your first smoke will feel awesome and you won't cough and choke? I don't know, I never tried, but the depiction of "your first time" with a cigarette is always coughing, choking, feeling bad and awful. Why continue? I am just curious, as none of my friends actually managed to answer that question. I know that some people start because they think it will be "cool", some of them even told me so. It's unfair to apply that opinion to all smokers, because it will not be true for all of them. But why do people try to smoke? It baffles me; it's bad for your health, it's bad for the health of people around you, it's expensive, your first time will most probably be a terrible experience... What is the motivation then? There are other "bad habits" that are less expensive and less damaging to your health (and health of others) that you could indulge in.
2. I am not sure why, but I have an extreme reaction to smoke. Whenever smoke gets into my nose, I tend to start choking, I can't breathe and after 20 minutes or so, I even get headaches and my entire nose hurts like hell. I can smell smoke in another room, or tens of metres away from a smoker. Walking behind or next to a smoker seems like torture and I have to get away as soon as possible; going into a bar is my biggest nightmare because of all the smoke. I have to cover my face with a scarf and get out for fresh air every now and then, otherwise I might end up having terrible headaches. Even when somebody smokes outside, and I'm near, I have to get as far away as possible in order no to experience these problems. This has been present in my life for as long as I can remember. My mom always thought I am just exaggerating, but I could tell if she smoked in a living room, hours after she did it. My friends all know this, but they still won't sustain from smoking 5 to 10 cigarettes in one sitting in a bar. They can't. It's an addiction and I can't make them do it, they simply cannot sustain from smoking. Some of them even laugh if I put a scarf over my face and ask "It bothers you? Why?" and when I say that I don't know (I don't have asthma, or any other illness of the respiratory system), they just shrug it off and continue like nothing happened. However, I still don't hate smokers. I hate the fact that, even though I chose not to smoke because it causes me problems (I never even considered smoking, as I have better things to do with my money), I still can't get away from it. While the states are trying to put some laws against smoking in closed areas, it never really works in my country. In the same time, the state is encouraging the cigarette industry; how is that correlating with the bans? I am not against smoking per se; it has been present in human civilization since the beginning of time. But, as in everything, we are crossing the line between normal enjoyment of a "bad habit" and something that is becoming a huge nuisance and is causing serious health issues for everyone, not just smokers (because, passive smoking is just as bad). It has become excessive, immoderate. They do not smoke only to spice up their coffee breaks. They smoke for everything; both when they're nervous and happy, when they're sad and excited, when they are bored or busy, before lunch, after lunch, before dinner, after dinner and so on. And I don't hate them for doing it; I pity them. It seems like a horrible existence; always wondering whether you took your cigarettes, your lighter, where did you put them, did you buy a reserve, will you have enough time to smoke during a break at work or in school, when is the bus going to stop for a cigarette pause... It occupies their time and thinking. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, but I've seen those obsessive smokers shaking in a bus during an excursion because we weren't anywhere near the place to stop and people obsessing about leaving cigarettes at home. My mom could go back all the way from work to go home if she left the cigarettes there. Why impose such a thing on yourself? It feels like a prison, where you constantly need to worry about your addiction. Is it really worth it, especially if we count in the expenses to your wallet and your health?
Lastly (finally
), your questions:
- I think we should treat smokers with respect, like any other person, but advise them to think about what they're doing and to at least try to smoke less during a day. No need to stop over night, but smoke 5 cigarettes a day, not 25. Also, the reason why we "hate" people who smoke only because they smoke, is because it occupies them so much that it becomes their defining characteristic. When you remember someone only with the cigarette in their hands or them stressing over not having any cigarettes left, their addiction kinda defines them and becomes their "stereotype", so we hate the person because of the smoking, and ignore their other qualities (because they don't show other qualities, or they are blocked by their addiction).
- I treat smokers as I would treat any other person, but I do notify them about my problems with smoke. Some of them are considerate and try, hard, to make the smoke bother me as little as possible, but some are so oblivious that they wouldn't react even if I end up choking on the floor. But that is because of the personality, not because they smoke. Still, I'd be more than happy to walk into a bar and leave it without feeling nauseated and without a headache, or to go to a park, wait for a bus or just generally walk the street without trying to avoid the patches of smoke. Breathing in the fresh air after I accidentally breathe in smoke, feels almost like a divine experience and I don't think it should :/ I just don't see how smoking benefits anyone in this world, but I am willing to let it slide, if only it was less excessive and less bothersome. I believe any non-smoker would appreciate if you only smoke 1 cigarette less than usual while you're next to us
Sorry for the tl;dr.
