EnviroLink Forum

I took a friend to a cancer center a couple of days ago. Standing around outside the front entrance of the cancer center were people smoking. My friend told me it was always like that. They stand right under the "No smoking within 30'" signs. O2 tanks and ashtrays.

My lady-friend's best friend died last summer from lung-cancer. literally was smoking up to they were rolling her in to the emergency room for the last time. Prior; Her husband would visit and roll her outside where they could enjoy a smoke together.

Maybe when you're in death's headlights, you don't worry about such things. You're dying; who cares if you smoke now?

Still sad, though. One of life's most preventable ailments: cancer from smoking.
All you have to do is not take it up. And if you have, stop.

As a smoker, sometimes I object to the rhetoric. Mostly because there are so many other factors involved with regard to the development of cancer regardless what type. Ironically, I believe the air we breath is as much a culprit as the tobacco products people like me use. Does this mean that once the possession, use, acquisition and distribution of all tobacco products is eradicated, we will all be cancer free? Somehow I rather doubt that, but have to wonder what will be blamed next? Maybe we should all just quit breathing, huh?

I recognize and realize being a smoker may not be in my own best interests, but I enjoy it; and, I will continue to do so for as long as I am able. And, because I recognize the pitfalls, I'm not very likely to go running off to the healthcare industry should my health become complicated (I don't go running off to the emergency room or a doctor's office for much of anything). I try to be considerate of others in public, but object when someone turns around and starts dictating to me what I can or cannot do especially on my own property. I don't deliberately blow smoke into anyone's face, nor do I chide those who don't enjoy it or want to become involved in it. I just wish others would offer me the same considerations.

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I meant no offense, really, Roadside.
It's a art to express disagreement over something, while being considerate of others viewpoints and experience.

I fear I'm still in the finger-painting stage.

I didn't take it offensively, nic. I merely made a statement regarding people in general.

For the most part, everyone tried not to step on the toes of others and to be considerate. However, and especially with modern society, there are growing numbers of those who believe they have some given right to demand how others must behave, where they can behave that way, and when. It seems everyone demands their rights be protected while denying the rights of others.

For me, I think it's too bad there are those who are trying their best to deny me something I enjoy (smoking), but turn a deaf ear on the real causes of dangerous pollution. There are far more carcinogens being released into the atmosphere from sources of than people lighting up smoking materials. And, contrary to popular belief, I would be very interested in seeing a study that determined my smoking contributes a major portion toward global warming.

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Demand American-Made; Buy ONLY American-Made

I tried smoking just once many years ago and hated it and never smoked again.

My ex-husband's father was a tall 6ft 2" Royal Marine whose body became riddled with the horrible disease and died a very painful drawn-out death, and who wasted away to become unrecognisable.

I urge anyone who smokes to pause a moment and think about their loved ones who may one day witness your suffering from cancer and ask yourself then if it is worth your little puffs of enjoyment .

If by some chance I can persuade just one person to give up smoking then I will consider my brief spell on this Earth well spent.

I've never smoked but have read that its a very tough addiction to quit. The only thing I ever really object to is just what described up above. Smoking others have no choice but to smell it or have to walk to through a cloud of smoke to get inot a building. I won't allow my kids into a house where there is smoking but I think that it is just good common sense to protect your kids. I don't understand how any parent can excuse smoking around their own kids, especially in a closed space like a car. If roadside is trying to say I insulted him, that's not possible because I did not know he smokes. I am not insulting him now.

No offense was taken, Barb. I understand where you are coming from, and try to respect the wishes of those who share your ideals on this subject. And, although both the War Dept. and I smoke, we don't do so inside our house for the very same reasons you describe. Further, and especially when in a vehicle with our grandchildren, we abstain from smoking as well.

I talk smart about quitting the habit, but the fact is that I haven't the right mindset for quitting. I simply enjoy it too much, and actually look forward to being able to enjoy it. It's just getting real hard to find a place where I can enjoy it without being trampled verbally by people who want to control mankind more than work out reasonable solutions for all.

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Demand American-Made; Buy ONLY American-Made

I was the geek who at age 4 decided that I would never smoke or drink just in case i got addicted. Turned out I was also too cheap to ever buy cigarettes or even beer when there are cheaper alternatives like pen twirling and water.

Smoking costs NHS £5bn a year

Press Association
Tuesday, 9 June 2009

Smoking costs the NHS more than £5 billion a year - up to five times the previously accepted figure, researchers have revealed.

Illness and disability linked to smoking puts a "huge burden" on the health service in the UK, they said.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 00509.html

I believe it because it does pretty much the same over here. However, IMO people who smoke should already be completely aware of the risks and should be willing to accept them if they elect to smoke. I think it absurd that someone sue the tobacco companies because they contract a life-threatening disease as the result of using those products insofar as the risks are recognized.

It's like trying to hold the manufacturer of a bear trap responsible because you weren't smart enough to step around it and got your leg chewed off.

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Demand American-Made; Buy ONLY American-Made

Any study that says smoking costs so much blah blah blah will probably use any data that might remotely look like it was tied to smoking. Any sort of heart trouble, any sort of breathing trouble, etc.
Getting in a car will kill ya, and being a veg for 50 years cause you piled into a train just before graduation ain't pretty either.
If a person wants to smoke let them.
If a bar, restaraunt, whatever wants to allow smoking let them. If non smoking establishments were so needed and such wonderful things there would have been tons of them opened and raking in the money, hasn't happened.
As for the workers...let OSHA prescribe the proper PPE same as any other business that has hazards. You want to work there...don your PPE. That hasn't happened either.
It's all a crock. Get off the smokers backs let them kill themselves. If you get a whiff of cigarette smoke while walking by a smoking area...big whoop sack up and deal with it.

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Watch out where the huskies go, don't you eat that yellow snow

I've always said there is too much complacency among smokers, and if there were a way to enjoin all of them, it would constitute a political force the non-smokers wouldn't be able to overcome. Unfortunately, getting that many people to agree to get off their be-hinds and answer a call to action is about as promising as finding an ethical politician in Washington. It ain't gonna happen anytime soon!

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Demand American-Made; Buy ONLY American-Made