You see them everywhere; at times huddled in a corner right outside your office building, behind your neighbourhood restaurant, or even suffering inside their own vehicles. They used to be large in numbers, but as their popularity -as well as their members- are dying in record numbers we tend to show them less attention than we used to. But the facts remain unchanged; these people are still clogging our medical system with their avoidable ailments, polluting our street corners, and contaminating the air we all have to breathe.
They are, Smokers.
Now, if you haven’t been able to tell by now, I’m not a fan.
Smoking has to be one of the most ridiculously absurd human habits we have. If a traveler from another world was looking for signs of intelligent life here, smokers would be a cut and dry indicator that earth is still a few millennia from being in that category.
While living in Barcelona in 2008, one of the biggest culture shocks for me is that unlike most of Europe, Spain is still yet to implement any anti-smoking legislation. Going out for dinner or to a bar, I would have to quiet the rage bubbling within me as I sucked in the exhaust from my fellow patrons.
“Oh excuse me sir, I’m so sorry, is my dinner bothering your sixth cigarette? Feel free to ash into my salad if you wish. No, not a problem.”
With smoking still being the cool thing to do in Spain, I would often have to suffer through conversations with co-workers and friends about how radical and imposing anti-smoking laws are to their personal rights and freedoms; which I can only assume they believe to also include giving me lung cancer.
Canadians, unfortunately, have had similar arguments over the years. When smoking was initially banned from indoor establishments almost a decade ago, bar and restaurant owners were up in arms about how this law would run them out of business. Their logic, I assume, is their smoking patrons would now opt to stay at home lying in a pile of their own filth. Not surprisingly the sky never fell, but what changed, was non-smokers now had a large selection of watering holes, and this new business far outnumbered those smokers that might have stayed home.
Recently in Ontario there have been two new anti-smoking laws. One of which bans convenience stores and gas stations from displaying cigarette cartons in their stores, and the second bans smokers from lighting up in their cars while accompanied by a minor. Boy oh boy, did this ever fuel conversation for smoke breaks around the province.
“What? Now we’re not responsible enough to even look at cigarettes in this country? I’m sick of this government treating us like children, this is ridiculous, I hate the government. *cough* *cough* *half-vomit* *weeez* *cough* I’ll take the usually, extra large Players King Size. *cough*cough* Stupid government”
The worst part is that scenario is only slightly exaggerated, and I’ve heard the rant on more than one occasion. Each time I have witnessed one of these gems of humanity I couldn’t help but openly laugh.
I have long resented any conversation I’ve had to endure with a smoker on this subject as it’s anything but a worthwhile debate.
On more than one occasion I’ve been victim to conversations that have included the following arguments,
1. Alcohol is bad for you, and it affects other people. People beat up their wives and they drive drunk, you don’t see the government doing anything about alcohol.
After hearing this, I sat, blank faced, waiting for the punch line which never arrived. The human smoke stack in front of me leaned back in apparent victory, check and mate. Incredulously I responded with an outburst of “THOSE ACTIVITIES ARE BOTH ILLEGAL YOU IDIOT!”
It was at this juncture I realized when discussing smoking with a smoker, you’re always a moment away from, “Well, I’m rubber and you’re glue”, which granted, is an insurmountable defence.
2. Smoking calms me down man. If I’ve had a stressful day or things aren’t going great at work or at home there’s nothing better than a couple smokes. It relaxes me.
Deep breaths Mike, it’s not their fault, it’s the nicotine.
No, really, it’s the nicotine. Cigarette smoking is not like exercise. Nicotine does not release any useful endorphins into your blood stream improving your mood. Your body is likely going into nicotine withdrawal, in essence making every day more stressful for you, regardless of anything else. So when you take your 15th smoke break of the day, what you’re doing is just feeding your own addiction which calms you downs… until twenty minutes later when you’re back out on the curb in January blocking the wind with your back trying to get your lighter to work.
I could go on forever as there are few things that bother me more than smoking. I might think you’re a great person, good at what you do, nice, friendly, and I may even consider you a close personal friend. But from the moment you take a pack from your pocket until the moment you step on the butt, I’m looking at you, thinking you’re an idiot.
From the toll smokers take on the Canadian health care system, to their impact on OUR environment, OUR air and on each child that sees their parent or sibling light up while they play in the park I beg you to quit for the rest of us.
From your yellow teeth and fingers, to your hellish breath, and the lingering smell on your clothes (which is now proven to damage the brain of infants), which usually smells like an ominous mixture of disease and death, I beg you to quit for your own future.
Now please don’t misunderstand me, I don’t believe I’m superior because I don’t smoke. I realize that many Canadians may not have been as lucky as me to be surrounded with non-smokers growing up, as early influences and peer pressure are typically huge factors for first time smokers. However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be held accountable for your actions, and grateful to your government for passing laws that save you from yourself and your past.
For example, if the day ever comes when using a cell phone while intoxicated is criminalized I will be the first person to write a letter of thanks to my local MP.
So in this rant of all rants, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Canadian government. I would like to thank them for improving the air I breathe, considering my health, and saving all of us, from our neighbours who just can’t seem to butt out.
Entries (RSS)
Nice take on age old topic. Agreed smoking is possibly the worst thing you can do to you body, I should know I’m a Doctor, and I LOVE to smoke.
And I think that’s the problem right there. Am I a regular smoker? Not even close, maybe having a few on the weekend; having much less as of late as I am trying to quit once and for good – no more ’social smoking BS. But it does beg the question, if everyone knows its bad for you, costs money, ruins your health, teeth, arteries, heart, lungs, brain, hair, skin, clothes, cars, gardens, neighbour’s backyards, then why do we continue to do it?
Because its the worst addiction known to man, seriously. Studies have been done showing that all other drugs, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, heroin – nothing comes close to a nicotine addiction. I can’t personally say this to be true as haven’t tried all of the above, but know that its damn hard to stop.
Why?
Is it we haven’t been hard enough on smokers? I met a GP who does not allow smokers in his practice. His motto – I will give you one year to quit. Outside of that if you are still smoking you will have to find yourself another Doctor because the most important thing for your health is to quit smoking. Why am I going to see you as a patient when there are 3000 people waiting to see me who don’t smoke?
Is this the right action – where does it end, with alcoholics, or obese people, or people with a BMI greater than 21?
Or another proposal I’ve heard – deny healthcare to smokers. Actually I think this is not a bad idea either. Give a disclaimer to all smokers and let them know if they contract of X, Y, or Z – which are all highly associated to smoking, then they are on their own.
Problem is this, the world is turbulent, maybe not perfectly so. Smoking is much more different than any other drug because of the effect it has on the brain, the social contexts in which it is engaged, the way it may be pre-destined due to our parents, or upbringing, or situation, or whatever. I feel there is no benefit in identifying the cause anymore, but only to implement a solution.
So there are patches, gum, drugs, hypnosis, etc – the quitting smoking game is a huge profit laden business. Some of its aspects work, others not so much. But here and for the first time I have figured out a way for people to quit smoking. It is guaranteed to work, 100% money back in return.
The next time you want a cigarette, don’t. That’s it. There is no spell, no myth, no patch, no drug. The only way to quit smoking is by not smoking.
Don’t think – I’m quitting smoking. That idea is too massive an idea to comprehend for most smokers. But say this to yourself, ‘the next time I want a cigarette, I won’t have one’. And just repeat that as long as you live.
Because my father, an ex-smoker, and a doctor was the king of all addicts. He used to smoke two packs of DuMaurier Special Mild King a day, having to schedule his patients around his smoking. One day he went to go visit a patient dying of lung cancer, only to overhear her husband scream at his death-laden wife of her mid 50’s why did she smoke, now she’s going to miss out on the rest of their lives together, their grandchildren, their retirement. What about him?
As sad and seemingly inconsiderate that conversation went, there was truth in it. So my Dad quit after that, not for him, but for everyone and everything he loved. And when I asked him how he did it, he said – “I just stopped putting cigarettes in my mouth”.
Good topic Mike,
S
Steve-O,
thanks for the lengthy comment. I was incredibly shocked to hear your stat about nicotine being the worst addiction, I would love to read that study.
And that Doctor that refuses to have smokers as his patients, beautiful. I’d like to shake that man’s hand. I think the best part of your comment is that you are a smoker, but you hold yourself accountable whereas in many countries (spain specifically) its just a culture of ignorance and apathy on the subject. I definitely think denying people health care if they smoke is justifiable.
Though the subject of alcoholism, and obesity are certainly more sensitive issues and different beasts altogether, it all comes back to accountability. These people are constantly told its not their fault if they’re obese, alcoholics, or smokers. But smokers specifically are my achilles heal because their actions affect the rest of us trying to live past 45. Their addictions and lifestyles have been taking thousands of bystanders to the grave with them, not to mention health care systems around the world (you would know better than I, and I’d love to hear your take on that).
thanks again for the feedback and good luck not smoking
Mike,
The problem I have with denying healthcare or GP care to any human being is that ultimately everyone deserves healthcare regardless of smoking habits. Humans are humans and non-smokers are not better than smokers, they just make better decisions regarding smoking. Smokers are still fathers, sons, daughters, first-loves, etc. The problem is not in the smokers, but in the healthcare system. Non-smokers gang up on smokers because the government does not address the issue. They let us fight it out because they don’t. Non-smokers realize they are getting the same benefits as smokers, which I think is not fair, but their is no sliding scale.
Also – the good thing about smokers for the government is that smokers die. The usually pay more taxes throughout their life (in cigarette tax which is high), are ones to seek less healthcare throughout their lives, usually manage to get through their tax-paying ‘productive’ years, and abruptly die with little or no healthcare costs. Instead of non-smokers screaming at smokers, they should be screaming at the government saying ‘what the hell have you done with all that cigarette tax?’ – I’m sure they didn’t pump it back into the healthcare system (which is shiite anyways).
When you think about, keeping people alive is expensive. Truth be told, non-smokers probably will cost the government more money than smokers. Non-smokers don’t pay all that extra tax through cigarettes, they live much longer past their ‘productive’ years and thus pay less tax, and are more likely to develop chronic disease, or need necessary operations as they age. The don’t die, they just slowly deteriorate. They need more drugs, more doctors, more operations, and ultimately more healthcare money – die already! You are too expensive! Thanks alot for NOT smoking!
Kurt Cobain said this, but didn’t mean it in this context – “its better to burn out than fade away” – and from the Government’s perspective, this is most certainly true.
To sum: non-smokers should never have to suffer – whether it be lack of healthcare, or lack of funding, or second-hand smoke – due to the choices of others. We can tax smokers and ensure the money goes back into healthcare to offset costs, we can ban smoking in all public establishments worldwide, but there will always be a day when you’re standing on the corner and the person beside you lights up. The world is not, as they say, perfectly turbulent.
Thanks Mike!
Steven
steve,
I didn’t say it was right to deny smokers health care, all I said was that I would like to shake that doctor’s hand for making that statement. I just think its time the health care profession and non-smokers in general began being a little more vocal opposed to rolling over and accepting other people’s bad habits will have to be our inconvenience. I just don’t think that’s good enough.
Your argument on non-smokers taking a larger toll on the healthcare system than smokers seems a bit one sided, if not far-fetched. Since when do smokers abruptly die? Has cancer suddenly become known to be a quick and inexpensive process? Not to mention all of the negative effects cigarette smoke has in general, and all of the other ailments that aren’t documented or seen as having a direct correlation with smoking. And there are many many many smokers that live up to 65 or 70+ years of age, so your argument that they all die sooner is completely false. Though, I am open to reading the worldwide statistics on that if you’re quoting from something directly. Someone’s main earning years are said to be typically between 45-65, give or take, and by that measure and your assumption, smokers would die before that age demographic or in between, effectively passing on BEFORE their prime tax paying years, whereas non-smokers would be paying a lot more tax. Not to mention in the US where their estate tax would also be a lot higher as they’ve accumulated more.
And just because smokers pay taxes for buying cigarettes (which would not amount to that much in the grand scheme of things) doesn’t make their habits justifiable, or give them the right to pollute the environment and disregard the people around them. I’m sorry but that’s such a ridiculous argument I am assuming you were joking.
In saying non-smokers are more expensive to care for you are making the assumption that all non-smokers will develop chronic disease and need ongoing medical care which isn’t the case. The only reason non-smokers take up more hospitals beds is solely a numbers game, there’s more of us. Even if you put 50 smokers vs. 50 non-smokers into a lifetime challenge to see who would pay less in health care costs its already flawed because emergencies and life do happen, these are not controllable variables. However, the majority of smokers are likely suffering from avoidable ailments, but again, now I am just speaking in opinion which is a moot point.
I think saying that there will always be a day we have to put up with this is giving up before we start, again, apathy at its absolute worst. In essence the only people actually doing anything lie in our government because everyone else is too busy putting up with it.
On a final note, the world is anything but perfectly turbulent, its actually, as I am sure you are aware utterly flawed. But life as I am sure you can agree is nothing if not turbulent, and all we can strive for is to make some sense of the movements so to maneuver through the current….perfectly. Its an ideal state, typically removed from reality.
have a great weekend Steve. thanks again for your input and feedback. Always a pleasure.
Mike,
Absurd as it may be, I thought it was nuts too. But when I thought about it, I couldn’t deny it.
http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/blog/2008/02/05/do-smokers-cost-taxpayers-more/
Just offering perspective, but for God’s sake don’t smoke! (I’m still quitting).
S
Sorry – forgot to add this one.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22995659/#storyContinued
S
Steve,
That first link was pretty general, with no stats so I was still weary, but your article from msnbc was great. Very detailed and it seems like a very thorough look at the issue.
My main point of contention when you quoted the study originally was age of death and the variables they might use, as I perceived your view of “early death” meant 50-60. After that second article I certainly stand corrected. I also didn’t take into account the rate of cancer in non-smokers which certainly levels the field, and those extra 7 years for non-smokers are, like you said, in many instances spent with some aspect of medical care.
It appears my crusade against smoking just lost its health care angle, but thankfully there’s plenty more ammunition. Good luck with quitting and thanks again for sharing those articles.
Mike