Are smokers an unrightfully persecuted minority?

[EnglishEdward]

I merely regard smokers as unfortunate victims of greedy tobacco companies.

 

[H4run]

I don't understand why smokers get so self righteous about taxes on tobacco products. It's a good source of revenue, and it discourages self harm. I don't get all worked up about liquor taxes.

It doesn't make most of them self righteous, it just some of them use it as an argument to justify their action because of constantly been corner, I know smoking is bad, it is not good, but I can't stop it, and not because I don't have self control or those other things because as I stated before I already stop many things include alcohol addiction and many other things that I done before becoming who I am today. So I am far from self righteous, I really aware of how not good it is and I encourage other or even warn other when they want to start smoking I done it many time.

There's been great strides made, but we're not done yet. Personally I see at least three things that need to be done yet. In no particular order:

• Ban smoking where minors are going to be exposed to the second hand smoke. This would include people smoking in their own home if children live there. Granted, I'm not sure how to enforce this one, but if there's a way that's not overly draconian, we should do it.
• Ban smoking while driving, because I cannot believe that having a slow burning fire in your car doesn't pose a risk to other people on the road by distracting the hell out of the driver. It also feeds into the next point:
• Reasonable enforcement of littering laws in general, including the disposal of cigarette butts.

These list cannot be accepted, the most authoritarian government rule as far as I know regarding smokers is Singapore. Even they not banning smoker at their own car and house, you cannot control someone in their own private territory. And you must note that most of the smoker are older generation (down from 90's) because at that time anti smoking campaign not as bombastic as now a day.

While there are huge decrease of smoker population up from 2000. When I start smoking peoples don't bragging around about how it is bad for health or anything like that, peoples think it is cool, now I get trap by old habit that I unable to chop with. It take time to remove hundreds year of human appreciation of cigarette, both side must be understanding so do the smoker must know his place line but the non smoker must not feel all the space with line and leave non smoker without a space. I do smoke at home but I know my place, if my wife around I smoke at the window not infront of her, if I smoke with my friend I ask for permission and observe the direction of the wind and ask my friend to change his seat with mine if the smoke coming to his face.

Beside why peoples are bragging so much about smoking? The emission that cause by the old car that sometime still operating is a lot dangerous than a cigarette, also the smoke of factory that operate near the city it is lot more dangerous than a smoker opening up their window and smoking while the car running fast, how can it harm other in the street? that's not logical. Say, first stop unhealthy emission and do a campaign for reducing car population to decrease street pollution (by limiting private car ownership with putting bigger tax on car) while you do that things we wait for your success while smoking, until you already able to chop with the big smoker (car and factory) we as a small smoker will keep smoking in the outdoor, what is the meaning of our little and thin smoke than a smoke that cause by cars and other? how often in a day you expose by a smoker and how much is the quantity? how often in a day you been expose by cars (or if you are in asia) old motorcycle smoke also factory emission? which one more dangerous and which one more priority?

 

[Kyriakos]

They're persecuted? They are legally able to consume their drug of choice.

Ask your average heroin, cocaine, or marijuana user how they'd feel if they were able to use without having to worry about being busted by the cops.

Nah man, nicotine and alcohol users are looked after well in our society. They can walk into a corner store and buy the drug that keeps them ticking. How easy is that?? Any other addict has to turn to the black market, aside from marijuana users in states like Colorado I suppose.

Smokers have it good man, society accepts their vice as something that's normal and legal. Sure, there are restrictions in place, but they make perfect sense: go use your drug somewhere in private where you aren't bothering people who do not want to participate. All other drug users already have to do this. With alcohol it's easy because people generally don't run around and pour beer into the mouths of people who don't drink alcohol.

As for the whole healthcare thing, smoking is unhealthy.. obviously it's going to on average cause you to die faster, that's what unhealthy things tend to do. Doing certain unhealthy things drives up premiums. Heck, I get higher insurance premium just because I'm a guy. I can't change that! You're lucky, you can at least change your habits. I could get an operation but I like my manly physique.

Take everything I've written with a grain of salt, because it's happy hour. I have very little emotional interest in this debate, I just like yelling at smokers because they think it's okay to litter for some reason and sometimes blow smoke in my face. I don't care what they do as long as they stop doing those 2 things, really. And if there really is discrimination here, I'd actually support them.

My roommate is a smoker, the only time we ever got into an argument about it was when I told him that no, it's not okay to just drop the butt on the ground on the front lawn. How rude to assume that that's perfectly acceptable? And eventually he was all "alright, that's cool, whatever", and now there's always an ashtray there. People doing drugs is fine, as long as it doesn't negatively affect others. As long as you make sure of that, do whatever you want. Just realize that it's a vice, isn't good for you, and has consequences like maybe health problems 30 years from now, or a higher cost of living and maintaining your lifestyle.

Maybe a reason why smoking is not like drinking is that no matter how much you smoke you don't really change your mentality? Unlike with, say, drinking and getting drunk and then doing all sorts of potentially dangerous things.
Smoking usually is associated with a (very minor as time passes) sense of calming down. When someone smokes for the first time(s), they feel quite dizzy. But after a few months there is little of that left. For people who smoke for years there is in reality no change in their mood other than the afforementioned very minor calming effect.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Wow, I didn't realize all non-smokers were such generalising nitwits.

I'm kidding, I'm kidding.

Spoiler :

I actually was aware of this

 

[Bugfatty300]

Health issues aside, people who frequently smoke are almost always obnoxious people because of it. Addiction tends to make you a dick and people don't react favorably to dickish behavior.

 

[Kyriakos]

Health issues aside, people who frequently smoke are almost always obnoxious people because of it. Addiction tends to make you a dick and people don't react favorably to dickish behavior.

What the hell? Smokers are in general calm and polite people, your post is just trash

 

[Bugfatty300]

What the hell? Smokers are in general calm and polite people, your post is just trash

Heavy smokers are obnoxious in a passive aggressive sense but it's not just behavior, their persons tend to export a pungent sour stench which I think puts them in the same boat as people who don't bathe or never brush and floss their teeth.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Health issues aside, people who frequently smoke are almost always obnoxious people because of it. Addiction tends to make you a dick and people don't react favorably to dickish behavior.

Quoted for irony

 

[Bugfatty300]

Nah bra, you cancelled out the irony when you said you were just kidding. Spoilers don't count.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Goddamnit, spoilers don't count? Why doesn't anybody tell me these things?

Thanks for the heads-up. Will use with caution next time.,

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

The emission that cause by the old car that sometime still operating is a lot dangerous than a cigarette, also the smoke of factory that operate near the city it is lot more dangerous than a smoker opening up their window and smoking while the car running fast, how can it harm other in the street? that's not logical.

This was a concern for me...back in the Philippines. Not so much here in Canada, which has had enforced emissions standards for decades. Not once have I seen a smokestack or tailpipe belch black smoke here.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

I just can't believe the things I read in this thread.
Okay now I am sure, smokers are a persecuted minority. Though luckily, I think that most of all goes for the Anglo-Saxon world. Viva la Europe!
Perhaps I will later find the patience to make some responses. Right now I am busy with head-shaking and gestures of disbelieve.

 

[Kyriakos]

Heavy smokers are obnoxious in a passive aggressive sense but it's not just behavior, their persons tend to export a pungent sour stench which I think puts them in the same boat as people who don't bathe or never brush and floss their teeth.

Those smoking people are obnoxious indeed

Smoking hot too

 

[El_Machinae]

Smoking hot too

Alternatively

I merely regard smokers as unfortunate victims of greedy tobacco companies.

Yup

There's been great strides made, but we're not done yet. Personally I see at least three things that need to be done yet. In no particular order:

• Ban smoking where minors are going to be exposed to the second hand smoke. This would include people smoking in their own home if children live there. Granted, I'm not sure how to enforce this one, but if there's a way that's not overly draconian, we should do it.
• Ban smoking while driving, because I cannot believe that having a slow burning fire in your car doesn't pose a risk to other people on the road by distracting the hell out of the driver. It also feeds into the next point:
• Reasonable enforcement of littering laws in general, including the disposal of cigarette butts.

I like that list. I don't really agree with the driving (that something the insurance companies can handle if the stats justify it). Kids? Yeah. And cigarette butts are real peeve of mine. I think that recyclable e-cigarettes will do more for litter than any other intervention.

 

[H4run]

Health issues aside, people who frequently smoke are almost always obnoxious people because of it. Addiction tends to make you a dick and people don't react favorably to dickish behavior.

a peaceful smoker stood against the anxious dickish non smoker karma police (an analogy)

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Yeah, I am an unfortunate victim of greedy tobacco companies. *straight face*


Link to video.

 

[civver_764]

Nicotine stimulates the brain. As Stephen King said (paraphrasing) "The smoker is the better writer. He is also the one who dies earlier". No seriously, it improves memory etcetera, Though I admit that on the long run it damages the brain for the smokes effect on the blood flow.

I'm a smoker and that is total BS.

 

[History_Buff]

These list cannot be accepted, the most authoritarian government rule as far as I know regarding smokers is Singapore. Even they not banning smoker at their own car and house, you cannot control someone in their own private territory. And you must note that most of the smoker are older generation (down from 90's) because at that time anti smoking campaign not as bombastic as now a day.

Absolutely we can tell people what they can do on their own private property. We have laws that say you're not allowed to beat your children at home, and so we can have laws that you can't smoke with your children at home.

There would be nothing stopping people from stepping outside to smoke.

 

[Farm Boy]

The gov'ment already won too many billions of dollars to admit that the tort logic was flawed fundamentally. So that ship's sailed. Now just wait for the moral crusaders of the 21st to get prohibitions on vaporizers without data ''for the chill'rens.''

I wobble desperately close to hate for such people, it frustrates me so. And being stupid is a stupid thing to hate somebody for.

 

[ywhtptgtfo]

Maybe a reason why smoking is not like drinking is that no matter how much you smoke you don't really change your mentality? Unlike with, say, drinking and getting drunk and then doing all sorts of potentially dangerous things.
Smoking usually is associated with a (very minor as time passes) sense of calming down. When someone smokes for the first time(s), they feel quite dizzy. But after a few months there is little of that left. For people who smoke for years there is in reality no change in their mood other than the afforementioned very minor calming effect.

Second hand drinking is very harmful.