Comments on: Is It OK to Harass the Smokers We Love?

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 05:05:59 +0000

Apologies for not reading all posts before writing; I read many of them and didn’t see anything about the subject of smoking and tooth loss.

I am a dental hygienist, and have worked with the same patient group for 20 years. It is so clear to me that people in our practice who are gradually losing their teeth, one by one, are the smokers. I have known a few people with mouth, throat, or lung cancer, most smokers, but far more who are ultimately toothless.

Incidentally, they also have more wrinkles and look older than others their age; one would think that would also be a motivation, especially for women!

By: Mary

Mary — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:35:38 +0000

Oh wow, where to start… I am a clinic nurse and it truly grieves me to see young people smoking. If only they would never smoke that first cigarette. That is the tactic I used with my own 3 children~ I offered them each $100 to never smoke that first cigarette, and they are grown up now and non-smokers.
(Best $300 I ever spent!) My father smoked around us kids when we were growning up. My college roommage smoked, and each boyfriend I had smoked. I married a smoker 34 years ago back when we were 19 and immortal. Now it is the biggest wedge in our marriage. It affects my home life, my social life, my sex life, my finances, all in a negative way. The worse place I walk into each day is my own home which smells of cigarettes. I hate seeing the person I love the most in the world doing this awful thing to himself. I fear for our future. We live on a farm, and we cannot remain there if he is unhealtlhy. More than anything I would love to have a non-smoking husband; but apparently there is nothing I can say or do to sway him. I refuse to nag because I listened to my mother nag my father for years and it never made one bit of difference. These are my rambling thoughts on this subject. I appreciate the opportunity to vent. No, it’s not OK to harass a smoker you love, but it is more than OK to let a smoker know you care about him/her and that you only desire life’s best for that person and those closest to him/her. I wish it weren’t such a hurdle. It’s a painful subject. I would never marry a smoker if I had it to do over again.

By: Tired of rudeness

Tired of rudeness — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:42:40 +0000

So many of you think it ok to harass, this is so wrong. Keep your opinion to yourself. I have been forced to move twice now because of these NON smokers. Their taunting, yelling, and slanders at my house, when I’m leaving my home calling me a drug addict. There are so many NON smoking apt and houses but, NOOO they move into places with smokers then demand and yell, calling cops. You think this is ok… It’s not. The foul words from your non smokers kids is disrespectful. I pay rent vote and thought I lived in a free country. Teach your kids to respect adults. This attitude of thinking they can speak out against adults is so wrong in so many ways. What I find most…People that give up the habit and get upset because they did due to the pressure and harassment. Then they think all others should do the same. They then become fat and unhappy and feel they can take their agressions out on other smokers. If you are truely happy then leave others alone and stop trying to force people to think your way. The pollution today is killing us all, I don’t see anyone closeing the plants making all the pollution. No lets harass people and fool ourselves in to thinking you and your kids are the rightous ones gimme a break..I’m going to go have a cig!!

By: Nivola

Nivola — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:33:55 +0000

hey my name is nivola,, I’ve been smoking now 4 many yrs, since I was about (15) yrs of age. Now am 21 yrs of age. And I was truly and really not a smoker I just followed my peers, PEER PRESSURE, STRESSED OUT, LOW- SELF ESTEEM ETC Is what really made me STARTED smoking soo much and too deep. I thank god 2day for my mother that truly inspire ME about the facts of smoking, AND TODAY AM SMOKE FREE!!! with the help of my 2 loving inspirations in life! My mother and brother. LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!

By: LMC

LMC — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:38:10 +0000

I grew up with parents that smoked and yes, I “harassed” them for it too. Although from my perspective, it wasn’t harassment, it was protecting my personal health. Both my brother and I have had asthma since we born, which may or may not have been caused by my mother smoking while pregant and while we were young, but it certainly exacerbated the condition. I understand, completely, that nicotine is highly addictive and so I am empathetic of smokers, however, I will not walk on eggshells around them- not when I am made physically ill from it. I do not think that I am wrong for letting someone know that they are hurting me. This is why I do not “harass” people for being overweight as I don’t see a connecting argument there. Although it is sad and obviously, unhealthy for them, the point is that it is unhealthy for *them*; their obesity does not affect my health. My arteries are not being clogged by the BicMac they choose to eat. My lungs, however, are being suffocated by the cigarette smoke. I will always be as respectful and as non-harassing as possible in my approach, but you can expect me to ask you to move downwind of me if stand near me and light up or to maintain a smoke-free home. Perhaps those of you that smoke can keep in mind that not everyone who coughs is faking it and being obnoxious; that those of us who choose to not smoke are not rude for choosing to not, that it is not harassment (at least not anymore than the disregard that many smokers have for non-smokers) because we are disapproving of those around us that do. Good luck to those of you who are and have been trying to quit; I wish for you (and myself) fresh, clean lungs!

By: Dave Novak

Dave Novak — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 16:44:11 +0000

I can finally consider myself a non-smoker after 5 years of trying. I’ve been smoke free for a year to this day. The one thing as a smoker I hated was the constant ridicule and harassment from non-smoker’s. Their snobby attitudes made me want to smoke more just to spite them. 5 years ago I was forced to quit. I developed throat cancer. I was so hooked on cigarettes, not even the shame & embarrassment of my doctors or the thought of going through radiation treatments and chemotherapy again could stop me from smoking. I was a 2 pack a day smoker before treatment, after,all I could do was cut it down to about 6-8 a day. My wife was no help. Just another snob that kept nagging at me. Did’nt get no support from her. But I found out that my family (brothers/sisters) detered me from smoking around them. (Family Reunion) . But like an idiot I lit one up when I got back home under the belief I can just have one. I had “lied to them about quitting”. So finally, on an occasion to be around my family at a wedding, I decided that this was the time to give them up permanently ; seeing as I would be around them for three days. My last cigarette was the day of my niece’s wedding. It took me 5 years to do it and my resolve to stay a non-smoker cannot be shaken. The one thing I will not do is treat a smoker like I was treated. It’s just really too bad that it was them Lawyers that made all that money off the lives of so many smokers. This story has a very unfortunate ending. I got caught smoking my last cigarette the night before the wedding by my brother, who in turn ratted me out to the rest of the family and they have not talked with me since!

By: Zevermvomy

Zevermvomy — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 22:50:02 +0000

Brilliant!

By: Gian Turci

Gian Turci — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:51:05 +0000

I read here that “smoking is unambiguously bad”. I also read that “…to visit her mother, who had a brain tumor that had resulted from the spread of smoking-related lung cancer.” I read a lot of postings that say “bash them, bash, them”. Hold on: How do we know that that lung cancer was “smoking-related”? How do we know that “passive smoking kills”? For the latter all the evidence is a certified pile of trash science. For the former, there is no one health authority in the world that can scientifically demonstrate the unique causality of just one “smoking-related” death. I tell you right now that I have nothing to do with Big Tobacco, so we settle that one.

Are we so sure that we do not desperately need a “scientific” excuse for our need to hate, or some “inferior” (smokers)to “help” so we feel “superior”? Excuses generously supplied by corrupt institutions? Think about it: no one death can be demonstrated scientifically – never mind what the big wigs say: ask them to bring you proof, and they will cite numbers! When cornered, they say that the fact that they cannot prove one death does not mean that they cannot claim millions. …Then we are talking about hatred, are we not? As it is pointed out, fat people are next for harassment. When will we stop?

By: Jana

Jana — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:25:31 +0000

I have tried to quit so many times I lost count. All it takes is a visit to one of my many friends that smoke and… I want one. Before you know it I’m back to buying a pack.
If the FDA was really doing their job along with our Government, tobacco should be available by perscription only. If you want the truth, our Government should be facing charges in the highest court of law for taking bribes to turn their heads and keep the american people legally and controlably sick by continueing to allow the toxins that they put in cigarettes. If the FDA and our government really cared about it’s people over Corporate interests and Big Business Money they would force all tobacco companies to slowly and methodocally remove the addictive toxins from cigarettes and help us to break the addiction to this deadly habit. But then you have the other investors in this whole scam/conspiracy the Pharmaceutical and Insurance Companies. The real scam is that our tax money is paying for this BS Government and the huge tax breaks it gives these Corporate Giants to slowly kill us, and we just keep sitting down and watch the “BOOB TUBE” and let them. It’s getting near time for another American Revolution.
Just think of the underground black market industry that outlawing nicotine would cause. We can’t control the illegal drugs in this country now. If it’s LEGAL, let adults smoke and leave them alone, there are much worse addictions.
I know it’s bad, I quit smoking in my house. My son was sick every month with a URI (upper respitory infection), when I quit smoking in the house, he wasn’t sick like that anymore.
I consider myself a “Professional Quitter”

By: R Rush

R Rush — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:43:59 +0000

I have smoked on and off for about 30 years. I don’t appreciate the harrassment, I know it’s bad for me I will quit some day. Just not today..I also don’t like the kiddies harassment,to their own parents ok but not ok to any one else. I too have experienced the harassment from from the kiddie dept anf find it quite obnoxious. I will quit when it is my time. Until then I ask parents to refrain their obnoxious offspring at bay.