What Is Real About Smoking?

Most smokers will admit that they are addicted. But many fail to realize that most addicts have a strong bias and deny many facts in an effort to feel comfortable with their addiction. One biased belief is that second hand smoke is not a big deal. This is reinforced by non-smokers who tend to tell smokers that it doesn't bother them (so they take on the role of an enabler).

For more than five decades I tolerated second hand smoke and told smokers I didn't mind. But this misled smokers and served to encourage them to believe that second hand smoke is not a problem. Although I still don't feel free to complain, I need to change my tune.

Most of us know that scientific tests prove that second hand smoke does have a real impact on people's health. Most people know that the real problem is not the smell, but that it is toxic. As a group, smokers can shorten a non-smokers life by 6 days, 6 months, or is it 6 years? Regardless of how long, do you realize how serious this is?

THE CANADIAN PRESS reported on March 18, 2009 that in Ontario, drivers caught smoking in a vehicle with a minor presently face fines up to $255. About half of Canada's provinces have similar laws.

So I must ask the reader? Would you consider smoking indoors in the presence of others to be (a) impolite, (b) bad manors (c) obnoxious (d) potentially criminal behavior or (e) both c and d ?

In your journey through life, how do you want to travel?

From Mike Roberts