Why are smokers treated like second class citizens ? and also treated like children that need to be told off?

Question

hearing an advert on the radio every two minuites is not going to make me give up!, it will make me more determined to smoke just out of spite.

i dont complain when i have to inhale your car fumes so leave us smokers alone, any person that comes up to me to issue a fine will get a false name and address, so there.

yes , i am stubborn , ask my boss

i'm not saying i tottally enjoy smoking , i just don't like facist people telling what to do.

Answer 1

Yep, smoking is bad for you, got it. But for all the people screaming about smokers are you aware that car exhaust damages lungs also, as well as causes neurological damage, pollutes the ground water, and hell--look at all the dead brown trees in heavily populated areas in California. If people care so much about lung health, are ya all gonna give up your cars to protect me? I'm a non-smoker by the way.

Answer 2

Great question and a lot of interesting responses. I am a former smoker who quit 4 years ago after smoking for 35 years. I never smoked inside my home, never smoked inside my car when other people were present, and did not smoke in bars (I don't drink) or restaurants. I could easily facilitate my habit by going out to the garage or outside for a smoke. Both of my kids grew up healthy and neither has any problems from 2nd hand smoke. Me, I am dying from the effects of my former habit. That's the price I have to pay for my bad behavior. Hopefully, I can be an example for others to quit now before it is too late. This debate, however, goes much deeper than that.

I think this is simply a case of common sense. If you have 3 smokers in a car with a non-smoker and all 3 are puffing away with the windows up - yeah, the non-smoker is probably going to have some problems with 2nd hand smoke. If you have 3 smokers in a car puffing away with the windows up and a non-smoker in a car in the next lane - no, the non-smoker is not going to have any problems with 2nd hand smoke.

Since quitting, I have never had any smoker ever blow smoke directly into my face. As a matter of fact, rarely do I ever smell cigarette smoke. I do notice the polluted air I have to breathe because of all of the traffic. I do notice the difficulty I have breathing when people wear obscene amounts of perfume and calogne. I do have problems breathing when I walk into stores that burn incense and sell scented candles. I now notice that my nose and lungs are assaulted by all kinds of toxic fumes and odors and most of them don't come from smokers.

I am not condoning smoking. You need to quit and you know it. I don't have the right to tell you to quit nor do I have the right to judge you because you smoke. Like another responder stated, since you don't fit into that perfect human category, people are going to treat you like a second class citizen. Society treats the overweight, the sick, the mentally impaired, the not-so-attractive, the not-so-wealthy, anyone who eats meat, anyone who doesn't eat meat, all the same way. We are all second class citizens who must stand and be judged by those who believe they are perfect. That's just the sorry way things are in this country. It's too bad we are all so judgemental of others and choose to ostracize instead of understand. I hope you do quit the habit someday. I know how difficult it is. I also fully support your right to smoke. As long as it is legal, then you should be able to do it without condemnation and criticism.

Answer 3

Second hand smoke causes lung cancer....? I think you'll find that has never NEVER been proven, as for being a contruibutary factor thats a different matter....sounds like the same thing but it's not.

However, I'm a smoker, I don't get classed as a second class citizen, or indeed a child. I do respect those around me that don't smoke, I am particularly wary of this when I'm in a restaurant etc, in fact I usually refrain from smoking when in such a place, even outdoors I'm as considerate as possible around other people, I fully welcome the smoking in public places ban this coming July 1st, I work in the licenced trade and it's going to help me firstly cut down, and secondly (hopefully) give up all together. If I do succeed I won't patronise people who continue to smoke, I feel that if you wish to continue doing something such as smoking then thats a valid choice.

Answer 4

I'm fed up of been told about how smoking is bad for me.
Yes!!! I know it is, but since I don't smoke around non smokers and mostly limit my smoking to my own home (where I live alone) I don't see how it's effecting anyone else.
And for all those people going on about how it's bad for my health I wonder are they so perfect. Okay, they may not smoke. Do they drink? Eat fatty foods, etc????
I don't even drink so banning it in pubs won't effect me. And I tend to avoid pubs since I tend to get nagged at for been anti social for refusing an alcoholic drink.
I don't go round calling non smokers anti social or boring.

Anyway even though I don't smoke round others I think I should still consider wearing a t-shirt with 'unclean' on it and ring a bell whereever I go to warn people to stay clear from me.

Answer 5

I agree with you (of course I'm a smoker). I too do not appreciate you (or anyone) telling me how bad it is, how I'm going to die, that I should quit. I am not an idiot and know all these things but I am an adult and I will make my own decisions. Us smokers have rights just like non smokers and should be treated accordingly. We should have our own section in bars and restaurants, have smoking flights and smoking sections wherever we go. I do agree if you are a non-smoker you should not have to inhale my smoke and would never force you to sit there breathing my smoke but in turn we are being forced to have to leave to have a cigarette (cigar..etc). We are treated unfair and unethical....it's basically condoned discrimination.
PS : I have 4 children and both my husband and I smoke....we DO NOT smoke in our home or car. We are smart enough to understand the effects of 2nd hand smoke and would NEVER subject our children to it.

Answer 6

Umm your comment about smoking out spite tells me you must be a teenager!
My husband is 47yrs old and an avid smoker. He doesn't do it because he wants too or that he has an addiction. It is just a habit to him. Habits are hard to break.
Although he eats better then most and exercises. He had a heart attack a few years ago. This is most likely because of the smoking.
I don't think smokers are treated like second class citizens. It's a choice....I can just say that I am never surprised or sympathetic when a smoker gets sick.

Answer 7

Who knows it's disgusting the way smokers are being treated what is behind it? The government makes millions out of tax on fags so why are they trying to force people to stop?
car fumes are far more damaging than a bit of smoke that might waft your way. If people are so concerned about passive smoking go stand somewhere else and leave us smokers alone!

Answer 8

I don't smoke but this whole talk of the no smoking in enclosed public places is turning into an anti-smoking campaign. It seems as though there are attempts to make people who smoke be viewed as people to be looked down upon.

Obviously smoking is bad for your health but I feel that the damage it does do to your health has been highly over-exaggerated (read medical journals and you will see). It is smoking coupled with various other factors (bad diet, stressful lifestyle, living condition, SES,etc) that causes the biggest damage, not smoking on its own. And trying to get rid of smoking entirely (which it seems the government is looking to do gradually over time) is not going to improve the health of the nation.

As I said I don't smoke but I do think it is wrong that the government want to ban it in public places. People should be able to choose. If they want to contribute to their own ill health then let them be - at the end of the day it is the smokers tax that contributes to an NHS!! When smoking is banned entirely (which in 50 years or so I wouldn't be surprised) our taxes will only be higher in other areas (e.g. income, council, road tolls, etc), and the health of the nation will be no better overall. This is just another silly attempt by the government to appear to be doing something!!!!!

Not only that, but people who complain about passive smoking just remember all the fumes released from cars are more damaging to your health than cigarettes.

Answer 9

Smoking is your own right and privilege. However, I don't smoke so when I go out to the movies, mall or any where for that matter the last thing I want is someone smoking right out front of the door, my children don't need it and either do I. I don't feel as though you should be treated as a child I do feel as though everyone who smokes should respect those around them who don't smoke. If I drank (Alcohol) and you didn't how would you like it if I was throwing up at the front door of the restaurant, movie or mall you were going into. That's how gross cigarette smoke is to a non-smokers!

Thanks!

Answer 10

Basically its like this smoking is bad and smokers chose to do it. We can't do much about the car fumes. You can chose to be respectful and not smoke around non smokers. For some such as myself it causes them to not be able to breathe and send them into an asthma attack and to defend you, car exhaust fumes do the same to me as cigarette smoke. But when say I go out to dinner. Its not fair that I have to leave because someone wants to smoke like a freight train. If I wanted to have problems breathing, I'd eat my dinner on the freeway and inhale exhaust. I chose to go inside to clean air. Smoke outside away from the door and be respectful. Its a courtesy.