Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Reasons I think smoking is gross

This is probably going to be a very offensive post for some readers. If any read my blog at all(sometimes a handful probably come here my mistake) but it's been in my mind for a while and I want to unleash the thoughts I have about this.

Recently I decided not to continue to pursue a candidate on a dating website because he is a smoker.
Even though everything else was perfect, finding this out about this person makes him someone I do not want to know. I know enough smokers, and while I respect that they have this horrible habit. I didn't know that when I befriended them.

That's reason number one.

1) Smokers have this secret life that non-smokers rarely witness. It always feels like rejection when a person chooses something over me. Not that I need all the attention or anything. It just seems unfair that a costly addiction should be more important than the person that is me. Also it seems unfair that friendships are made with the experience of this addiction. Often it was peer pressure that lead smokers to light up and now they all have this universal club that I can't be a part of because I don't want to participate in the costly addiction.
So when a smoker says to me(as a person who will never smoke) that they won't smoke in front of me because they know it bothers me, it just means that I'm excluded from what seems like a very important part of their life.
2)It costs too much, both in money paid for the actual product and health costs in the future. I know many smokers rationalize the cost in comparing it to other costs that people have, but none of the other things they mention have ever been proven to cause Cancer. Also, the actions of others should never be used to justify your own. Even if you can afford to buy a Cancer-causing product, there are many more useful things that could be done with that money.
3)It's messy. No matter how much a smoker cleans up. Or thinks they don't smell bad, they do, and they always will. It is a habit that leaves mess no matter how 'clean' you try to be. I will never understand why smokers think it is OK to toss something on fire, that has been in their mouth, on the ground. It's just as bad as spitting on the ground, which makes me want to puke every time. The fact is that cans and jars of cigarette butts are one of the most disgusting things to see. As a child though, I once tried to eat them apparently. I don't remember doing this, but my mom does, and it must have been a rude awakening for me. Smokers who breathe out their last puff while entering a bus or building are actively polluting those places(a bus is a place, to me). I would rather smell 3 day old sweat on a homeless man than breathe the air that has that yucky stale smoke smell.
4)I have witnessed more than a few close friends and family, who were against developing any addiction, become addicted as a result of long time familiarity with anyone with an addiction, smoking or otherwise.
I know that I limit my time around people who have addictions because I know I am not that strong, I can't resist forever the urge to 'belong' by joining in, no matter how bad the consequences of the activity. Which is why I walk away before I face too much temptations. I know my conscious will make me feel terrible for destroying myself and I want to be true to myself. Smoking seems to destroy people, not just physically, but socially and emotionally and spiritually. As with any addiction, it takes over, like the Cancer it causes, till there is no person there at all, just an addiction.

I know this is all very harsh, and I know many good people are also smokers, but I can't help but feel that what they are doing is very illogical and I like to be as logical as possible.

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