I currently live with my mom who’s been a smoker for 35+ years. She has tried to quit multiple times but she just doesn’t have it in her, and that’s OK. Her current job is extremely stressful and she smokes to help her cope.
But here’s the thing: despite her life-long addiction and NEED to smoke, she remains considerate of everyone around her not just those within sight.
All she wants to do when she gets home is smoke, but if she sees kids playing outside or notices our neighbors’ windows are open, she either:
- waits for everyone to go inside/close up before she smokes outside, or–
- gets in the car and drives 2 blocks away to an open parking lot and smokes there
Does this sound extreme? Because this is what common courtesy looks like.
Most smokers today don’t realize just how FAR their smoke goes and how sensitive people are to its effects. Thankfully my mom has enough experience and understanding to avoid contact with others best she can while she smokes, and this is something EVERY SMOKER should strive to do.
But naw, I see smokers on this site throwing around terms like “ableist” and “classist” instead, and that’s honestly the most ridiculous use of those words I’ve seen in a while.
Y’all think as long as you’re not blowing smoke DIRECTLY in our face that everything is OK and we should deal with it.
That’s not how it works.
You either don’t understand or just plain DON’T CARE about the serious repercussions (short term + long term) your addiction has on EVERYONE around you, and in 2015 there is no excuse for that kind of disregard.
You have the RIGHT to smoke, but you DO NOT have the right to harm others along the way. Your addiction is not license to hurt others.
So please, be considerate – DO YOUR BEST to avoid sharing the effects of your smoking with those living/working around you because, LIKE IT OR NOT, we’re all breathing the same air.