Friday, January 11, 2008

Anti-smoking ad man can't quit till he's dead!


Smoking as many of you believe is a personal choice. An awful one at that, but yours to make. All the marketing of cig companies does not thrust the first one in your mouth and light it for you then pull on your diaphragm so you inhale.
Everyone here who started to smoke remembers the pain on first inhalation yet we persevered and eventually forced our bodies to accept this punishment. And for what? To look cool, hang with the other dolts who smoked? Soon enough, your body adapts and begins to crave both out of repetitive habit and nicotine dependence. Then it is not about being with the "in" crowd, its about survival without.
People are weak and seek out reasons to be dependant on someone or something. It alleviates the inherent loneliness all of us can appreciate. After all we are one among many and it is us-I, which must be satisfied first. Now a man with a seemingly unbreakable habit/addiction stands, on one leg no less, to warn us of the dangers of smoking. We already know the dangers and so does he, through actual consequences and he can not quit. his example to us will also serve no useful purpose save for the anti-smoking zealots who really have no solution to the problems of smoking, the economic impact on healthcare premiums, lost work days, ad infinitum.
My personal and rather harsh opinion for helping people choose NOT TO START in the first place is to inform them that if they develop smoking related health consequences, they will not be covered under insurance. This of course will never fly. Naturally, if you are stupid enough to smoke and get addicted, you are probably too stupid to understand the consequences and no more than a slave to your lack of will. I smoked for years and I am a registered nurse. I quit 7 yrs ago and never looked back. I was stupid then, I am smarter now. It was difficult but not impossible, ostensibly.
BTW, there is nothing heart-wrenching about this fool in the ads. He inspires no pity, no emotion of compassion, nothing from me. He is a fool who wasted his life, his one shot, to help support the big tobacco industry. I may still live to regret my ill-conceived decision to start down the road, but that is my onus. If he had quit, I might offer a bit more understanding but as it is, stupid is what stupid does.

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