Wednesday, May 16, 2007

'Smoking is bad for you' - (psst... we KNOW)


Telling a grown person that smoking is bad for them.. is.. well frankly speaking - not only redundant but also very very annoying.

Harping on about the dangers of smoking and giving real life examples and mouthing out statistics and all that. Well here is a news flash for all of you - WE ALREADY KNOW MOST OF IT.

A smoker chooses to smoke. Those of us who want to quit.. will quit. Going on and on about how bad it is for us and how we are ruining our lungs really doesn't help.

Hell most of the times I light up just to tick off certain friends of mine - who have been bugging me to quit. It's basically - ' YOU tell me to quit.. it annoys me. So now I get back at you by blowing smoke all over your face'

Lots of people have lots of annoying habits. I should know, I happen to have most of them. But just because you find them annoying doesn't give you the right to preach to me. You have a problem with me smoking, then its YP (Your Problem).

I could be considerate and shift to another place.. or perhaps be too considerate and put off the cigarette and not smoke in front of you. BUT that really doesn't mean that you have to yap away of how I am killing myself and bombard me with statistics and tell me how harmful the smoke is or how addictive nicotine is. Most of us are well aware and really don't need a revision lesson in Harmful Effects of Smoking - 101.

For the love of god, if you have said it to us once, and we have tolerated it, doesn't mean we would like to hear it again. WE WERE JUST BEING POLITE - the first time.

Smoking is bad, you know it and I know it. I choose to ignore that fact and smoke away.. and that's MY PROBLEM. If someone's smoking really bothers you so much, then you dont HAVE to sit next to them while they smoke. MOVE AWAY (that's just in case the smoker ISNT being considerate). Alternatively, when you go to a public place or something, please ensure you go to a non-smoking area - they now have dedicated areas in restaurants for smokers and non-smokers (don't be so happy with yourselves.. people like you succeeded in dividing mankind YET AGAIN).

Smokers - well we don't have a choice. The world decided to become health conscious and we really don't have much options (surprising.. go ahead and bomb an entire country.. thats fine.. but if someone is smoking next to u.. OMG.. that person is not only killing himself, but killing you too.. never mind how much pollutants you inhaled while walking on the road when you were taking your healthy morning walk)

Nobody stopped me from smoking in the non-smoking areas at the airport.. but then as soon as I saw the sign.. it just felt appropriate to put off the cigg. (see.. we do know how to respect the opinion of the non-smoking members of the public.. would be nice if the gesture was reciprocated)

Kuwait Airport's smoking area - SAD. (talking about the one AFTER the immigration point). They didn't even have the courtesy to put a couch for us to sit and enjoy our horrid habit (the last time I went, there wasn't one, don't know if there is one now). Would be nice if someone was courteous to the smokers too. I mean.. there is no reason why one can't be civil.

5 Opinions:

Anonymous said...

Very well written me Lord.

Being civil....hmm.....like u said buddy, I think we smokers are more civil, than those who preaches the harmful effects of smokin.

At home, when I want a puff.....I go out to the balcony and puff away to my heart's contend. Coz I know the harm and irritation, it might cause, to my lil gals n my non-smoking wife. Now isnt tat being polite n courteous?

Now if I'm in the company of friends and if one of em is pregnant, I immediately snug it out or move to an isolated place away from her. Now isnt tat being courteous n polite?

I hav also seen ppl, stare at me, in astonishment, when I light a ciggie...thinking to themsleves..."How dare you do tat????".....to which, I innocently smile n offer them my pack. Now isnt tat being courteous and polite?

Anonymous said...

Mr Raj, they just keep reminding you.. its bad ..so that you might get overwhelmed about its bad effects and really quit it one day.. not warning means not opposing and thus chances of it spreading increases more.. got it into head..

L o r d R a j said...

Mr. Anonymous,

I GOT IT into my head the FIRST TIME someone told me.

I don't give a shit. The same goes for a lot of other people too. Why can't people like YOU get that into YOUR heads!

Not warning means not opposing. Chances of it spreading increases because you are not warning.

Ahem... Well, WARN those who haven't crossed over to the smoke filled dark side. Now THAT warning just MIGHT make a difference.

For those of us already there, well warning once or twice is fine. Repeated yapping (about anything) is not only redundant, but extremely annoying!

Anonymous said...

that was quick..don't get annyoned..its not a personal reminder.. nobody can help you if you want to dump your life in shit..it is for the nation as whole these warnings are being spread over and again..so that young kids, or anybody be aware in their conscience about its hazadrous efects and feel scared that they are stepping towards something wrong..

Ps: i stumbled upon this website today and i would appreciate the posts, bold views presented here.. though i don't agree with all.. but its definitely a very nice effort..keep writing:)

L o r d R a j said...

Always a delight to know that someone would like me to keep writing. :)

"though I don't agree with all"

That's fine. The purpose is not to CONVINCE but merely to inform. Just get people thinking. They don't have to agree with my views, but just to get them thinking that there IS an alternative way to go about any discussion.

There is more than one way of looking at any topic.

One of my favourite quote "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to death - your right to say it"

Coming back to this post, well I put this up years ago (2007) and when I put it up, it was targeted at a few people who were just annoying me about my horrid habit.

I am not against the media airing social messages about the harms of smoking. I am not against the warnings on the cig packs. I do however oppose when I (personally ) am being bombarded with the same pointless statistics and arguments by the same person over and over again.

Waste of time and effort. Much better they put in the same effort elsewhere, with someone who actually does give a damn. :D (Basic common sense, nothing else)

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