The Idiots

People that smoke are idiots. There I said it. Hate me if you will and stop reading now if you must but I am about to rail on smokers.



I can not think of a more more stupid thing to do to your body on an hourly basis. Smoking is dangerous to you, the people around you and the environment. It's just not smart.



People smoke for reasons that make no sense to me. Here are some of the reasons:



1. It's cool. To me that's like the wearing your pants around your knees thing that kids do now. OK, now that makes perfect sense. Let's light fire to a processed plant that has thousands of toxic substances added to it to that you are assured to get addicted, suck that smoke into your lungs and blow it into the environment. This, of course, pisses off the people around you and makes you look stupid but what the heck a few people will think you look cool.



2. It's relaxing.



3. Oral fixation / something to do with my hands.



4. It tastes goo. Whatever, all of these are stupid.



5. I'm addicted. OK, this one is the bigger. Do you know that nicotine, the main added chemical that gets you addicted, is not necessary in a pack a smokes. It's there to get you addicted.



Honestly I don't care why people smoke. It's stupid.



4 million people per year die because they smoke. That number looks like this 4,000,000. That's 456 people per hour. 7 per minutes. Or one every 10 seconds. Who's next.



If you smoke a pack per day then you smoke one every hour. Again, if you smoke your an idiot.



I met a man the other day who is in his mid-70's. He walks around the YMCA with his oxygen in tow. I asked him how long he smoked for. Over 50 years was his labored answer. 50 years. Now this poor old man can't walk to bathroom without getting out of breath and having to sit down. He's one of the lucky ones to make it this long.



I asked this man what he would tell a young smoker and he really didn't have much to say. He just looked at me with defeated eyes and muttered, "Please don't smoke".



Smoking to me is more of a attitude than anything. People that smoke are bucking the system. They're the "bad boys" or "bad girls". These are the people that think they are living life to the fullest and standing up to the man.



I was walking in the park the other day and I saw a lady smoking on a bench with a "No Smoking" sign on it. I didn't say anything but I wanted to.



I think the smokers that need you to know they smoke are the most ridiculous ones. You know, they have to have their smokes in their hands when they walk into a bar or their tucked in a shirt pocket that is easily visible. My favorite is behind the ear. "Look at me!! I'm stupid!!" In like that old Nirvana song "Smells like teen spirit...".



I remember being young and on a trip with my sister and her boyfriend. The boyfriend, we'll call him Tom, was a light smoker. We were going to a restaurant to meet an old friend of his. When we were almost there he lite one up. Much to his dismay we were a little further away than we thought and he smoked his butt to the nub. Of course he lit up another one just as we got there cause god forbid he show up not smoking. It's ludicrous.



Did you know that smoking causes the skin around your mouth and eyes to wrinkle prematurely. Look at people in a bar and I almost guarantee that you can spot the ones that are going to go outside soon to light up. Have you ever heard a person in there 40's or 50's with a real gravelly voice. Current or former smoker.



Did you know that average smoker lives 12 years less than a non-smoker?


Tobacco kills more Americans than AIDS, drugs, homicides, fires, and auto accidents combined.



Do I really need to go on.



If you smoke you are being very, very stupid. You need to quit now. My dad came to this realization in 1976. He still go lung cancer in 2009. He fighting well but is still only 67. It could happen to anyone.



If you smoke you need to stop. If a loved one smokes you need to make it very clear that this behavior is unacceptable. Try anything that you can. It probably won't work but maybe it will bring them closing to making the choice themselves.



Remember people that smoke are selfish and don't care about you and I. If they did they'd care that the 50,000 people per year that die from second hand smoke. Smokers don't care. It's so sad.



I am so saddened by the people close to me that smoke. I wish they could just stop.



I leave you with my favorite tidbit about smokers. Find a former smoker. Ask them this: "Do you wish that you had never started smoking?".



What do you suppose the answer is going to be?