Yes, I Smoke. What's It to You?

I have to admit this upfront—I smoke.

I know it can kill you, I know it’s bad. I know many people think it’s disgusting, and I know there are tons of inconsiderate smokers out there who don’t respect the fact that most people don’t want to be around smoking. I know it stinks. I know it can bring about a horrible death. I know the tobacco companies will stop at nothing to sell their products. The whole smoking thing in general just sucks.

I have smoked since I was fifteen. I have been smoking over half of my life now. I have never been a heavy smoker, and I have quit a few times, but I still smoke. I have about one or two a day, but I still smoke. I am intelligent, well educated, and successful and a good person—and I smoke.

I am from the East Coast, where many people still smoke. Many bars and restaurants still permit smoking, which you won’t find on the West Coast. I hate going out to bars there—I hate that smell you get from being in a smoky bar all night. I hate seeing my old friends practically chain smoke out there. I hate it that no one thinks twice about smoking out there. I hate it that no one ever said one negative word about smoking when I was growing up. I hate how easy it was for me to get cigarettes before I was of age.

But the one thing I hate the most is how non-smokers treat smokers.

With other vices—alcohol, drugs, food—people show a little reserve when speaking their minds. You don’t hear people going off publicly about obese people and how their diets can kill them, but people will talk about smokers like they have committed a crime. There are programs and hospitals where people can get help for their drug addictions, but no such support for smokers. I have heard people go off about smoking, when I know that they are battling alcoholism. Sure, many people consider alcoholism a disease, but every day, scientists are discovering signs that an addition to smoking is too.