8-12-01, Lisa Laird, 697 words
Lisa's Lair
By Lisa Laird
IPS Features
The
Smoke Scene
Cigarette smoking exudes quite a stink these days,
besides the offensive odor that spreads its foul presence; that’s only the tip
of the cigarette. Although I am
making direct reference to cigarettes, you can throw all other tobacco
preferences in the same carton as well; box or soft pack, the choice is yours.
I refuse to believe that there are teenagers and adults in this country who remain ignorant of the terminal dangers presented by smoking. Bombarded with an abundance of information regarding the hazardous effects, the forewarnings worked for me while growing up. Shame, shame, on anyone who started smoking after warnings were put into print. Anyone who became addicted prior to the known detrimental effects cannot be blamed for picking up the habit; however, that’s no good excuse for not throwing it down. I understand that freeing oneself is easier said than done. But health concerns combined with exorbitant prices should push all guilty parties in favor of breaking their butts to quit, figuratively and literally speaking.
Risk to one’s health is plenty of reason on its own to
abstain from the devil in his alluring tobacco disguise.
However, the ridiculous, out of sight costs should be a back-up incentive
to those who conveniently blind themselves to the deadly ramifications.
A moderate smoker may shell out approximately thirty dollars per week and
the amount may be easily doubled for a heavy smoker.
That’s an awful lot of money to burn.
Put it this way, if a moderate-smoking couple were to
save an estimated sixty dollars per week they would ordinarily have wasted on
cigarettes, after eighteen years, the accumulated amount would be that of
roughly $51,840.00. That’s a nice
chunk of a college education. Or,
paying off the remainder of a mortgage on a home.
There are many wise uses for such a substantial amount of capital.
Even purchasing a custom-named motorboat that will rarely be used is a
sensible alternative to supporting a wasteful cigarette habit.
Stained teeth, wrinkles around the mouth, and especially
the hacking cough, are all apparent side effects linked to smoking.
No one needs a medical professional to point them out as warning signs of
damage done; instead of taking a hint, most are inconsiderately and uncaringly
lighting their next cigarettes and furthering their demises.
Many loyal users state that they want to beat the
addiction, but just don’t seem to have enough willpower to see it through.
Others admit that they enjoy smoking and don’t want to give it up; in
actuality, they don’t have the gumption to try.
One group deserves no more merit than the other.
Just ask their lungs, hearts, and arteries.
Even if these physiological structures could speak for themselves, their
voices would probably be immediately quieted.
It’s usually only when a specific life-threatening diagnosis is
announced do the avid smokers start to panic.
By then, it’s often too late.
That brings us to lawsuits filed against the tobacco
industry. The plaintiffs chose to
smoke over the years, in spite of warnings, because they didn’t want to be
inconvenienced or made uncomfortable during the dreaded withdrawal process.
They guiltlessly satisfied their cravings and enjoyed doing so.
Then, when the time came to pay the piper, so to speak, it was the
industry’s fault, as if the smokers were helpless victims.
I don’t buy it for a minute; case dismissed.
Quitting the smoking habit, like any worthwhile, and in
this case, lifesaving, endeavor, takes hard work, dedication, and sincere
desire. Just ask anyone on a strict
diet to lose weight. Regular
exercise and healthy eating aren’t exactly fun and games. But the alternative lifestyle of a routine intake of cake,
doughnuts, and ice cream, will undoubtedly put on more than a few extra pounds.
It is unthinkable to entertain the thought of suing the bakery, doughnut
shop, or ice cream parlor for health problems that arise due to consuming their
tempting products. As rational,
educated people, we know this. If
we indulge, we have only ourselves, no one else, to blame for the consequences.
And we don’t require the Surgeon General’s warnings
displayed on the side of each box.
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