Obviously this is an over-generalized title for a post. I am not so cold a person that I hate all smokers just because they smoke. There are, however, some smokers who I want to punch in the face scold severely. I’ll explain why …
I am an asthmatic. It’s triggered by athletics, stress, and the big one — allergies. I’ve set hospital records for inflammation levels and I’ve spent a good portion of my life in a hospital. Lets just say insurance companies loathe me. A key point is;
I’m not alone in this.
I’m not the only asthmatic, as the number continues to rise, and I’m not the only one with allergies. I’m not the only “sensitive” American out there ( elderly, children ) and I know I’m not the only one who makes the choice not to smoke because I don’t have the choice — I can’t smoke.
Now. If you want to smoke, go right ahead. I honestly do not care at all. I’ve always been for doing whatever you want to do as long as it infringes on no one’s bodily integrity and sometimes in an extremist fashion.
What I can’t stand is when Smokers are so wrapped up in themselves and concerned only with themselves that they don’t think about the people around them. For instance, smoking is banned in many public places yet you’ll still find people congregating around a door smoking so that a person has to walk through the cloud of smoke to get to their destination. This is especially prevalent when it’s cold and the smokies don’t want to travel far from the building, but need their addiction fix. So when people who are allergic walk through said cloud of smoke — suddenly they can’t breathe. Suddenly they are starting to wheeze. Suddenly, they have to take their albuterol so that they can breathe.
In case you do not know what albuterol does to a person’s body — it opens the airways of their lungs that are closing and increases their heart rate. Now, what happens when you have an adrenaline rush? It feels good for you because you have endorphins flowing, but imagine that euphoric feeling being taken away and all you are left with is uncontrollable shaking and a heart that is going 130 beats per minute. Then the feeling that accompanies this which is a slight panic because your heart is beating so fast and you’re shaking so much. That’s what albuterol does to an asthmatic. Some are obviously more sensitive to the effects of albuterol than others.
SIDE EFFECTS: Side effects include nervousness, tremor, headache, palpitations, fast heart rate, elevated blood pressure, nausea, dizziness, and heartburn. Throat irritation and nosebleeds can also occur. Allergic reactions may rarely occur and may manifest as rash, hives, swelling, bronchospasm, or anaphylaxis (shock). Worsening of diabetes and lowering of potassium have also been reported. In rare patients, inhaled albuterol can paradoxically precipitate life-threatening bronchospasm. (medicinenet)
Do you know what a fucking joke that is? These laws were put in place for a reason. The reason is so that people who are allergic to the deadly cloud of smoke emitting from your non-filtered end of the cigarette won’t need to take medicine or suffer when they are trying to do something in public. Why can’t smokers be considerate enough that they move farther away from buildings? Identify areas that you are able to smoke in public? Wait until they get home? Or just don’t do it on a sidewalk, infront of a door, around a door, or in commonly accessed walking areas?
At my University it’s actually banned everywhere on campus. I don’t mind those who opt to smoke in large smoking areas that have been established. I avoid those areas. However, there are those who laugh at the rule, don’t imagine why it would even be in place, and smoke in an area that I need to walk through to get to a class that I only have 15 minutes to get to and cannot afford to take the long route around — just because they opted to smoke there.
What pisses me off even more than those people are those fucking assholes who walk down the sidewalk smoking. I seriously get close to flipping a lid. Why — would you ever — walk and smoke — at the same time — on a public sidewalk — on a University campus — with two lanes of “people traffic” going each way — so that a person can’t get around you — can’t walk into the street — and must stay behind you and not escape the smoke — who are trying to get to their class/location.
There is no justifcation, there is no excuse. Your ignorance, your lack of care, is physically harming another person. It’s the same as if you punched me in the stomach, but you’re not using your fist this time.
I think people who smoke should be able to. I don’t believe people should suffer, however, at the choice of another. Smoking is a choice. So be curteous when doing it and think that it’s not just people who don’t agree with smoking that don’t want you to smoke.
The cause came about for other reasons to, y’know? It’s not just because some hate smoking, it’s because you’re smoking is actually harming another person, whether you realize it or not.
So, please, a little consideration.
Oh, and pardon my language. :]
Posted by Courtney 