Original thread got locked for a personal attack on smokers, which I removed now.
Here is my opinion about smokers, it is my opinion and not a direct insult at any of you. This is intended to be a constructive conversation.
Smokers now face prejudice and personal attacks for their once glorious addiction, which may actually, combined with the smoking bans, increased taxes and increased awareness, help motivate them to quit.
The "you'll get lung cancer in 40 years if you don't quit!!!" kind of person fails to realize that smokers are drug addicts, slaves of nicotine, and quitting is not as easy as 1-2-3, and they were obviously smart enough to start in the first place. If they weren't devoid of any willpower to fight a drug that you do not physically need to survive, they would have quit much earlier. They most likely made the choice as teens, and had to stick with it and regret it for the rest of their [shortened] lives.
Counterarguments
Smoking is a personal choice
A choice that effects those around you on the streets trying to be healthy, forcing them to breathe in your Carbon Monoxide, Formaldehyde, Benzene, Cadmium, Vinyl Chloride, Arsenic, Lead, Toulene, Acetone, DDT, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide and other carcinogenic or harmful substances. Non-smokers have a right to clean air wherever and whenever they want, and have priority over the 21% of smokers.
There's an old story about people in a lifeboat. A bored guy starts cutting a hole in the bottom of the boat. The others object, but the guy says "Why are you worried, the hole is under my seat!" This is the just like the inconsiderate smoker who lights up in a room full of people who aren't smoking.
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