Saw this on another site and thought I would pass it on.
Stogie Commentary: Smoking for the Children
Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 It happens to me from time to time, and Im sure it has happened to many of you too. Youre sitting at one of the increasingly rare bars that allow smoking, enjoying a cigar, and suddenly youre being harassed by an anti-tobacco zealot.
Often they flap their hands around, pretending to cough as they wave smoke from their face. On rarer occasions they will confront you to loudly proclaim, That stinks! Cant you put it out? They might even laughably suggest you are killing them or giving them lung cancer by smoking nearby.
I write laughably, by the way, because even government studies suggest non-smokers need to live with smokers for decades before any measurable increased risk is detected. So a few seconds, hours, or even days adds virtually zero risk. But I digress.
How to respond to such a person is not an easy question to answer. We cigar smokers are generally considerate people, so while telling them to buzz off with some choice words has its appeal, thats not the route I usually take. Instead, I often just say sorry it offends you and go on smoking, or recommend a nearby bar that doesnt allow smoking. If its not inconvienent for me I may even move to another part of the bar.
But since the State Childrens Health Insurance Program (SCHIP ) is about to be funded through massive tax increases on tobacco, including roughly 40 cents per smoke for premium cigars, Ive got a new reply to this annoying breed of anti-tobacco zealot: Im smoking this cigar for the children.
After all, only with enough smoking will the government be able to pay for the SCHIP program. In fact, it is estimated that 22 million new smokers will be needed to fully fund the egregious scheme.
And that brings me to the final thing to say to the kind of person who would harass a complete stranger engaged in a perfectly legal activity. From now on, I plan on asking: Why arent you smoking? Dont you care about the children?
-Patrick S
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www.BlewSmoke.com in Gilbert, AZ
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Stogie Commentary: Smoking for the Children
Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 It happens to me from time to time, and Im sure it has happened to many of you too. Youre sitting at one of the increasingly rare bars that allow smoking, enjoying a cigar, and suddenly youre being harassed by an anti-tobacco zealot.
Often they flap their hands around, pretending to cough as they wave smoke from their face. On rarer occasions they will confront you to loudly proclaim, That stinks! Cant you put it out? They might even laughably suggest you are killing them or giving them lung cancer by smoking nearby.
I write laughably, by the way, because even government studies suggest non-smokers need to live with smokers for decades before any measurable increased risk is detected. So a few seconds, hours, or even days adds virtually zero risk. But I digress.
How to respond to such a person is not an easy question to answer. We cigar smokers are generally considerate people, so while telling them to buzz off with some choice words has its appeal, thats not the route I usually take. Instead, I often just say sorry it offends you and go on smoking, or recommend a nearby bar that doesnt allow smoking. If its not inconvienent for me I may even move to another part of the bar.
But since the State Childrens Health Insurance Program (SCHIP ) is about to be funded through massive tax increases on tobacco, including roughly 40 cents per smoke for premium cigars, Ive got a new reply to this annoying breed of anti-tobacco zealot: Im smoking this cigar for the children.
After all, only with enough smoking will the government be able to pay for the SCHIP program. In fact, it is estimated that 22 million new smokers will be needed to fully fund the egregious scheme.
And that brings me to the final thing to say to the kind of person who would harass a complete stranger engaged in a perfectly legal activity. From now on, I plan on asking: Why arent you smoking? Dont you care about the children?
-Patrick S
__________________
www.BlewSmoke.com in Gilbert, AZ
BlewSmoke.com is offline Add to BlewSmoke.com's Reputation Report Post Reply With Quote
