subject: Stop Smoking Today? You're Going To Need Some Help! [print this page] Stop Smoking Today? You're Going To Need Some Help!
Ever since man discovered fire, he also found out about smoke. I don't know how inhaling the smoke and getting addicted to it came to be, but smoking has been around for a long time. According to Wikipedia, "The history of smoking dates back to as early as 5000 BC in Shamanistic rituals. With the arrivals of the Europeans in the 16th century, the consumption, cultivation, and trading of tobacco quickly spread. With the modernization of farm equipment and manufacturing bore the cigarette following reconstruction in the United States. This method of consumption quickly expanded the scope of consumption which grew until the scientific controversies of the 1960s, and condemnation in the 1980s". Since then man has tried to find a way to smoke, without actually smoking, and presto!, the "e-cigarette" was born. The electronic cigarette is designed to have the look, feel and taste of a traditional cigarette without the tobacco, tar and harmful carcinogens.
I too am a smoker. I started back in the 70's and I've "tried" to quit several times. I told myself "when a pack gets to $1.00, I'm gonna quit...er when it gets to $3.00, I'm gonna quit...er when it gets to $5.00, I'm gonna quit." Wow, the cost of a pack of smokes is expensive compared to what you get. Yea, I know it's harmful to my health, all smokers know that, but I like it. Maybe e-cigarettes is the way to go. I smoke mostly when I'm doing something else, lay the cig down in the ashtray, and it's burnt up, dang, light up another. Pretty soon a whole pack is gone. The safety people now demand that cigarettes go out on their own, to prevent fires, I guess. Now the smokes you buy won't even stay lit! That saves me a little.
What it all comes down to is choice. Either you want to smoke or you don't. Some people want to inhibit me from smoking. They say my "second-hand" smoke bothers them. Hey, I got no problem with that, just ask me, and I put it out. Freedom to do what you want is diminishing. Just like the seat belt law. Yes, you should wear your seat belt, it should be a law anyone under 18 should wear a seat belt, but for fully grown adults, it should be your choice, but that's another article. Now with cigarettes, there are bans all over the place. Soon, you probably won't even get to smoke in your own back yard. Maybe that's good. Society has changed immensely from the 70's, and even earlier. I remember my grandpa smoking Lucky Strike's with no filter. Tried that once...dad whipped my ass, I was only about 10. Smoking was popular back in those days. Boy, how times have changed.
Speaking of bans, leads us to smoking, without really smoking, and the e-cigarette. Supposedly, you can "smoke" an e-cigarette and the non-smoker sitting next to you in the bar won't mind. Banning cigarette's in the bars just isn't right either. Going outside the bar to smoke a real cigarette might get you arrested for PI. Anyway, you can see which way society is moving, and there are arguments for and against the right to smoke, but in the end, us smokers are going to lose. So, to improve my health, and my place in society, I'm going to "try" and quit again. I think I'm going to check out some of the e-cigarette products.
