This Blog is NON-SMOKING

I was originally going to name this blog "Above the Law", but changed it at the last minute in fear that readers would get it confused with the movie of the same name starring the great Steven Segal. Anyway, as you've probably figured out already, it's about smokers - and my clear distaste for them. Maybe I should replace "Distaste for them" with "Distaste for the things that smokers do that effect me and you".

The Litterbug
No - not a song by another great artist (Wham!), but the subject of probably the thing that irritates me the most about smokers. Personally, I don't liter. I throw garbage in its proper place. Trash can, waste receptacle, garbage can, waster paper basket - whatever you care to call it, that's where I dispose of my refuse.

I was recently (actually a year ago) in Tokyo, and could not believe how clean the streets and other public places were. I chalked it up to that the people living there have elected to not dirt-ify a place they need to live in. It's the same reason that your pet dog doesn't "Lift his leg" in his food bowl.

The most amazing thing about the cleanliness of Tokyo was that for a clean place there were NO garbage cans in the streets. This amazed me, and after a few days in the city I needed to know how this worked. It turns out that there was a terrorist scare (regarding a bomb put in a city street trash can), and as a result all trash cans were removed from public places. If this was done on a Monday, Tokyo should have been a pig-sty by Tuesday. But, as it turns out - the respectful people actually "Carry" their garbage until they arrive at a place that has the means to dispose of it. I kid you not.

Anyway - smoker or not, I'm pretty confident you know what one smoking outdoors does with a cigarette when they are done smoking it. If you don't I'll clue you in. They flick it onto the ground wherever they happen to be standing at that moment in time. Most folk don't even extinguish the butt - they just flick and keep on walking. No offense to anyone out there - but that is outright disgusting.

What separates the disposal of an old cigarette from the disposal of anything else? Should the new rule be just jettison your garbage to the ground (regardless of what it is) where ever whenever? We all know I like candy (though not now due to dietary constraints). Should I just flick the Kit-Kat wrapper and remnants of the bar that I elected not to eat to the ground when done? How about banana peals? Coffee Cups? 20 oz Soda bottles? I think you get my drift. What I really don't understand is what a smoker thinks is the future of the flicked butt. It will eventually get swept up and properly disposed of - just not by then.

I can't for the life of me come up with one reason why smokers should be permitted to liter. Actually I guess they are really not permitted to liter - they just elect to do it. Maybe they should take a lesson from Tokyo - a place which, by the way, has way more smokers per-capita then anywhere in the world.

Spending Habits
From what I gather when at the local convenience store or gas station, smoking ain't cheap. In some places a pack of cigarettes cost upwards of $7. The two-pack a day guy is ponying up close to $15. Assuming one buys in bulk and gets them for cheaper, it's still in the ballpark of $300 a month.

Today we are in an "Economic slowdown", "Recession" or whatever you want to call it. Folks are cutting back on purchases left and right. Scaling back on everything...except smokes. I have not seen or heard of a single case where "cigarettes" became the item cut from a persons bloated budget. They can live without everything else, including paying rent, but the cigs are here to stay.

Here's a real life example, and part of what caused me to pen this section of the blog. I was in a convenience store in an economically depressed town a while back when a grandmother and grandchild (age 8-9 maybe) walked in. The kid asked his grandma if he could purchase a cold gatorade out of the drink case. She said something to the effect of "Are you crazy...that cost's $2". She then proceeded to purchase a $44 carton of off-brand cigarettes. Pretty sad.

Generally speaking, I could care less how much money someone wastes on cancer sticks. Since a good portion of tobacco purchases becomes government tax money - then the more the merrier. The smoker is indirectly funding the running of the city, state and country. But, it is annoying when people are smoking on the unemployment line, while getting evicted from their apartment or while some poor kids leaves a store thirsty.

Update: I just read a magazine article which indicated that a pack of cigarettes in New York city is sold at the average price of $8.50. Unbelievable.

Work Stoppages
Most folks actively browsing the Internet (i.e. computer users) probably have no recollection of a time not too far ago when smoking was permitted in the workplace. I know, it sounds crazy that the person sitting at the desk next to you had a filled ashtray on their desk.

Once society realized that smoking is not good for you, some loose rules about smoking in the workplace were put into effect. I remember the rules at an old office I worked at. Our office was on the 3rd floor, and smoking was only allowed in the stairwells leading down to the lobby. It was very weird to see ashtrays, and of course stamped out butts, in an official exit way. Ironically, we were told to take the stairs in-leau of the elevator in the case of an office fire. Avoid smoke inhalation by running down a smoke-filled set of stairs. Just another thing that doesn't make sense.

Then came the day where smoking was completely banned in the office. Good idea, bad first round implementation. Why? Let's see...all the smokers gathered within five feet of the front door - in effect creating a "smoke scene" under the corporate awning. It became a horrifying event for a non-smoker employee to enter or exit the building. Smoke and cigarettes everywhere, and no way to avoid them. More on this when we get to second hand smoke.

The biggest faux with pushing smokers to the streets was the fact that their productivity was not at an all-time low. Think about it. If one smokes six cigarettes during a workday, this means that six times this guy/gal has to leave their desk, take the elevator down, light up, smoke and return to their desk. Nobody is doing all that in under 15 minutes. That's close to two hours a day lost to smoking. As a non-smoker I wish I could take two hours a day off (not including lunch) to do something that I like. Maybe take batting practice at the local park, or take in a movie.

Last but not least is the 15 foot rule. Now, smoking is not permitted within 15 feet of our building. Nice try, but no real value. All the smokers are still huddled up together, creating the same old smoke screen. They are just now doing it 15 feet from the front door. When I head out to by lunch I still have to make my way through smoke thicker than the mornings of bad fog.

Solution? Sure. Totally ban smoking anywhere near the workplace, and do not allow smokers to take four to six "breaks" a day. End of story. If smokers complain that their rights are being violated, then set them up with some sort of domed in area where they can smoke without annoying everyone and wasting half the day.

The Infamous 2nd Hand Smoke

Not much to say here. The sub-title says it all. I can't tell you how many times I'm walking down the street minding my own business - with a smoker walking in front of me. Every time they exhale smoke, I inhale their exhale. The smoke blows overhead and drops right in front of my grill. And I can't ever seem to dodge it. I duck right, the smoke ducks right. I move left, the smoke moves left. From God's ears to my lungs. Well, at least I'm not ponying up $8 for this privilege.

The same issue happens when entering or leaving an office building. I probably touched on this above (workplace stoppages) - and if so it's worth repeating. It's disgusting that I (and you) have to walk through a fog-like thick cloud of smoke while crossing in or out of a building. And when it rains or is cold out - fughetaboutit. The smokers huddle up looking for dry, warm turf. The mass push of outbound smoke hits all innocent parties.

Every once in a while you hear about a non-smoker who died from lung cancer. Though it's never been proved (as far as I know), some of this has to be attributed to second hand smoke. Now in today's society (with all the smoking bans) this is hopefully less likely to happen. But, just think an easy 10 years ago when smoking was vogue everywhere. I remember smoking being allowed in offices, in all public places - and even the hallways of my college. Yeah, you believe that? Everywhere one would turn - a smoker would be there.

Though impossible to chart, in those bad old days a non-smoker probably wound up "smoking" more in an average day than a smoker. Seems illogical. Like the old-wives tale about how you can drive home faster if you leave *after* rush-hour versus leaving at that moment. If this theory holds up - then it truly was healthier to smoke! The tobacco companies had it right.

A Step in The Right Direction

Many places have completely banned smoking. Most restaurants and similar types of public places. That is awesome. Last week I stayed in a 'Smoke-free' hotel. The hotel was completely smoke free. I had to sign a waiver while checking in that claimed if management proved I smoked in the room that I would be fined $300. Rockin!

In conclusion...Unless someone could give me a good reason to allow smoking in or anywhere near a workplace or public place for that matter...then it should be stopped. In the meantime, this blog remains NON-SMOKING.