Defiant smokers reject calls to butt out...

The Royal Gasette ^ | June 6, 2004 | Stuart Roberts

[SheLion]

Friday's National Non-Smoking Day turned out to be a non-event for several for smokers The Royal Gazette caught up with.

One smoker, who did not want to be named, said she had "no idea it was going on", and "was not sure if she would not have smoked if she had known".

The Hamilton office worker who was outside smoking said that she "did not think it would have made a difference."

Another man said he thought it was "a stupid idea because people should have choices. They have choices for everything else, we should have choices if we smoke or not."

"Smoking outside does not affect anybody. It's nobody's business what we do," he said. "It's hypocritical," another woman said. "Everybody has got bad habits." "It's not illegal. (Non-smokers) have this 'holier-than-thou' attitude. Reformed smokers are the worst," another said.

Another woman smoking outside her Hamilton office said she wanted to "look at the figures for deaths from drunk driving and passive smoking".

"Look at alcohol in relation to violence at Malabar and places."

"Let's talk facts, it's not realistic. They want to stop smoking in bars. They can't ban smoking in bars. That's like saying that after 1 a.m. they will shut down the music." Buckaroo Too proprietor David Cauchi asked wondered why there wasn't a national non-drinking day.

Mr. Cauchi said his customers are allowed to smoke in his restaurant but "if they change the law then I will have to abide by it."

One of the Buckaroo's customers said she "stopped smoking for three years after a non-smoking day. For some people it works," she said.

On Friday in the House of Assembly, Shadow Health Minister Michael Dunkley said: "We need to do something more progressive with Bermuda about banning smoking."

He gave the example of Ireland and New York.

"Second- and first-hand smoke are killing people," he said, and "banning smoking is a challenge to this Government."

[SheLion]

Yeaaaaaaa...........how about the government do a NO DRINKING DAY!!!!!!!!!!

[SheLion]

[Gabz]

But then, Leftists always have been hypocrites.

That is it in a nutshell.

[Mears]

Fat chance we'd see a No Drinking Day.

Ted Kennedy would do his best to stop that one.

Didn't they used to have a Great Smokout Day in November? Whatever happened to that?

[Annie03]

You are so right. And pot is more harmful to the lungs than cigs are. They should put that in their pipe and smoke it. :D

[Old Professer]

Stinking filthy habit; one of these days, I'm going to stop.

[Gabz]

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!

[SheLion]

Stinking filthy habit; one of these days, I'm going to stop.

If I didn't enjoy it so much, I, too, would quit.  And I don't consider it a "stinking filthy habit."

Sorry.........

[SheLion]

I'm fascinated that the same teachers who preach neo-nazi, no-smoking, earth-worship at the schools, merely wink at smoking marijuana.

Exactly.  They can belong to the "Calibine Mentality," but by Gawd, they better not smoke.  It's mind boggling to me.

[SheLion]

Ted Kennedy would do his best to stop that one.

Didn't they used to have a Great Smokout Day in November? Whatever happened to that?

I think it came and went.  I remember something about the Great American Smoke-Out......but you know me..........I pay no attention. heh!

[Mears]

That's it,The Great American Smokeout.

I remember it best for the huge ads for nicotine gum and patches you would see in the paper the week before the big day.

The pharmaceutical companies make me sick.

[Uncle Meat]

And I don't consider it a "stinking filthy habit."

You could always get you a big ol bag of Redman and start chewing instead.

[Gabz]

Another woman smoking outside her Hamilton office said she wanted to "look at the figures for deaths from drunk driving and passive smoking".

This woman is correct.........the number for "passive smoking" is going to come back as a big fat ZERO. Innocent victims of drunk drivers is a very different number.

I need a couple of things from the store, but I'm waiting for my husband to call me to see if we need anything on his way home from work.........I've been working in the yard all afternoon and have had a couple of beers while doing so. By no stretch of the imagination am I drunk, but I have no intentions of taking any chances.

[Graybeard58]

(Non-smokers) have this 'holier-than-thou' attitude. Reformed smokers are the worst," another said.

Well, I only quit 4 months ago so I guess I haven't had time to develope the "holier than thou" attitude. In all honesty I doubt that I ever will. No one in my family smokes now but if you come to visit me friends, I still have ash trays and burn 'em if you've got 'em!

[Graybeard58]

You could always get you a big ol bag of Redman and start chewing instead.

How many deaths are caused by second hand spit though? The P.C. crowd better do a study on this.

[Uncle Meat]

I was just pickin' on She Lion.I can handle chicks smoking,but have to draw the line when it comes to them chawing or smoking cigars.

[raisincane]

Me too.

[the Deejay]

"If I didn't enjoy it so much, I, too, would quit. And I don't consider it a "stinking filthy habit."

Same here.

[FrankR]

"the number for "passive smoking" is going to come back as a big fat ZERO. Innocent victims of drunk drivers is a very different number."

Oh, drunk driving is only part of it, what about the crimes - especially domestic violence - that are caused by drunks?

You'll ever hear an otherwise sober person say, "Well, your Honor, I had a cigarette and didn't know what I was doing, and just beat the tar out of the ol' lady."

And, an otherwise sober person has no trouble walking the white line after a cigarette...or even a whole "six pack" of cigarettes.

Drugs and alcohol offers not only the probability of liver disease and oral cancer over the long term, but chances at immediate death from drunk drivers, drunk and abusive spouses, and other violence and foolish accidents of the "here, hold muh beer" variety. And, kids that drink...and a lot of them do, won't have to wait the 25 or 30 years to get dead, one drunk driver can take them out at 18, or younger.

Anti-smoking is all about the money. People I know that used to stand around in a group of smokers and talk, and never complain, have all of a sudden developed these strange allergies to cigarette smoke, that somehow never existed before the RATS and the media started their indocrtination, or maybe EXdocrination campaigns.

I think the world was a better place when smoking was IN and socially acceptable. People who didn't like the smoke, moved away from it...now, they'll move in on it just to get to gripe about it. In fact, most can see a smoker from 100 yards, and they will start "coughing" and fanning their noses. How phoney can you get?

The anti-smoking zealots will never ban drinking because it is their "vice of choice". And, the breweries and distilleries still give the Rats some considerable donations.

They only went after tobacco companies when the majority of their money went to Republicans.

And like another poster said, they'll trash tobacco, but have no problem passing around a joint.

BTW, I'm a non-smoker...by choice...which is the way it should be, either way.