Posted on 07/24/2023 8:01:34 PM PDT by DoodleBob
Today I became nostalgic for a smell. You wake up on top of the covers in your underwear, and through the gloaming of your bedroom, through the smug pint of water, through the angst and exhaustion and joy and regret that comes from five hours in a nightclub and two hours on the wrong bus home, there is some bitter relief in the smell of smoke on your hair. That smell! Like barbecued teenagers and pepper and beer, almost lovely, pleasantly vile, a kind of lovebite memory, bruised on the throat in passion. That smell. It all seems quite mad now, the idea that people smoked, not just inside, but underground, in windowless rooms. Though I suppose so much seems mad to me about young fun still: come out, drink until you’re sick, it’ll be a laugh! …
When I read the news that smoking was coming back, I thought: that smell. Then I thought: of course. The wellness era is truly at its end, celery water pooling under the door, hot yoga cooled down to a single tepid pilate. In a recent exchange with another artist, David Hockney wrote, “I too am BORED with WELLNESS. The concept seems ridiculous and too bossy for me, I’m still smoking, and ENJOYING it ENORMOUSLY.” His cigarette set off a fire alarm at the launch of his latest exhibition…
…
But the problem with our major shift away from smoking was, while they could persuasively prove that it killed people, they were unable to convince anyone that cigarettes were not cool. This fact, I’m afraid, has come back to bite us.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Not total compliance. You can smoke at your home or any private residence, or in numerous non-public places. But if you want to light up and blow carcinogenic smoke into the air and into the lungs of everyone around you, STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME.
However, nobody lives in a bubble.
What the hard core libertarians who have the attitude of *I'll do as I damn well please and to hell with what affect it has on others* don't realize is that when they force others to live with their lifestyle choices, the others will demand something be done.
Therefore, if they will not exercise a little common courtesy and self-control internally, it WILL result in people demanding that that control be applied externally resulting in MORE laws. It's counterproductive. That is simply reality whether the libertarians like it or not.
Sadly, it's only a few smokers who I have ever seen exercise any level of courtesy about trying to control who is exposed to their smoke. Usually, that is done by smoking outside when possible and sitting downwind of others so the smoke does not drift over the others who ahve no interest in breathing it in.
As far as the poor restaurant owner, he's between a rock and a hard place. With good ventilation, I would see it far easier to have separate seating in a restaurant than in an airplane, movie theater, or hospital.
As far as hospitals go, there's too much risk of fire hazard especially with oxygen in use, to justify allowing smoking.
Oh they are going after smoking in the home or in pers9nal cars too! Just a matter of time.
I don’t like the smell cance causing exhaust from vehicles, should I be yelling “stay the hell away from me” to folks who drive “unnecessarily”?
As was mentioned before, there are ways to accommodate both sides- cigarette smoke can be prevented from entering non smoking sections, parking areas at places like hospitals can have designated smoking (and many did, UNTIL the Karen’s of,the world complained that they could,smell smoke,once in awhile if the wind was just right- so they banned that too), shopping malls and such perhaps should have a ban because there is no real way to isolate smokers from the non smokers there- but businesses could have designated smoking areas instead of forcing people into the cold to grab a smoke
Agreed and yes.
Part of me thinks the loss of civility got worse on a post-pandemic basis. Even at work the incidents of ‘she did WHAT?’ are on the rise. I don’t know if it’s the vaxx, the isolation, or a feeling of “society is doomed anyway so I’m just gonna do my thing”.
And while this isn’t the Religion forum, I WILL say that I have NOT seen a deterioration in civility at Church (I’m Catholic). Indeed, it seems like many folks are a little more cheery on Sunday.
Perhaps having morality and ethics that are immovable and unchanging provides a baseline that doesn’t beget losing civility. Indeed, it’s arguable that the whole trans-kids effort is designed to further erode the unchanging bedrock of society…if you can’t say for certain if you’re a male or female, everything else is up for debate.
Parenthetically, it was kind of crazy that smoking WAS permitted in hospitals.
If smokers didn’t treat the world as an ashtray I would feel less disdain for them. It only takes a couple of burning butts thrown out of the car window in front of my motorcycle to give me a bad attitude about smokers.
[[ “society is doomed anyway so I’m just gonna do my thing”.]]
I think largely that that is it. Or a feeling of “I’d better grab what I can before it’s all gone” attitude because people see the writing on the wall. Race relations and the increasing anger in minority groups though has definately,been stoked by the left, who I believe have taken manson’s helter shelter and run with it. Minority groups have become much much angrier, and more dangerous.
And yep, the trans issuemis definately trying to separate chi,dren from their parent’s religious and moral,beleifs. The left are eroding the rights of parents more and more these days.
Years ago, if a school had told kids that they could pretend to be the opposite sex, and to keep it from their parents, parents would have raised the roof in protest- and the teachers suggesting to the kids that they should keep secret the things they are being taught would have been run out of school. Now thouhg, whenever parents tries to fight to keep,control of their kids, and tries to out the school for doing things like that, they are labeled as domestic terrorists.
Things aren’t looking good for the nation, but thankfully our side is able to fight and jeep them in check somewhat, and to win a few battles here and there. We are still a part of,the Restrainer that the Bible speaks of. Without us evil would be unbearably rampant.
The perpetuation of property rights is freedom.
If the GenZers are lighting up, and that hastens a suppression of Marxist treatment of commercial property rights, then bravo.
Btw, the article is basically an elitist piece, imploring elders to become smoking poison pills. The Guardian remains staffed by idiots.
“A restaurant should have the right to allow smokers or not as the owner sees fit.”
I believe that is the case in some cases in FL. We have a restaurant here in Stuart, FL (Shimpers), if the window shudders are open, smoke’m if you got em.
[[Parenthetically, it was kind of crazy that smoking WAS permitted in hospitals]]
Lol, I know it. I had doctors who smoked while attending patients. I can see it before they knew of the dangers, (some brands even promoted them as healthy) but eventually the truth came out, and people starting wising up to the deceitful advertsiing and claims.
I think cigg companies should have been fined for deceiving the public and pushing smoking on kids, knowing the dangers, but I also,think that once people were informed of the dangers, it should be a personal choice to smoke or not. Smoking had a very long tradition, but yeah, it needed reigning in somewhat- and the truth needed to be made public, and the deceitful advertising needed to be punished. Once people knew the dangers, whatever happened to,them health wise was their own responsibility.
They were calling cigarettes “Coffin Nails” for years before the truth came out.
Yeah, it was an unfortunate byproduct of the reconstruction I had to undergo due to an accident. Got broken up pretty good, but I’m doing ok now. Just got cataract surgery and now have 20/20 vision restored.
SO true, and a good way to describe it.
That sure is a Marlboro knock-off box. Heh.
I inquired about a nearby store:
“Your inquiry has been sent sucessfully. A King Mountain Tobacco representative will get back to you in 7-10 business days. Thank You.”
Yeah, some folks were savvy to what was going on, but i think,the majority werent aware for a long while- and honestly, a lot of folks were deceived by advertising- some companies were even claiming that their brand was healthy.
Folks back then didn’t have the instant access to info like we have today- most folks worked hard and didn’t have time for TV or radio and such, so they would, have likely been unaware of the dangers, unless they were exposed to those who were stating that the ciggs were coffin nails.
Whe they did watch TV, they saw ads that showed a doctor smoking and recommending a certain brand as healthy. I remember ads such as “I’d walk a mile for a camel cigarette” 🐫 -
Those who were dying from smoking though sure knew that they were bad for people. It just took awhile to get the message to the masses.
Get real, everyone ALWAYS knew it was unhealthy, that’s why they called them COFFIN NAILS.
It should be but it isn't.
I have yet to see a smoker take on the financial responsiblity for their health care needs from years of smoking. They expect either their insurance or the government to take up that cost, that increases the cost for all of us and uses medical resources that infringe on the accessiblity of those who don't partake.
That means that non-smokers are paying for the same kind of poor lifestyle choices that affect one's health, like people who overeat and end up with diabetes and heart attacks.
Which is why socialized medicine is such bad juju, now what you do becomes everybody's business if they are on the hook for your decisions.
I am kind of staggered by the mentality that it’s good that more people are smoking more because it means more freedom.
That is rationalization taken to an extreme level.
Are they also glad that it means more people will end up with COPD and lung cancer?
Medicare.
*SPIT*
I HATE it but was FORCED to go on it when I turned 65.
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