20% of the population still smokes. I am one of them.
Yes, I know that it’s bad for my health. I accept that.
When I was a child, smokers were everywhere. People smoked on airplanes, in college lecture halls, in grocery stores as they shopped, in offices, in government buildings. Despite the smoking, there was a more civilized tone to American life in the 50’s.
What I HAVE noticed (and is under reported) is that people who smoke are often self-medicating for anxiety, depression, etc. And assuming that is true, perhaps someone should start correlating the number of nut cases on airplanes, road rage, and other random acts of unreasonable public anger to the decline in smoking. Things seem a lot more unpleasant in public now than 60 years ago.
Also, nicotine users have a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s. Now maybe it’s because we leave this mortal coil before we can show symptoms, but someone should also think about that when they are totaling up the total cost of health care.
Please don’t start on the smoking thing. I will not respond and do not care about others’ opinions on this subject. I just wanted to point out a few things to think about.
Hah! Miss Marple, you sound like my husband. He is much older than you and seems to be one of those people that smoking doesn’t bother much. Everytime he takes those lung capacity tests, he does better than me. Also he doesn’t cough or hack.
He thinks people wouldn’t be so cranky if they would just smoke !!
I tell him that if smokers would stop sitting around enjoying a cigarette and drinking martinis, they could do something.
20% of people smoke. What percent of people are gay and look what they’re able to do for their cause.
12% are black and they have clout.
13% are Mexican or hispanic and they’re out marching and stuff.
But you smokers just sit around enjoying yourselves and therefore you are consigned to either hell or having to stand pathetically outside buildings trying to light your smokes in the wind.
Form groups, march, do something, you people.
Maybe if you threatened to quit smoking the feds would panic at the loss of income and cut you a break.