Smoking is a health hazard to the user but it's also a health hazard to those around them. Studies show that second hand smoke does cause health problems because it's almost equivalent to smoking, only without doing the act. It's why many researchers strongly advise parents that smoke, to not do so around their children. It's also another reason why the government is getting more involve in people's lives, by putting bans in certain public places to prevent second hand smoke being inhale by nonsmokers.
Just the other day I was walking home and I happen to smell smoke. I look ahead of me to realize that someone was smoking while they walked and talked to their friend. It annoyed me greatly. I don't have a problem with people who smoke as long as they do it in the designated areas or at least don't do it while walking.
I tried to walk around them when someone smokes but it's not that easy when they take up the sidewalk and/or they walk too fast for you to catch up and pass them. Even so if I were to walk around them half the time that would mean I would be in the middle of the street, and I'm not going that far out of the way for that. Especially when they can curb the craving till they get to a designated area.
It's even more annoying when the smoker is rude too. The one I happen to be stuck behind flick the bud right in front of me to the street, littering. It nearly hit me in the face too. I so badly wanted to give them a lashing about the littering fine and how rude they were but I didn't because I doubted they would have understand me. From what I caught, they weren't speaking in English.
Of course, not all smokers are like that and some of them are polite. I remember one time I was heading home from school and I was waiting for the bus at the stop. Someone was smoking and they saw me standing there, even though their cigarette was still fresh they stopped smoking for my benefit. Another time I was with a friend and there was a smoker walking in front of us. They were courteous, stopping to let us pass in front of them.
The gesture was nice and sometimes moving in front of a smoker to not get hit in the face with second hand smoke works. Other times, walking around them doesn't because the wind changes directions and carries it back to you. But at least they try being respectful to nonsmokers unlike those rude ones.
 DamnBlackHeart · Thu Apr 14, 2011 @ 01:54am · 0 Comments |
