Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Dirty Butts

Chances are that someone reading this post is a smoker. That's OK. You can smoke. I don't really care, unless you are polluting my air, as my mother did for my entire childhood. I have vivid memories of being ferried around in our car filled with smoke and being unable to roll down the window in winter. Our house stank of smoke. My clothes always stank of smoke. I hated it.

Now, I have a question for those of you who do smoke, and that is why do so many smokers flick their butts onto the ground? In my opinion, that is littering. I realize that not all smokers do this, but it is clear that many do, as evidenced by a photograph in The Fixer's column in yesterday's Toronto Star. Yup, that's a mound of disgusting cigarette butts. It can take up to 15 years for these butts to decay, and while they do, they release toxic crap. Worse, it seems to me that many smokers expect someone else to pick up after them. I would be very surprised if these same smokers throw their butts on their own property or leave them on their living room floors. Why do they think it's OK to throw them on the sidewalk?

At my place of employment, there are large "no smoking within so many feet" signs that absolutely no one pays any attention to. Smokers light up right under them, or they huddle in the doorways to the building and we non-smokers are forced to breathe in their foul effluence. And this, naturally, returns us to the question of second-hand smoke.

There was a time when I called myself a Joe Jackson fan. Those days are done. The man has his head up his ass if he thinks that second-hand smoke is harmless. His argument is an amazing display of intellectual collapse. It fails to cohere and he throws out opinions without any credible scientific fact to support them. Instead, he pokes holes in the articles that suggest that second-hand smoking is harmful, but this is done without sufficient scientific rigor. Mr. Jackson, if you want to attack the weight of the scientific evidence, you need a real study with real controls.

Jackson accuses those people advocating for a smoking ban in public spaces as being part of a "junk science bonanza"! Of course, this is all in defense of his addiction. Besides, even if it turns out that there is no conclusive proof that second-hand smoke is harmless (doubtful considering all of the chemicals in tobacco), I hate smelling like an ashtray after a night in the pub with friends. Thank god for the ban in Ontario. I am so happy that I can breath in bars and restaurants.

I worked as a bartender one summer during my undergrad and I swear the thick fog of smoke took years of my life. Mr. Jackson, if you are really pro-choice, as you say, then you would permit those who work in public places to have a choice too. I choose no smoke.

5 comments:

tweetey30 said...

You know ZF my husband and I both grew up with at least one parent smoking and then I smoked for about a year or so and quit. I know what you mean. I hated smelling like an ashtray all the time. I hate when people are milling around doors and trying to stay warm and smoking. Well if your going to smoke that is the price you pay is to go outside and do it. When my dad comes to my house doesnt matter what time of year outside he goes and out to the side walk.

running42k said...

I really enjoy the smoking ban on restaurants in Ontario. You really notice it when you travel. I was in Michigan last year and was appalled when I smelled smoke in a restaurant.

That is a shit load of butts in that picture.

Kate said...

We have an indoor smoking ban here in Houston now and I love it. Smokers predicted that nonsmokers wouldn't go out anymore than they did before. Um, really, your smoke kept us at home. And we DO go out more. I have asthma and second-hand smoke immediately affects me. It's an irritant. And how can it not hurt everyone else?

I also hate it when people throw their butts onto the ground. My favorite is when drivers throw their still burning butts out of their car windows that they rolled down about 2 inches. They don't want to stink up their nice car. Okay, but your city doesn't mind the trash?

Maia said...

Have I told you about my bedroom closet where the smoke from the neighbouring apartment permeates my clothes? Yeah... it sucks... huge.

My mom smoked as I grew up. I hated walking in the door of the house and being hit right in the face by the smoke. It was like a brick wall.

I totally support what you say about non-smokers having a choice too: I choose not to have my breathing space polluted by smokers.

What I would like is for there to be a complete smoking ban anywhere but in someone's own house. Yeah sure that's never going to happen, but a gal can dream!

I also like your point about smokers flicking their butts all over the place. It's like smoking is a permit to litter. Jackasses.

Deodand said...

Butt-flicking drives me KUH-RAZY. I watched a guy dump his ashtray out his car window the other day, and I tried to kill him with my mind.