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Smokers have less rights!

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Smokers are conscious fools. We are not stupid but perhaps irrational. All of us would readily agree that smoking is bad for us. No one dares argue that but like so many “bad” things, it can be nice and oh so nice. We have been legally made addicts where in the process governments and mega-corporations are raking in billions over billions of dollars.

For starters, we are spending a great deal on this addiction. Cigarettes are never cheap by any standards; yet tobacco farmers sell their commodity rather cheaply. Governments and tobacco companies are raking-in billions while screwing us all the time. Do they ever say “thank you”? No! It is an ambiguous issue. On one hand they condemn it while on the other, profit heftily. Funny thing is profiting has very much been a result of strategic maneuvers that were seemingly designed towards stopping smoking. What a brilliant deception!

Rather, cigarette companies use some Protected content chemicals to spice-up our smokes. These chemicals are no matter they get us pathetically addicted or simply make our smokes burn faster, are all legal. Governments say they care so much for us they don’t want us to smoke. They of course advocate healthy family life and hope that we remain productive, don’t complain and pay our taxes. They complain bitterly that treating smoking related diseases and resultant man-hours and productivity losses is costing billions over billions. They complain but at the same time find it unrealistic and unworkable to ban cigarettes altogether. Why?

Well imagine millions of nervous wrecks out on the streets. Imagine what will happen to businesses and organizations when their staff goes through agitation, short-temperedness and distraction. Husbands may be thumping their wives out of frustration. Tobacco farmers and companies will all go bust and an entire industry goes underground. Smuggling and illegal sales will skyrocket. As a last resort, diehard smokers would look for other alternatives. Marijuana would be of first choice followed by other forms of vegetation including cow grass down to rolled-up newspapers.

But are profits from the tobacco industry exclusively dedicated to treating tobacco-related illnesses? Or are they operating a fund compensating dependents of smoking related deaths? At the same time, are higher retail prices dampening demand? Is it so coincidental that cigarette manufacturers are all giant corporations?

So what do the rest of the people do? They, brand ostracize, discriminate and frown upon smokers. It’s some sort of twisted victimization. We hear many things about civil rights and the obscenities revolving around discrimination and branding of humans. How come this same principle does not apply here? Doesn’t the smoker have as much rights as non-smokers? How come they have to be seated outdoors instead of a separately sealed in-door section? All offices should have smoking sections too. All restaurants etc. - plus airplanes! If they can have facilities for men and women, then they should have facilities for smokers and non-smokers. Now, they have facilities for the physically-challenged, don’t they?

Secondary or passive smoke are hyped-up issues. We have heard time and again how cigarette smoke affects non-smokers who share the same environment. Now, we have a small question. How clean is the air you so graciously take for granted? Are you fussing about that or simply tolerate it since you can do squat about it?

Minus smokers’ smoke, thousands of other toxic fumes and whatnot are polluting the very air that we breathe.

Motorized vehicles are major culprits for spewing harmful emissions. How reliable is your car air-conditioning filter each time you are caught-up in heavy traffic? Is the air in your house fresh because you live close to forests and mountains? Or are you caught-up in the same polluted foul city as most of us? Is your air hazy or crisp and clear?

Non-smokers blame smokers for the effects of passive smoke - no matter if there are other more detrimental pollutants in the atmosphere - it matters a lot when smokers puff. This is difficult since humans congregate but smokers have to be segregated. Yet 40 years ago, it was chic to smoke and widely promoted. So has the number of smokers increased or decreased? Look at the size of tobacco corporations as an indication. Now, does placing warning labels on cigarette packs automatically absolve these companies from liability? Does it accord them immunity?

Smokers make quite a sizeable proportion of the human race. Given any nation, should smokers unite and form a political party or society, it would be humongous and formidable. They hail from all walks of life, nooks and corners, and transcend race, culture and religion. If they collectively boycott paying taxes, governments would go broke.

Let’s hear your comments.

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