Why Smoking isn't good for you.

I smoke, so this isn't some self-righteous tirade about how stupid smoking is. this is not a guilt trip or fear campaign about how smoking takes years from your life, destroys your family, and makes uncle mark fall face-first in the mud. I am not a heavy smoker, sometimes i just need to go outside to clear my head.

The problem with cigarettes is that they are just the right size. they provide an excuse for a 5 minute break, a chance to stop what you're doing, go outside, and clear your head for a bit. So why do smokers need a cigarette for this?

The point here is that there is a stigma in society about being alone. very few people enjoy being seen as a 'loner'. with a cigarette in hand, you appear to be doing something. the bloke sitting outside on a bench by himself, casually taking a break and watching the world go by does not appear approachable. people get suspicious. "what's he doing?" they think. "is he waiting for something to happen? is he some socially awkward weirdo with no friends? if i talk to him, will he try tell me about his pyramid scheme/ scientology/ how he puts clothes on his pet? probably best to avoid him."

No amount of tv commercials featuring gangrenous feet and lungfulls of tar will fix the fact that this is a social problem, caused by an intense aversion to being seen as an 'outsider'.

this affects introverts far more than others. people handle social situations differently. there is a view that when people want to escape a social situation, crowded gaggles of voices overloading their brains, that they don't 'like' the people they are with, that they are not enjoying themselves. smoking areas of pubs are havens for people who suffer from this, although very few will acknowledge it.

smoking reduces the stigma of being alone. there is an element of mystery surrounding loners - why is that person there? what are they thinking? unfortunately this is often outweighed by the groupthink that creates the aforementioned stigma. being seen to be doing something reduces this to the point of social acceptability.

the problem is not just in the health affects of smoking, its human weakness and pack mentality that in part perpetuate the cycle of addiction. many 'introverts' need to understand that their is nothing wrong with occasionally escaping social situations in order to recharge. many 'extroverts' need to stop the circlejerk about how fantastic it is to be outgoing and surrounded by friends all the time. i see this as a dependance, a weakness.

so i'm thinking about quitting. just as soon as i finish this pouch of tobacco...



thats it. theres no more.