Today, i'm inspired to write an article, a more taboo one, due to hugely contrasting views, from a friend, and my whole bunch of friends...

Topic : Smoking


Today, after school which finished at 1015, i went to the Kovan's macdonalds, to study. on reaching there, my usual khakis, started smoking. today, i brought this friend, cause he said he also wanted to study there. he is very critical of smoking, and dosent really like smokers. his face changed, on seeing my friends smoke, as he followed up in macdonalds, making many smug remarks, on them. thank god, nothing much really happened. but that compelled me to decide to write this. many people are unconvinced, when i tell them, not to take such a critical point of view on smokers. so, just to address the situation, and to avoid repeating it millions of times over, i shall just type it down here.


Smoking, is commonplace around the world, whether its in Europe, the US, Asia, Australia. whatever. Approximately 5.5 trillion cigarettes are produced globally each year by the tabacoo industry, smoked by over 1.1 billion people, which is more than 1/6 of the world's total population. Singapore, is no exception. one just have to date back to last year. people coming in from malaysia, attempted to smuggle in 4 boxes of Malboro cigarettes. 1 box contains about maybe 100 packets, and multiply that by 4, and 20, u get a comfortable 8000 cigarettes. isn't 8000 a huge number? Yes, it is. but that proves that, there is a market in singapore, to carry out such deeds. you need not rummage through your old newspaper pile to confirm what i just said, but instead, look no further than "heartland" shopping centres. the floor is littered with cigarette butts, ashes everywhere, and the oh'so'common sight of middle-aged workers, and elderly lifting the snugly placed cigarette between their two fingers, into the slit in their face. u see a flash of red, and subsequently, the person starts puffing out smoke. what exactly is the use of a cigarette? why do people hate it so much? why do people do it? is it wrong?... the list goes on.


Firstly, to answer things systematically, the use of a cigarette, is very much similar to the use of drugs. its a legalised form of drugs around the world. which is comfortably priced at $9-12 in singapore, and much cheaper in our neighbouring countries. it contains forms of anti-depressants, and other components, meant to give u a "high". further more, a cigarette gives u a sort of endolphin boost, the moment u take a single puff, as it supposedly has stimulants inside a cigarette.


Why do people hate it so much? to the non-smokers, they find it particualrly horrible, when they are eating, and some wafting intoxicating air from a neighbouring table floats over. the result, the person would cover his nose most of the time, give a hard glare, and move himself, or herself to a table, where the person would not be affected. the government, knowing that such cases, are on the rise, and are highly common, implemented the "smoking area" scheme, which was kicked into place, island-wide, which forced all eateries, to create a smoking corner, specially for smokers, and not allow any smokers, anywhere else. this program was widely cheered by the public, and smokers, accepted unreadily. another scenario, is when you are walking down the street, and this unconsiderate person in front of you, smokes, and puffs the smoke outwards, which subsequently floats straight into your face. a similar effect happens, and as such, people tend to hate smokers. the stereotype of smokers, are also that they are gangsters,(if they are young) and hooligans or ruffians. i however totally disagree with this, as my friends who do smoke, are not hooligans nor ruffians, actually they are rather humble, and nice to talk with. its up to a person's point of view in viewing smoking.


Why do people smoke? as said earlier, it is a form of anti-depressant, to keep awake, and among the youths these days, its meant to look cool. or so it is thought. the first thing a youth smokes, its out of curiousity or peer pressure. the second time he smokes, he wants to be included in the group. the third, its unlikely it has anything to do with ego anymore. in all due fairness, it is grossly over-used by youths, as such that they would smoke the moment they get some time to themselves, even though they are feeling no stress nor pressure. some youths do use it, for the beneficial parts of smoking. although it comes at a cost, as long as we lead our lives healthily, i dont foresee this being a problem.


Is smoking wrong? if u asked me that, i would ask you, is lying wrong? your best friend and you, share everything together, secrets, food, games, everything. but one day, if u should see your best friend's boyfriend out with another girl, what would you do? would u straight away run and tell ur friend, what you have seen, and let her go sort it out with you as her support, or would you privately confront him, and demand an explanation? I would defnitely choose the later, as i would not want any unnecessary party to be hurt, and that it may all be a misunderstanding. Lying in this case, although is supposedly wrong, it has a good side to it. it all depends on the scenario. similarly, is smoking entirely wrong? True, society frowns upon it, people condone smokers, but, have anyone spared a thought for smokers? what they have gone through when they were young? why did they even started smoking excessively? the emotional trauma, the emotional stress. the academic stress. who cares about them? all we can do is what, pass judgements? then whats the difference between us and a dog? we are supposed to be caring to fellow humans, show concern, not put them down? kick em when they are down, laugh at their mistakes, is it not true, that its because of us humans, that smokers are even present? if everyone had a confidante, and little problems, who would ever smoke? its only cause we as humans, have not done our part as friends and families, to these smokers. the next time, you want to say that a smoker sucks, think. what if you were in his circumstances, would you like someone to say the same about you? who are you to pass judgement on him?


i personally, I would say that i belong to the group of people, that i just wrote about. it started initally, out of curiousity, followed by to socialise more, then finally, its used as a mere drug, to relieve myself from any stress i have. im a good holder of stress, but when too many things come at once, i really do need an avenue for releasing it. being a silent thinker, as the physcologists would put it, i tend to read more into matters than what meets the eye. and without any friends that i am sufficiently comfortable with to confide in, i had to resort to the worst possible way, smoking. anyone who knows me well enough, would still testify that i am still a rather nice guy, and that i havent changed.

And i wont. its just to relieve stress. =)


to those who are still entirely critical about smoking and the accompanying endorsers, please try to come to terms with humanity. its not as simple, or as innocent as you want it to be.

the world, is a rough place.


Davidduff is a nice brand.
Viceroy Sucks =(