to genuinely not understand why smoking is vilified

[Redpipe]

and yet drinking, overeating and other addictions that cost the NHS huge sums of money are not?

AIBU to genuinely not understand why it is just smokers in this country that are socially unaccepted?

[ivykaty44]

wordfactory - I think that people don't understand or know the impact that drunkenness has on them or how they are or will be effected. Drunkeness has more than a little impact on those around

[SaggyIsHavingAPinkKitten]

I take it you aren't overweight OP?
Because EVERY visit I make to the GP ends up on the subject of my weight, my potential for health problems and how I need to loose weight.
Try being PG and overweight. I'd say us fatties are vilified at every turn.

Other posters are right.
Smoking stinks, endangers other peoples lives and is thoroughly antisocial.

[friday16]

when smoking was allowed in public transport, the carriages were disgusting, people ended up covered in smoke and ash.

But now they aren't, so they don't. Ditto cinemas (I can remember when it was smoking one side, non-smoking the other), pubs, restaurants, workplaces, pretty well everywhere. Where are these places where you're involuntarily exposed to other people's smoking? Surely you don't actually have smokers in your house or car? Why would you do that?

[wordfactory]

ivy yes drunkenness does have an impact.

But most people when they are drinking are not remotely drunk.

Having lunch in a restaurant, most customers having a glass of wine will be of no consequence to me. Yet every single fag smoked used to!

And that's the difference. Most of us drink. Most of us will not be damaged by it. Most of us will never impact upon others. But smoking by its very nature cannot work like that!

[wordfactory]

But Friday smokers would still smoke in all those places if they were allowed!

As far as I ca see smokers have never stopped smoking anywhere until it was banned ie vilified!

[Davsmum]

ovenbun One cigarette is not going to harm you that much and I doubt anyone would sit next to a smoker these days, enough times, for it to harm them.
Where would they sit next to a smoker? Smokers cannot smoke anywhere these days.
I have had a relative die as a direct result of smoking (certainly NOT nice!) - but I have also had relatives who have died through drinking - and it was the drinkers who caused the most pain and misery for everyone else.
My ex husband smoked and he became an alcoholic after we divorced - It was his drinking that caused my children most harm and pain. I would rather he had smoked around them than died from alcohol.

[TrueStory]

Redpipe, I'm afraid the reason is often - self-righteousness and sanctimoniousness!!! People just love to be self-righteous, especially on Mumsnet!

Unless it directly effects you, why do people get so angry? People say its dirty and smelly (I suppose it is a bit) but if you don't like it don't stand next to me.

And agree, alcohol probably causes a lot more harm to other people in reality.

And cars! New research shows that pollution created by cars is the main trigger for asthma, not cigarettes!

But I don't see people say - "Oh you have a car, how disgusting, it causes pollution and asthma attacks!"

[zatyaballerina]

Someone gorging on crap harms their own self poisoned body, it has no effect on others environment, it doesn't poison the air in confined spaces leaving others feeling sick or nauseous, it doesn't give other people breathing difficulties and make them cough, it's fumes aren't dangerous to those who are asthmatic or have other illness which make them very sick around smoke, being in the long term presence of a junk food eater won't give you any of the diseases they're inflicting on themselves, second hand smoke causes cancer, heart attacks, asthma attacks....

Smoking affects everybody in the smokers area, it causes discomfort, health issues and disease for people who didn't choose those risks. Same can't be said for junk food. Alcohol is only a problem with a few drinkers who abuse it and behave badly, the alcohol itself doesn't endanger anyone else.

[NoComet]

I have to watch my lovely DDad dying slowly of heart failure and realise his chain smoking may well play a part in my hearing problems.

Cigarettes are not my favourite things

[friday16]

Having lunch in a restaurant, most customers having a glass of wine will be of no consequence to me. Yet every single fag smoked used to!

Indeed, it used to. But it doesn't any more. You can go from one week's end to the next and not see, never mind smell, a lit cigarette. The odd occasions you do smell one you can console yourself that the economy is making a massive net benefit out of it. There's plenty of other ways to be a anti-social and self-destructive, but few of them are as heavily taxed as smoking.

[TrueStory]

The only people who seriously got a health risk from secondary smoking were people who worked in clubs and bars, jazz musicians and the like.

Read up about the real triggers of asthma these days in latests research - its pollution from cars.

You cannot really smoke anywhere these days except your own home (and even then ... in rented flats you usually can't smoke as a condition of the tenancy).

Why people are getting so angry about something that doesn't even happen now in public life is weird to me.

I don't smoke and I'm glad I don't smoke, but I don't feel the need to go round being angry with smokers. Weird.

[NotYoMomma]

shrug

it stinks, causes cancer, it stinks, looks horrible, stinks, lots of people smoke outside hospital doors not following rules, it stinks.

I don't like when people drink so much they end up in a&e or are sick either. because it stinks

sensitive nose in pregnancy

I have no time for other recreational activities such as casual weed smoking, drug taking, getting pissed (the occasional drink is fine as that doesnt hurt anyone or smell too bad)

....

it really does smell terrible

[NotYoMomma]

are people sayong smokers dont congregate around hospital doors and restaurants or smoke in beer gardens or even play areas or bus stops? ive seen all of these examples

lets not delude ourselves that you all only smoke in your own houses or gardens

[JaquelineHyde]

Redpipe being overweight is vilified just as much as smoking is.

I have had abuse hurled at me in the street by complete strangers just because I am over weight.

I suspect smokers occasionally get the odd tut or 'disgusting' comment said under the breath but because I am fat some people find it perfectly acceptable to shout the most hideous things at me, also look at me with utter disgust and then snigger or whisper stuff to friends once they think I am out of earshot.

[wordfactory]

But friday the only reason we have reached this relatively pleasant state of affairs is because as a nation we have vilified smoking!

If we had continued tolerating it, smokers would still be smoking everywhere and anywhere they could.

[friday16]

The only people who seriously got a health risk from secondary smoking were people who worked in clubs and bars, jazz musicians and the like.

And even then, the evidence is pretty sketchy. The set of jazz musicians who spent a lot of time in smoky clubs but didn't themselves smoke is a pretty small one.

Why people are getting so angry about something that doesn't even happen now in public life is weird to me.

Quite. It's nasty habit that people really should get out of, but not one that affects me in the slightest other than in the massive amounts of tax that smokers pay and I don't.

[friday16]

But friday the only reason we have reached this relatively pleasant state of affairs is because as a nation we have vilified smoking!

That's true. But it's a solved problem now. Smokers cause almost no difficulty, and the tax that they pay is a massive, massive net profit for the exchequer. Why bother continuing to vilify them when they're doing us such a massive favour?

[YouAreMyFavouriteWasteOfTime]

Why bother continuing to vilify them when they're doing us such a massive favour?

because the tax does not stop is smelling.

I have has to wash my clothes and hair - I guess hundreds of times in my youth.

smoke increases the chance of me getting a cold.

paying tax does not make the above acceptable to me.

[friday16]

I have has to wash my clothes and hair - I guess hundreds of times in my youth.

But in the last ten years? Not so much. It's a solved problem. Where are you going such that people are smoking around you?

smoke increases the chance of me getting a cold.

Leaving aside the implausibility of that, again, where are you going such that you are even in the same room as someone smoking?

[Mumoftwoyoungkids]

But Youaremy The smell is no longer really a problem as (unless you choose to be in the house of a smoker) you are never in a room with a smoker.

My dislike of smokers pretty much ended on 1st July 2007 when they stopped being allowed to smoke near me when I'm inside. Before that I hated them - now I'm much less bothered.

Rubbish is still a problem but as someone who pushes a buggy everywhere I am far more annoyed by broken beer bottles on the ground that might give me a puncture.

Friday has a good point about the economy - smokers are basically selflessly laying down their lives in order for the rest of us to be able to claim our cheaper pensions. And they pay loads of tax for the privilege! And they no longer wreck my lovely pub lunch by smoking on the next table!

[YouAreMyFavouriteWasteOfTime]

largely not in the last 10 years. but I am still glad they cannot smoke like before the ban. its the only reason for the change in behaviour.

where are you going such that you are even in the same room as someone smoking?

to stay with relatives, who say they won't smoke when we are staying, because DP has an auto immune disease which is adversely effected by smoke, but do anyway.

so as I said, I really like the ban.

[friday16]

to stay with relatives, who say they won't smoke when we are staying, because DP has an auto immune disease which is adversely effected by smoke, but do anyway.

So don't visit them, then. See, that was easy, wasn't it?

[YouAreMyFavouriteWasteOfTime]

I bet you are the life and soul of a party

[VivaLeThrustBadger]

Because a smoker directly affects me by been smelly and blowing smoke at me. Before the smoking ban it meant been unable to eat out due to the smell and risk secondary cancer if I went into a pub.

Yes an obese person may cost the nhs money and risk leasing their kids fatherless, etc but that doesn't affect me directly. Selfish but true.

[Branleuse]

i dont get it either.

As long as the smoker is reasonable about it and keeps it away from non smokers as much as possible, I dont see why its anyone elses business