Smoking

[weebarra]

I'm 36 and have been being treated for breast cancer for the past 9 months. I was diagnosed when DC3 was 8 weeks.
I've had 6 months of chemo, a bilateral mastectomy and now I'm doing the radiotherapy bit. AIBU not to want to walk through clouds of smoke at the entrance to the oncology centre?
I get that people are addicted. I've smoked myself and both parents do. It's just that I feel really pissed off when I see both staff and patients puffing away.
I was going to get cancer anyway - I have the BRCA2 gene, but these people don't have to get it. I just want to shake them.

B

At our hospital the staff and patients have smoking shelters away from the hospital entrance.

It doesn't stop some selfish patients (and visitors) sitting near the main entrance and smoking.

We staff are supposed to challenge them but I don't want a load of abuse.

Bloody phone!
I've been a hospital smoker a lot OP, and I'm sorry you've been going through a time of serious ill health. I hope you make a speedy full recovery.
I understand your frustration and I used to look down on hospital smokers before I became one. But try not to judge - some of us are having a really shit time watching people we love go through things we would give anything for them not to go through. I'm intelligent. I'm educated. I know smoking may well kill me. I make a conscious effort to do it away from the entrance. But for those 3 minutes I step outside of the institution and forget all the shitty things going on inside the walls and just for a minute have a space to think. I realise I don't need a fag to do this, but right now I have so much fucking shit on my plate to deal with a fag is the least of my worries. But you judge away.

Every time I've been to my pg scans I've had the same experience, I read that they have a smoking shelter away from the entrance so next time I intend to ask the receptionist to tell them to p%$¥ off!

All my close family smoke, despite a family history of lung cancer and being diagnosed with COPD. It drives me crazy because I love them and they are killing themselves, but I really don't believe they can quit. My mum has awful health, smoking and drink related and nothing anyone can do can make her stop. Sorry for your issues, I completely understand why it makes you cross.

Fair enough - I wasn't really meaning to be judgy and I do understand that we all have our coping mechanisms. It would be good if the hospitals could provide smoking shelters though.
Anyway, that's today's radiotherapy done, only another 13 to go.

Good luck OP. I don't think you sound judgy. If I'd been through all you have I'd be screeching at the world.

See,one poster said if staff ask patients not to smoke they 'get abuse', and yet it's the non smokers on this thread who are being very aggressive about smokers - 'selfish filthy bastards', 'tell them to piss off', 'foul' 'skanky'......
Not a very nice way to talk about a group of people. Live and let live I say.

My dad died at 62 from oesophageal cancer, however - no judgements here honest! I don't give a shit about smokers smoking. If you want, fill your boots! Only don't blow your disgusting filth in mine, or any ones else's direction. One day the whole vile, stinking thing will be made illegal. But until then ....I'm not sure about the "gives us money" argument. It seems to me it takes a lot more than it gives. In NHS resources for one. Yes CundtBake of course many of us have vices, chocolate, pork pies, eeerrr vodka and tonic (with a twist of lime). But they don't effect others in the same way as secondary smoke does. As for smoking being your choice, it surely is, but it won't be your children's choice to see you suffering from one of the many serious illnesses you're likely to get through your current method of "de-stressing".

Live and let live is fine, but the courtesy doesn't seem to work both ways. Smokers want to poison themselves and stink - fine. It should not be shoved at other people though. Walking into doorways through that, standing in a lift next to a smoker. It is fucking disgusting. Why should that be foisted on us?

Alcohol and drugs affect a lot of innocent by-standers- drink drive deaths, domestic violence, fights, rapes....need I go on?

Well I don't like standing next to people with strong BO or perfume- in fact perfume sets of my asthma- but I don't call them vile and disgusting and try to get it banned

I think it's been proven that smokers contribute financially far more than they take out, even taking into consideration smokers treatment on the NHS. Smokers are a cash cow for the government with most of the price of a pack of fags dropping straight into their coffers.

Exhaust fumes are bad for you too- how come that's not vile and disgusting

InSpace you can't stop people thinking smoking is disgusting if that's how they view it.

I know but I'm not comfortable with the rising tide of hatred against a certain group of people..I am a non smoker by the way

Just as I'm uncomfortable walking through smoke.

I think it's only going to continue that way. As the number of smokers diminishes everyone else's anti-smoking attitude will grow.

I wonder how far in the future it will be before smoking is completely outlawed in the Western world. California seems to be edging that way.

And, as I said, I'm uncomfortable walking through a cloud of exhaust or perfume. But I don't call them disgusting or try to get then banned

Is that how it works then squoosh? Minority groups become hated?

Well yeah. Smoking will become more and more niche as the years go on, and smoking rights will be curtailed further. People who smoke will be regarded as an oddity whereas once smoking was the norm.

I'm an ex smoker, not an evangelical one though.

Yes you're right squoosh but it's the hatred part which is wrong.

I'm always amused at the anti smoking venom that's splattered all over about their rights to have a smoke free space where ever they go. But they are quite happy to pump crap into the air as they drive their cars.. especially into the faces of kids in buggys who are are just the right height.

Hypocritical much.

I'm sorry that's no argument! Someone wearing perfume, or with chronic BO would be completely unaware that they could be inducing your asthma I'm sure. Also we can't legislate for the innocent by-stander as we'd never leave the house - any of us!

But smokers know (or f*ing well should know) that their SHS kills and causes disease in children and adults who don’t smoke. Just being exposed to SHS while pregnant increases the chance of miscarriage as well as loads of other really serious birth problems. Children and Babies exposed to filthy fag smoke are at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory and lung infections, ear infections, and more severe asthma attacks.

Yes, I've no hatred towards smokers although understand why some people object to passing through a smoke haze.

Agree that car exhaust fumes are just as poisonous for our lungs.