To think westerners shouldn't smoke

[TonaldDrump]

On holiday abroad right now in Asia. We've been staying at a resort where there are loads of Scandinavians, Dutch and Brits.

It really bothers me when they just light up in places they'd never do at home. We were sitting in a cafe and someone (Scandinavian) started smoking next to us. A Brit did the same at another restaurant.

Locals, including local tourists I can understand because there isn't a no- smoking culture here but anyone from northern or Western Europe or Northern America should have it ingrained that it's disgusting and unhealthy for those around them and it should be second nature.

It feels like they're just taking advantage even though they know it's anti-social!

It's disgusting, right? Or aibu?

Genetic factors have a lot to do with it. So does stress etc.

I think there will be a move towards personalised health advice in coming years based on genetic tests.

One of the things I can never understand is why, if passive smoking is a thing, passive drinking isn't.

The victims of drink are, after all, very many indeed. Domestic violence, all other violent crimes - most fuelled by drink.

DC growing up in homes where one or both parents enjoy wine o'clock far too much. Drink driving victims and all their bereaved relatives - so many victims of alcohol.

Alcohol is acceptable in a way smoking is not. But I would bet that if you totalled up the violence, the accidents, the damage done to DC and other family members, the low level deprivation of living with adults who like a drink too much. that drinking does at least as much harm as smoking.

prawn

I understand what you mean but the two things are very different

But yes alcohol can do more harm in my opinion

I think Prawn drinking is becoming the new smoking.
Hold on a few years and passive drinking will be a phrase we are all familiar with.

passive smoking

the involuntary inhaling of smoke from other people's cigarettes, cigars, or pipes.

I know you all know this

This is true, although passive smoking indoors may cause direct harm to others whereas with drinking it is indirect.

Prohibition has been tried in the US and didn't really work. Should people who can drink alcohol sensibly be deprived from enjoying a drink because some people can't drink sensibly? Not sure if there is a solution apart from better education.

They now say there is no safe level of drinking either but, again, I think this is genetic and there will need to be a move towards genetically customised health advice in the future.

Passive drinking does do direct damage. That's my point. Most alcoholics do direct harm to family members, whether emotional, physical or financial. Drunks ruin events, commit crimes, cause accidents. All of this is direct. I would far rather be a child whose loving parent smoked than be brought up by one with even a bit of a booze problem.

Now most people acknowledge (not on MN but in RL) that smoking and passive smoking are 'a bad thing' public health education is moving to alcohol.
My teenagers have a very different attitude towards alcohol than I do. They take it a lot more seriously.

I take your point...

Everyone was eager for a smoking ban here, because we're all so stupid we can't help but force our choice to kill ourselves on to children and others who can't speak for themselves unless it's the law. We got the ban and it has probably saved lives and allowed people who might not have been able to enjoy eating at restaurants or pubs due to ill-health the chance to do so.

Now people are actually saying they have so little regard for others that they go to places where it isn't the law, knowing that smoking kills and that makes it ok to do it because otherwise we're patronising the locals?

Smoking is a bloody awful thing that claims thousands of lives and it should be banned everywhere - if you are aware of the dangers but need a law to make you face up to that then there really is no hope.

Be the change you want to see, as they say.

I wondered whether this was an elaborate reverse post that was ostensibly about rich Westerners going to Asian countries to indulge their smoking habit that they can't do at home, only for the OP to reveal that it was really about sex tourism.

But no. OP has fucked off and it seemingly was really about smoking. I think smoking is okay but sex tourism is not. I don't do either.

Maybe OP has decided to go and enjoy being on holiday.