COLUMN: TSC smokers not to blame for Cache air
With all the dreary weather we’ve been having, I’ve grown increasingly thankful that I am not a smoker. The last place I would want to be is outside in the chilly rain smoking my cigarette. But as cold as it’s been and as cold as it will get, it pales in comparison to the icy stares I’ve seen on campus directed towards people lighting up. The smoker seems to be America’s new leper.
I don’t mean to minimize the many adverse health effects tobacco has on the human body. I know the numbers. You know the numbers. Tobacco-related deaths are among the highest in the nation. In a perfect society, we wouldn’t have tobacco-related illnesses, but we’re going to have to be realistic.
The liberal in me wants to put an end to big tobacco. It has abused our trust and killed countless individuals. But our efforts must be balanced. The blame should be shouldered by big tobacco, not the consumer, the victim. But in a smokeless America, this is rarely the case. Utahns are the worst, perhaps because the health concerns associated with smoking are coupled with a stigma of immorality.
What’s a liberal to do? It is quite the paradoxical situation. I want to defend the consumer’s right to consume and their right to life. And what can your position be when you so strongly believe that all mankind is entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
We can all work to educate Americans and we must, but we can do so without branding smokers with a scarlet “S.” Trust me, it is possible to walk past someone with their lit cigarette without getting cancer, turning blue in the face or fake coughing. We all know that it is inappropriate for individuals to toss smoke rings in your direction, including smokers. In fact, every smoker I know is very good at monitoring the direction of his or her smoke and moving accordingly so that I don’t get smoke in my face.
Supporting your friends while they attempt to quit will go much further than spouting off statistics or scowling disapprovingly at them – they know it’s not the greatest thing for them. It’s a matter of personal responsibility. Sure, it’s risky, but doesn’t everything have inherent risks involved?
Smoking is said to contribute to heart disease, but it’s hardly the major contributing factor. My double-bacon cheese burger is going to kill me a lot faster than a little secondhand smoke or a cigarette. And heart disease has nearly the same cruel numbers that tobacco has. Public approval of lighting up couldn’t be lower at this point, but in our society being fat is the next big fad. So why aren’t we telling complete strangers to hit the gym and lay off the lard?
Because it’s rude. Be a decent person and deal with it differently.
Every time you operate or ride in a vehicle, you are taking a risk, putting your life on the line. Even here in Cache Valley, we annually experience severe pollution that some studies and experts claim is worse for our lungs than secondhand smoke exposure. That’s certainly something I’d address before crucifying a handful of Taggart Student Center Patio smokers.
And with each new American generation outweighing the previous one, our society is growing ever closer to eating itself to death. It’s high time we critically evaluate our society.
Class dismissed.
Matthew Blackham is a junior majoring in sociology. Comments can be sent to matblackham@cc.usu.edu.