Smoking

I know I write about a lot of stuff that I read online and most of the time it's political but this time it's not. Tobacco use as we know is a problem not just in this country but around the world. The American Cancer Society is projecting that close to a billion people could die just this century if current trends hold. A BILLION! That's a lot of people! I know I know it's preachy but as this is a problem that we can help solve. You know the old saying that an ex-smoker is worse than a non-smoker? I think that's true. I used to smoke...I started when I was 18 ( I know that's a little late to be starting..at least that's what I've been told. I tried to smoke before when I was 13 by taking one of my mom's cigarettes but I got busted so I didn't try again til I was much older). I smoked for reasons that most people smoke...all my friends did it so it couldn't be that bad. Both of my parents smoked, my mom still does, and most of the rest of my family did as well. I didn't think it could be that bad even though I was told time and again that it causes cancer, halitosis, bronchitis, emphysema, etc.

From the time I was 18 until I was almost 24, I smoked. Every year I would get bronchitis and yeah I knew that it was probably from smoking but do you think that was going to stop me? Nope...until October of 2003. I was home alone sick with what I thought was a cold. The power went out and some friends of mine were supposed to come over. I'm not afraid of being in the house alone without power during the day but at night that's a different story. I fell asleep and when I woke up, my friends still weren't there. I started panicking and freaking out...because I was sick I almost passed out. And I was still smoking even though I knew I was sick. I wound up going to the hospital that night and found that I had a severe case of bronchitis and was on the verge of having pneumonia. Yeah not so dramatic or anything right? Well they had to give me a couple breathing treatments and they could tell right away without me telling them that I was a smoker. They told me that I really really needed to quit and so I did. After that I didn't smoke. I tried but I found that the smell made me nauseous as did the taste. I haven't smoked since. It's probably one of the best things that I ever did in my life. It's been the proudest moment in my life up until this time. I still have a lot of life to live and I'm sure there will be other things that are infinitely more important...they just haven't happened yet but quitting smoking is such a great feeling.

My dad gave up smoking some years ago; actually well before I did. My mom quit for like a month or so last year but she went right back to it. My sister, Amanda, and her husband still smoke as well. They're thinking about quitting too. I really hope they do. Not only does your health benefit from it, you save a lot of money in the long run. If you don't mind spending that money, think about it this way. By not smoking, you could save all that money and buy something you've really been wanting. Could be anything. I remember when we were kids that we tallied up how many pack of cigarettes my parent's smoke and their estimated price. In a year they were smoking upwards of $5000 a year. That's a lot of money to be wasting. You could do a lot with that money.

Anyway I hope that people out there will get the message that smoking is bad and that they'll quit. A billion smoking related deaths. It's ridiculous and I don't want to hear people say that they're going to die from something might as well enjoy it. I hate that. I would rather die of old age with my family around than in my 50's or 60's carting around oxygen with me everywhere or worse...attached to a respirator or speaking through one of those voice box things because I got throat cancer. I know a man who has been friends with my stepdad for many many years, Mr. Ken, he's in his 80's, but he has one of those voice things and you know what? He finally quit smoking after that but now he's got cancer again and he's not doing that great. He regrets that he ever smoked. I know I'm sounding militant about this; I swear I don't throw cigarettes at convenience store workers yelling "Cancer Merchant". With all the aides that are out there to help people quit (and yes I know they're expensive but in the long run money will be saved and maybe so will your life) you would think that more people would quit or not even start. Obviously not. I hope though that maybe one person will read that article who might be a smoker and maybe they'll see that it's really not worth it. It's not worth the time or the money sucking on something that has the potential to kill.