A Weekend of Gagging on Cigarette Smoke

You'll have to understand where I'm coming from on this issue.

My entire nuclear family smokes - except me. My parents were, I'm sad to say, people who would smoke in the presence of their kids. According to statistics, by the age of 5 I have already inhaled the equivalent of 102 packets of cig smoke.

For as long as I can remember, I have been nagging at them about this. The tradition stands til today. Our relationship have been damaged to a certain extent thanks to their smoking habit. They evidently do not care how I feel about the entire issue.

Let it be known that I hate cigarette smoking with a vengence!

With all the evidence out there about how harmful this stupid habit is, why do people keep smoking. The worst part is that it not only harms yourself but the people around you. They say that it isn't easy to quit, but I have 2 uncles who did. One did for religious reasons, the other for health. As of a couple of weeks ago, dad has been given a warning by his GP about his lungs. Still he wakes up every morning coughing and choking on his way out for a cigarette. One of many to come for the day. I feel sorry for them as I experience first hand how much of a slave cigarettes can make of you.

Sharing a water bottle with mum/ dad is disgusting if they've just had a smoke. The intensity with which I hate cigarette smoking is enough to bring tears to my eyes. They know how much I hate it yet they refuse to do anything about smoking. I will no longer come to visit them if they continue smoking. It simply cannot be done. Waking up to the smell of cig smoke might as well be on my this-is-what-hell-must-smell-like list.

There was one time, at the ago of 12 or so, dad got really upset at me for nagging at them about smoking. He yelled and asked me to get out of the car if I really could not stand the smell of smoke. I will remember that til the day I die.

One time we were all having a discussion about how people treat smoking as a criminal act, the way they non-smokers would give smokers the dirty look and all.

You know what guys, let me tell you that I for one think that cigarette smoking is pathetic and shameful. Everytime you pull out a smoke, please feel ashamed to be saying to the world that you are unable to control yourself.

I seriously would not have such an issue with smoking had it not affect me so much. Wanna set yourself up to breathing through a machine in 30 years (my friend's dad who is currently dead did) , go ahead. But don't puff smoke anywhere near me.

They say that first impressions are formed within seconds of meeting someone. When I first find out that a person smokes, auto-demerits kick in. Sorry guys, I can't help it. Just like you can't help smoking.