My daughter just turned 41 and she has smoked since she was about twelve. I can remember sneaking a pack of Salem cigarettes outof my grandfaother’s bedroom. My cousins and I snuck behind the garage and smoked. It was a curiosity.
My grandfather had smoked for many years. Before his death he had enphazema. I would watch him try to make it across a room and to the bathroom to shave in the mornings after breakfast. Huffing and puffing after he made it to the sink. It was heart wrenching. He just couldn’t breathe.
I remember in junior high when I took a Home Economics class. One semester was Home Health and we saw a film about smoking. A group of people who had tracheotomies due to smoking. And it was shocking to see that they were sticking a cigarette in the hole left and stll smoking. It was disgusting.
Now my granddaughter smokes. I really hate to see it. I was a social smoker when I was younger and went out socializing. It was an awful habit and I was quick to stop it. Why can’t these kids do the same? It’s an expensive habit as well.
I can remember in the old vintage movies the actors and actresses would nearly chain smoke The men would even start their girlfriend’s cigarettes for them. It was like saying ‘Here, please smoke this death stick along with me’. This and drinking were the norm in these old movies.
I don’t know what the answer is to getting loved ones to quit but at least nowadays we aren’t watching our favorite actors smoking in the movies. And most places we go to socialize has regulations about smoking. Cigarettes have come a long way.
It’s a nasty habit and it kills. I hope that more things are done to deter people from this habit.