I’m a smoker, so suck it up and butt out of my life

Okay, here it is – my confession… I am a smoker! There, I said it – now I will sit back and wait to be judged.

I started smoking when I was young, it was the cool thing to do, and I have to say, at that time, nobody really knew of the health issues that smoking is said to cause. It was hinted about, but certainly not like it is now where we are constantly bombarded with the horrific things that this ‘disgusting’ habit can do to our bodies.

When I was pregnant with my first child I gave up smoking, in fact, I gave up for 20 years, but I was never a reformed smoker. Every time I could smell that ‘delightful’ cigarette smell I would crave one.

Eventually I gave into temptation and took up the habit again – I blame it on stress. I will admit that I never smoked when I was out in the street, but socially I would have a puff or two when I was having a glass of wine, or rush outside to light up when my stress levels reached sky high.

My habit, whilst it is still there, is pretty much under control – meaning – I still have the occasional cigarette socially and I try to avoid stressful situations at all costs, but there are times when there is nothing that will calm me down except to light up.

Yes, I know all the health risks, and I also know that medical professionals tell us that smoking only increases stress levels. It’s a statement by the medical fraternity that I strongly disagree with.

I don’t leave cigarette butts around, I don’t blow smoke into people’s faces, I keep my habit to outdoors and as much as possible, to myself.

We smokers – the damned and condemned – have had most of our civil smoking liberties taken from us. No smoking under cover at public transport stops, no smoking within certain distances at restaurants, no smoking at sporting events, no smoking in parks, no smoking at beaches, no smoking here, no smoking there, no smoking just about everywhere.

And, believe it or not, I support most of this.

But now there is a movement to stop people smoking on their own balconies. Really? So far, this doesn’t affect those who live in free standing houses, but in apartment blocks and where there are multiple dwellings on one lot of land.

The people behind this movement say that it is because of the smell. They don’t like smelling cigarettes. They are not complaining about the health issues – they can’t, because they aren’t breathing in the smoke as a passive smoker would, they can just smell it. If they were breathing in second hand smoke I would support their movement, but for just the smell? Really?

I accept that a lot of people don’t like the smell of cigarettes, but, if this movement becomes a law – restricting people smoking in their own properties, then I will start my own movement – the one where I can have a law made to stop people cooking in their apartments. I can get violently ill at the smell of cooking fish, I dry wretch at the smell of boiling meat, and don’t forget the smell of curry that wafts around for days and lingers even longer in the drapery in my home.

If we live in a community type dwelling, we need to be a bit more tolerant of other people and their habits. I am sure every single one of us has a habit that is in one way or another going to annoy someone else. We all have rights, but I must admit to believing that the smokers of this world have had more than their fair share of rights taken from them.

Carol Sheridan is Prodijee’s Fashion & Lifetyle Editor, and Co-Publisher.

carol@prodijee.com