Thursday, July 19, 2012

Cracker Barrel Cigarette Cancer

Went to Cracker Barrel the other day, and standing at the only door that you can go into was an old, overweight guy, smoking. Basically blowing his smoke all over the place, so that before you could get into the restaurant, you had to walk through his stink. This isn't the first time I've encountered this type of thing: yesterday, going into the grocery store, there's a guy right at the entrance, blowing his smoke around. And a year ago, I remember going into the HOSPITAL ENTRANCE and there was some guy, right at the door, blowing his smoke around. What is wrong with people?

I stopped to really think about the inconsiderate nature of people who smoke in public - particularly those who smoke and blow there smoke specifically where people NEED to walk, essentially blowing cancer in a placement that cannot be avoided, and it led me to the following conclusion:

People who smoke in places that other non-smokers need to travel hate other people.

But knowing that people don't like to stop their bad habits, the most civil approach would be the following:

- If a person wants to smoke in their own home with the windows and doors closed, fine.
- If they want to smoke alone in their car with the windows closed, fine.
- If they want to do as my neighbor does and just sit in the garage and smoke, fine (but he should close his garage door)

But to smoke in areas where people walk is just plain rude. And disgusting. And hateful.
I would love to see law enforcement crack down on this, but of course, they won't. Just like the noise of Harleys and booming car stereos, public smoking is a noxious behavior that the law just shrugs it's collective shoulders about. "Deafening people with noise? Who cares! Sharing cancer and disease? why not!"

Now it goes without saying that a Christian should NOT smoke. Self-destructive behavior like this is definitely sinful, and Scripture teaches that Christians should take care of their earthly bodies and not destroy them. Consider the following:

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body," (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

How can you honor God by breathing cancer into your lungs, and by killing others with that same cancerous smoke? You can't.

Restaurants and businesses take note: if you let people stand around smoking at your entrances, I will be more prone to AVOID your businesses. Walmart and grocery stores, listen up: when you let your employees smoke at your entrances, you make me want to go somewhere else to get my stuff. And even hospitals: you set a TERRIBLE model by letting people smoke at your entrances. No-smoke-zones for patients to enter the hospital is something that you should ENFORCE, not just put stupid signs up that illiterate smokers ignore. Perish the thought someone with breathing problems needs to walk into a hospital and has to walk through someone's smoke. You've got hospital security - why not put them to use enforcing non-smoking policies at entrances?

It feels like living in the dark ages sometimes.

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