Geoausch

I quit smoking 371 days ago. I lost count of the number of times I tried unsuccessfully to quit, but I do remember talking to my doctor, a former smoker himself, about quitting and he told me directly that all the “stop smoking” aides in the world, all the literature, would be no good if I weren’t truly ready to quit. As always, this doctor was right. I used nicotine patches for the first two weeks, but since that time, I have fought my personal addiction to nicotine without any aides and have been successful. 

Since I smoked my last Marlboro Light, I’ve noticed, among other things, that my improved ability to process olfactory sensations has left me extremely sensitive to second-hand cigarette smoke. If I choose to walk in front of my office building, where the smoking masses gather, the cloud of smoke chokes me and causes my eyes to water. The scent of the smokers who ride the elevator with me causes my stomach to turn. Today at lunch, as I waited in line for a sandwich, a couple who had obviously finished a cigarette right before entering the restaurant stood behind me, causing my gag reflexes to work on over drive. Among other things, these experiences help me to see just how disgusting I was for 10 years of my life. 

However, through all of this, I still cannot understand the efforts of groups like, Smoke Free Texas, who seek to legislate anti-smoking campaigns. I don’t know anyone who will argue about the dangers of cigarette smoke and I think most people agree that smoking is a nasty habit; however, in the United States, we can’t ban habits we find offensive. Personally, I can’t stand people who crunch on ice. This does not give me the right to introduce legislation banning crunching ice in the private sector. 

Before we go any further, let me be clear. Anti-smoking campaigns are nothing new. Adolf Hilter loved anti-smoking campaigns and Nazi-Germany introduced the world to some of the toughest anti-smoking measures the world has ever seen. This does not necessarily mean that members of Smoke Free Texas, Smoke Free Dallas, are any of other incarnation thereof, are necessarily Nazis. It does tell me that they don’t have a problem with fascism in their government, a trait they share with Nazis. 

The point these fascist groups continue to pound into the heads of local and state governments is that “second-hand” smoke is a monster that we must be protected from and that man, left to his own devices, lacks the ability to fight the war against “second-hand” smoke without the intervention of the government. Indeed, as I write this post, fascists are trying to convince the city of Dallas to broaden their current smoking ordinance. 

But this represents something much larger than smoking. In essence, the fascists who comprise these anti-smoking groups promote an intrusive form of both local and Federal governments that create powers not found in the Constitution. If these fascists would have faith in free market capitalism, the smoking issue would be a moot point within 5 or 10 years. 

Let’s take the most common example, the attempt to ban smoking in restaurants. I submit that if given a choice between a restaurant that allows smoking and one that does not, most patrons would choose the non-smoking establishment. Over time, the restaurant that does allow smoking would change their policy in order to gain new business. One by one, restaurants that allow smoking would fade away without any government intervention. 

Of course, the fascist’s common retort states that we should consider the “poor employees” of the smoking establishments. Again, allow me to speak from experience. As a former member of the food service industry, I can assure you that a large majority of people employed in the food service industry smoke or engage in even more dangerous recreational activities. Those that don’t understand the dangers associated with “second hand” smoke and have every right to quit and look for a job at an establishment that does not allow smoking. In the United States, no one forces you to take a job and no one guarantees you a job. 

To be clear, I do not promote smoking. I wish that no one smoked and that this argument never wasted the time and money of any government. Unfortunately, people smoke. Unfortunately, people desire a bigger government and will exploit the smoking issue to achieve their goal-a “nanny state.” The one group of people more dangerous than “Big Tobacco” are the people who fight for a bigger, more intrusive government (socialists, communists, fascists, yuppies, Christian conservatives, etc.).  Instead of demonizing the smoker, we should offer him or her our help and support. Instead, let us focus our energy on and prevent organizations like Smoke Free Texas, Smoke Free Dallas, and all their other incarnations, from spreading their “smiley faced’ fascism.