Non smoking please

Smokers never used to bother me much. I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life, mostly because I don’t know how and felt I would look absolutely ridiculous trying to. I also never saw a reason.

How do people start smoking by the way? Especially people in their 20’s that for sure were educated about how bad it is for them. One day someone was like “hey, want a cigarette?” and you the non-smoker says “yeah thanks” and you pick up the cigarette and start the habit just because someone asked you to? Or is it really because everyone around you is at a bar smoking and you think “I want to be cool and smoke, can I bum a cigarette?” (They say bum when they ask for one right?)

Anyways, why or how people start smoking I have no clue. I obviously missed that train passing but I guess that’s not a bad thing…

When I blossomed into the bar scene (age 21 of course) smoking in the United States was already prohibited in most of the bars and restaurants and anywhere indoors for that matter.  You can’t even get away with smoking at the entrances to most buildings! I had NO idea how amazing of a law this was until coming to a place that you’re allowed to smoke indoors.

I remember when I was young my mom would come home with my dad from a dinner with friends and she would be complaining and storm straight into the shower because she “reeked of smoke”. She would throw her clothes and my dads in the laundry right away, the whole time bickering about the smell. My brother and I laughed at the over dramatization of the “bar smoke smell” but I get it now.

Here in Dubai smoking is allowed in all the bars. Bars with no windows. Bars with low ceilings and no windows. Bars crammed full of people smoking in each other’s faces…with low ceilings and no windows.  My eyes literally hurt as the smoke fills into them, my throat burns from ingesting smoke of about 3,000 cigarettes, and my nostrils tickle as it tries to filter the musty air going into my body.  Needless to say, I’ve become that complainer I try so hard not to be. Even for the smokers, isn’t inhaling your own cigarette plus 3,000 others a little sickening?

In the bar, it must be absolutely painful to watch me. I have to restrain myself from covering my face with my shirt and I squint my eyes shut so tight I can barely see out of them. I’m waving my hand in front of my face to somehow move the smoke around as if there’s a ghost I’m trying to murder… This leads to some unusual conversations as you can imagine. The continuous coughing, sneezing, and nagging doesn’t help my case either. Next time I go out, I’m wearing a face mask. I’ll post pictures of that later.

In the States it’s rare to find someone that religiously smokes cigarettes these days, I’m assuming now that might be because it’s harder to get away with. If you’re eating you have to excuse yourself to go outside and smoke, and if you’re at a bar you have to go out to the patio, and you’re more than likely in the company of non-smokers.

Whatever it is, I’m proud of the United States for understanding the health risks of smoking and making moves to put an end to it.  This sounds cheesy, I understand, but I mean it.  And the States really deserves a pat on the back for this. Even the smokers in the States deserve a pat of the back, most of them are understanding of their surroundings. Not being allowed to smoke inside, or outside entrances really do promote smokers to quit.  And possibly makes it easier for them too. Smoking is definitely not a cool thing to do anymore in the States. So good job United States of America, I’m very proud of you.

We just need the other areas of the world to catch on… In the meantime, I’ll keep my face mask on 😉