Can't stop the smoke

In the little area I live in, we have a school. It's not very big, as evidenced by the fact that the elementary, middle, and high school are all one building, built on old farmland. The average graduating class is about 70-80 kids, and they are comprised of two full towns, plus the fringes of several others.

There aren't many people here.

So because of that, what little amount of businesses we have here we try to support, to keep our own little economy going. And we don't have much. One little market, and one market/diner, and an Agway (that is going out of business), really. At least in the heart of town.

For years kids have been crossing the street to the little diner for lunch once they've hit their Junior/Senior years of high school, provided their parents sign a waiver saying they can.

The school however for the last few years has been trying to stop this from happening so that kids can't go over there and smoke.

They went as far as trying to purchase the diner and get rid of it, to turn it into another of our many soccer fields. This was shot down by the community though, and the school was unable to purchase the property. Especially because above this diner are two apartments with people living in them.

So as of this month they finally found their way to stop it. They're just taking the privilege away, and claiming it's because the road is too busy. Which, let me assure you, it's not. The only death we ever had was when one kid stabbed another over a CD about 13 years or so ago.

The real reason is the smoking. They hate that kids can go over there, stand just off the parking lot on the grass, and smoke. And now by forbidding the kids from going over there, they're effectively killing probably half of the business the diner does.

But local economy aside, the point I'd like to make is that smokers are going to smoke. They have the D.A.R.E. program still, they teach about it in health class. Everyone knows that it's bad for you. But if a kid really wants a cigarette, they're going to find a way to have one.

If not at the diner, then they'll just go back to how they did it before they were allowed over there--by going to the graveyard that is right next to the school, hiding behind the caretaker shed, and smoking there.

It doesn't matter how much you teach people, how much you limit their privileges, and how much you threaten them. If they are going to do something, they're going to do it. Smoking is no different.

Kids have friends who will buy them cigarettes.
Contrary to popular believe, they do know what the consequences are health wise.
They're creative enough to find a way around the rules to smoke.
And if they want to, they will.

Would it be awesome if the world became smoker free? Yes. Is it? Absolutely not.

Lets face it, smoking really does help a lot of people relieve stress and anxiety. It's a calming thing, and so people are drawn towards it. I don't smoke myself, but both my parents do, and I have friends who are smokers. It doesn't make them any less intelligent, and they're not bad people.

So while we can preach to everyone we meet with a cigarette in their hand about how it's blackening their lungs with tar, and that they're sucking in fiberglass and rat poison; we're probably not going to change the fact that they are a smoker.

If you think about it though, why should we try changing the people? Smoking has existed for a long time, and when the Indians (Native Americans if you wish) were doing so it wasn't harmful to them.

Know why?

Because they were smoking tobacco. Pure, straight from the plant tobacco. No additives, no pesticides, just tobacco.

So maybe the issue isn't that we're smoking, but it's what we're smoking. Maybe someone should start manufacturing a cigarette that isn't full of harmful chemicals, and see what that does.

At least then the smokers can smoke something that's maybe not all that bad for them.

Because honestly, I don't think pipe smokers have the same issues as cigarette smokers. And I know marijuana smokers don't, minus the whole loosing brain cells thing.

The whole difference is in the processing of what they're smoking. That's it.

So I really think that we ought to do something to change what we can, which isn't the people.

We can change the cigarettes if we really want to. After all, we're making them.

You can't stop people from smoking. But at least you can make it less unhealthy for them.