THERE is nothing more distasteful or disappointing than being in a restaurant and preparing to enjoy a pleasant evening with a pleasant meal when someone behind you lights up a cigarette, sending clouds of smoke floating over your table. Or standing in line when the person behind you has a cigarette in his mouth and is blowing smoke in your direction. Or entering an office and finding an employee smoking. Non-smokers have a hard time keeping away from smokers since one out of four people smoke. Whether in public places or in the homes of friends and family, smokers seem to find a way into our lives. Unfortunately, many smokers seem oblivious to non-smoker’s looks and pleas urging them not to smoke in their presence.
A friend told me a story about his experience when going for an interview with a prestigious company. When he was called into the manager’s office, he was invited to sit down and they began to discuss my friend’s qualifications. My friend was stunned when the manager lit a cigarette and blew smoke in his direction. A few days later, the company called him and offered him a job but he turned it down. He had been thoroughly disgusted and upset by the fact that during a formal interview with a large well-known company, the interviewee smoked. Such behavior was not only disrespectful and unprofessional, it was also harmful to the health of both the smoker and non-smoker.
Speaking of harming non-smokers’ health, I saw at a red light the other day a man and his family in their car. Two older children were in the rear and his wife was holding a baby in her arms. The man proceeded to light a cigarette and began puffing away. What was all the more disturbing was that he made no effort to crack the window so the smoke could escape. I felt sorry for the three children in the car. Seeing this I thought to myself, isn’t it our job as parents to see that our children are taken care of and make sure they are safe? Surely all parents must have heard of the dangers of secondhand smoke and its health risks to children.
According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), over 700 million children around the world are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke. Each year in the United States alone, the American Heart Association estimates there are 150,000 to 300,000 cases of infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia in infants and children under 18 months of age; the cause is secondhand smoke and the infections result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations.
A few weeks ago, I overheard a woman talking about one of her neighbors. She said that the man was a heavy smoker in the presence of his wife and children. When his wife became pregnant, he made no changes in his habits. He smoked both inside and outside the home, exposing his wife and their unborn child to serious health risks. The baby was born prematurely and had other health problems. It is very possible that the man’s heavy smoking may have contributed to the child’s physical condition. And the worse thing of all is that the man was not only a doctor but a pediatrician! Surely he knew better!
Rules prohibiting people from smoking in certain places must be followed and enforced. People who smoke should consider the feelings and health of non-smokers. Because of the well-publicized dangers and hazards of smoking, I do not think smokers should be surprised if people ask them not to smoke. After all, it is our health as well as theirs.