Just Say Goo

I am a smoker. smoke outside in my backyard. never in public, and not around other people. That is my choice, not because of any laws that have been passed. What pisses me off is the taxation of cigarettes and the hard time given to us smokers. Yes I know it is bad for me. Yes I know it is bad for you, so I dont smoke around you.

But what about you drinkers? Why can't you have a Joe Camel ad because they say it would influence children but budweiser was allowed to have the talking frogs and the lizards? How many people have died when hit in their vehicles by a smoker vs. a drunk driver? How many people are in therapy (or need to be) because of the terrible childhood they had because one of their parents (or both) SMOKED? How about DRANK?

How many women have had a date rape drug put in their cigarette vs their DRINK? How many people have gotten into fistfights at sporting events (or anywhere in public) because they SMOKED too much as opposed to DRANK too much? How many people acted violently because they were under the influence of nicotine vs. alcohol? How many men or women have had sex with someone that they otherwise wouldn't have had their judgement not been impaired by alcohol vs. cigarettes?

How many unwanted pregnancies can you attribute to the affects of alcohol vs. cigarettes? How many people lost their job, their family, and their friends because they are addicted to nicotine vs being an alcoholic? On cigarette packs the label warns of harm to a fetus if a pregnant woman smokes, where are the fetal alcohol syndrome warnings on a six pack?

How many people regret something or are embarrassed by something they did or said while smoking vs being drunk? I am not saying smoking is GOOD, I am just saying drinking is JUST AS BAD. It's time we stopped pointing the finger at tobacco and took a realistic view of alcohol as well.