Of Vices and Judgment

This morning, as I ran into the convenience store near my office for my morning caffeine and sugar fix, I passed a woman madly scratching at the cellophane on her cigarette package. Her shaking hands and desperate look clearly advertising her nicotine jones. Then I noticed that part of the reason she was having so much trouble opening the smokes, was that she was pulling an oxygen tank behind her at the same time. When I came out of the store, she was happily puffing away, blissfully ignoring the tubes in her nose and the "flammable" sticker on the tank. I have to admit, as I hurried away from the potential explosion, I shook my head in wonderment.

Wonderment and judgment.

But as I took a big sip of my Dr. Pepper (my caffeine and sugar of choice), I wondered what right I had to pass judgment on her.

Yes, her vice is obviously killing her, and non-smokers, which I am by the way, are quick to ask "Why don't you just quit?" To which I imagine she might answer "Gee, why didn't I think of that?" Clearly, it is not that easy.

We all have our vices. For example, the aforementioned caffeine and sugar. As a nonsmoker, I admit that I sometimes forget that. I wonder if I would be able to give up my vices if someone told me I had to...if they were killing me? In fact, since I am overweight and diabetes runs in my family, it is quite possible that the sugar, at least, is killing me...just slower than that woman's cigarettes, perhaps. And I know this...I do. But have I stopped? Uhm...no. So how am I any different than that woman? How am I in any position to judge her?

My home state has been lately showing these commercials about the dangers of second hand smoke. I know, that is an old story, and the major difference between my vice and hers...mine will kill me, hers may kill us both. But that is not the point. This particular commercial has been targeting the second hand smoke you don't know exists...the smoke that comes through apartment vents from neighboring apartments. This commercial goes hand in hand with the proposed idea that my home state become entirely smoke-free.

My state has already outlawed smoking in the workplace, in restaurants and bars, basically in public period, and now they are trying to get people on the bandwagon to outlaw it in people's homes as well?

I am a nonsmoker, and as such, I truly appreciate being able to go to a restaurant and eat my dinner without smelling some one's cigarette. But to tell someone they cannot smoke in the privacy of their own home? That is a line I will not cross.

What is next? Alcohol? Because drunk driving kills people just as effectively as second hand smoke, and outlawing "driving" drunk does not seem to have eliminated it, so maybe we should outlaw the "drunk" altogether? Not even in the privacy of your own home, because who knows if in your drunken state you will get the urge for a burrito at 2:00am (not that I have ever done that or anything). I'm telling you, this is one step away from prohibition.

And then what? Once cigarettes and alcohol are gone, do you think these people will be content? NO! Then it will be fast food and pastries and ice cream. Then meat. After that they will tell us that television is wasting our minds, and that we should only be allowed to watch educational programming. And sex...sex should only be for procreation, so if you're not trying to conceive, keep your pants on. Oh, and by the way...missionary style only, thank you.

These kind of lifestyle judgments should be reserved for severely offensive and harmful activities only, like pedophilia, rape, spousal abuse, child abuse and the like. I hardly think smoking belongs in this category. And if it does, well then why not drinking, eating, television watching and consensual adult sex?

Is this really the land of the free, when we are trying to pass laws like this? I have to wonder.