291 – Paper Lungs

291 – Paper Lungs

I absolutely love the school’s initiative for a tobacco-free campus. I had more than enough allergic attacks while I was a student, and I’m glad that other people in my situation won’t have to suffer the same problems.

… That is, until they step immediately off campus.

I had nine attacks over two days last week. (That is entirely abnormal.) I can no longer stay in Pizza Bella for longer than ten minutes because of the smokers *right next to the open doorway.* My best friend’s 21st birthday bash ended early when somebody lit up next to me and I was dragged out unable to breathe. I bolt between buildings now to prevent ending up on the ground, helpless (which is even more of a problem downtown).  And don’t get me started on what happened to a close friend of mine last year. Nobody deserves that. Nobody.

Cigarette allergies do exist and are serious. I don’t expect the world to suddenly stop smoking, but it’d be super special awesome if it stopped to think before it lit up right next to someone else. You could seriously kill someone with one puff.

… okay, I’m done ranting.

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Discussion (15)¬

  1. Sean says:

    Oh, thank god!
    Somebody else T_T
    Being allergic to tobacco smoke sucks so much, I feel your pain D :

  2. Dragonson says:

    One word: Astma. 🙁

  3. Beth says:

    Oh man, I wish my campus was smoke free. Granted, I’ve been here long enough to see the school go smoke-free in the dorms, but I’d love it if the whole place went smoke free – when I lived in the dorms, I had a room right by one of the exits, and people would stand under my window and smoke, and I’d just wheeze all day. :/

  4. randomthought says:

    @beth
    ever try water balloons to “motivate” them to go somewhere else?
    don’t really know if it will actually work but odds are they will avoid that area if it does work.
    but in my opinion there are too many idiots that can’t get that its bad for people to inhale the junk that is put in cigarettes and think that it will make them seem cool. to be honest I think anyone who smokes is a few cards short of a full deck or easily manipulated into doing stupid crap to be part of the “in” crowd.(only thing in about them is the foot they have in their graves). i don’t honestly like smokers and anyone who manipulates people into smoking for giggles. i’ll tolerate them but if i had a hit list most of the time the manipulating assholes would be at the top of the list.
    end of line

  5. MrGBH says:

    I know her pain well. Okay, so I’m not so much allergic as have incredibly sensitive lungs (I’m not allowed to work in an office because of them (Methane build-up from computers and other electronics)) but absolutely everywhere you go in England you run across this problem.
    It’s particularly bad because I use the train and when going home I have to wait for the gates on the crossing to rise. It seems almost everybody around me simultaneously lights up. And I can’t escape! I’ve gotten into the habit of holding my breath whenever I leave a building.

  6. featherbrain says:

    I know people with asthma, and people with tobacco addictions. Honestly, many people with asthma find it worse for people to chew tobacco than smoke it, because chewing it is GROSS!

  7. Domo says:

    We should build a giant superhero with metal lungs to go around the world and inhale all the cigarette smoke

  8. fangrider says:

    @ domo YES!

  9. Nick says:

    Domo, again I agree with you. You are a genious.

    Smoketorn!

  10. Ursinos says:

    The sad thing is, I’ve seen smokers leaning up against a freaking “no smoking” sign, and light up as if it didn’t really matter. Every bus shelter in my city, for example, has “no smoking” signs all over them, yet I don’t go a week without seeing some arsehat leaning up against the glass and puffing merrily away!

    I’m not really allergic, but the smell of cigarette smoke makes me nauseous (and it’s only cigarette smoke. Pipe or cigar tobacco doesn’t do it unless I happen to be eating at the time), so I feel for you.

  11. Aust says:

    I feel the pain! I too suffer from asthma. Of course, I kind of just had to get used to not being able to breathe well, since I grew up in a community that burned a lot of wood for heat in the winter. Yeah, winter was not a good season for me back there. It’s better now that I’m out of the Appalachians, and in a more modern place where they use electric/gas heating instead.

    Heh, one lady noticed that I hold my breath around people who smoke, and got all offended, said that I was treating her like a leper or something. I just replied, “Look, lady, you’re free to poison your body and make yourself look old, but I don’t want any of that crap in me. You got a problem with my methods of preventing second-hand smoking, then shove ’em up yer…”

    Well, you get the idea.

  12. drmike says:

    I would think most campus cops would consider water balloons assault. Not like most of them have a sense of humor.

  13. JZ says:

    You think that’s foolish? My daughter has asthma. She took up smoking (for no apparent reason, me and my wife both avoid the stuff out of common sense) and makes no attempt to quit in spite of at least one emergency room visit.

  14. Joseph says:

    I’m pretty sure smokers don’t care whether it blows onto campus. They’re simply obeying the letter of the law by just barely leaving campus.

  15. xXDarkWolfXx says:

    im not allergic to cigarettes im just allergic to anything that could put to much strain on my lungs, which means smoking as well as running, biking, and anything to terribly physical. Asthma is a friend to gamers and enemy to outdoorsy people

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