Smoking Jacket by Fiona Carswell

I loooooove to smoke, but rarely do (maybe 2 or 3 cigarettes a month) because I'm scared to death of the health risks and because the instant I'm finished with a cigarette I hate the way I smell, my mouth tastes, and how I can't get the stench off my hands. Despite all that, I still love to light up.

I hear everyone screaming about democracy and that smokers should have a right to smoke. Well, I won't argue that they do have a right to smoke. But in a public place it shouldn't be allowed.

I'm an asthmatic - a very severe one. I'm dependent on inhalers and oxygen to live and the only thing that triggers an attack is smoke. That includes smoke drifting from an extinguished candle, so you can imagine what getting caught by a smoker standing on the sidewalk could do to me. Now, normally if I can't avoid the smoker (say we're line together, or we're both waiting for a bus) I just approach and ask nicely, explaining my situation and showing them all the gear I have to carry. I've never met a smoker in public who wasn't kind enough to stop or move to another place once they understood that for me, that second hand smoke was potentially fatal. I wish I was being overly dramatic about it, but I'm not. The recent firestorms here in San Diego put me in the hospital due to the smoke and ash in the air.

So, you talk about freedom and democracy - but what about my right to live? Does a smoker have the right to risk my life because of their addiction? The Constitution doesn't specifically state that smoking is a protected right, but it does guarantee me the right to life.

or you could just not blow smoke in people's faces. that seems to be the easiest solution. who does that anyway?

as for the whole banning smoking thing, it should clearly be up to private establishments as to whether or not they will allow smoking. if you don't like a restaurant's policy, you *gasp* don't patronize their business. seems pretty simple to me.

the smoke containment idea is neat, but I'd bet that a lot of smokers wouldn't care. and the ones who WOULD care enough to have such a jacket would probably be put off / offended by the whole lung thing.

I'm amused at the jacket desiner. Kind of an arrogant thing to make. "think makes smokers less annoying AND makes them bear a 'scarlet letter'."

I have got to get me one of those!

And then ask my friends to smell my neck.