Puff Puff

Today's Topic: The Smokers Culture

Who knew that a little white rolled up stick of tobacco inhaled by millions everyday could have control over people's lives. Cigarettes and tobacco has been around for centuries but has had a complete revolution of cool. It used to be a sign of awesome, all the actors in the movies smoked and all the icons of the world would be more than willing to pose with a cigarette in their mouth. Everyone needed to do it. But at some point, the clouds of smoke made things hazy and someone decided that smoking was no longer cool. It was on that day that Joe Camel became Joe Chemo. The cigarette became the sin stick. The surgeon general stepped in and plastered the packages with horrific images and sad looking children. All at once, smoking was no longer cool. Everyone needed to butt out.

That cloud that the smokers culture puffed out everyday was viewed as an outcast, a taboo and a "dirty little habit." Some smokers say it's just the habit of having something in your hand. It's the motion of smoking that gets you addicted, not the ingredients in the cigarettes themselves. Others will argue that it's the stereotypical 9-5 'ers who need that smoking break to escape the office and cubicles they work in. Some would say that they do it to fit in, that smoking still can be cool depending on the people you are around. Others just don't care. And when someone says, "Didn't you know that smoking can kill you?" their response would be something along the lines of "So can getting hit by a bus" or "We're all going to die anyway."

Myself, I'm interested in the generation divide, how people young and old are still picking up cigarettes. For some, it starts in high school, kids sneaking cigarettes from their parents or getting their older siblings to buy them from the corner store. If you grow up in a house filled with smoke or your parents are smokers, chances are that it becomes more socially acceptable for you to join in. I often wonder when people buy cigarettes if they ever do look at the labels and think about just exactly what they are inhaling into their bodies. I'm curious if smokers ACTUALLY like what they are inhaling. Does it taste good? Is it that calming to your nerves? I think I need a smoker in the culture to explain this to me. Is it more addiction that anything? But if you don't like it, and it doesn't "taste" good, then why do it? Is it that impossible to quit? Is it actually that soothing? By no means am I trying to be rude, I'm just ignorant to the fact that I just don't understand it.

Tobacco is still a billion dollar industry and people still make a living being tobacco farmers worldwide. It's an industry just like any other, creating jobs for people to support one another. The tobacco farmers have their devoted smokers to thank for giving them such deep pockets. Does it not seem ludicrous to then turn around and plaster warnings on packages to warn people about the dangers of smoking? Yes, science has proven that cigarettes kill people and yes science has proven that cigarettes can cause cancer. But alcohol causes death, where are the warnings on those bottles? Does it not seem just as plausible to post pictures of wrecked cars from people who drank too much whiskey, decided to then drive a car after that and ruin their lives or the lives of others? What about fresh produce? Does it not seem just as plausible to make posters in groceries stores that say, "Just so you know shoppers, these heads of lettuce might have been sprayed by cancer causing chemicals to make sure there are no bugs in your food. Eat at your own risk." I really don't think I'm being irrational. Hopefully you can see where I'm going with this.

Maybe smoking gets such a bad rep because it's not convenient. When it's -25 outside in blowing winds, you can still see the cool puff of cigarettes going on around you and you look at the people and think one of two things: 1. That is just crazy or 2. Those people are so sad. I don't smoke cigarettes. I have smoked cigars but I've never puffed on anything else. So my question is simple, why does smoking get so much negative attention compared to any other habit that human beings have? Why so much hate? Is it because of all the lethal ingredients that are found in the sin sticks? Is it because when you tell someone they "shouldn't do something" that they are more likely to do it anyway, thus creating more wealth for cigarette companies worldwide?

I can't find a reasoning for some of this logic. But I guess talking about at least gets me thinking that smokers really are shunned by a lot of people in society. Personally, I will tell you one thing that drives me absolutely insane about smokers. I find it incredibly annoying when two people are standing outside, they approach me and ask if I have a lighter. Just a thought, but if you have habit like smoking, and you are spending that much money on cigarettes, wouldn't it just make SENSE to put a lighter in your pocket or purse, knowing that at some point you are going to light up a cigarette? Instead of relying on the general population to help feed you your habit? Matches are free at a lot of restaurants folks and are pretty much readily available at every gas station in the world. And after I say no I don't have a lighter, don't re-question me by saying, "Are you sure you don't?" Ridiculous.

There are many things I won't ever understand about people who smoke, but there are just as many arguments that support my reasoing to make me think that smokers get an unnecessary amount of negative attention towards them. Don't try to read into it people. Don't pass judgment. And to all the experts on offering your suggestion on how to quit smoking, honestly, just let them be. People quit things on their own terms, not because they need to be forced to do something. Remember, it's a habit, a culture and a way of life for many.

Pour me another

Today's Topic: Alcohol Culture

The pint, the bubbly, the fizz, the booze. Getting tipsy, getting hammered, getting tanked, getting wasted, getting annihilated, getting sh*tfaced, getting f*cked, getting drunk. The most common denominator of all social gatherings. As Homer Simpson once put it, Alcohol can be the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems. Yes, getting that liquid courage at the bar to talk to that cute girl is an ego booster. Some say that Jack Daniels real name is actually John...if you know him well enough. The wine-os in the crowd will tell you that class is the mask underneath the bottle.

We all experience it, especially in this day and age. There are so many emotions mixed into the culture of alcohol. Anger, sadness, happiness, love, depression and a sense of self worth. All of these emotions play to our personality and the slip of our tongue. It's true what they say, you really find out a person's core when you get a few pints or shots into them. We all have our so called "kryptonite" in alcohol that makes us go wild and lose all intuition. For some, it's the gin or the rye. Maybe it's the wine or martini. Maybe even that golden tequila. Some types of alcohol just have our number. I find it fascinating to be a sober person at a bar or pub and watch how people interact with a drink in their hand. The stereotypical jock picking up the hottie, the loud girl who hasn't had "girls night" in months, the one dude who has more drink on his shirt then in his glass, and the play it cool bar star who knows everyone.

It's almost as if you take on a new identity when you take a drink. People everywhere have their reason for drinking. Some say that alcohol becomes the ice breaker in getting to know your surroundings. It is the most frequently asked question: "Can I get you a drink?" A simple sign of courtesy. Who says no to that? Give me one good reason. If someone is polite enough to ask you, SAY YES. Even if the drink is just the water. Let me get you a drink is code for I want to have a conversation with you. Very rarely will someone just get someone a drink and then say "Okay... well, see ya!" The stories I could tell from the days at the bar would have you rolling on the floor laughing. We all have them. I love to get into some shenanigans and tom foolery when I get a few into me. Nothing extreme (usually) but those who know me, know I love to go out and party with two drinks in my hand. I don't do it often, but when I do, I do it like anything else in my life-all the way.

Our culture lives in a unique situation with alcohol. Unique in the fact that you have to be nineteen to do it legally and twenty-one in the united states. I remember so many people always arguing about the legal age, why it is so high. The answer- we punish ourselves with alcohol. Nine times out of ten, we don't drink just for the sake of drinking. We drink to drink. We drink to party. We drink to take the edge off. No matter how you look at it, it is dangerous in what we are doing to our bodies. In a place like Europe, the legal drinking age is in the teens. It's a whole different world across the sea. Most people don't get why you can buy a beer out of a vending machine. It's because people over there are brought up on alcohol. Parents sit down, have a glass of wine with their kids and enjoy food with their beverage. Sip vodka and eat bread. Sip vodka and eat handfuls of almonds and nuts. For North Americans, most would just love to have an intervenes tube hooked into us, as to not delay the inevitable of being drunk. Now I'm not saying ALL people go out and get completely wasted ALL the time. Even I don't do that. Some people just love to go out and dance or listen to live music, sipping on a beer or as the party animals put it "nursing" their drink. You know what, nothing wrong with that. Some people enjoy the gin and tonic with a good conversation. One or two is sufficient enough. Regardless of the drink, people always want the "cheap drink." In my opinion, I think that's mainly because we don't have a strong appreciation for alcohol. We don't care about the process, we just want the product. And we want it for as cheap as we can get it. Just remember that someone serving you is a cost in itself. Include that in the drink next time you order. Remember that alcohol is a service being rendered. I am currently taking my bar tending course to get my mixology degree and I am amazed at my new found appreciation for alcohol. Bartenders who get schooling on this stuff discover not only what mixes well with what, but why it does. Learning the fine art of alcohol is pretty invigorating. When you learn about what alcohol actually is and why we consume it, it becomes a whole new game to play.

It's everywhere. On every street corner, in every home, on the radio, the billboards, the t.v, you can't deny or hide from it. I think the important thing to keep in mind with alcohol is that yes, it is a drug. Know the limit of how much you put into your system. Also, try not to drink alone. It's just common sense that beer tastes so much better when you have someone to drink it with. We all have that memory (or lack of) of that one night when it got the best of us. Or we look back on the best times with friends to the nights we don't remember. The poison just tastes so good, that we do it all over again.

Raise your glass and propose a toast.