Get Lung Cancer By Yourself

Smoking. That horrible, horrible activity which endangers the lives of all those around you. Smoking should be illegal. I don't mean to be insensitive to those who are awfully addicted and just can't go a day without smoking. No, I'm just trying to be sensitive to people like myself; people who love life, who want to live a smoke-free existence, who don't want to get lung cancer just because someone else can't get over his smoking addiction.

I was walking back to my dorm today and in front of me was a lady smoking, so I was getting every bit of it in my face. I tried to hold my breath so as not to inhale it, but my lungs were screaming and my brain was panicking. No! it was saying. Get out of here! Don't go near that stuff! It's poison! As soon as I got an opportunity, I scooted around the lady so that I was in front of her, so that I wasn't getting all her smoke that was drifting downwind from where she was coolly engaging her cigarette. But I knew I had already second-hand smoked. I could taste it. It was awful. And no amount of coughing could get rid of it.

When I was on Mach Hach Ba'aretz, the summer after tenth grade, I did the army program and I remember a good friend and I made up a song parody to "One Day More" from Les Miz the day before the army program was over. One part of it went like this:

One more day of air pollution
Get lung cancer by yourself
I will leave these smoking soldiers
'Cause I care about my health!

Yes, I am aware that people are addicted, that people try to break the addiction but they can't, it's hard, it's painful, and I'm sorry. But instead of catering to those who are addicted and allowing smoking to go on, how about catering to those who don't want their lives put in danger because of other people's stupidity? Because to begin smoking is stupid. Stupid. And I'm sorry, I want to live a good, long, healthy life. I don't want it to be marred by anything related to second-hand smoking.

Smoking should be illegal. I'm going to be harsh, but it is rude, it's obnoxious, it's selfish, and it's murder.