by Lynn Edwards

Created on: June 18, 2008   Last Updated: May 01, 2012

Smoker's rights? Isn't that the epitome of an oxymoron in this day and age. After all, your ears can be assaulted by complete strangers shouting into their cell phones within a half a pace of you, or somebody's car stereo can vibrate your subcompact trapped at a red light in the next lane, and someone else's screaming brat must never be told to behave in public, but if your acrid smoke offends anyone else's sensitive nose you're ostracized from society. You must furtively indulge in your filthy habit in privacy, if you can find any. With government buildings, movie theaters, restaurants and bars all folding under government pressure, there aren't many places left. A pair of legal bigots even attempted to sue a woman for damages because she was enjoying this legal substance in the privacy of her own apartment.

It should come as no surprise that a country which gave the world a need for deodorant, mouthwash and vaginal spray would be the one that would spearhead the effort to eliminate the tell tale odor of tobacco. The fact that it's the very same country that introduced the world to the plant is ironic, especially since tobacco continues to be subsidized by its government. Still, what is even worse, is the fact that such a blatant act of suppression is being practiced by a government that prides itself on Freedom.

So, why haven't smokers risen up and fought for their constitutionally guaranteed right to the pursuit of happiness? Because nicotine stimulates the pleasure center of the brain, and happy people don't make a fuss. Advertisements be damned, we would rather quit than fight, or at least find a place to ourselves while we indulge in a hortatory smoke.

There is no way that smokers reduce air quality to the degree that automobiles do. Given the choice, would you rather spend some time in a smoke-filled room or closed garage with the car running? But carbon monoxide is odorless, and no American is ever going to be parted from his automobile willingly. Yet, there's been legislation proposed making it illegal for someone to smoke in a car when there are children present.

With more and more people, the world is becoming a dirtier place, and smokers have become its first scapegoats. The easily influenced quit first when the health risks of smoking became heavily advertised. Then the health costs of smoking were touted to coerce more people, even though with smokers' early deaths actually put less of a strain on health care costs than healthy people do. Finally, it's the danger to future generations; the ultimate emotional button that is being pushed. The same spin doctors who enticed people to light up have switched sides, and about 20% of the American public isn't buying it because it wasn't the ads that made them start smoking but the pleasure they found in tobacco.

If you missed it the first time, nicotine stimulates the brain. Watch old movies that were made when this country was really speeding into the modern age. Almost everyone was smoking. Now, you can always tell who the bad guy because he flicks a Bic and puffs. In a totalitarian state, historically, the first victims are the intellectuals. As of now, all that remains to smokers is the right to remain silent and hire an attorney.

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