It's no secret that smoking is unhealthy. Let's be honest, the anti-smoking ads we see on T.V. are downright scary. Many of us have lost someone close to us from lung cancer. Okay, smoking is bad. I get it, but are smokers bad as well?

Yesterday, a friend of mine and I stopped at a gas station to buy some drinks. He and I both live close by, so naturally, we see some familiar faces behind the counter. One employee in particular quietly smoked a cigarette by the dumpster. As gas began flowing into my car, my friend said, "I liked that guy. It's a shame he smokes. My entire opinion of him has changed."

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I thought it was an interesting comment. My friend was essentially associating smoking with being a bad person. I began to ponder this myself.

Is smoking morally wrong? Does the habit say something about one's character? Why would anyone choose to smoke knowing how harmful it is? You could say it's because modern smokers have low self control. Maybe smokers are more likely to indulge in hard drugs? You wouldn't want your kid around someone like that, would you?

Then there's second hand smoke. It's bad enough people poison themselves with cigarette smoke, but non smokers have to breathe it in as well.

Then I thought, I have known many smokers in my life. Many of them have been decent, caring people. Is it really possible that people smoke because they enjoy it? Maybe smoking doesn't say much about someone's character at all. Could it be possible that we have simply been trained to associate smoking with immorality by the government? What if stepping outside for a cigarette is nothing more than just that?

What do you think? Is my friend right to judge this man, or is he doing nothing wrong?

 

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