Believe me, I am in no way stating that I don't believe smoking is bad for you. Or even that being around smokers is bad for you.

It sounded like you might be questioning the latter (granted, there are different levels of "being around smokers" that would have a lot to do with how bad it is for you).

I was just saying that there are SOOO many things to worry about, second hand smoke is generally a lame excuse for telling someone what they can and can not do. I mean, based on that, we should not drive cars....

Now *I'm* going to go out on a limb here and say that this is a sentiment that I have heard a lot of smokers express, often relatively young smokers, *before* they start experiencing shortness of breath when pushing a gurney up a gentle incline, *before* they start having chronic colds and sinus infections , and *before* those chronic sinus problems mean that they can't breath through their nose at night so wake up 3-4 times a night from mouth breathing.

, for several reasons, they crash into things when not driven properly, they expel WAAAAAAY more noxious smoke than my cigarette does, they produce carbon monoxide, they add to noise pollution, air pollution, and water pollution, they drain the natural resources of our earth, ad nauseum. But there are very few people complaining about driving cars. I mean, for heavens sake, saccharin is known to cause cancer, but am I going to stop using it because of that?

IIRC, the juries on saccharin and aspartame are still out. I'm going to guess, though, that in 10 years if you are still using saccharin but you decide that it is bad for you, I think you'll be able to quit. Let's talk in 10 years about your tobacco addiction (or let's not!)

Basically, there is nothing in this world that is totally risk free, and if there was, it probably wouldn't be enjoyable anyway.

I agree. I don't think of myself as a killjoy prohibitionist type.

Basically what I'm saying is this: I know smoking is bad for me, but I choose to do it anyway.

This is indeed your choice.

If you don't like my smoke, don't stand near me,

Hey, I was sitting here first!!

but don't expect me to stop simply because you say to.

I don't think I'm saying that. In all honesty, I guess I'd have to say that I'd be OK with prohibiting you from seeing cigarette ads all over town and that it would be OK if the government increases cigarette taxes to pay for your future health care costs and to create an economic barrier to potential teenage smokers (and that you can't smoke in buildings where other folks are), but that's about it.

For the record, I don't intend to stop drinking, driving (not at the same time, don't get nervous) , walking across the street, talking on my cell, skydiving, scuba diving, swimming, surfing, drinking artificially flavored drinks, eating my twinkies with no expiration dates, listening to my music loud, or consuming polyunsaturated fats for fear of dying from it. Life is too short as it is to live in that kind of fear.

I don't want to read too much into the brief comment by jets (a smoker against smoking), but I'm guessing that those comments are coming from someone who has started to feel some of the negatives -- social, economic, health, whatever. You may be the exception, but otherwise I think the time is going to come (all of the qualifications about skydiving, drinking, etc aside) when you will really want to quit. That's just my guess.

I'll just do as I damn well please and let God handle the incidentals.

Hey, I worship the Big Blue Invisible Bunny, but I'm not sure I trust him with my health!

Watch those Twinkies!