A few weeks ago, I became part of a team to clean up some of the major roadways in the town of Sterlington, LA in preparation for our state's "Cleanest City" competition. At first I gathered the more visible pieces of refuse with my handy little pincher device. But after some time, the perfectionist in me surfaced and I found myself ditching the grabber and employing my own God-given digits to scrape up the smaller items most of the team was missing. Now I KNOW it seems anal to go after the little brown cigarette butts that nobody driving by would see anyway, but somebody had to as most of them were visible.
Well, after bending down and back up about 300 times, I began to count the butts I was picking up. By this time, we'd probably gone about halfway to our goal, and I still got to 500 easily, so I know I must have picked up about a thousand.
The next day, the soreness in my lower back was a constant reminder of how inconsiderate some people can be. It's one thing to be careless with your clutter, and have a strong gust blow papers out of an open window. And many of us would have to admit that our kids have experimented with tossing a twinkie wrapper out the window. Accidents happen, kids have to learn! But cigarette butts? Grown adults who KNOW better flick those around without any regard for others. Even around my very own business, I've had clients toss them to the ground by my car, looking me square in the eye. And since there are restaurants around my location, at least once a week I get the pleasure of watching some old cowpoke clean out his bottom lip and flick the dung-like scrapings out onto the walkway for some unsuspecting child to pick up or track through. Cigarette butts take up to 10 years to decompose, and smokers on planet Earth go through about 5 trillion of them a year! (About 2 billion pounds worth, that's a big butt problem!)
But just like anything else, what we see on the surface is telling of a much deeper issue. A thief. A killer. A life taker. An impoverishing leach. I'm all about keeping the cart behind the horse, pulling up a weed by the very lowest nurturing roots, you get the idea. So I decided to get down to the vitals of the problem instead of griping about the symptoms. Attack the affect and the effect will follow, right?
First of all, smoking is deadly. Because tobacco is such a slow killer, there are many who continue doing it because they don't see the negative effects immediately. You can say what you want but smoking is the leading cause of death in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) half of those smoking today will die from a disease caused by their habit. Even now 443,000 people die each year in the U.S. due to illnesses related to their tobacco use. If you add it all up, smoking kills more annually than alcohol, car wrecks, suicide, AIDS, homicide and all illegal drugs COMBINED. That's half a million people a year almost! It's no surprise when you consider that all eleven "Class 1" carcenogens (those proven to cause cancer directly in humans) are in tobacco-plus about 50 others.
When I've confronted loved ones about their smoking and it's health risks, they have casually said, "Oh I won't get LUNG CANCER." Okay, so what about: larynx (voice box),oral cavity (mouth, tongue, and lips), pharynx (throat), esophagus (tube connecting the throat to the stomach), stomach, pancreas, cervix, kidney, bladder cancers and acute myeloid leukemia? Those are the other types of cancers that smoking is responsible for. You see, smoking is attributed to 90% of all lung cancer deaths, but some 30% of other cancers could be avoided if people would just quit smoking!
So how about those excuses? Being from a family that smoked, I've heard them all. Sure quitting is hard, no doubt about it. But which is harder? Hooking up to a feeding tube twice a day? Dialysis every week? Using a colostomy bag and catheters? Having 5 months to live, and not being able to live-like-you-were-dying because you need an oxygen tank to breathe? If you detect harshness in my tone, it's not because I am insensitive to those with cancer, but rather I'm frustrated with the apathy of those who won't take responsibility for their actions. Smokers shorten their lifespans by an average of 14 years. (73-14=59) Smoking is deadly.
Smoking is also costly! How much would you guess an average person spends a year on stogies? Well, at $5 a pack, 2.5 packs per week, it's about $1000 per year. But what about the additional costs? Now I know what a smoker might think. "Oh, I don't spend near that much on mine. Besides, you're just going to exaggerate the bill to prove your point!" I'll be very conservative.
Well, after bending down and back up about 300 times, I began to count the butts I was picking up. By this time, we'd probably gone about halfway to our goal, and I still got to 500 easily, so I know I must have picked up about a thousand.
The next day, the soreness in my lower back was a constant reminder of how inconsiderate some people can be. It's one thing to be careless with your clutter, and have a strong gust blow papers out of an open window. And many of us would have to admit that our kids have experimented with tossing a twinkie wrapper out the window. Accidents happen, kids have to learn! But cigarette butts? Grown adults who KNOW better flick those around without any regard for others. Even around my very own business, I've had clients toss them to the ground by my car, looking me square in the eye. And since there are restaurants around my location, at least once a week I get the pleasure of watching some old cowpoke clean out his bottom lip and flick the dung-like scrapings out onto the walkway for some unsuspecting child to pick up or track through. Cigarette butts take up to 10 years to decompose, and smokers on planet Earth go through about 5 trillion of them a year! (About 2 billion pounds worth, that's a big butt problem!)
But just like anything else, what we see on the surface is telling of a much deeper issue. A thief. A killer. A life taker. An impoverishing leach. I'm all about keeping the cart behind the horse, pulling up a weed by the very lowest nurturing roots, you get the idea. So I decided to get down to the vitals of the problem instead of griping about the symptoms. Attack the affect and the effect will follow, right?
First of all, smoking is deadly. Because tobacco is such a slow killer, there are many who continue doing it because they don't see the negative effects immediately. You can say what you want but smoking is the leading cause of death in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) half of those smoking today will die from a disease caused by their habit. Even now 443,000 people die each year in the U.S. due to illnesses related to their tobacco use. If you add it all up, smoking kills more annually than alcohol, car wrecks, suicide, AIDS, homicide and all illegal drugs COMBINED. That's half a million people a year almost! It's no surprise when you consider that all eleven "Class 1" carcenogens (those proven to cause cancer directly in humans) are in tobacco-plus about 50 others.
When I've confronted loved ones about their smoking and it's health risks, they have casually said, "Oh I won't get LUNG CANCER." Okay, so what about: larynx (voice box),oral cavity (mouth, tongue, and lips), pharynx (throat), esophagus (tube connecting the throat to the stomach), stomach, pancreas, cervix, kidney, bladder cancers and acute myeloid leukemia? Those are the other types of cancers that smoking is responsible for. You see, smoking is attributed to 90% of all lung cancer deaths, but some 30% of other cancers could be avoided if people would just quit smoking!
So how about those excuses? Being from a family that smoked, I've heard them all. Sure quitting is hard, no doubt about it. But which is harder? Hooking up to a feeding tube twice a day? Dialysis every week? Using a colostomy bag and catheters? Having 5 months to live, and not being able to live-like-you-were-dying because you need an oxygen tank to breathe? If you detect harshness in my tone, it's not because I am insensitive to those with cancer, but rather I'm frustrated with the apathy of those who won't take responsibility for their actions. Smokers shorten their lifespans by an average of 14 years. (73-14=59) Smoking is deadly.
Smoking is also costly! How much would you guess an average person spends a year on stogies? Well, at $5 a pack, 2.5 packs per week, it's about $1000 per year. But what about the additional costs? Now I know what a smoker might think. "Oh, I don't spend near that much on mine. Besides, you're just going to exaggerate the bill to prove your point!" I'll be very conservative.
Let's take a guy--we'll call him Bill--he's 40 years old, and has been smoking the last 15 years. He sees his friend's brother die suddenly of a heart problem, so he thinks like most of us would...better stock up on life insurance! Now Bill's friend Phil is in the same health, of the same age, but he doesn't smoke. His policy is about $55 per month. Bill's will be about $160. (That's over $2000 per year.) Something tells me Bill won't be buying any life insurance, and his family will have more of a plight if he does pass early.
Shocked by the higher figure, he asks his friend to allow him to compare some other costs, so they get their budgets out and hold them up. What Bill finds are other areas where he is spending more, mostly medical. Those medical bills from last year between dental, routine check-ups, getting sick a few more times than Phil, and his overall cost of health plans topped Phil's by $940. Not only that, Phil's car and homeowners insurance were discounted due to lower risk classification by $180/year (discounts which Bill never got). Bill also noticed that Phil was spending less on clothing every year, about $400 compared to Bill's $800. When he asked Phil about that item, he was surprised to discover that Phil is able to keep clothes looking good for 3-5 years. Bill is lucky to get 2 years out of a shirt, due to the smell and dinginess that his articles pick up.
After their "budget" conversation, Bill also uncovers some intangible costs like... 1) Bill has lived in an older stale-smelling home longer than he'd like. He wanted to have it painted and sell it, but a professional renovation of walls, ceilings and carpets would cost thousands. Phil had moved the year before with just minimal upgrades to his home and gotten right at appraised value. 2) Last year Bill had sold his car and he had to take about $500 less than he thought it was worth due to the smoke smell, ash tray use and a dingy hue inside. (It's no wonder he thumps his butts out the window, he can't stand them either!) 3) Phil has gotten 3 promotions in the last 10 years, and makes about 20% more than Bill does.
I checked out costofsmoking.com and csgnetwork.com/smokingcostcalc.html and figured Bill's total annual cost of smoking at $4188/year. Now for a little investment hypothetical. What if, instead of smoking, he'd put his smoking-money into his 401K and earned 8% over the last 15 years in mutual funds? He'd only have about $114K directly from his smoking money today. But since he's only 40, if he continued saving this way until age 65 he'd have $1,080,045. Not bad considering his investment only cost him $167,520 over 40 years (or about $349/month). And he should have a normal lifespan to enjoy it!
So why, with such astounding facts and figures, would anyone smoke? Let's face it, if you are a smoker reading this right now, you're probably not going to quit cold turkey (or cold salami or anything else)! Nicotine is about as addictive as heroine, cocaine or alcohol. But nobody says they liked the taste of their first cigarette. (I can attest to this, having been a wannabe smoker in Jr. High, then shucking it upon getting sick repeatedly.) Most of the addictive part is a learned psychological connection that comes with time, peer pressure, guilt, sickness, countless struggles to quit, and eventually resignation from any hope of quitting. The pleasures connected to smoking are slowly but deeply branded into a smokers psyche, and then confused and interlinked with other qualities until it becomes "part of them."
Now I'm no shrink, but it seems logical that something that has such a psychological impact on a person would be abused by those with more psycho-emotional needs. This issue is too obese to tackle inside an article even twice this size, but suffice it to say that nicotine is an anti-depressant. Those who are clinically depressed are twice as likely to be smokers, and those with schizophrenia or acute psychosis are even more likely to use tobacco.
Wouldn't you agree that smokers embrace smoking because they are self-medicating an internal pain? I'm not speaking of severe clinical depression, but rather general melancholy that we all go through at stages in life. If I have the worst day I could possibly imagine, my first choice upon coming home is NOT to do anything responsible, but to INDULGE. Give me ice cream, chocolate, a movie with buttered popcorn, a book and some quiet. Don't talk to me about bills or yardwork or kids or anything that smacks of what I must do. I DESERVE A BREAK. I'M CHECKING OUT! We all do this to some extent, but smokers opt to SMOKE instead.
So let's get on the horse and ride. One in four Americans are smokers, and the averages are higher among adolescents and youths than those over 50. Surely our nation's health care costs would be lower if we reduced the amount of smokers to--say 10%. This doesn't happen in a government program. It happens right there in your home starting with you!
If you don't smoke, surely you have a loved one who does. Talk to them. Use the information found in the websites below to encourage them in love. No need to beat them over the head. You don't have to be rude to be honest, but you also don't have to be weak and negligent. Keep yourself educated of the problems smoking causes, and be consistent in reminding them. Your kind perseverance will pay off.
If you are a longtime smoker, take small steps to quit. Be patient with yourself, as it took years to build your addiction. While you strive to improve, destress your life. Stress and anxiety will cause you to recycle in depression, compelling you to pick up your old habits again. Get rid of any extra baggage of activities that cause you to freak out. (Have a friend or spouse balance your checkbook, for example.)
Free yourself from people who cause themselves (and you) more problems than they resolve. These are the ones my Pastor, Bill Dye, calls "strugglers"--those who never seem to get ahead because they create more problems than they can get out of. They're always late for work, behind on payments, and needing to borrow 5 bucks so they can temporarily forget their problems with some Marlboro Lights. Surround yourself with nonsmokers, and the people you see as being disciplined and in control of their lives. (Rather than controlled by their surroundings.)
Be very clear and intentional about who you want to be and become that person! Distract yourself with positive activities. Take on a new recreational hobby like raquetball or skating. (This also bodes well with making new friends.) It'll be a rough few weeks from the early withdrawals, so you'll need to be busy with fun things that can help draw your attention away from the obvious pangs.
If we all do our part, and convert one or two smokers, the world will be a cleaner, healthier, happier place. Don't you think?
Shocked by the higher figure, he asks his friend to allow him to compare some other costs, so they get their budgets out and hold them up. What Bill finds are other areas where he is spending more, mostly medical. Those medical bills from last year between dental, routine check-ups, getting sick a few more times than Phil, and his overall cost of health plans topped Phil's by $940. Not only that, Phil's car and homeowners insurance were discounted due to lower risk classification by $180/year (discounts which Bill never got). Bill also noticed that Phil was spending less on clothing every year, about $400 compared to Bill's $800. When he asked Phil about that item, he was surprised to discover that Phil is able to keep clothes looking good for 3-5 years. Bill is lucky to get 2 years out of a shirt, due to the smell and dinginess that his articles pick up.
After their "budget" conversation, Bill also uncovers some intangible costs like... 1) Bill has lived in an older stale-smelling home longer than he'd like. He wanted to have it painted and sell it, but a professional renovation of walls, ceilings and carpets would cost thousands. Phil had moved the year before with just minimal upgrades to his home and gotten right at appraised value. 2) Last year Bill had sold his car and he had to take about $500 less than he thought it was worth due to the smoke smell, ash tray use and a dingy hue inside. (It's no wonder he thumps his butts out the window, he can't stand them either!) 3) Phil has gotten 3 promotions in the last 10 years, and makes about 20% more than Bill does.
I checked out costofsmoking.com and csgnetwork.com/smokingcostcalc.html and figured Bill's total annual cost of smoking at $4188/year. Now for a little investment hypothetical. What if, instead of smoking, he'd put his smoking-money into his 401K and earned 8% over the last 15 years in mutual funds? He'd only have about $114K directly from his smoking money today. But since he's only 40, if he continued saving this way until age 65 he'd have $1,080,045. Not bad considering his investment only cost him $167,520 over 40 years (or about $349/month). And he should have a normal lifespan to enjoy it!
So why, with such astounding facts and figures, would anyone smoke? Let's face it, if you are a smoker reading this right now, you're probably not going to quit cold turkey (or cold salami or anything else)! Nicotine is about as addictive as heroine, cocaine or alcohol. But nobody says they liked the taste of their first cigarette. (I can attest to this, having been a wannabe smoker in Jr. High, then shucking it upon getting sick repeatedly.) Most of the addictive part is a learned psychological connection that comes with time, peer pressure, guilt, sickness, countless struggles to quit, and eventually resignation from any hope of quitting. The pleasures connected to smoking are slowly but deeply branded into a smokers psyche, and then confused and interlinked with other qualities until it becomes "part of them."
Now I'm no shrink, but it seems logical that something that has such a psychological impact on a person would be abused by those with more psycho-emotional needs. This issue is too obese to tackle inside an article even twice this size, but suffice it to say that nicotine is an anti-depressant. Those who are clinically depressed are twice as likely to be smokers, and those with schizophrenia or acute psychosis are even more likely to use tobacco.
Wouldn't you agree that smokers embrace smoking because they are self-medicating an internal pain? I'm not speaking of severe clinical depression, but rather general melancholy that we all go through at stages in life. If I have the worst day I could possibly imagine, my first choice upon coming home is NOT to do anything responsible, but to INDULGE. Give me ice cream, chocolate, a movie with buttered popcorn, a book and some quiet. Don't talk to me about bills or yardwork or kids or anything that smacks of what I must do. I DESERVE A BREAK. I'M CHECKING OUT! We all do this to some extent, but smokers opt to SMOKE instead.
So let's get on the horse and ride. One in four Americans are smokers, and the averages are higher among adolescents and youths than those over 50. Surely our nation's health care costs would be lower if we reduced the amount of smokers to--say 10%. This doesn't happen in a government program. It happens right there in your home starting with you!
If you don't smoke, surely you have a loved one who does. Talk to them. Use the information found in the websites below to encourage them in love. No need to beat them over the head. You don't have to be rude to be honest, but you also don't have to be weak and negligent. Keep yourself educated of the problems smoking causes, and be consistent in reminding them. Your kind perseverance will pay off.
If you are a longtime smoker, take small steps to quit. Be patient with yourself, as it took years to build your addiction. While you strive to improve, destress your life. Stress and anxiety will cause you to recycle in depression, compelling you to pick up your old habits again. Get rid of any extra baggage of activities that cause you to freak out. (Have a friend or spouse balance your checkbook, for example.)
Free yourself from people who cause themselves (and you) more problems than they resolve. These are the ones my Pastor, Bill Dye, calls "strugglers"--those who never seem to get ahead because they create more problems than they can get out of. They're always late for work, behind on payments, and needing to borrow 5 bucks so they can temporarily forget their problems with some Marlboro Lights. Surround yourself with nonsmokers, and the people you see as being disciplined and in control of their lives. (Rather than controlled by their surroundings.)
Be very clear and intentional about who you want to be and become that person! Distract yourself with positive activities. Take on a new recreational hobby like raquetball or skating. (This also bodes well with making new friends.) It'll be a rough few weeks from the early withdrawals, so you'll need to be busy with fun things that can help draw your attention away from the obvious pangs.
If we all do our part, and convert one or two smokers, the world will be a cleaner, healthier, happier place. Don't you think?
