I was walking the mutt, early yesterday morning, as I usually do.
Her morning walk is on a swathe of grass, just a few minutes away and we take a short-cut to it via an alleyway behind some houses.
As we walked toward the alley yesterday, I could hear voices, and as we turned into it, I found the passageway blocked by two 14 year-old boys, on their bikes, with their orange newspaper delivery bags slung around their necks. One held a packet of tobacco and some Rizlas, whilst the other was trying to roll a couple of fags.
As soon as they saw us, they stood aside to let us pass.
I said nothing as we squeezed through, but I gave them a most disparaging look.
I’ve always hated smoking. Hated it with a passion.
It has never appealed to me and I’ve always wondered what the appeal actually is, that makes someone want to start smoking.
It might have looked cool (to a degree) in the old days, but I don’t think anyone thinks that nowadays.
Back in the very old days, of course, people actually believe smoking could cure all manner of illnesses, but in these more enlightened times we know that is definitely not the case. In fact, it’s the reverse: smoking has been proven to be the cause of many an ailment.
Smoking Kills. It even says so on the packets!
And it smells. It makes your breath smell and it makes your clothes smell.
On top of all that, it costs a bloody fortune. I’m told a packet of twenty fags costs about ten quid, nowadays.
It really doesn’t have much going for it.
So, can someone tell me why the idiot youngsters of today still take it up?
The short answer is that they do not know any better(or just don’t care) as their parents probably smoke as well. It’s they same old story I guess. My mate smokes so it must be ok.
As for the price in the shops for genuine fags paper boys must be bloody well paid.
Mind you there is plenty of cheap baccy out there if they don’t mind taking an even bigger risk with their lives.
‘and yes I smoked for most of my working life but managed to kick it nearly 12 years ago. I think I had my first fag outside the senior school gates. You could buy a single fag from the shop next to the school.
I did wonder whether it might be peer pressure. But that still means youngsters are taking it up of their own volition.
Makes no sense to me. As Toyah said, it’s a mystery.
I loved smoking. I could smoke for Ireland. But when the time came for me to give up I tried everything. None of it worked. In the end I went to a psychiatrist. He suggested I try aversion therapy. So he locked me in a room with 200 cigarettes and told me to smoke every one back to back. A couple of hours later he came back to see me. ‘Has it worked?’ he asked. ‘Not really,’ I said. ‘But I’ve had the best smoke of my life!’
Dave Allen