Tabs
Smoking both confuses and amuses me greatly. I know many smokers, all of them intelligent and rational people, and I doubt that one of them disbelieves that puffing on cigs damages the health, but they continue to do it none the less. Is there an addiction, or do they just like it?
Being someone who dislikes knocking a legal activity if I haven't actually tried it, I had a tentative drag on a cigarette when I was aged about fifteen. I still recall it as a singularly unpleasant experience. It actually hurt and it certainly dissuaded me from taking drag number two. I remember thinking then that it must take more will power to begin smoking - to condition ones throat to accept this hot, acidic vapour - than most smokers display if they ever decide to quit.
Which brings me onto a further point, why do individuals find it so difficult to stop? My grandfather decided to cease smoking in the early eighties. He'd spent forty or so years smoking twenty or so filterless Woodbines a day, yet knocked it on the head on a whim without enduring one minute's worth of unfortunate withdrawal symptoms. It is my personal belief that this was because in the early eighties, the 'fact' that it is difficult to stop smoking wasn't widely known. Since then there have been numerous articles, books, journals, sitcoms and films that have backed up this concept so that now, billions of people know for a fact how tricky it is to quit.
If I were one for conspiracy theories, I'd even go so far as to say that the people responsible for spreading the word about the mercilessly addictive qualities of nicotine are the tobacco companies themselves who, far better than scientists, understand human nature. How better to ensure that people carry on smoking than giving them the perfect excuse not to quit? 'It's very difficult!' Stranger things have been known.
Where is this going? Well nowhere further than that really. Most people I know smoke for one reason only - they like it! They could probably quit but they don't want to and no, I don't equate that with addiction. Nicotine does something to their brain that they like and, while I've no particular desire to experience it myself, I wouldn't deny them the pleasure.
As far as I can see it, the only downside to my non-smoking is that I've never been able to experience the effects of cannabis. I've had various conversations over the years along roughly the following lines: (M = Me, S = Someone Else)
S: Fancy a drag on this doobie spliff type thing?
M: No, thanks awfully. I don't smoke so it never gets any further than the back of my throat so - no point trying.
S: You should perhaps try it in cookies/cakes etc.
M: I think I'd like that.
S: I'll make you some, they're great.
M: That would be very nice thank you.
I don't know whether cannabis affects short term memory but to date I've been given absolutely cock-all space cookies or moon cake so if anyone out there would like to send me some it will be very gratefully received.
