uOttawa student's experience with smoking
Leave The Pack
Behind (LTPB) is a tobacco control program that offers young adults smoking and
quitting information, personalized support, and quitting resources – all for
free! It is funded by the government of Ontario.
A student on
campus at the University of Ottawa has offered their own smoking story and may
give you a different perspective on how, as a society, we view smokers.
“Like
most smokers, I did not start smoking because I enjoyed it, but rather, for
social reasons. Now, although the social aspect still plays a significant role
in the act of lighting a cigarette, I actually do enjoy it, but more precisely,
I need it. It has become a routine and for me, an "enjoyable" 5
minute break. I am often thinking of quitting, but I don't want to right now-
although maybe, the addiction makes it seem this way. I am attempting to reduce
my smoking by trying alternatives methods (e.g.: e-cig, patches), but it seems
like I can't fully substitute this habit. I still believe that I will stop
someday, however I personally feel attacked and stigmatized just because I
smoke. People should stop thinking of smokers as bad persons or criminals. We
are aware of what we are doing (and of the consequences) and able to make our
own decisions.”
A.L.
What
we can take away from this story is that maybe the way we approach smokers, as
a society, may be too aggressive. We need to be thoughtful and keep in mind
that it is or can be an “addiction” and the enormous toll it has on people. We
should not stigmatize smoker, but rather focus our energy on providing them
with resources and offer them a better quitting experience.