One-Year Of Smoking Blows

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Smoking Blows, and I hope that in this short period of time, that I've convinced at least one person to try to quit smoking or to not begin smoking altogether. Although this blog has morphed a bit in the year since, writing this blog began as my way of venting my frustration and anger at inconsiderate smokers.

The main reason I first started this blog was because I lived in an apartment complex where cigarette smoke was pervasive and inescapable. It was everywhere! Cigarette smoke entered my apartment from the neighbors below, filled the hallways from neighbors on the same floor, and even filled the outside walkways throughout the complex.. and it pissed me off.

My "pet name" for the apartment complex was "Tobacco Alley" because you had to run the long gauntlet of smoke-filled walkways between apartment buildings anytime you wanted to enter, leave, or traverse the complex. You couldn't go anywhere throughout the place without encountering secondhand smoke, or cigarette butts and cigarette trash.

But, the thing that angered me most about living in Tobacco Alley, was that some smokers had the audacity to smoke at while at poolside, in the sauna bath, AND EVEN IN THE GYM! without a care in the world about how it affected anyone else. You couldn't complain to the management either, because they all smoked themselves and couldn't care less. Other than moving out, there was nothing I could do about it.. except to blog about it.

But, over that one-year period, things have changed for me.

Although I've continued blogging, I've since moved out of Tobacco Alley and into a home of my own. My frustration and anger towards inconsiderate smokers has diminished somewhat, now that I'm rarely exposed to their selfish behaviors and secondhand smoke anymore. I've also personally learned more about the processes involved in nicotine addiction, and have a better understanding of the complexity of the issues surrounding it, than when I first starting blogging. That's probably going to reflect in my blog posts this year.

However, while you may notice less prolific, and kinder and gentler posts in 2012, I'm still going to express my personal views and opinions about smoking and nicotine addiction.

But, please don't misunderstand my intentions. This blog is my way of "paying it forward".

I author this blog of my own free will, and on my own time. No one pays me to do it, and I serve no master. In short, if I can help someone realize the serious harm they are doing to themselves and others, or how they're being exploited, then it's worth my time and effort.

My chief goals with Smoking Blows blogs are getting smokers to realize the folly of their nicotine addiction and to quit smoking, and educating non-smokers about the consequences of this terrible disease so they'll never ever begin smoking. Their success is my success.