[Mamacita]

I've just about had it up to my baby blues with selfish, clueless, oblivious, and just plain dumbass smokers who think that just because they don't smoke *inside* a room or building that it doesn't affect others.

I work in a very tiny office, where people have to sit in a very tiny (4 chairs) waiting room to see me. Never a day goes by when some smoker comes in after sitting in his/her vehicle smoking like the proverbial chimney and they bring their blasted smoke in with them.

It never enters their minds that the smell of the smoke clinging to their clothing, hair and skin is not only offending others but it's adversly affecting the health of others, including the elderly, people with compromised immune systems, people with breathing difficulties (like me!!) and children.

This past Friday morning a man came into my office reeking of smoke. After he left, I had to use my rescue inhaler in order to breathe! When I got home at 4:30, my husband asked me if I'd gone to a bar after work!!

I'm not sure if there's a remedy for this situation. Our county already has a public smoking ban in place, but it's hard to keep people from smoking in their cars. Short of being completely rude and risking losing my job by telling smokers to get the @$%# out of my office and stay out, I don't know how to get them to see the light...they can't even wash their hands after they use the toilet.

Thanks for letting me rant

Mamacita

[Suzanne 3FC]

I'm a former smoker, I smoked heavily from the time I was 19 until I was about 26, then I quit and never smoked again. I have to admit that I never thought about these things when I was a smoker. Things were a little different back then, smoking wasn't frowned upon as it is today. If it had been, perhaps I would have thought about it more, instead of imposing my smoke on others. I assumed no one cared, and everyone else did it. Besides, the addiction came first.

It wasn't until I had quit long enough to get it out of my system, that I started noticing the effect other smokers had on me. I then realized that I must have really stunk.