For the first time ever, I can say this in a post and mean it: THIS IS A COMMUNITY SERVICE MESSAGE.

Hahahahaha.

The first ever person I knew to smoke was my grandfather.

His name was Yeh Yeh.

(because apparently when I was little Ah Kong was too hard for me to say)

He used to smoke Dunhills and until now I can still remember the creased packets of red and gold that would lie on the table in my grandparents’ house in Penang.

My parents worked in KL then so Yeh Yeh and Mama were the ones who took care of Ooib and me when we were in preschool and kindergarten in Penang (back when Ooib was widely assumed to be mute and my parents considered bringing him to a therapist. True story)

Yeh Yeh smoked all the way through my childhood. One time Ooib and I read a Bookworm book about smoking and tried to get my grandpa to give up smoking by throwing away his cigarettes and replacing them with candy not knowing he was diabetic FHL. But mostly the cigarette packs and smoke odor remained a quintessential part of my grandpa.

Then when I was in high school, he contracted tuberculosis. He was hospitalized and my whole family was rushed to the hospital for our own TB tests. Luckily nobody but my grandma tested positive for it FHL literally (she’s still around
that’s why can joke) but that was a big enough scare for my grandpa to quit.

He died when I was sixteen from a heart attack though.

When I got to high school, the smokers were the cool kids. I have no idea why smoking is considered cool but I swear it’s an idea that’s planted in all high schools everywhere. Correct ornot!!!

The happening kids will escape class when teachers are not looking to go squat in the back alley to sneak a puff. Dunno why die also must do that just so they can smoke a bit and try not to cough. But that was the way it was.

Geek that I was, I somehow still ended up with a high school boyfriend who smoked. I never wanted to smoke before myself (although damn geeky I thought I was still cool in my own way *delusional* thus no urge to submit to peer pressure) it was still a sign of my own coolness that I was dating someone period and even better that he smoked.

Then in college, all my friends smoked. Guys girls all would leave the building and congregate outside to smoke. If I was with them and the smoke came near me I either just waved it off without thinking or tried not to breathe too much cos you just don’t scold your friends for things like this.

Going to smoky clubs ok. Going to play foosball in smoky bars ok. Mamak with smokers also ok.

Then when I went to the US I didn’t realize it but the number of smoker friends I had were much less. I don’t have stats for this but im pretty sure there are a lot more smokers in Asia than in Western countries.

I stopped having to put up with it. If smokers wanted to go outside to smoke, I wouldn’t go with them cos it was just too cold most of the time to stand outside for no good reason. And I had lots of non-smoker friends to accompany me. Clubs overseas also have strict non smoking policies so it was awesome going out and not having dry throats from breathing in secondhand smoke or having to wash hair afterwards.

And now I am old and not as tolerant and definitely not susceptible to peer pressure. Where I work, there are tons of people who smoke (and whom I really like) and it’s just the work culture. I don’t mind you smoking but please do not blow it in my face. And definitely don’t expect me to stand outside with you while you take a puff just because you want some company.

Among the dangers of secondhand smoke are:
– All kinds of cancer
– Heart disease
– Lung disease

Basically all terrible ways to die.

When I think about it I feel quite angry for letting myself breathe in smoke cos of other people. Who knows how much of my nice pink lungs have turned black up till now!

Wanna kill yourself go ahead why must take me down with you!

But the older I get the more friends I have now who say they regret smoking or they’re trying to quit. Which is why when I found out two of my closest friends picked up smoking in their 20s I was quite upset. It’s their choice… but what a choice. I honestly believe that every single smoker picked it up because of peer pressure or because they thought it was cool or both.

You may light your first cigarette cos you’re curious. But curiosity is satiated with the first stick honestly. Why anyone would continue with the 2nd or 3rd is because their friends are doing it.

And nobody picks up smoking to relax!!! Most bullshit reason ever. You may smoke now to relax but nobody STARTS smoking to relax ok how relaxing can your first puff be when you’re likely stressing yourself out on how to inhale the correct way or how to hold the cigarette so you don’t look like a noob or how to stop yourself from coughing.

But anyway everyone has freedom of choice. Your right to choose to smoke versus my right to choose to not have to inhale secondhand smoke.

Ok this blogpost turned out angrier than I expected -_-

I know it’s easier said than done to say Tak Nak to smoking when your friends around you are all lighting up (and if you don’t have skin as thick as a rhino like me)

But try la ok!

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Winners are chosen based on 50% votes and 50% marks given by MOH side.

(no photos of cigarette or cigarette boxes allowed)

• Grand Price cash-RM 1,000
• 2nd Price cash-RM 700
• 3rd Price cash-RM 500
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• Consolation Price – Voucher Worth RM50

My Tak Nak face. I really added the hair myself!!!!

Nah another photo.
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