I recently conducted
a survey of Millennial
smokers to discuss
their theories of tobacco
and how and why they
use it. Their fierce
enthusiasm is truly
Big Tobacco's long
awaited wet dream.
While an increasing
number of Millennials
are choosing to go smoke
free; this post applauds
those who have turned
away from nicotine, or
just plain turned it down.
Yet I couldn't help
but notice that
amongst those who
are smokers...
-Not once did they use
the terms "cigarette",
"smoke", "smoking",
or "nicotine" or say
"I should quit."
-None of them admitted
to being addicted. Tobacco
was mentioned in reference
to it being medicine.
-They invoked the neo-
Native American relation-
ship to tobacco, insisting
that their usage was ritual-
based, honorable and
visionary.
-"Do you want to share
some tobacco?" has
replaced the phrase,
"Let's go have a
cigarette..."
-Most weren't aware of
the effect of their 2nd Hand
Smoke on non smokers...
This group of smokers had
disconnected themselves
from the truth about
nicotine addiction. It was
here I first heard the phrase,
"American Spirits advocate
the healthy use of tobacco"
as part of the alternative
lifestyle of the Enlightened...
Witnessing smokers claim
to being highly evolved
humans aware of other
consciousnesses,
meditative practices and
skill sets making them
shamans amongst their
"tribe"...made no sense...
Because they continued
to smoke...
When someone smokes,
they automatically fall off
the enlightened list. Period.
There are no "mulligans"
with nicotine addiction.
There is nothing enlight-
ening about smoking
except for the realization
that it will
kill you. Tobacco
is an anti-enlightenment drug.
Smoking is, was, and will
always be lame. Once one
allows themselves that
revelation and that smoke
free is the way, then by
quitting, one can once
again embark on the Path
to Enlightenment...
...after all, Buddha never smoked...
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| Buddha and the Visitor, detail; Painting by John Aaron |
