How many people in your personal circle still smoke?

[LanternWaste]

62. 6 of 7 of us began in 1984

Five of my six closest friends (still current), plus myself began smoking in 1984.

I'm the only one still doing it. One quit two years later in 1986, the others simply and quietly quit with little fanfare, leaving me the last one holding a butt. Well, almost... one never smokes unless I'm around, and then proceeds to bum half a pack during the vening as he chastises me for never quitting. Yeah-- we're pretty diverse with occupations ranging from full-time Renaissance Faire actor to a high-ranking player in Oracle Systems.


Comprehensive smoke-free laws, higher prices for tobacco products, high-impact mass media campaigns and barrier-free access to quitting illustrate that when we collectively recognize a national health concern, we can effectively re-frame it, reduce its usage and impact, and change our habits.

That result gives me with hope a day may come when we perceive another high-risk behavior which results in tens of thousands of deaths and injuries annually to be a national health concern and follow a concomitant path.