I was asked not once but TWICE this week if I smoke cigarettes. Things 1, 2 and I were making our way through the mall on our semi-annual pilgrimmage to Abercrombie & Fitch. Because when you have a 10-year old who’s returning to school next week, you dig deep and summon the courage to venture past the white shuttered facade, past the well-muscled teenage sentry guy guarding the entrance, you endure the overpowering scent of cologne and the pulsating tunes just so your pre-pubescent spawn can get her fill of jeggings, yoga pants, moose-crested tees and the like. All in the name of back-to-school shopping. Yes, after this sacrifice I’m pretty sure my name will come up during the next sainthood induction ceremony.
I digress. So we pass this kiosk with a huge transparent barrel crammed with cig butts when a lady lunges out at me and asks “Do you smoke?” My knee-jerk reaction was “Are you freaking kidding me? Do I LOOK like I SMOKE?” To say I was offended is an understatement. I had to bite my tongue not to lay into her.
Once I cooled down I got to thinking:
What does a smoker ‘look’ like anyway? Based on the health implications all of the following are strong possibilities:
Premature wrinkles, specially above the upper lip
Deep cough, wheezing
Low, gravelly voice
Osteoporosis
Hearing loss
Poor vision
I consulted the all-knowing google to do a little research*:
Those more likely to smoke:
By socio-economic status
Below poverty level 36.8% are smokers
At or above poverty level: 23.5%
By education
16+ years of education 11.3%
9-11 years of education 36.8%
Highest smoking states
Nevada 31.5%
Kentucky 29.7%
Ohio 27.6%
By ethnic group
Amercian Indian/Alaska natives 40%
Caucasian 25%
African American: 24.7%
Hispanic: 19.1%
Asian: 13.7%
* From the Oral Cancer Foundation
By the above standards, I am not a prime candidate. Ms. Mall Kiosk lady was simply trying to sell an electronic cigarette, apparently designed to deliver nicotine vapor without tar or carbon monoxide. So I put my vanity and my sensitivities aside. Instead I used it as a teaching moment for the kiddos. Way too many teens, especially girls, are smoking. That has to change.
