May 05, 2004
Wednesday

This teenage mother smoking in front of the child may not be the main reason... but it is a reason that gives you an idea to believe that it is not right. But I mean that idea gives us a thought about how life is around here at times.

It's like asking... "Why do banks during business hours have their vaults open when they keep the pens chained to the counters?"

What I mean by that is - we're letting such odd facts cloud our judgement and choices. Public smoking, you cannot ban. You can ask a person who is of legal age that is smoking to show his/her id. Just to make sure that he/she is legal to smoke. But would we do that all the time? Does law enforcement do that all the time? No, because sometimes it's such a miniscule subject that people don't even think about it. But such ideas such as the teenage mother smoking... we can prevent. I mean, I think we all agree that's not pretty cool. I think tobacco is a good subject to debate upon... but... alcohol is probably a little bit more of a subject that may be more arguable but a little more interesting because all I can see in this tobacco discussion is license and agreement to disagree.

Ketchikan and quite a bit of Southeast Alaska is notorious for underage drinking. Let's just say: Ketchikan's a lovely little drinking town with a fishing problem. Ever hear that before? Well anyway, yeah I understand how the cops can't bust every single teen at a party for being/getting drunk. How can we regulate young people like that though? Is there a possible way to get to my generation's heads that there is more to life than recreational alcoholism? I have friends that drink for fun. I don't hold it against them, but I don't smile upon the subject either when they tell me how drunk they were that weekend. It's not fun. I think alcohol is a bigger issue amongst young people than cigarettes. A lot of them agree. They will drink alcohol or smoke marijuana but they will not touch a cigarette. Irony, yet good?

Anyway, what I mean by not holding it against them is that it's hard to try to stop people from doing such a thing. I'm a firm believer in that you shouldn't have to force something upon someone unless it's extremely necessary. Life and death situation basically. It truly is hard though, to just sit back and see them waste away. Don't get me wrong, I love to have fun also - just not the same way they do.

But what gets me most is... where the line crosses where your friends will choose to get drunk instead of hang out and have a good time with you.

I'm not on a personal vendetta or anything. I just have friends who give me their scenarios that they don't like - that being one of them.

Anyway. Cigarettes are bad, marijauna very bad, alcohol probably the worst.

Archie Inoncillo
E-mail: archieatomic@hotmail.com
Ketchikan, AK - USA

Related Viewpoint:

Public Smoking Discussion by Dave Kiffer - Ketchikan, AK

 

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