THE WORST OF THE PHOBIAS!
Smokophobia is an irrational fear and intolerance of smoke and smokers, particularly directed against those who are oriented toward tobacco smoke. Smokophobia is one of the most prevalent and "popular" forms of bigotry in our society. In fact, it is a mental illness that afflicts literally millions of people, all of whom irrationally fear those who smoke. Smokophobia is so entrenched in modern Eurocentric cultures that even seemingly intelligent non-smokers have a hard time seeing it for what it is. Examples of smokophobia include:
The many laws passed against smoking, restricting when and where smokers can partake of their inhalational preference. (Smokophobes have tremendous legal and political clout!)
The countless hate-filled "public service" commercials that make smoking seem "unhealthy" or "unclean."
The "health education" programs in public schools that scare impressionable young children and create dark images of death and disease linked to smoking. (But we're not talking about Nazi Germany or the Inquisition: this still happens in 20th century America - even in seemingly "modern" communities like Boston and San Francisco.)
The blatant segregation of restaurants, hotel rooms, and public transportation systems into two classes: non-smoking and smoking, with smokers clearly being treated like second-class citizens.
Efforts of "well-meaning" friends to encourage smokers to quit - as if one's identity as a smoker were a simple matter of choice!
Frequent lies from all sources claiming that smoking "causes" cancer and other diseases, neglecting that fact that everyone is at risk for cancer.
Strong parental opposition to safe smoking education in schools. These parents often forbid their children to ever even try smoking - afraid that their child might discover he or she is a smoker.
For millions who have discovered their identity as smokers and have been brave enough to come out and let others know, there is an inescapable daily fear of reprisals, of prejudice, of violence, of mockery and criticism. Smokophobia hinders the ability of smokers to contribute to society and even destroys the lives of many smokers. The shortened lifespan of most smokers is a sad testament to the adverse effects of repression and persecution. All of society pays a heavy price paid when we allow fear, ignorance, and hate to hurt so many.
Smokers make up well over 10% of the general population - perhaps as much as 30%, according to recent studies. Though smoking was once widely viewed as perfectly normal by all intelligent leaders of society, reactionary smokophobes in this century have waged a bitter campaign of hate against smokers everywhere. In this century, the century of Nazis and nuclear bombs, hypocritical smokophobes have sought to blame smokers for numerous ills. They have persecuted smokers and condemned their lifestyle, and even used to the power of the State to limit smokers' rights, to segregate smokers from non-smokers in many public places, and to persecute service-minded corporations who help smokers meet their smoking needs. The repression has caused great fear and harm to smokers everywhere. Many smokers are afraid to come out of the closet for fear of discrimination. What's next - gas chambers?? The terror must end!
As one of many examples of the harm caused by mindless smokophobia, consider the personal testimony of two of the founders of CUSS:
I was 12 when I first realized that I was a smoker. My first smoking experiences caused me great guilt - and some coughing - due to the strict moralistic upbringing I had been through. There was much inner turmoil. I had to smoke in secret and was always afraid of what others would say.
I soon came face-to-face with the dark forces of smokophobia when my father caught me smoking with a friend in our backyard when my parents were supposed to be gone. I tried explaining to him that a smoker was just who I was, that it was something I couldn't quit, and that what I really needed was love and support in my identity as a smoker.
He looked at me like I was from some other planet and said that smoking was "wrong" and "sinful" and a "crime against nature", that lungs were not designed to receive smoke, that it was "dirty" and "stinky" and "foul." He even said it could "cause" cancer! I had to deal with every smokophobic stereotype and hate-filled lie in the book that morning - from my own father! And life didn't get any easier during the 12 years of hate under Reagan/Bush.
