Tbh stop treating cigarette smokers like shit. The intersections of smoking, minority stress, mental illness, and poverty are *undeniable.* Nicotine is an appetite suppressant, a cigarette is cheaper than a meal. Smoking is hella prevalent in people w/ eating disorders. It’s used to self-medicate adhd, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Cigarettes are cheaper than mental health care for the uninsured. It could also be a habit someone undiagnosed picks up. Cigarettes are one of the most socially acceptable ways to self-harm, you won’t get fired for smoking but you could/would get fired if you came to work with visible self-harm scars. Lots of people start smoking *because* it’s bad for you. All oppressed groups are more vulnerable to addiction than the general population (minority stress) and nicotine is a relatively low (immediate) risk outlet for addiction/pleasure seeking behavior.
This means that when you are openly talking shit about smokers, you are probably talking about poc, mentally ill people, queer people, poor people etc. At this point, it’s pretty safe to assume people know cigarettes are terrible for them, they are probably smoking for a reason. I’m not defending smoking, I’m not saying it is not bad for you. I’m saying if you actually want to help people, start addressing WHY people smoke. Protect vulnerable people and fight the systems that make them vulnerable.
