Dead at 50
"You should stop smoking, a friend died of lung cancer at 50."
How am I supposed to respond to that?
Yes, it's well-meaning advice but how is this different from telling a skydiver that his chute might not open or that he or she might break his legs from landing too hard? Or advising a driver against driving because there are 200 fatal car accidents in Singapore every year.
"Stop living cos you'll be dead anyway."
To all the nice people out there who want to get their loved ones to quit, let me suggest a better tact, from a 15-year smoker's point of view.
Tell them how their lives would be better - greater fitness, better stamina, more energy - if they quit. Tell them that they'd be able to taste wines in their full glory if they stopped. That their loved ones would be better off without them smoking. That they can actually smell the salt on the ocean breeze if they quit.
How am I supposed to respond to that?
Yes, it's well-meaning advice but how is this different from telling a skydiver that his chute might not open or that he or she might break his legs from landing too hard? Or advising a driver against driving because there are 200 fatal car accidents in Singapore every year.
"Stop living cos you'll be dead anyway."
To all the nice people out there who want to get their loved ones to quit, let me suggest a better tact, from a 15-year smoker's point of view.
Tell them how their lives would be better - greater fitness, better stamina, more energy - if they quit. Tell them that they'd be able to taste wines in their full glory if they stopped. That their loved ones would be better off without them smoking. That they can actually smell the salt on the ocean breeze if they quit.
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