They say confession is good for the soul. So, here it goes.
I am an ex-smoker.
Yes, I, who am generous with the side-eye any time I鈥檓 forced to walk through a cloud of someone鈥檚 poisonous vapour, and who loudly voices my disgust at the sight of carelessly discarded cigarette butts 鈥� I, too, have nicotine on my hands.
Back in Grade 8, for about a week, I partook of the evil weed. Though, since I can鈥檛 swear that I ever actually inhaled, I鈥檓 not 100 per cent sure it counts.
My habit, such as it was, consisted of stealing a single pack of cigarettes from my dad and squirreling them away in a hollowed out tree trunk on his acreage.
Then, when the opportunity presented itself, I would sneak out and light up among the trees 鈥� often when I was out for a ride on my little Appaloosa.
All was going as planned, until the day I accidentally left the pilfered pack on the bathroom counter, where it was discovered within a matter of minutes.
I can still see my dad standing over me, holding the half-empty package and asking, 鈥淎re these yours?鈥�
鈥淲ell, no,鈥� I replied. 鈥淭echnically they鈥檙e yours.鈥� (My inner smart-ass has never had a great sense of timing).
I鈥檓 actually glad I got caught.
Though, truth be told, I鈥檇 already weighed the pros and cons of my new pastime and found the scales tipping sharply toward the cons 鈥� bad breath, yellow fingers and teeth, the opportunity to look old before my time, the (eventual) expense and, at 13, the added stress of all that secrecy.
That鈥檚 not even taking into account the serious health risks, because what 13-year-old is thinking about that?
Was it that I looked cool? I鈥檓 sure my horse was very impressed.
Like most smokers, I imagine, I don鈥檛 know why it seemed like a good idea to light up and take that first drag.
For those who are in the grips of an honest to goodness addiction, I feel nothing but compassion.
Quitting anything that makes you feel better 鈥� even temporarily 鈥� however bad for you, is hard.
But help is available.
Today is Weedless Wednesday. Not coincidentally (one assumes) it falls in the middle of National Non-Smoking Week.
And right now, through a provincial smoking cessation program, eligible B.C. residents can get free nicotine replacement therapy products, including nicotine gum, lozenges, an inhaler or the patch, by going to .
Every little bit of support helps, but while the intent is laudable, the timing would be laughable, if any of us actually felt like laughing.
Yes, January is, however arbitrarily, a time for fresh starts.
鈥淣ew year, new you,鈥� and all that.
But let鈥檚 stop for a moment and really consider January. It鈥檚 cold (as we鈥檝e lately rediscovered), it鈥檚 wet and it鈥檚 dark.
The festive holiday season is behind us and unless we鈥檝e scheduled a sunshine getaway, all we have to look forward to is Valentine鈥檚 Day. (I鈥檝e yet to meet anyone who gets excited about Feb. 14, but I鈥檓 sure those lovesick weirdos are out there somewhere).
The official day to quit smoking is scheduled in a week that begins with what is widely accepted as the most depressing day of the year. It even has a depressing name 鈥� Blue Monday.
It hardly seems like a recipe for success to ask people to give up something that gives them comfort when they have the least to look forward to 鈥� unless you enjoy a surge of
righteous indignation (and who doesn鈥檛?) Those come free with being non-smoker.
None of this is to say you shouldn鈥檛 give quitting a shot, if you鈥檙e ready.
Prognosticated gloom aside, whether you decide to butt out for good in January or July, today is as good a day as any to begin weighing the pros and cons of going weedless.
