Rising From The Smoke

This morning I was outside the hotel (thanks to James, who kindly woke me when my alarm didn't go off...oops), attempting to get a view of the rare event of a solar eclipse.  So were a lot of the hotel staff.  We had fun trying to somehow get a glimpse of it, despite being completely unprepared (ironically I found out afterwards via tv that it would have been as simple as using a Ritz cracker and piece of white cardboard).  Fun, that is, until after about 15 minutes of breathing in the fumes of cigarette after cigarette, I started to get slightly irate.  Why did I have to breathe in toxic fumes whilst beholding an amazing natural phenomena?  I managed to find another spot nearby free of cigarette smoke, but was already starting to harbour ill-feelings towards this aspect of Japanese culture.   

Back in my hotel room a little while later, I was trying to go about my day, but the cigarette fumes started drifting in.  I tried to endure it as best as I could, like I had already been doing for so long, but finally, I could not take it any longer.  I had already spent two weeks suffering this olfactory invasion of having to breathe in those awful toxic fumes against my will.  TWO.  WHOLE.  WEEKS.  I'd had enough.  Something snapped.  I was ready to go "postal".  I decided I needed to get far, far away from this smell.  But first, I would ask the hotel staff if this room was, in fact, in a smoking section, and can I change rooms.  Well to my horror and relief, the answer was yes, and yes (remind me to have stern words with my employer for booking us into the smoking section!). Although the second one could have been a no, but luckily something was free.  So I gladly took the opportunity, packed up all my stuff that I had spread out over my room the last two weeks, and moved it all up to the 10th floor.  And here I happily am, sipping my peach "latte", and not breathing in evil fumes.

Now, I know what you're thinking.  I come from Australia.  There is definitely no lack of cigarette smoke there.  My friends can attest to many a great moment being ruined in similar manner, such as the incident of February 2012, Watching the Regatta Fireworks from Montagu Bay (they were even smoking right next to their own kids!).  It bugs me that in some areas, especially in the city, I can't sit outside and enjoy the sun whilst eating my lunch, without being afflicted by that awful smell thanks to someone lighting up.  And don't get me started on people who are in front of me on the walk to work who spill a steady stream of fumes from that cigarette in their ever-swinging hand.  Yet I feel happily satisfied that at least smoking inside public buildings is completely illegal.  I can at least find refuge somewhere.  

In Japan things are a little different.  Generally speaking, smoking on the streets is not allowed.  So most of the time I can walk about smoke free.  I guess that's something to be grateful for.  But smoking inside of buildings, such as hotels, restaurants and cafes, is legal and common.  That's right, in your local McDonald's there will be people smoking inside.  Sure, there are "smoking" and "non-smoking" areas or floors, but I think the western world caught on long ago that such an arrangement really doesn't improve much.  So in my current state of living in a hotel and having to eat out quite regularly, I am constantly exposed to passive smoking.

I have a lot of great friends who are smokers.  I am not at all implying that they are bad people.  I also have nothing against the freedom of choice they have in choosing such a life-style.  The problem with smoking, however, is that it's really hard to do without affecting a lot of people.  Even if you go outside, have your smoke, then come back inside and sit next to me, I can smell that awful odour and want to cover my nose.  Seriously, I can be outside with no one around me, and suddenly I catch a whiff of that awful stuff.   I quickly turn around, scanning the area until 10-15 metres away I spot the culprit and mutter a raspy "Why, it's youuuuu..." and shake my fist in anger.  

Currently the Australian government is taking a lot of measures to discourage people from smoking, such as proposed plain packaging laws.  Many argue that this will not do much to deter smokers (makes you wonder why the tobacco companies are so upset about it then?).  The other day I read an article with a pretty radical and extreme proposal - ban smoking completely for anyone born after the year 2000.  

Australia's troubled health system alone would benefit hugely from such a ban - and I'd be bold enough to say that no one would be negatively affected by this complete phase-out of smoking.  Except, of course, for the share-holders of the tobacco companies raking in huge profits from other peoples' suffering world-wide.  Remind me to cry a river for you later.