Sympathizing with smokers

Add comment April 1st, 2009

I’ve never smoked, but my dad did. He died of cancer 15 years ago much too young at 60.

I hate everything about smoking: the smell, the way the smoke clings to your clothes, etc. So you might think that I’d cheer efforts to raise cigarette taxes and discourage smokers.  Not quite.

I do think smoking is bad for your health, but over the years I’ve known homeless and mentally ill people who had few pleasures in their lives: smoking was one of them.

Working downtown, you can imagine how many of those folks I run into regularly.  They can’t afford much, but a cigarette is as important to them as their medications. Most of those who ask me for a hand out say they want to buy a pack of cigarettes. Others will sift through ashtrays to find a cigarette that was discarded before it was finished.

So when I read about raising the federal tax 62 cents and I read about proposals to raise the Illinois tax by a dollar, I can’t help but think of those who have nowhere to go and not much to do except for smoke a cigarette.