I think it is irresponsible for people to smoke before and after meetings.
There are people who come to meetings who want to stop drinking. Maybe they haven't had a cigarette for ten years and all of a sudden they are associating with a bunch of very heavy smokers. The smokers are addicts and they seem to get pissed off everytime somebody mentions their smoking.
Most of the people there are binge drinkers who are there because they get out of control every now and again and do silly things like drive drunk, abuse people, etc. Smoking is going to kill that group of people before alcohol in most cases if they smoke a lot.
I would like to see smoking banned before and after meetings.
I've seen the case where say the meeting ends at 8:30, we get to about 8:25 and the chairperson says something like, "well thanks everyone, we don't have time to listen to everyone now, we've only got time to get this thing over with the serenity prayer...", and then they race outside and light up a cigarette.
I quit smoking long before I quit drinking and using, but what others do before or after the meeting is none of my business. I got problems of my own with out having to take someone else inventory. Bob.
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Work like you don't need the money
Love like you've never been hurt, and
dance like no one is watching.
Wow!!!! I have to say I too had the sentiments that there are far better things to worry about in early sobriety than smoking! It amazed me how long the last thread lasted regarding smoking! I wish Mr C lots of luck but I have the feeling this smoking thing may have be an excuse to leave AA in the first place! Thanks for protecting us Phil!! MY HERO!!! Lani
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"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. "
* A Prayer (from Nicotine Anonymous Literature (c)):
Thank you God, that I have known This smoke-free day to call my own. And tomorrow this I pray, Grant me one more smoke-free day.
(where's my damn lighter!!!)
-- Edited by lani at 22:25, 2007-12-21
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"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. "
Interesting stuff. Too bad Mr Clean was over-wrought about the smoking issue to the point of getting obnoxious (thanks for taking care of this issue, Phil. You even gave the individual a chance to express himself while toning down the "expletives"). Gotta wonder, as lani said, if the smoking issue isn't a little too much of an excuse to walk away from AA?
The 2 places that I have meetings in my vicinity are provided by a church or this small town's community center. Both are non-smoking buildings. The smokers who attend don't have a problem with it. They all have a smoke before going in, and after coming out after about a 1 to 1 1/2 hour meeting. I respect their right to smoke, and they respect my right not to inhale second hand smoke. We're all still friends because of that respect for each other.
