In the distant past, I used to be able to sit down at a bar where people would smoke, and not mind at all. Then came the smoking ban, which made me find it unpleasant, but not a big deal. Then came the lockdowns, and I got used to breathing super fresh air all the time. Now I start coughing if someone outdoors smokes 5m away from me and the wind blows it in my direction. Does this happen to anyone else or is it just me?
I smoked for a while. It’s not the distance, it’s the wind. Most entryways have wind blocks that make it more comfortable to stand there and also make it easier to light a cigarette.
While I completely understand that smoking is not a habit that passersby want to subject themselves to all the time, I do think some people are a little oversensitive about the sight of a smoker in a public outdoor place. The stuff that comes out of cars is equally if not more dangerous than second hand cigarette smoke in an outdoor area, but people tolerate it without complaint because they can acknowledge the universal utility of a car. Regardless of that utility though, it is still poisoning the earth and its inhabitants with every mile driven, and a cigarette is mostly only poisoning the smoker when used outdoors with reasonable distance from others.
If we decided 6 feet is good enough for COVID, then it seems like 10 is more than enough for a cigatette.
I know many will disagree with this—please be gentle.
Ah, the wind isn’t something I thought of. I grew up around 2 smokers (who still smoke decades later), and have always hated the smell, though I do appreciate when people tuck their cigs away when I walk by with my toddler. You bring up good points about the environment as well; I think it’s more of a personal annoyance being burdened with the smell. Similar to people who douse themselves in cologne XD