Day CCl

Smoking Amongst Kids

     When our kids played little league, the coaches smoked amongst them in the dug out, and at practice. That always annoyed me, and also seeing parents smoking in a car packed with kids. When they brought their kids to a game or practice, you could see the cars packed with kids in a fog, and the driver happily smoking away. Sure screaming kids raising hell in a car create a lot of angst, and a big desire for a smoke. But, hey I’ve been there too, and concern for kids trumps the need for a smoke. We had three of them screaming and fighting in the back, distracting me while driving, creating a lot of angst, but not enough to make me want a smoke. Kids must come first! No ifs, ands, or butts- period.

     The bleachers were full of people; parents and kids; siblings not old enough to participate; all enjoying a little league game, watching their boy play. Adults all happily smoking away, creating second and third hand smoke- everybody smoked. Maybe today there are rules against it, but not back then. It was a God given right. All you could do was move away, but to where? No matter where you moved, somebody was puffing away. All along the fences about the diamonds, people were puffing away amongst kids, and it was no big deal.

     It wasn’t only little league, it was also PSAL, and YMCA leagues, adults smoked, kids played the game. It was the same in the basketball leagues too. I was also an assistant scout master, and folks did the same there when they brought their kids to meetings, and at scout camp out in the woods. Let’s face it tobacco is part of our cultural tradition, has been for a long time, now. All along slowly killing us, but now we’ve become aware of its deadly, poisonous nature, and it’s time to give it up.