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Pulcheria Chung

A person in an office chews a piece of gum. He spits the gum into the hand of a female colleague,  who puts it in her mouth.

After she spits it out, yet another person chews it. GROSS.

This is the government's new television commercial publicising the inconsiderate behaviour of smokers.

Watching the commercial is a stomach-churning experience, but the impact of the message is powerful.

Having a handful of people chew  a single piece of gum  is unhygienic and unhealthy.

By the same token,  people who are forced to inhale second-hand smoke  face   the risk of lung cancer. Is it fair to non-smokers?

The government's increased efforts  towards spreading public health warnings on smoking is an encouraging sign.

However, while  many  non-smokers are applauding  its efforts, smokers are continuing to  disregard  the impact their habit has on others.

I  see mothers who smoke in front of their children. In restaurants, some smokers exhale plumes of smoke towards me, which kills  my appetite.

Non-smokers such as myself deal with smoky environments by covering our noses with tissues, changing tables in restaurants and even forcing a smile if the offending smoker happens to be our boss.

But we have done nothing wrong. Why do we have to tolerate - and give in - to these people?

I often wonder what drives people to smoke. Are they not concerned about their health? Or  do they deceive themselves into thinking that  smoking will have little effect on  their lifespan?

Don't they realise that they're silent murderers?

Tobacco addiction   deteriorates  people's sanity, empathy and rational thinking.

Instead of protesting that smoking is their personal right, smokers should put themselves in the shoes of  non-smokers and give us a breath of fresh air.

Pulcheria Chung is a regular SYP columnist



Seeking a breath of fresh air