weak-willed ex-smokers

Bibi is 38, a social smoker, and she's fuming that anti-smoking propaganda has caused so many people to quit and change from being pleasant companions into irritable, nasty and weak-willed ex-smokers.

"There are plenty of people who have sworn off alcohol and yet can enjoy a night out with drinkers -- and some ex-smokers can do this sort of thing, too," says Bibi, "but my personal experience with people who have quit smoking is that they have become absolute pains."

"My ex-best friend was a social smoker like myself who has been trying to quit for three years, but claims that she gets drawn back into temptation by smokers in social situations," explains Bibi. "She is delighted with the new smoking ban because she feels it will actually help her resist the temptation to smoke."

"Well, hello!" laughs Bibi. "As long as smoking is legal she is going to come across smokers wherever she goes and if she has so much trouble quitting then she might as well continue smoking."

"As I see it," says Bibi, "if she really wanted to quit she would. End of story. She is merely blaming her failure on others around her. If it's not us, it's her parents. She is totally spineless and I'm ashamed that I never saw that feature in her before -- but I'm not beating up on myself because even the colleagues of the terrorist doctors didn't suspect them."

"I appreciate it doesn't help the quitters if others are smoking around you," says Bibi, "but if you are having serious trouble with this sort of thing you need to get therapy or stay at home far away from people and environments that tempt you."

"I believe that lots of ex-smokers left the pub and club scene -- and are flocking back now -- because they couldn't cope with the temptation," says Bibi, "but I fail to see why millions of smokers need to have their freedoms curtailed just because some ex-smokers have personal problems with willpower."

"When she sees me and the other smokers going out for a smoke she starts lecturing us on addiction and adopts a holier than thou attitude," sighs Bibi. "She is becoming a real pain."

"There was absolutely no health reason why she needed to quit," says Bibi. "She just swallowed all the anti-smoking hype and became a born-again non-smoker with all the zeal attached to born-again crusaders."

"In my opinion there is no such thing as an ex-smoker," says Bibi. "It's like alcoholism. You're hooked for life and you have two choices when you want to quit: accept your addiction and exercise willpower to overcome it, or become a ranting crusader."

"Unfortunately, too many ex-smokers find it easier to become ranting crusaders than exercise willpower," sighs Bibi, "and now that they are coming back into the pub and club scene in droves I fear more rather than less victimization when I'm outside smoking."

"I've never tried to quit so I don't know exactly how difficult it would be," muses Bibi, "but if I ever had to make that choice I hope I have the strength of character to do it with grace without feeling a need to inflict venom on those who choose to remain smokers."

"I had to give up junk food a while back because I was putting on too much weight and while it's probably not the same sort of addiction as smoking I didn't feel a need to inflict venom on those around me who continued eating it in my presence."

"Sure, my mouth watered and I was tempted to give in hundreds of times," laughs Bibi, "but I persevered and now being around junk food doesn't bother me much. Yes, I still desire the stuff -- just like an ex-smoker must still desire cigarettes -- but you learn to concentrate on something else and the desire passes."

"Let's face it, at some time in our lives we all have to give up something we enjoy doing," says Bibi, "and how you do it shows what you're made of, doesn't it?"