My first clinical rotation in school was a med surg floor in one of the local hospitals. Mind you, this was back in the early 80's. Behind each nurses' station, there was a little room where nurses could go and take a break or eat lunch, etc. This had to be the WORST place in town to be exposed to second hand smoke. You opened the door and smoke just poured out... Choke, choke, cough, cough... I don't think they do that anymore in the hospitals...

I smoked, but was able to quit when my husband and I married 30 years ago. It was either that, or we were going to kill each other fighting over my smoking or end up getting a divorce. He cannot stand the smell of cigarettes. Funny, he didn't make a big deal about that before we got married...

It was hard for him to see someone he cared about smoking. His daddy smoked for years and lost a lung to lung cancer. It was awful watching him go downhill. A big, strong man was reduced to a weak, sickly person, who could not enjoy the last years of his life or his grandkids, before it spread and took him.

I was probably not a very good candidate to be a smoker. With a history of lung issues, I probably could have found a better means of relieving stress. I am very glad that I quit. I had forgotten how good food really tastes and also how bad smoke really smells. You don't notice this so much when you are smoking...

I don't mind if people smoke, I have friends who smoke. It was really hard to quit smoking though, and my lungs are damaged from all of the years I did smoke. Like Glenn, it is a public health issue in my opinion. I just don't want my lungs compromised any more than they already are with Chronic Bronchitis.

Cathie