GorillaOffTopic, Everything But Gorilla Trades

How many people do you know nowadays that smoke cigarettes? Today, many people know fewer and fewer, and it could be due to the “Pariah Effect” of a society that is quite frankly, starting to shun people who smoke. Smokers, think about the last time you tried to smoke a cigarette; what kind of reaction did you get from those around you who were not smoking? Now, c’mon, tell  the truth here. The Gorilla suspects that the reaction towards you was probably less than warm. You probably had sneers of disapproval from those passersby, who feel disgusted by your smoking habit. Well, keep in mind that with all of the negative radio and TV ads about tobacco and the effects of smoking, those people feel completely justified in their behavior.

Now, you may think the Gorilla is crazy here, but the truth is, other people’s smoking habits don’t really bother him at all- unless, of course, that person chooses to blow smoke in the Gorilla’s face-that’s not okay. But in general, the Gorilla’s feeling about it is simple: to each his own, but if someone wants to smoke then we should leave them alone and let them do it. It is their prerogative to kill themselves if they so choose. After all, they know the risks right? Anyway, it seems that the “Pariah Effect” is working quite well. Though smoking still contributes to the deaths of 435,000 Americans per year, the number of smokers in the United States has been dropping over the past four decades. In 1965, 42.4% of American adults smoked, but today it’s only 20.8%.

So why has the number dropped? Well, that is impossible to say, but perhaps all the sneer and jeers and extremely negative ads are effective enough to make people think- and that is exactly the point. As for the those who still want to smoke and be perfectly accepted for it- there’s always Paris, France. They not only accept it, it is all the rage to smoke cigarettes there!