I understand that healthcare facilities needed to move smokers out of their buildings and onto the sidewalks, but let’s get real. While smokers may technically be “off hospital property” (and they aren’t even always off the property) the smoke and the cigarette butts are still there. Anyone trying to walk down the sidewalks next to these buildings — people who are sick, visiting someone who is sick, or people who have to work there everyday — have to walk through a revolting chemical haze. What’s more, at the IWK, there is a disgusting number of cigarette butts all over the ground in the garden area at Robie and University where there are non-smoking signs posted everywhere. Right under these same signs the IWK has provided cigarette receptacles–talk about a mixed message! Worst of all, even with these receptacles right there in the garden, smokers still leave butts all over the ground like the world is their trash can.
Smoking is bad enough for your own health and everyone else’s health. At the very least, have the simple courtesy to put the butts where they belong. And hospitals, put your money where your mouth is. If you’re really serious about health for all, including non-smokers, get some commissionaires out there to direct all smokers (patients, families and employees) to the centre median on University and relocate the receptacles there. Since the healthcare system is desperate for money, have the commissionaires fine employees for smoking on or near hospital property and for throwing butts on the ground. Maybe they could put the proceeds into lung cancer research.
While this is technically a “bitch,” I want to give a shout out to the amazing folks who volunteer their time in that IWK garden, who want to create a beautiful space for everyone, and who have to continually clean up after other people’s nasty crap. You deserve an award. —Really Sick and Tired of This
This article appears in Mar 22-28, 2012.
What’s really sad is seeing people hooked up to IV tubes outside having a smoke.
That’s what a smoke ban does to some smokers. If the fucking government had allowed one designated smoking room with ventilation in places like this, as well as bars, there wouldn’t be so many butts on the ground or whiny anti-smoking posts on this board. But NOOOOOOOOOO – they had to ban it outright so all you have left, OP, is the lovely smell of everyday traffic and all the other chemical shit pumped into our air.
Actually, I worked in a continuing care facility a couple septembers ago and they had a smokers room. I’d be up and down like a damn yoyo opening the door for everyone and then I’d have to help some of them light their smoke.
By the end of my three day temping job, my throat was raw and my eyes were burning constantly.
So I really don’t think smoking rooms have places in health care facilities, especially since it’s the staff that’s gonna end up helping these poor schmucks get in and out and get their smokes lit.
And when the door opens, the smoke is going to fly out.
I wish there was more enforcement of the rules — every time I go to the VG for an appointment I have to walk past old farts sitting in wheel chairs with IVs in their arms smoking their smokes and coughing their dirty lungs out. Why should I have to smell that shit on health facility grounds?
I say fine the fuckers who do this and fine ’em BAD. That’ll learn ’em.
Smokers really don’t get how awful second hand smoke can be for non smokers.
oh, I see…. but the scent from the grease oozing from your pores as you suck back a triple big-whopper-mac-baconator is nice enough to be bottled….
whatevs.
Who me?
well o.p., i hear they are hiring a butt picker upper, good pay, and all the free buttbacco you can get. hurry before the bums find out tho.
no, the fat lady with hair growin’ on her eyeballs, sitting in mcdonald with the free wifi who’s typing this stupid shit up.
“smokers… you know who you are…. evil bastards… go hang yourselves….
Hospitals… shape up you condescending bastards….
commissionaires, start doing more for the earth than your usually big heap of wasted nothingness….
blah blah blah…”
Kinda like this?
http://www.fugly.com/media/IMAGES/Random/h…
Why can’t smokers dispose of their butts in a clean orderly fashion? Why just flick them where ever? Same as spitting, I’ll never understand such crass, unthinking behavior. I guess I’ll have to start picking my nose and flicking boogers around. If you can’t beat em..
troon, either that, or start flicking ass boogers. as to smoking places, the fans used to suck the smoke out, not let it fly out. smokers have some rights too, you know. and yes, they pay a fuck of a lot more in taxes, than nons ever will.
and the smoke rooms were good ideas, but too expensive for most places. even some nursing homes, have special areas, where their clients and others can go to smoke. arborstone in purcell’s cove, has an outdoor closed over area. and when i visit my friend there, that’s where we go. so a big ginoemous fuck you, to the nons that want everything, and give nothing back, just like the transhit drivers and their numbskull union.
and by the way, if you don’t like walking by, or smelling the odor, then you can always hold your beak, and mouth too. sometime, someone will get killed, for shooting off to a smoker. i can see it coming.
Since when is it ok to de-humanize a group of people who are strongly addicted to a legal substance? I’ve been told I’m “dirty”, “stinky”, “rude”, “stupid”, “trashy”, I could go on and on! What makes you think this is acceptable behaviour?? Because we all know it’s bad for you?? Guess what doesn’t make a substance more addictive than heroin any easier to quit!!! And want to know why we sometimes just leave the buts on the ground? – There’s a fucking fire going on at the end!!!! You want to smell something stinky, try walking by one of those miracle “recepticales” that are on fire from a smoke that wasn’t put all the way out. You want to bitch at someone? Fine bitch at a government that legalizes tobbaco and criminalizes marijuanna. Bith at legislation that says yes you can smoke, in fact we need you to because we make tons, and tons of $$$$ when you do but you can’t do it here, here, here or here just under that rock there where the scum of the earth belong. What you’re doing is shitting on your fellow man and that is never cool in my books. Smokers are people too dammit!!!
“And want to know why we sometimes just leave the buts on the ground? – There’s a fucking fire going on at the end!!!!”
Drop it, step on it, pick it up, put in the trash. Those last two steps seem to be the weak link in the process. The bending over and taking it where it belongs.
if you pinch it above the butt and roll it between your fingers, the ember will fall…
then you don’t even have to bend over.
YOU WILL FIELD STRIP THE BUTT AND BURY IT OR I WILL PERSONALLY RIP OUT YOUR EYEBALLS AND SKULLFUCK YOU TO DEATH, MAGGOT!
http://larrybroughton.net/wp-content/uploa…
get outta my head, admiral^^
Ha Ha – I like it there. It’s my “safe place” >: )
I’d love to see R. Lee as a guest judge on “Amoronican Idol” or “Dancing with the Crack Hoes”
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/359…
“zZz did not take R. Lee Ermey’s critique of his rendition of “I Believe I can Fly” at all well.
http://www.best-horror-movies.com/images/v…
bang.