I hate smoking . . .
I find it reprehensible
-perhaps it is due, to the main part at least, to my extensive anti-drug public school education
D.A.R.E. to keep a kid off drugs
Dare to keep a kid of dope . . .
Dare to give a kid some hope
The words still ring through my mind . . .
But I digress . . .
Though I've gotten beyond the stage of throwing away my uncles
cigarettes when he wasn't looking, I still look down on smoking -I
still feel distressed when I learn that people whom I hold dear or
know are in fact smokers . . .
I'm from LA, what can I do about it?
Last night I was asked by a younger bochur I know
-someone perhaps around 17 years old- to go to the store with him and
buy him something . . . as I was over 18 and all.
Jokingly, I asked him if he wanted a lottery ticket . . .
He grinned and said "You can get that as well . . ."
I refused to go with him, perhaps the fact that it was three in the morning added to it . . . perhaps not . . .
I know I didn't stop him from smoking. That's his choice.
I know that, hypocritical as it may sound, I would probably have
bought alcohol for him had he asked (The only if had given a valid
reason as a farbrengin or the like) . . .
The Previous Rebbe asked the bochurim in the Yeshivos not to smoke -for the own good, both physical and spiritual . . .
It's also against yeshiva rules -though with a smoking Rosh Yeshiva, it's hard for most students to take the rule seriously
(I still remember how my class mates were taken into the smoke-filled office and told that smoking was bad for them)
In truth, for what ever reason, I just felt plain odd asking for a pack
of cigarettes at 7-11 . . . I'm almost afraid to touch the packing . . .
What would you have done?
4 comments:
I don't think I would go buy the cigarettes either, but in an ideal situation I would buy him the cigarettes so he won't be too upset, then try to get closer to him to get him out of smoking.
Hummm, another thing is to report to his parents/rosh yeshiva that he probably should be home by 3 (If no Farbrengen or something is happening) and he is a smoker (they might not know)
It's not an issue of getting closer to him . . . he's a good bochur -a bit of a night owl (though last night was after a farbi)- but in general on track.
I don't see a need to tell his parents as or the Rosh Yeshiva since:
1. Getting him in to trouble over smoking is not worth it -had he been younger say 13, then it would be more of an issue, but at this age . . .
2. Such actions don't help, and only serve to further alienate a person (not that alienation is an issue here, being that he is a good student).
3. I subscribe to the rule of thought that to snitch when no good will come out of it and the person is not seriously harming himself or others is pointless and wrong.
i wouldnt do it either. no biggy.
You may not have cured the smoking problem, but at least you did not add to it. I have smoked off and on since i was 13 (i will be40 this month). I have been no angel, and i can tell you that quitting alcohol, pot or meth are EASY compared to quitting smoking. The longer your friend waits, the harder it will be to quit.
Post a Comment