The Dilemma

When I was a non-smoker I thought that smoking was something I would never pick up, and theoretically I never should have picked up. With my generation there really was no reason for me to start smoking; I remember the banning of Joe the Camel and the Yul Brynner commercials, and everyone and their mother telling me how dangerous and addictive it was to smoke. Yet I can remember being seventeen and in the back of my friend's older brother's Camaro,smoking cessation, and offered that first cigarette. I once told a friend (after I became a smoker) that if I were ever to quit, I wouldn't be condescending nor assertively opinionated towards anyone who was a smoker. Now that I'm quitting, socializing with friends has become harder, because whenever they light up I can smell that smoke from a mile away; amazing isn't it? When we smoke we don't notice that scent,stop smoking, it isn't until we stop, it manages to find its way up our nostrils. Even though I find myself more moody, I refuse to go on these anti-smoking tangents towards anyone, friend or stranger. It isn't because I believe smoking isn't as bad as people make it out to be, no it definitely is; it has more to do with empathy. I think we've all had that impolite stranger or random guest that have said (not to be too sarcastic) something as profoundly mind-bending as, "Smoking is so bad for you." or "I never understood why people smoke." Not to mention television commercials that go out of their way to ridicule and stereotype smokers as untouchable lepers that should be avoided for the sake of avoiding their infectious fumes and odors. Then again, I understand the importance of these messages, just naturally find myself offended. I still think I'm going to be passive when I interact with smokers; mainly because I know that they know it's bad for them, and I know that they know that eventually they're going to have to quit or endure serious health effects or death; but I still don't feel the need to be a know-it-all jerk who really just re-states the obvious. I'm a college student, believe me there's enough of those people already. What do you guys think?