Every day, in every corner, at work, on the school campus, on the park, everywhere we go, someone is smoking a cigarette. The scent poisons the air and leaves the non-smokers breathless.
Growing up in my home country, Haiti, I used to see elderly people smoke, not us, the young people. I did not grow up with people smoking in my face every minute of the day. Coming here to the "New World" as some of us call it, things are different, anyone can do whatever he or she wants. Smoking is the new thing, and everyone is doing it.
The smell of a cigarette is new to me. I can't breathe. I seek for fresh air daily like a fish begging for water. The air is poisoned. Moving here to the United States changes everything I used to love doing.
I can't go out to eat in a restaurant anymore because the same people who are feeding us are also killing us. One minute the server stops by to introduce him or herself smelling so good, the next minute that same server comes back smelling like s***. I have to cover my nose with the napkin.
"Is everything OK," she asked.
"No, not at all," I replied. "I can't breathe."
"Do you have asthma?" She asked
"No, ma'am. It's your smell. what the h*** happened to you? Five minutes ago you smell so good and now you smell like...," I said.
It was so sad that I had to leave the restaurant without touching my meal. I hate the fact that I can't hang out with my friends. I hate the fact that I can't go to a park and walk around enjoying the fresh air or walk around downtown Fort Myers without covering my nose with a towel.
Each cigaretteI can't tolerate the smell of a cigarette. "Cigarette smoking is responsible for 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, including nearly 42,000 deaths, resulting in secondhand smoke exposure," according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
I am too young, too handsome, too sexy to die now. My grandfather lived 110 years old sadly I will not live to see half of those years. Cigarette, it's ashamed that I have to make my friend go five to ten feet away from my car to smoke his or her cigarette before I can give him a ride home. I hate that I have to drive him home with all my windows down because I can't breathe.
It's a shame that I have to create my own world trying to survive for a few more years. It's ashamed that I can't spend time with the people I love. There is this young beautiful woman I like, and I can't really hang out with her because she smokes up to three cigarettes in less than two minutes. we both have a big crush on each other. I hate that our relationship can't grow stronger. I hate that I have to walk away from you like I never know you. I love you so much, but we can't go on.
It sucks that the non-smokers have to suffer the same consequences. We die at a young age. We tried to avoid certain places just to escape the scent of a burning cigarette.
Sometimes I come home, and there's a stranger smoking right there next to my front door. I can't skip these people. They are everywhere: in every street, parking lots, and shopping centers. It sucks that I had to leave my student dorm in my freshman year because my roommates smoked not only cigarettes but weeds at the time. They lied in their application when they said they did not smoke or drink.
I can't breathe. Yes, it's because of you I will not live to see many and many years to come. It's so sad that I can't enjoy a nice conversation with nearly anyone anymore.
