Dhumrapan sehat ke liye haanikarak hai. Iss se kark rog hota hai.

This is a statutory warning and it stays at that. Just like most other warnings, it is seen and ignored. We’ve all witnessed the sad story of Mukesh and another advertisement that you’ve definitely seen is the one starring a little girl who looks at her father with deep, loving eyes and voila! He gives up smoking. Alas, if only it were that easy!

This article is not making fun of these adverts. In fact, if they’ve really helped someone in giving up smoking then congratulations. But, let me be honest, they are shit. They don’t help anyone and no smoker is going to look at these adverts and say “Oh! I am going to die.” Truth be told, they already know it is a bad thing and yet, they don’t want to give it up. You can put up posters all you want but they’re just going to walk right past it and not care.

I am a smoker myself. Not a chain smoker and actually, fairly new to it than you can imagine. I was always against smoking and would ask my friends to give it up. Then came this one fine evening when I took a puff and realised what all the fuss was about.





I am not going to deny it. Smoking kills. It damages our lungs and every other medical problem that you talk about, I agree with all of them. But, now that I am on the other side of the river, I have realised this.

We know. We know its ill effects, all the damages it will cause to ourselves, passive smokers, environment and everything else that you can think of. We know it all. All the smokers know they’re going to die. But, you know what, so are non-smokers. We’re all going to die. Some want to die early, some late. Some want a peaceful death and maybe, just maybe, we smokers are prolonging the suffering. But who cares; is the end result going to change?

I have had some really huge problems in my life so far and no, I am not giving any excuses. But, smoking helps me calm my nerves. It may kill me someday but right now, I am not tearing my hair apart, thanks to smoking.

As I have already mentioned, I have been on both sides of the river and am fairly new to it. So, here is my advice to non-smoker, concerned friends. Don’t bother. I have had so many people try to convince me to give it up but this is not how it happens. One morning I will wake up and decide to quit smoking but today is not that day. So, all the efforts that you put in are in vain. I am only going to ignore them. I know you mean well and you care about me. But, please, dear friend, stop.





The day I decide to give it up, I might even thank you for not giving up on me but until then, whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?