Job Discussion Forums

[James Hetfield]

Please take poll and post comment:

WHAT CITY DO YOU TEACH IN? URBAN OR RURAL AREA?
How much do your students smoke?
Most men smoke in your region? Females too?
Is there a NO-smoking health trend in your region?

[Guy Courchesne]

I smoke, but much less these days than when I first came to Mexico. I'd say about as many Mexicans smoke as Americans or Canadians do, broken down evenly between men and women.

Mexico City enacted a law this year banning smoking in public places, including restaurants, bars, and anywhere else. Barbaric if you ask me. But, such are the times. At least it's not like my hometown where you smoke outside the bar in -40C weather.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

I don't smoke. It's not healthy, and I am sort of a marital arts guy (but not one of the 'I live to FIGHT!!!!' kind, more of the Mr Miyagi kind) so it's just something I don't do (I don't drink a whole lot either). My students are in high school so they don't smoke (or hopefully they don't smoke). This is Japan, so a LOT of adults smoke- probably more than half, although less now than in the past.

I'm now in an urban area. In the past I've been in semi-rural and rural areas of Japan as well. Smoking is common thoughout. The older the person, the odder it would be if they didn't smoke.

There are no smoking areas and quit smoking campaigns out here.

[Justin Trullinger]

[MO39]

[Sonnet]

I'm what you'd call a social smoker, used to be a chainsmoker. Living in urban Germany & China helped to cultivate that habit.

Where I am now (small, modern Chinese city), the vast majority of men over 25 smoke. A surprising amount of the younger guys don't smoke (or even drink), and good girls don't smoke - guess that's an Asia-wide thing, though. There are more anti-smoking laws here than you'd believe possible in China: still an awful lot less dictatorial than those back home, though!

[Shonai Ben]

I used to smoke but I quit 2 years ago........

[Mike_2007]

I also gave up two years ago.

- WHAT CITY DO YOU TEACH IN? URBAN OR RURAL AREA?
Bucharest, Romania. Very urban.

- How much do your students smoke?
Maybe 25% smoke to some extent.

- Most men smoke in your region? Females too?
Don't know the stats but a lot of men smoke here and it's extremely common among women too.

- Is there a NO-smoking health trend in your region?
You can still smoke pretty much everywhere. Restaurants and bars are supposed to have a no-smoking area. Smoking in offices generally not allowed, except in the especially-provided areas. No smoking on trains now. As a result I think younger people are smoking less.

[rusmeister]

[Moore]

I'm a smoker, which is lucky as here in Spain it's almost obligatory to smoke. A lot of my students don't consider themselves smokers but do smoke a bit when they go out (which is a lot). Cigarettes are very cheap here and there are almost no restrictions about smoking apart from not being allowed to smoke inside offices, public buildings and public transport.

You're even allowed to smoke at the outdoor municipal swimming pools here (along with serving beer). The Prime minister, Mr Zapatero is a heavy smoker of dark tobacco and when his aides claimed that he shouldn't smoke during their meetings he countered he was in his offical residence and was therefore smoking at home, so it's probably not going to be legislated against in the near future.

[Madame J]

[James Hetfield]

Taipei Taiwan passed California antismoking laws when I taught there in 1997-2000. Taxi drivers ignored law. In restaurants it made a huge difference. Maybe 80% Taiwanese men smoke, but now the police don't blow smoke in your face when you go to renew your visa.

Buenos Aires Argentina also passed smoking laws. Lived there this year. No smoking inside internet cafes or restaurants. Maybe 80% of Portenos smoke. 40% of smokers are female: In Buenos Aires the chicks blow smoke in your face as you stand at the intersection waiting for the green light, no apologies.

In Asia women are not supposed to smoke because they are the breeders, so smoking is a sign of non-breeders, ie sluts. Asian men think smoking is macho. Mild 7 adverts market smokers not as Marlboro cowboys but as rugged fishermen, reeling in the big one in some wilderness of impossibly clean blue water and sky. Since Asian men have no body hair, no facial hair and no muscles, smoking is the one thing that sets them apart from the chicks!

In white trash towns along the US West Coast where I lived for years, 95% of every white man, woman and child chainsmokes.... White teenage girls smoke at every busstop. Many American white teens are obnoxious belligerent drunk meth-tweakers.... Young and old American white trash smoke and drink like Siberian border guards.

I moved to Los Angeles and was shocked to find LA Latinos didn't smoke at all. Really, I saw almost no one light up. Them illegal aliens refuse to blow $5 of their very hard-earned pay for a pack of smokes. California tax is so high, each pack costs about $5. LA Latinos only make about $10 per hour. Tax policy makes a huge difference: LA Latinos now smoke and drink MUCH LESS than whites. !SALUD!

[MO39]

[rusmeister]

[johnnyenglishteacher]

I only smoke when somebody sets me on fire.