Remembering Smoking

Living through the seventies, I had more than my share of second-hand smoke. Everyone smoked and it was everywhere. I still attribute many of my worst respiratory moments at home in the ’50s to ’60s to my parents’ chain-smoking.

From 1972-1975, my clothes stank from second-hand smoke from all the bars, lounges, auditoriums, and halls I played in with my bands. My greatest fear performing was that I would lose my voice from all the pollution before we finished playing.

The fog was literally at every social event, in restaurants, bars, universities, on planes, boats, and trains everywhere. Amazingly, thanks to start-up groups like GASP (Group against smokers’ pollution), the pendulum began to swing the other way with bans gradually coming to all the places named above. I still recall being laughed at in a staff meeting when I wore a GASP button. Smoking was that entrenched and taken for granted as a privilege and right everywhere.

*One of the reasons I gave playing in bars was the smoke (to say nothing of the de rigeur drinking before and after sets). I’m sure my lungs or liver would have given out before the ’70s ended if I had pursued what was a possible career in performing in bands.

People born after 1975 have no idea have prevalent and widespread smoking was. It killed millions, including my parents and a musical friend who stayed in bar performing. So many innocents were killed by it ultimately, too. Now and then. The right to breathe clean air. About to be reassaulted by Trudeau’s marijuana bill. The air outside is about to take another hit infringing on the rights of others all over again. Full circle. “When will they ever learn?”

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