Durban - As an ex-smoker, I can sympathise and empathise with the hapless millions of smokers out there in South Africa at the moment.
Giving up, of my own volition except for a touching remark from a stranger that “smoking is so unlike you”, was hard. Unable to quit cold turkey, I resorted to cutting down to three times a day for one week.
The freedom and other benefits far outweighed the temporary pain. All this was long before the doctor, who smokers and vapers are so angry with, came back from exile.
When Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma banned smoking in public, I applauded. But when she announced the tobacco ban would continue, I half-applauded.
Half of me recognises the ills
of smoking. But smokers continue with their habit with their eyes wide open about the ills. They’re addicted.
The stranger was right. Smoking was very unlike the young, idealistic, patriotic, young and stupid man I was three decades ago.
Smoking is bad. The least said about the purveyors of the poison, who enrich themselves at the expense of the enslaved masses and our public health, the better.
But quitting is so hard.
I applaud President Cyril Ramaphosa for coming out in support of the minister and everyone involved in this stance against smoking. But a more gradual approach can minimise the pain and shock on everyone, including the industry’s ordinary workers.
Together we can limit traffic to shops, discourage smoking and even shut down this bad industry.