Posted by Marcus on 9/27/2009, 10:43 am
128.192.116.94
Michael C's recent post about the Newport smoking teen girls brought a couple of incidents to mind that I thought some in this community might enjoy. I don't see nearly as many teenagers smoking today as I once did, but given that quite a few of the freshmen, more women than men it seems, that I see at my university every year are smokers, I know that teen smoking hasn't declined nearly as much as reported.
As part of its ongoing recruitment efforts my university gives tours to high school classes, usually juniors who are assumed to be thinking about where they want to apply, from time to time. About a week ago I had paused for a cigarette on my way back to the office from a meeting and was in an area with some benches that is partly screened by some shrubs and trees. I noticed one of these high school tours as it passed by and thought that one young woman in particular had taken a long look in my direction. A couple of minutes later, I heard a young female voice behind me say "Excuse me, could I get a light?" I turned around, and there was the girl I had noticed from the tour. I cheerfully gave her a light and asked "Aren't they going to notice you aren't with the tour?" She tilted her head back slightly and exhaled a beautiful stream of smoke in a manner that, along with how deeply she had inhaled, told me she wasn't a novice by any means before answering. She explained that the group had gone into an auditorium for a one hour video and she had told her teacher she needed to go to the restroom because her period had started. "I figure that buys me enough time for one or two cigarettes." Smart kid. We chatted, and as I watched her smoke, I learned that she was 16 years old, had been smoking since she was 14. "I sort of played around with it for about a year when I was 13, but didn't start smoking every day until a couple of years ago." Her preferred brand is Camel Reds, but since they can be hard to find, she usually smokes Marlboro Reds. "Most of my friends smoke lights, but I can't stand them. If I switched to lights, I'd have to smoke so much I couldn't afford it. I already smoke too much as it is." I asked how much she smoked and, based on what I was observing wasn't surprised when she told me "About a pack a day." She took long drags and usually inhaled deeply. About half of the time she held the smoke in her lungs for several seconds before exhaling. She finished her cigarette, checked her cell phone for the time and decided she could have another. After I lit it for her she thanked me and said "I think my boyfriend stole my lighter. He's been trying to get me to quit." I asked if she was going to and she laughed and said, "Hell no, I was smoking before I met him, and I'll be smoking after I dump him."
Like I said earlier, there may be hope for the world yet.
The other indecent happened Thursday evening. My girlfriend occasionally helps give workshops her hospital sponsors for high school students who are interested in going into nursing. I decided to stay at the office a little late and meet her when the workshop was over. We could grab dinner and walk home together. I was early and sat on a bench to read and watch the world go by. About fifteen minutes later, people started to leave the building and I noticed three girls I would guess to be in the 16 - 18 year old age range pause a few feet from the doorway. Each of them pulled cigarettes from their purses or backpacks, and lit up. I noticed that they were sharing a lighter. They stood and talked for a couple of minutes, discussing what movie they wanted to see. All three of them, like the young lady I met earlier in the week, were clearly experienced smokers. Two smoked Marlboro Lights and the other smoked Camel Filters. As they walked past me one of them said something about the workshop being interesting and another said "Yeah, and the teacher was pretty cool, too!" I smiled, knowing that "The teacher" was probably my girlfriend. She came outside a minute or two later, cigarette in hand, and when I didn't see her light up as she approached, I had my lighter at the ready. After taking a very nice long drag and pulling the smoke into her lungs so deeply her ample chest expanded enough to pull at the buttons of her blouse, she exhaled slowly and gave me a very tasty and rewarding kiss. As we started walking she explained that she had given her lighter to "Three girls who got busted at school. They didn't find their cigarettes, but confiscated their lighters."
No wonder they thought the "teacher was pretty cool, too."
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