Smoking vs. Gambling

on smoking. ------------------ as we all know, smoking is harmful for our health. it causes lung cancer, therefore smokers die an early and painful death. i have friends who smoke. but frankly, i do not understand why people want to smoke. cigarettes not only are smelly (contrary to the word 'xiang yen'), are harmful to us, they are also expensive. when i say expensive, it truly is expensive. a packet of marlboros will set ur wallet back by eleven freaking dollars. therefore i say people who can afford to smoke marlboro are never poor. assuming smokers who smoke the least, say, 2 packets a week; they will spend $22 a week, $88 a month, and a whopping $1056 a year. and this is only assuming that they smoke 2 packets a week and never increasing the amount. imagine what they can do with the $1056 increase in their bank accounts per annum. ------------------------------------------------ some of my non-smoking friends hate to go to al fresco dining places, as there are bound to be smokers there, blowing smoke in our faces while we eat. non-smokers who constantly inhale cigarette smoke from others, are called passive smokers. apparently we die earlier. sometimes i wonder if that piece of fact is actually true; or perhaps it's just something created by some people to let non-smokers like us hate smokers more. i don't mean to say i hate smokers, but there definitely are people who, after knowing that passive smokers die earlier, will dislike people who smoke, and also encourage them to quit. but of course, being able to quit is definitely a good thing. recently i have come across some news which i know once implemented, will cause some of my friends to be clapping with joy, and others, cussing and swearing. the government has apparently decided to implement a new law which does not allow smokers to smoke at food places, as well as clubs. it therefore means that we will not see anymore smokers smoking at coffee shops, cafes, or any al fresco dining places because they are not allowed to, according to the law. it also means that we will have a smoke-free pub/club in the future. whoopie-yay for non-smokers like me. we no longer have to get smoke blowing into our faces. we also can go clubbing, have fun, and go home smelling anything other than an ash tray. however, it's not a whoopie-yay for the smokers. au contrary. they are practically unacceptable anywhere other than their homes. truly, i feel that it's too harsh a law on them. it's quite fair to not be able to smoke in air-conditioned places, is that not? and smoking being prohibited in clubs??? is that really necessary?? ------------------------------------------------ on gambling. ------------------ there are also issues regarding the opening of a casino in our country. apparently singaporeans love to gamble, and a hefty sum of money is lost outside of singapore due to these gamblers. (can u imagine the horrors of horrors??? money is actually flowing out of singapore!!!) having a casino in singapore will then retain that hefty sum of money in singapore, as well as attract more tourists here. according to their statistics, about 65% of the singapore population are not extremists, and therefore will accept the majority's decision. addressing the public's concers, casinos do not also necessarily create more chaos in the area; crime rates do not necessarily rise in areas where there are casinos. it is said that if a casino is really built in singapore, there are rules that will be laid down to ensure that our bright and sunny island will not turn into a sleazy area. obviously, people who are under-aged are not allowed in the casino. people who go in to pay will also have to place an amount acting as a deposit. or was it entrance fee? i can't remember; but i remember it was not $2 nor $20. by building a casino, we can increase our country's GDP, without having to compromise on our safe and sunny island. having a casino has so many benefits.. why not hor?? ------------------------------------------------ gambling is not harmful to the body. it does not make people around you die earlier either. however, gambling, like smoking, is addictive. people get addicted to gambling just like how they can get addicted to smoking. gambling also causes families to fall apart. have we not seen the case too many a times? gambling requires much more money to support, as compared to supporting one's smoking habits. win some, lose some; you may say. however, gambling can never make one rich. (unless you're the owner of the gambling den or casino, of course.) nine out of ten gamblers lose money. therefore taking into account winnings as well as losings; let's say a person loses an average of $300 per two weeks. that will be $600 a month, and a whopping $7,200 a year. imagine what they can do with a $7,200 increase in their bank accounts a year. ------------------------------------------------ the government, in trying to prohibit smoking in so many areas, are in a way trying to tell us that since smoking is harmful to us and makes us die earlier; causing them to lose precious resources who can work and make more money for the country in those years; we should set harsh laws so that eventually singapore would also be smoke-free other than the bright and sunny island set in the sea. however, they encourage a casino to be built in our island. i feel that it makes no sense. isn't gambling a greater vice than smoking?? but by prohibiting smoking and allowing gambling to appear on the island; are they trying to tell us that gambling is better than smoking? i say; at least smoking does not cause people to go bankrupt and jump off buildings. it is too idealistic to think that a casino would be beneficial to us. to the country's vault, i would say. for the people? never. ------------------------------------------------ note: i am not against people smoking, nor am i affected by the fact that i might die earlier because of the smoke that i inhale. i am not anti-smokers! i just wanna make the point about gambling. what better way to compare gambling rite? :P