Drat! Non Smoking has become an issue (again) at the Alano Club

[NMDemDist2]

remind me why I agreed to be on the board?

I wouldn't mind it so much, but it's one person with decades of sobriety that aught to know better....

:banghead:

[FloridaJudy]

1. One person who smokes, or one who objects?

I'm a serious nicotine fiend, but even I can lay off for an hour/hour and a half meeting. Anyone who lights up when it bothers others needs a lesson in manners, no matter how long he/she has been sober.

Of course, I had someone scream at me for smoking outside an AA meeting. I wasn't standing anywhere near the door, either: I was about fifty feet away, so I wouldn't annoy anyone allergic to smoke. But that lady didn't have issues: she had subscriptions. If she hasn't screamed at someone her day isn't complete. I can't even begin to imagine what she was like back in her drinking days!

[NMDemDist2]

2. one person who objects

we get a ton of court ordered folk at the alano club meetings

there are 5 other non smoking meetings a week in other locations, but this person (with literally decades of sobriety) "likes to go to noon meetings" and we're the only noon meetings in town

a conservative guess is that there are 4 smokers to each non smoker at the noon meetings, most of them newbies

I plan (as a group member) to fully support a few non smoking meetings a week *IF* the non smokers commit to chairing them, but the Alano Club board has no business mandating what the groups do IMHO

[idgiehkt]

3. that sounds reasonable to me.

Wow, smoking meetings are very much a rarity these days. I really, really appreciated them in early sobriety. REALLY.

:hi: :hug:

[NMDemDist2]

4. exactly! newbies should be encouraged to attend the meetings

within their comfort zones, if at all possible.

I know I couldn't have sat through 90 minutes with out a ciggy in the first few months and if I had to go outside, I might have missed 'the miracle'

:rofl:

[idgiehkt]

5. yes,

I was almost hesitant to post because only people who have been there can understand what you just said:

"I couldn't have sat through 90 minutes with out a ciggy in the first few months."

I mean, we can joke about it now, but that is very, very real, the nerves and stuff that hit you in withdrawal are so hard to cope with, it's all you can do to just not pick up. Another rush of gratitude again, thanks for that. This isn't p.c. but it kind of scares me to think of what will happen when all the 'old-timers' quit smoking and there are no smoking meetings left at all. I think ordinances will probably take care of it eventually one won't be allowed to have smoking indoors at many of these places...I guess in that case the newcomers should be encouraged to step outside...of course many places won't let you even smoke on their grounds at all.

[FloridaJudy]

6. I don't think I've *ever* been to a smoking meeting

Though the longer meetings sometimes incorporated a break in which one could smoke outside/walk around/use the bathroom.

The residential/inpatient programs locally recently decided to forbid smoking, even outside. I think this is a serious mistake: smokers are going to avoid getting timely help. It's hard enough to give up one addiction at a time. I know several people who tried to quit smoking early in recovery - every single one of them relapsed in a very short time. I think that's something one should tackle only when one's recovery from other substances is firmly established.

BTW, I've had addicts in recovery tell me smoking is a lot harder to kick than heroin, and they should know.

[NMDemDist2]

7. really? wow

Recovery to me has always included cigarette smoke and bad coffee. hmmmmmm

I don't know if I've been blessed or cursed about that :rofl:

[FloridaJudy]

8. I've found the coffee at AA meetings to be pretty good

Though not quite as good as the stuff in Unitarian and other liberal churches. A lot of my fellow AA's locally are recovering wine snobs who switched their allegiance to coffee, and we always ask them to make the coffee.

[NMDemDist2]

9. yup, that's me, wine snob to coffee snob

the club uses Folgers

:P

but I'll be darned if I'll bring my home roasted, lovingly blended nectar of the Gods beans to fling before groggy drunks who hate to be there.

but that's just me :rofl:

and on that note, I'm off to roast my weekly coffee :hi: