Hi I'm Amy and I'm autisitc, here's how other people smoking effects my life. 

**This is going to be a very unpopular one but I don't care about popularity I care about the health of everyone over wealth and desires.**

I understand and can emphasise that smoking is very much an addiction like any other thing, however unlike other addiction battles, it's also harming other people in the process. When it could be avoided. I understand like ervything it would be a process. But it's one that hasn't even started. 

Now heres my battle, Smoking has always been the biggest sensory trigger that for me is unbearable etc. Before going further of you don't experience sensory struggles I don't expect you to. However it's very much real.

Smoking is a choice- Yet I don't have a choice to walk throguh other people's habbits, instant exposure leaves my skin feeling heavy, leaves a taste in my mouth that's hard to get rid off. My eyes sting, it attaches to my clothes, hair, leading to excessive washing of my skin. Leaving my skin raw. It gives me a severe migraine. Smells are intense for me, I identify people, memories and everything with smells & other senses. It's a source of communication, a  language beyond words of the 'neurotypical' brain/body. 

it's not something I can just ignore or distract myself from. This has been my whole life. And all I hear is smoker rights. Smokers choice. But what about mine and those who don't chose to smoke. Those of us it causes severe pain, discomfort and for me depression, isolation. What happened to human rights, disabilty rights and inclusion. What about our choice & health. We all know it's bad for us. But we who don't choose this, have NO CHOICE to accept that we have no choice, but I can't. 

Examples: walking into or out of a shop at the entrance/exits. Walking behind someone smoking, we hear about a ban but nothing ever begins let alone CHANGES, it's seems to be used as a source of income. And though politicians talk about saving the NHS. Even to the extent of introducing sugar taxes for health, but nothing seems to be occurring with ciggerettes, which is much worse. It clings onto materials, skin, fur.  leaving harmful toxic chemicals behind, it harms animals who groom their fur, and consume it like cats. (MY CAT)

 

Then my worst fear recently became my life, it became a living nightmare, and on a serious matter it has ruined my life. To those who turn a blind eye; to condone their next ciggerette and habbit. will either probably not even have read this far, be making an excuse to continue, denying the effects it has beyond their own or laughing about this, or even angry at me for even laying out the thought of a smoke free world. That would benefit everyone, accept the government, even those who disagree because they do engage in this. If you are reading this, It would benefit you too. 

I am depressed to say the least as a further example  I had 14 showers in 1 day recently. My skin is blistered. Ciggerettes from chain smoking neighbours enters my home, which has built up and is only getting stronger. It Not just physically but mentally is effecting me. I can't sleep at night because I have nothing to put my head on that smells of me anymore. Because everything smells almost as soon as exposed to the air. Which is making me unwell, I don't sit down becasue my skin crawls. And though less serious than health, It financally effects me, which continues to mount up, My expensive new furniture smells, comforts, matress etc smells. The air smells. I have spent hundreds on products and machines to try to get the smell out without fail, it's ingrained the walls. 

I spend my life trying to get rid of an impossible smell because i cant sit with it or accept it. My washing basket is always full. Things go straight back in the washing machine before they touch my body, I've binned my pillows, duvet etc. It's jsut adding up. It's damaged everything I own.

Where is our right to a smoke free home. All I hear is smokers have rights, it's legal. Yes it is but it's also ruining other people's life's, not only their own. SO WHY IS IT? LEGAL!

 And no matter how kind and caring a person is, at the end of the day they care more about getting their next fix than what it's doing to someone. No matter what reasons they make to justify their harmful actions, however the government could take away the temptation, importation & creation. 

This is just my experience. Smoking kills and it also ruins life's and causes harm. 

Not to mention my cats toys that he puts in his mouth and since living here he's had dental surgeries, extractions, anti biotics, pain killers, he's in agony with his mouth all whilst grooming it of his fur and sleeping with his head on it no matter how much i wash everything. Which effects my OCD intrusive thoguhts and adds intrusive fear for my babies health & future. 

So seeing nothing being done and the impacts it's having on the NHS, innocent animals and people's health and those who exist around them having no choice. 

I ask what is going to be done about it in the present, IN THIS GENERATION Because things can be done, but it seems to be the benefits & profit on the government that is the priority,

That's what's stopping the spoken about ban: Going Anywhere. Everything is slow moving/not moving at all. Meanwhile people are suffering in many different ways and the government like with most other things are turning a blind eye to what suits their needs financally. So what is the point in ministers, politicians. People who act on the nations behalf for what is meant to be the better. There's no point me aiming my struggles and even bringing defenseless animals into this because people block of their emotions to cater for themselves. But to those who can relate. Even thoguh it probably won't go anywhere, let's try to get our needs met. 

Another thing that bothers me, There's more ways, some more simple than money that the NHS can be saved, all of which can go further. So I'm tired of hearing about money, what happened to money not being what makes the world go around.  As that's all I see and hear these days. What's the point in having leaders if they don't act on what actually matters.

Thank you.