When i'm looking for a treatment center to take a stand against the drug and/or alcohol problem i may have, one of the important factors in choosing a facility is something that was not even an issue as just 3 years ago. Can i smoke cigarettes there? I am a heavy smoker and the thought of not being able to have a cigarette while i'm away from home, dealing with serious emotional and physical situations and already coming off of multiple checicals my body is hurting and jonsing for is scary as well as confusing.
Cigarettes are legal and a personnal stress reliever and i do not plan on quitting after i kick the habits i am there for and concerned about. I ask why has the state of New York banned tobacco from detox and rehab facilities while we are going through a difficult process of kicking addictive drugs, including alcohol, pills, heroin and whatever else someone's substance of choice may be. For years people have checked in to treatment centers and fulfilled their obligation to understand, surrender to and learn to cope with their bad habit's they choose to oust from their life. And for years it's been done with the help of legal crutches such as cigarettes.
I can't think of the negative connotations that come with smoking cigarettes at a treatment center. In my opinion, the closest things the bureaucrats are worried about are; a) the staff going overboard and not wanting patients to fall in to another habit that they believe will interfere with a normal life. b) They don't want anyone playing with fire. c) Health reasons or d) liability reasons. And it may not be any of these, but i think it's so ridiculous that all i can come up with is ridiculous answers.
Bottom line is there is no doubt attendence and admittance for rehabs will slow, there will be more tension inside the facilities, behavior that is not healthy to a recovering addict will take place such as smuggling contraband in and selling on the down low like a street dealer and worst of all, consequences will be handed out to people who have a great chance at recovery because they get caught with tobacco. Their program will be side tracked and instead of the focus on what they may be there for, they now are in the middle of a petty situation involving a cigarette. It takes away from the focus of what they were initially there for and puts the focus on a legal cigarette that should never have been banned in the first place.
The system is setting up individuals to fail because of a silly rule that should not have been put in place. Now, there are going to be individuals smuggling, selling and demanding money just like their selling dope on the street. It's an absolute deterrent from what the patient wanted to get help for when they signed up for. I'm not guessing that their will be an increase in fights, drug use and sex in rehabs because of something as small as not being able to smoke in rehab. When will they learn?
