No More Love in a Nicotine Affair

Re: “Smoker’s Fantasies Light Up His World” (Sept. 15): A former three-pack-a-day smoker, I can identify with Garry Abrams’ longtime love affair with cigarettes. But after 17 years of freedom from smoking, I can also give him the other side of the picture.

I no longer need “an excuse to take a break for the computer.” I give myself permission to get up, stretch and walk outdoors for a few deep breaths of fresh air, which relaxes me and clears my head in less time than it used to take to smoke a cigarette.

Like Abrams, I found my romance with cigarettes fading as the years went by, and that’s the biggest step toward quitting, as he’ll find out. Hopefully before his daughter starts thinking a cigarette will help when she’s hungry . . . or full . . . or sad . . . or happy . . . or relaxed . . . or nervous . . . or . . .

BEA SHAW

North Hollywood

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Garry Abrams’ article on the joys and benefits of smoking would be funny if it weren’t so pathetic.

He declaims the mental-process benefits from smoking in a way that suggests even nonsmokers could benefit from a little nicotine when, in fact, the only reason he can’t think clearly without cigarettes is because he’s addicted to them.

As for the smoker having to “accept a lot” from nonsmokers, what a load of horse manure. If complaining about having a measurable amount of nicotine in my system despite my never having smoked makes me sanctimonious, I wear the label proudly.

W. FAULKNER WHITE

Capistrano Valley