Fags

Posted on 2003/07/09 09:50:49 (July 2003) by john.

What should you say?

Yesterday in the street a young boy stopped me as I was walking by the newsagents and said, in his best Charles Dickens' impoverished orphan voice:

"Scuse me Guvnor, if I gave you the money would you be able to buy me some fags*".

OK, I added the guvnor bit for effect, but the rest is accurate. He was clearly only about 12 or 13 years old, and I was reminded of the virtual off licence game (currently not working as I write).

He had no chance. Not with me, anyway. Largely, I just couldn't be bothered, but partly I had a moral niggle as well. Funnily enough, underage drinking doesn't bother me so much - in fact, I might have agreed if he'd just wanted a bottle of white lightning, depite the drinking age being 2 years above the smoking age (16 in the UK). Although I can imagine I might feel bad the next day when I read in the news about a local boy being sent to hospital to have his stomach pumped, or wandering onto the M4 or something like that. Smoking though is different somehow. I don't know why, but the thought of a 13 year old staggering about drunk is slightly comical, whereas the thought of a 13 year old smoking is a bit upsetting.

Anyway, I just said "Sorry, no", and didn't give a reason, however, I did wonder afterwards if I might have been able to think of something a bit more interesting.

Any suggestions?

*For our American cousins, please note in England fags means cigarettes, before you go thinking this is an article about some sordid gay brothel.

I'd have taken his money and bought myself a magazine. Probably would have had to escape out the back of the shop though...

Seriously, it's an issue that I wholeheartedly agree with your view. :-)

Posted by tom at 2003/07/09 10:47:26.

I once replied (while in a pissy mood):

"Life is the slow process of dying. I will not sponsor anything that hastens the process"

Posted by Rob Lang at 2003/07/09 13:41:48.

He asked you?! But you only look 12.

They were probably for his drunken and abusive parents. I bet he had to limp home and tell them that despite trying his hardest he failed. I bet they beat him senseless with a shoe; cracking a few of his ribs and blinding him in one eye.

Posted by Rusty at 2003/07/10 24:20:12.

Secretly, that's the outcome I was hoping for.

Posted by John at 2003/07/10 13:43:56.

Sickening. Truly sickening.

Posted by Rusty at 2003/07/11 01:18:06.

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