Before this week, the big story had been lung cancer. The death of Peter Jennings struck a chord with many, illustrating the dangers of smoking.
Flash forward to this week - the tragedy unfolding along the Gulf Coast.
Walking through the grocery store today, I was passed in the aisle by a teenager who smelled of cigarettes. He met a few friends at the end of the aisle.
I had spent the day watching the news, and was trying to think what else could be done to help. As I checked out, I dropped another dollar in the Katrina Relief Fund bucket at the checkout stand. But those kids stuck in my head for some reason. The checker saw me drop the dollar, and said "I need to do that before I leave tonight", and we talked about how it took far too long for folks to get help.
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As I walked out to the car, I started to get annoyed with those kids. Nothing rational, mind you. Just angry. Why weren't they doing something? Didn't they have better things to do than hang around? Why did the cigarette smell on the kid bother me so much?
Then it dawned on me. How to get the money they need for recovery, and maybe save a few additional lives.
It was the cigarettes. I started to do the math in my head.
The last I recall, something like 20% of American adults smoke. That's probably conservative, but it's a start. So that should account for about 30 million people, at least.
Then I made the assumption that they each smoke at least a pack a week. That's very conservative. Most are closer to a pack a day.
With a quick Google search, I found that cigarettes cost an average of $3.81 a pack across the country.
So here's the solution. If smokers just give up a pack a week, one pack, and instead give that money to someone like the Red Cross. $3.81 multiplied by 30 million. $114.3 miilion in a week. In a month, over half a billion dollars.
Of course, there's the benefit of not smoking. Some folks were moved to stop smoking when they saw the news of Peter Jennings' death from lung cancer. Some needed more prodding. Here's your chance.
I'm not saying smokers should quit. I'm not saying we should raise taxes on cigarettes to pay for the relief.
No, my suggestion is that they simply give the equivalent of one pack of cigarettes each week to help the relief effort.
What can this provide? Food, water, shelter. Diapers and milk for babies, medical supplies and care for the infirmed. That pack of cigarettes can save a life.
We all have some type of disposal income. Maybe we rent too many movies that never get watched. We eat fast food too often. We drink too much. Whatever our excess, give it up once a week. That $1.99 movie, that $4 fast food snack, the $3.75 drink. Give it up once. Try it. Send that money to the Red Cross to help out the disaster relief.
And maybe, just maybe, you'll want to give up another pack. Or more. And in helping save others, you'll save your own life.
American Red Cross - http://www.redcross.org
crossposted at WhatsTheQuestion.org