It is a shame, but to err is human. I guess some people just aren't as devoted all the time. But that should detract from all the postive steps they do take. Have you even talked to her about this, maybe that would help and she could find some vegan cigarettes or quit. Rather than being judgemental, try a more suppourtive and compassionate approach. It's easier to help people that way. You're on the journey together, she got the ball rolling, now it's you're turn. Hope that helps, good luck.
I second this. And smoking's just nasty, vegan or not... your sister will realise this soon enough! I have a friend who was raised vegetarian and it sometimes disappoints me that she has no moral reasons for being so, it's just that's the way she was raised. She still eats gelatin and animal fats for convenience which makes me go "grrr..." It's frustrating, but u move past it...
you think smoking one or two cigarrettes/cigars is as bad as constantly eating animals products, which are a direct source of animal cruelty??? think about it, at least she's doing more for the animals than most people. most people don't give a damn, and if she's vegan, it's pretty obvious she does give a damn. people make mistakes, it happens, life moves on!
How long has she been smoking for? Nicotine is highly addictive for some people, and for some people it is extremely hard thing to stop. it is way more addictive and harder to stop than to stop eating animal products. heck some people have to try quitting a few dozen times, for some its real hard, others not so hard....and the ones who haven’t found it very hard often think its like that for everyone... and think its their lack of character or something thats preventing them quitting. i am one of ones who found it extremely hard to quit... as well the psychical addiction, smoking is also used as a form of self medication by some peeps, to dull emotions etc. some people with mental or emotional problems might find it extra hard to quit, e.g. i know of a person who is mildly obsessive compulsive, and every time she tried quitting the symptoms of this would get really bad and intolerable.... i myself found when I quit I went on a emotional roller coaster and was pretty off balance for a while-( not jsut the psychical withdrawls), I was in therapy for trauma and I had to wait until this was not as hard to cope with before I could try to quit. It’s not as easy as stopping eating animal products, if it was then i doubt anyone would have a hard time with it. if shes jsut started, i hope she stops cause it just gets worse not easier as time goes on. it i wish i had never started it wouldve saved me a tonne of grief.
I gotta step into this. You are upset that your vegan sister is smoking a particular brand of cigarettes made by a company that kills animals, but the animal products are not a part of the cigarettes. You have decided to consider that brand "non-vegan" by association. The cigarette does not have any animal products in it. The cigarette gained the "non-vegan" label by association with a practice of the manufacturer. Would serving burgers at the company picnic also taint the smokes as "non-vegan"? The question of sin by association leads to a never ending chain, allowing people to argue who is "purer" in their practice. Does your bank do buisness with a slaughterhouse? Do you buy food from stores that also sell meat or milk? Both the anti-communist boycotts of the '50s and the anti-Apartheid boycott of South Africa lead to the question of whether one should boycott those who don't join the boycott. The world is so interconnected that you can not live your live isolated from animal products or those who use them. Its a variation on "6 steps from Kevin Costner."
It's actually Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, which is a spoof on Six degrees of separation. And I believe that a pure vegan, who chooses to be so for moral reasons, will do their darndest to abstain from consumption of any product that not only contains animal products, but also uses them in the production of the product. Yes, it's true that it's near impossible to avoid purchasing from organisations that deal with non-vegan companies, but you can always do your best and make urself vocal about it... which is what this forum is for also, I would not call a store that sells meat and milk "vegan", but it may still be "vegan-friendly". The best we can do these days is to just be aware of what's happening around us.
Well, its a bit silly to expect that everyone else should have the same beliefs. Just as its not fair to make a vegan drink a cows blood shake, its not fair to make a carnivore eat only veggies. I guess the best option is do what seems right to you.
Sorry I only gave the link. I did read your message though... I do know how you feel though. My sister was the one that got me into vegetarianism when I was 15. She was the one I looked up to so much! We went to vegetarian meetings and demonstrations together. Handed out leaflets together. We were very active. When I was 20 I learned about the animal abuse in the dairy industry and other vegan issues and became vegan. It was very difficult for me that she just wasn't interested in hearing about it. She was supportive, but that's as far as it went. And she used to be my big example! I just had to let go and accept that I had taken this extra step without her. We all have to make our own choices and come to our own conclusions ourselves. My sister became vegan 12 years later. That's how long it took her to feel ready.
Wanda, I glanced at your link. My point was not that the maker was vegan (or even close). I was pointing out that the cigarette can be judged on its own without refering to its maker. If one wants to patronize only cruelty free companies that is their decision. I have seen "derived impurity" create purity competitions between people on various issues. "My Way is purer than other Ways" leads to seperation between people, when what the world needs is ways to draw people together. I was hasty when I read the original post, my impression was that the poster was feeling pity and sadness that her sister was not following a pure enough form of veganism. I encourage everyone to look for our similarities, before we look for our differences. (Specks vs. logs in the eyes, etc.)
That's why I gave you the link. The link talks about the cigarette product itself. I agree with you that it is not good to judge people on how pure they are as vegans, but it becomes a whole different issue when it's about your own sister who you thought would join you on the ride at the same speed.
True enough. Does it take a smoking omnivore to notice the irony in discussing whether vegans should smoke tobacco?
