When I visited Prague for the first time recently, I was surprised at the number of young people who smoked. Some of them were university students, so obviously well educated. In the UK, smokers tend to be from less educated backgrounds, so I was very surprised. People back home have long been exposed to information about the risks of smoking/drug-taking/AIDS, etc. If I've understood this article correctly, it says that around a quarter of Czechs smoke but that HALF of all 15 to 18 year-olds are smokers. That's astounding! If anyone should be aware of the health risks, you'd think it would be the younger generation, but apparently not. Why should this be?
This shouldn't be :cry: At university where I study IT, there is about 15% of my colleagues smoking. I hate this habit, I hate when there are separated rooms for not smoking people - it should be the exact oposite. Or banned at all. Howgh
They are aware of risks. There are anti-smoking campaings and they were here even during communist times - I remember campaing - Políbit kuřáka je je jako políbit špinavý popelník (To kiss smoker is same feeling as to kiss dirty ashtray) Cigarette packets here have compulsorily big black texts on them like "Smoking will give you cancer" or "Smoking will kill you" People know it - they just don't care. I think it could be connected with Czech dont-care attitude. I don't smoke and most of my friends don't smoke either. Unfortunately my young brother is smoking, but he is trying to stop. My mother smokes too, but not so much. When I talk with my mother about it, she allways says - your grand-grand-pa smoked all his life and he died in his 87.
The world is changing - slowly. Smoking is now recognized for the dangerous activity it is but, people still fail to understand just how addictive it is. I think this may be especially true for young people. I still smoke some (even after my heart attack last year) but am trying to stop completely. New laws are a help - they make smoking much less convenient - but it is ultimately up to me. It is the same for everyone who smokes - they have to make their own decision and follow through - a difficult task. If you don't smoke, don't start. If you have friends who smoke, stay after them to stop - they need all the support or reinforcement they can get.
The Czechs have a "don't care" attitude? They sound a bit depressed! How else does this attitude manifest itself?
Well, you probably don't know much about Czechs, do you? Depressed isn't right word. More like, gloomy pleasure when things goes bad, because then world starts to make sense? / I exaggerate.. well, little /
:lol: That's an original attitude! I suppose it at least ensures that you're never disappointed! Is there a Czech expression for deriving gloomy pleasure from bad things?
Well, infamous Nazi, SS boss Reinhard Heydrich called Czechs "smějící se bestie" (laughing beasts) and it was way BEFORE Czech and Slovak paratroopers assasinated him
The "don't care" attitude does not stem from depression but rather the thought that "Everyone dies from something so who cares, I might as well enjoy life while I'm living." It's more of a "I want to enjoy the world and not give into worries so I don't care about things like that" than a depression.
As for Czech kids smoking so much, the reasons are same as they always were: Kids think smoking is cool, it makes look them mature, of course there's still that forbidden fruit thingie going on. I wonder if some countries/goverments actually managed to persuade children that smoking is NOT cool anymore, maybe even to associate smoking/smokers with some unattractive personal characteristics? You know, (most) children don't care about healthy or not, all that matters to them is appearances. Unfortunately, it's not only tobacco Czech kids are frequent consumers of, it's similar with alcohol too: From idnes.cz article (in Czech): Another drug using statistics from this article (in Czech): But again, this might be same or similar in other countries too, who knows and I don't know if it gets worse, better or is the same as before. By the way, for those who might not know, the legal age for drinking in the Czech Republic is 18. Edit: Here you can see another Czech characteristic, we are quick to point out our flaws. Disclaimer: I'm not a smoker, I drink only rarely and I'm against legalizing any other drugs including marihuana.
Quite the opposite! :twisted: Czechs are always disappointed, but never with the fact they are disappointed, because being disappointed is the normal state. Being fully satisfied, Czechs starts to be out of sorts. Exactly! It’s an epicure way of living. Something like: “Why to spend five years of life with tiring and boring exercising to make your life three years longer?” There is a Czech saying: Tělo má jít do hrobu zhuntovaný. (~ The body in the grave should be timeworn.) I’m not a smoker, I drink only rarely and I’m for legalizing of some drugs, marihuana in particular. I’m against smoking bans, but I liquidate all the smokers surrounding me with an evil sight.
Nah, I believe it's the same everywhere, as we can observe from rampant pandemy of obesity and other "civilisation diseases" during last few decades. To exercise and control your eating habits is just too much effort, it's a lot more easier to succumb to one's desires (eat what you want and as much as you want) and laziness. Another Czech saying is "Pil - umřel, nepil - umřel taky". Or on a similar note, that passage from Saturnin book about two relatives, one who drunk a lot, the other who was leading very healthy life and how they ended.
LOL After being taught that the standard response to "Jak se máš?" was "Dobře", I was told when I got to the Czech Republic that anyone saying that would be regarded as irritatingly smug and that it was more acceptable to be less positive. Is that true? They sound adorable!
Yes, it is. Czech people reply truth - they say how they really feel. In most cases they even little exagerate to worse. Even if you are feeling really great, it's better don't exaggerate it - it could look like you mock your companion - "Look how good I'm and you are not!" But people mostly know, that foreigners do it in a different way, so they will tolerate if you will still smilling and you will be positive and you are really loud and you constantly talk about god etc.. Well, long time impact may not be so adorable, escpecially when you are from obligatorily positive culture, like USA.
It is tough to deal with sometimes, for sure. But I can't put it down entirely to his being Czech. He was apparently the same as a child, presumably before one is aware of one's cultural "gifts"...
How much are a packet of cigarettes in czech republic ? In the uk they are now over £6 for a packet of 20, way beyond my budget for killing myself I converted a few years ago to chocolate, either cadburys or galaxy, a far more enjoyable way to die. :lol:
My goodness! Just paid about 25USD for a carton - 10 packs of 20 - here. That is only about 12.5 pounds. :shock:
Glen, I thought you wrote that you were going to quit smoking? Do people reading this, think that most Czechs are gloomy? :?
