Bloom County by Berkeley Breathed for March 08, 2023

Tobacco kills. And this is one of the many ways.

This reminded me of the PSA’s which were popular in the ’90s (about a decade after this strip) about the danger of smoking and how addictive nicotine can be:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/woman-who-smoked-from-hole-in-throat-in-anti-smoking-ad-dies/

My stepdad (great guy, BTW) smoked heavily. One of my chores was to wash out his ashtrays. I also undertook to scrub the walls of his nicotine-stained half-bath prior to painting it as part of his birthday gift. After that, I didn’t need any PSA ads to turn me off smoking!

Mind over matter…if you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.

Mind over matter – which, in Steve-A-Rino’s case…

SED-A-GIVE??

My substitute for cigarettes was sunflower seeds.

chewing tabacco

Steve is on his own personal Odyssey.

Tied up in his underwear. Are we sure this is about tobacco?

“Uh, Waiter… may I please have an order of arctic blended penguin with a green olive on ice.” Oh, Steve, Steve, Steve. Buddy, you need more than ropes and a friend. I don’t even think Oprah or Dr Phil can help you this time.

I quit cold turkey in 2000 at age 50 and never went back.

When I quit, I kept a photo on the fridge of a guy who lost his entire jaw to cancer. It was gruesome. Every time I wanted a butt I’d look at the pic and lose all desire for a smoke.

That’s the advantage to Steve being tied up: he can’t follow through on any threats.

The trick, Opus, is to never untie him.

Is Opus meeting the definition of a true friend here?

I think the key reason why Steve is in his underwear is cause ether his clothes smell of cigarettes or so he can’t hid them.Why do you think he’s in his underwear?

Be strong, Opus, ’cause Steve-o is weak!