I’ve been thinking about tobacco use after talking with Vickie Bailey, executive director of the Mississippi Tobacco-Free Coalition of Warren and Claiborne Counties, earlier last week. Bailey’s concerns about second hand smoke opened my eyes, and nose, to the heavy use of tobacco products in the area.

For some reason, tobacco use appears to be really popular in Mississippi. According to the United Health Foundation, Mississippi ranked 47 last year with 24.8 percent of the population admitting to smoking regularly.

When I was at 10 South last week, there were people vaping at a nearby table as I ate. It reminded me of the days when you had to tell your hostess if you preferred sitting in the smoking or non-smoking section of the restaurant. Everyone knew if they said smoking they’d be seated earlier, but was it really worth sitting in a smoke-filled area? I had almost forgotten that was even an option once, which made it all the more strange that it was allowed at a new establishment, even if the establishment is technically located outside.

I’ve always thought of it as such an outdated practice, something of a time past. My grandparents from Mississippi both smoked. The smoky aroma hung in the air of their home for years after the last cigarette was smoked there, and honestly I always cherished the smell that attached itself to my clothing.

Now, however, one of my neighbors smokes inside their living area, and I frequently have to deal with the scent wafting into my place. Plus, I’ve seen at least three people outside lighting up near my home. The aroma is not quite the same as it was from my childhood memory.

It’s not something I’ve really dealt with before. I don’t remember seeing people smoke at my old place. Sometimes I saw cigarette butts outside, but I never remember smelling smoke in the complex.

The University of Alabama went smoke-free on Jan. 1, 2015. While I still saw students sneaking puffs on campus, it was a largely followed rule. But honestly, even before the ban was in place, I don’t remember it being a big issue. Sure, there were kids outside the buildings relieving stress through cigarettes, but it never seemed to be on a large scale.

The widespread use of tobacco products in public has been more evident to me since I’ve been here. It could be a difference in age, or the fact that this is not a college town, but it might just be the culture of the location.

The newer vape culture seems to have spurred a resurgence of tobacco use. Certainly by now everyone is aware of the dangers, which makes it remarkable that this is still so prevalent.

Believe me, I’m not a fan of people telling others how to live their lives, but we’d all be better off in smoke-free environments. I don’t want to be judgmental.  I understand it’s an addiction, but maybe the coalition can use the grant money they have received to give people the help they need to quit once and for all.