Smoking

[Thomas the Tank Engine]

However bad you thought smoking was, it

[Rippleman]

Sad thing is, the majority of smokers did not care about the statistics before this, and they will continue not to care after this.

[Rohdekill]

Sad thing is, the majority of smokers did not care about the statistics before this, and they will continue not to care after this.

Same could be said about a number of things found bad for you.  Excessive alcohol comes to mind.

[Rippleman]

Same could be said about a number of things found bad for you.  Excessive alcohol comes to mind.

 

Deflecting doesn't change anything. It still is what it is.

[astropheed Veteran]

"Hold up guys, I need to put this stick in my mouth filled with old dried up grass, light it on fire, and inhale the emissions. I've convinced myself this relaxes me even though all evidence suggests it does the opposite. I'm fully aware that it's killing me, but in High School I saw a bunch of people doing it and my Mom used to so I kind of just picked it up. I doubt I'll be one of the people who end up in the Hospital bed with a tube in my neck looking at my children crying over the inevitable harm I've done to them and myself because I was too stubborn to realize that this habit was more than just a small vice. Countless people have told me that it's bad for me but instead of really thinking about that I -- very selfishly -- pounced at them for even bringing it up. Convincing myself that 'I know, I know... I know'. Surely I won't be one of those statistics, surely I'm different. I just know I am."

[The Evil Overlord]

Speaking of which, I'm behind on my resolution

[eddman]

Same could be said about a number of things found bad for you.  Excessive alcohol comes to mind.

I don't have a problem with drinkers, because it doesn't affect me, directly. They can drink until they drop dead.

 

Smoking, on the other hand, I see it as a human rights violation.

 

You might laugh and think I'm an idiot, but why should I be forced to inhale that disgusting, terrible smoke that makes breathing difficult for me, not to mention causes everything that I'm wearing smell like crap.

 

I live in a country where public smoking is not banned and more than 75% of males smoke. I cannot go to a bar with my friends because some selfish morons want to poison the air. There is just a single non-smoking bar in the whole capital. It's too small and crowded and because of that no one wants to go there with me.

 

To me, It's extremely insulting when someone smokes in a closed place when non-smokers are present. A sort of "F*** you all. I do what I want."

 

I can't remember the last time I went out to a bar with a group at evening or night.

 

I forgot to mention, even taxi and public transport drivers smoke at the wheel here, unless you ask them veerrryyy politely not to, which sometimes heavily backfires with the latter.

[vcfan]

im a smoker and wish i never started. scaring people doesnt work. taxing tobacco doesnt work. we're screwed.

[The Rev]

"Hold up guys, I need to put this stick in my mouth filled with old dried up grass, light it on fire, and inhale the emissions. I've convinced myself this relaxes me even though all evidence suggests it does the opposite. I'm fully aware that it's killing me, but in High School I saw a bunch of people doing it and my Mom used to so I kind of just picked it up. I doubt I'll be one of the people who end up in the Hospital bed with a tube in my neck looking at my children crying over the inevitable harm I've done to them and myself because I was too stubborn to realize that this habit was more than just a small vice. Countless people have told me that it's bad for me but instead of really thinking about that I -- very selfishly -- pounced at them for even bringing it up. Convincing myself that 'I know, I know... I know'. Surely I won't be one of those statistics, surely I'm different. I just know I am."

 

Not to diminish what you said, cuz ur right, but the funny thing about nicotine, despite the fact that it's a stimulant, is that it CAN relax your brain, depending in the way you smoke (short, fast shallow puffs have excitatory effect, long slow deep puffs have a calming effect on the brain)...  Of course, if one were to learn to calm themselves WITHOUT adding chemicals to their body, that would certainly be ideal... It's just never gonna happen.  :-p

 

That being said, I'm still unconvinced that E-Cigs are "just as bad" as cigarettes, like some fear-mongering people in Govt want us to believe...  After all, the main reason they're so steadfast against them at this point is because they're not taxed like cigarettes; a major uptick in vaping would mean a drastic decrease in tax revenues for the state/fed.  As much as health nuts in the govt would love to ban cigs and alcohol, they RELY on that money, in part, to function.  So they're not gonna bite the hand that feeds them.

[astropheed Veteran]

Not to diminish what you said, cuz ur right, but the funny thing about nicotine, despite the fact that it's a stimulant, is that it CAN relax your brain, depending in the way you smoke (short, fast shallow puffs have excitatory effect, long slow deep puffs have a calming effect on the brain)

 

Smoking does relax you but since each smoke also makes it harder to relax overtime (increased risk of hypertension, high blood pressure) the effect becomes completely moot. For the most part Smokers maintain a state they'd already be in if they didn't smoke to begin with. It's just more ammo for their senseless arguments.

[DocM]

Never had the urge, and when offered tobacco and papers as a kid my reply was similar to astropheed's comment;

'you want me to roll dead leaves up in paper, put it in my mouth, set it on fire and breath in the smoke?'

No-way-in-Hell. Goes for anything in said paper. Stupid.

[Memphis]

Deflecting doesn't change anything. It still is what it is.

 

I 100% agree with this. I used to smoke, its a disgusting habit with horrible tolls on your health and new ones are found every year. I support taking the US smoking taxes and graphic warnings to the same levels seen in the rest of the western world (in the us). That said, I don't think its deflecting to say that attacking smoking has become a scapegoat to avoid talking about health risks that are treated like the elephant in the room, but are even more serious on your health like obesity. 

[Memphis]

Not to diminish what you said, cuz ur right, but the funny thing about nicotine, despite the fact that it's a stimulant, is that it CAN relax your brain, depending in the way you smoke (short, fast shallow puffs have excitatory effect, long slow deep puffs have a calming effect on the brain)...  Of course, if one were to learn to calm themselves WITHOUT adding chemicals to their body, that would certainly be ideal... It's just never gonna happen.  :-p

 

That being said, I'm still unconvinced that E-Cigs are "just as bad" as cigarettes, like some fear-mongering people in Govt want us to believe...  After all, the main reason they're so steadfast against them at this point is because they're not taxed like cigarettes; a major uptick in vaping would mean a drastic decrease in tax revenues for the state/fed.  As much as health nuts in the govt would love to ban cigs and alcohol, they RELY on that money, in part, to function.  So they're not gonna bite the hand that feeds them.

 

Eciggs might help to reduce the risk of alveolar destruction as this is related more to non nicotine related factors that are in all smokes, however, they will do nothing for throat and lung cancer rates (if their nicotine eciggs) because nicotine in any form, works as a carcinogenic on the tissue.

[The Rev]

Eciggs might help to reduce the risk of alveolar destruction as this is related more to non nicotine related factors that are in all smokes, however, they will do nothing for throat and lung cancer rates (if their nicotine eciggs) because nicotine in any form, works as a carcinogenic on the tissue.

 

That's actually incorrect, as studies show right now.  I've read up on nicotine, and despite all these years of study, there is no conclusive link between nicotine by itself and cancer.  Look it up if you want.  The nicotine is added for no other reason than to addict its users.  If it wasn't a highly addictive substance, it wouldn't even be IN cigarettes.

 

It is, in fact the "tar" chemicals, like toluene, rat poison, embalming fluid, etc. that are proven carcinogenic compounds.  In the grand scheme of things, Nicotine is actually the LEAST toxic chemical in cigarettes.  Granted, it's not good for your heart, but as for the chemical alone being responsible for cancer, the research to date does not support this.

[Memphis]

That's actually incorrect, as studies show right now. I've read up on nicotine, and despite all these years of study, there is no conclusive link between nicotine by itself and cancer. Look it up if you want. The nicotine is added for no other reason than to addict its users. If it wasn't a highly addictive substance, it wouldn't even be IN cigarettes.

It is, in fact the "tar" chemicals, like toluene, rat poison, embalming fluid, etc. that are proven carcinogenic compounds. In the grand scheme of things, Nicotine is actually the LEAST toxic chemical in cigarettes. Granted, it's not good for your heart, but as for the chemical alone being responsible for cancer, the research to date does not support this.

Might want to link some of these studies and start to explain the link between chewing tobacco and mouth cancer. I would love to read studies that say this. Probably sponsored by a tobacco company. So far this sounds like the garbage I hear from current smokers and those who think eciggs magically lower cancer risk.

[T3X4S]

I had always heard that smoking was a lot worse than smokeless tobacco.  When you burn tobacco - it increases the carcinogens by an order of magnitude...

But I dont know.

I dipped Copenhagen for many years - and when drinking, would accidentally drink out of the wrong beer bottle 

[Memphis]

I had always heard that smoking was a lot worse than smokeless tobacco.  When you burn tobacco - it increases the carcinogens by an order of magnitude...

But I dont know.

I dipped Copenhagen for many years - and when drinking, would accidentally drink out of the wrong beer bottle 

 

It is allot worse, but nicotine in that forum is the main reason of mouth cancer.

[Xilo]

 

http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20120822/cancer-causing-chemical-in-smokeless-tobacco

Not nicotine.

 

http://www.treatobacco.net/en/page_62.php

Not really.

 

http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/study-finds-nicotine-safe-helps-in-alzheimers-parkinsons/2175396

Hey it has some benefits as well.

 

There's many articles from reputable sites, journals, etc all show that nicotine is about as bad as caffeine and is not the reason for cancer. It's all the other stuff in chewing tobacco and cigarettes that causes cancer and gets people hooked.

[Ice_Blue]

My father smoked for seventy (70) years. He died at 93 years old. Cause of death was determined as "natural causes".

[Shiranui]

Excellent news!

[astropheed Veteran]

My father smoked for seventy (70) years. He died at 93 years old. Cause of death was determined as "natural causes".

 

I drive to work everyday and I've yet to be in a deadly car accident. Not having been in an deadly accident in no way says that I can't be in one, nor does it skew the statistics (very, very, very small amount) of the likeliness of such an event to occur. You know why it's amazing when people say they smoked for 70 years and died of natural causes? Because it rarely ever happens.

 

I'm not even sure what point you're even attempting to illustrate. I hope it's "here's an interesting tidbit", but it seems it's more saying, "see smoking is totally fine"; which is wrong.

[Rippleman]

My father smoked for seventy (70) years. He died at 93 years old. Cause of death was determined as "natural causes".

some people have been shot in the head and have survived only later to die of old age "natural causes". Does this mean being shot in the head is not as dangerous as one suspects? or can it just happen and be an extremely rare event?

[Mockingbird]

Sad thing is, the majority of smokers did not care about the statistics before this, and they will continue not to care after this.

 

Sadly, most of the smokers are too addicted to care.

 

Remember when Philip Morris released a report saying that smoking is good for the budget because it helps people die faster?

 

Same could be said about a number of things found bad for you.  Excessive alcohol comes to mind.

 

No

[Memphis]

http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20120822/cancer-causing-chemical-in-smokeless-tobacco

Not nicotine.

http://www.treatobacco.net/en/page_62.php

Not really.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/study-finds-nicotine-safe-helps-in-alzheimers-parkinsons/2175396

Hey it has some benefits as well.

There's many articles from reputable sites, journals, etc all show that nicotine is about as bad as caffeine and is not the reason for cancer. It's all the other stuff in chewing tobacco and cigarettes that causes cancer and gets people hooked.

I stand corrected, interesting read, it would appear though that while nicotine by itself might not be carcinogenic, tobacco smoke even without additives might be. That said, who's to say what else you are ingesting when vaping? I'm still unsure of the whole thing although I do own a vape pen to help suppress urges on stressful days.

[trag3dy]

Who would have ever thought that putting bad things into your body causes bad things to happen to your body.