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Why would anyone ever choose to smoke?

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AspieRogue

24 Aug 2012, 5:05 pm

ArrantPariah wrote:
ruveyn wrote:
ArrantPariah wrote:
Smoking is a self-destructive activity, which wouldn't exactly be emblematic of a high degree of intelligence.

Smokers also take pleasure in being stinky.


I and my 140 IQ smoked for 14 years. I finally kicked the habit back in 1968 and I have not had another cigarette since.

Smoking is a pleasure (at first). Later it becomes a burden and a danger.

It is also addictive.

ruveyn


Kicking the habit would be emblematic of intelligence.

:hail:




It takes a lot more than just intelligence to do it. There are some people who can quit cold turkey and tolerate withdrawal symptoms until they subside, but this ability is rather rare. Part of why I was able to do it was because I have prescription stimulants.



The withdrawal symptoms of nicotine and other stimulants are unpleasant, but not usually dangerous. The withdrawal symptoms of depressants, including alcohol but ESPECIALLY barbiturates like Valium and Quaalude, can be fatal without medical treatment. Quitting booze cold turkey is extremely dangerous, and caused the death of Amy Winehouse.



AceOfSpades
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24 Aug 2012, 5:21 pm

Vexcalibur wrote:
Good news everyone Since Einstein Smoked . Smoking is no longer considered self-destructive behavior!

... also, you are free to abandon your wife and children so you can marry your first cousin!

Something that Albert Einstein would never do though is believe that [Einstein smoked] is better of an argument than [Hitler was a vegetarian].
Hey look everyone I got called out on generalizing all smokers as idiots, so I'm gonna make an even bigger fool of myself by putting words into other people's mouths!

Show me where I denied the carcinogenic effects of smoking. Oh that's right, you can't. I'm pretty sure Einstein would've been smart enough to grasp the difference between challenging a generalization and honoring by association.



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24 Aug 2012, 6:34 pm

Smoking IS a choice. Sure, it can be hard to quit because the body is used to nicotine, but it is still a choice.

I smoke because it makes me fell good.



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26 Aug 2012, 3:31 pm

I hate to sound like AA, but the first step to quitting it is admitting it.



ruveyn
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26 Aug 2012, 6:49 pm

AceOfSpades wrote:
]Look at this self-destructive idiot. How can he possibly be smart enough to come up with groundbreaking scientific theories if he's not even smart enough to lay off the nicotine?
Image
Funny you complain about how much cigarettes stink when you always seem to have your nose up your own ass.


You will notice that Einstein smokes a pipe, not cigarettes. Pipe smoking does less damage than cigarette smoking. It is also less addictive.

ruveyn



AceOfSpades
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26 Aug 2012, 7:05 pm

ruveyn wrote:
It is also less addictive.
Last time I checked pipe tobacco contains nicotine.



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26 Aug 2012, 7:12 pm

Nicotine itself is not very addictive. Tobacco is more addictive than nicotine, because it naturally has other chemicals in it that interact along with nicotine.

Quote:
Nicotine is the major neuroactive compound of tobacco, which has, by itself, weak reinforcing properties. It is known that levels of the enzymes monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) and MAO-B are reduced in the platelets and brains of smokers and that substances, other than nicotine, present in tobacco smoke have MAO-inhibitory activities. Here, we report that inhibition of MAO dramatically and specifically increases the motivation to self-administer nicotine in rats. These effects were more prominent in rats selected for high responsiveness to novelty than in rats with low responsiveness to novelty. The results suggest that the inhibition of MAO activity by compounds present in tobacco smoke may combine with nicotine to produce the intense reinforcing properties of cigarette smoking that lead to addiction.


http://www.jneurosci.org/content/25/38/8593