Smokers?

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Heh, from all we know Gary, there's probably teams of scientists being hired by those cigarettes companies to counter the arguments that smoking = cancer. (That's just me being slightly paranoid but you might never know ^^; )

I chose: No. I really loathe it.

Since I'm allergic to certain things I definitely must point out that I hate cigarettes and being exposed to passive smoking is something that bothers me strongly. I never smoke and have never done so in my lifetime which is up to 30 years now. Is that impressive, b.t.w.?

It funny you mention that since I've wondered for years why in the world they can't positively prove that cigarettes do cause cancer. If they could then they could put those tobacco companies out of business.
Makes one wonder.

I would have checked "social smoker" a couple weeks ago - but I had one really bad smoking trip in Feburary that reminded me of why I quit. I went to a wedding in FL - that was like a three day party - with a bunch of out-of-control 20-somethings. Being the aspie that I am, I hung out with them - because in my mind I'm still like 22.

Anywho - I started bumming cigarettes off my nephew's boyrfriend and by day three I was hacking sh** up. Plus, we'd all been drinking for three days so I just overall felt like hell.

I smoked in college but strangely, I only smoked in private. It wasn't cool - where I went.

It might be interesting to see the division between aspie health-nuts and those who just don't give a sh**. I gave it up because of the social stigma. Plus, I didn't like hacking sh** up.

I rarely make decision based on what's good for me or not. I believe in moderation. I also believe in really, really good food - which, as it turns out, is always locally grown, organic, and made with love by hand. But I'll happily enjoy the occassional Jack-in-the-Box (catfood) Taco.

I think my taste buds (sensory) rule me. Sometimes, smoking tastes REEEAALLY good. Cigars, ciggies, hookah, ???

I love the smell of people smoking cigars. I don't smoke them myself, but damn, they smell good! [/quote]


INSTANT headache... I have got nothing against the smell....one of my fondest sensory childhood memories was visiting the fancy tobacco shops with my dad because of the nice smells....but gads....cigar smoke is capable of giving me severe incapacitating headaches at times.

I don't smoke. I assume that it was the lack of peer pressure at the appropriate age. I never started...am very glad....

I've ordered a "hot nicotine delivery system" which purports to give a similar "hit" to smoking tobacco. If it works without costing me millions for the refills, I might at last have an effective substitute to the Dreaded Weed. Worth a try, I guess. Cold nicotine inhalers don't touch me, and nicotine gum only takes the edge off the craving, it doesn't give me a hit.

While reading up about these devices, I noticed that one argument against them by health professionals is that they detract from the negative image of smoking that they're trying to propagate. Sounds like somebody doesn't want people to think for themselves. Even if it's Marlboroughs, people have a right to make their own choices. Do they ban sport? Do they ban crossing the road? These things maim and kill people every day. As long as smokers are paying for any healthcare costs arising from that choice (which they are) and keeping their habit to themselves, I see no reason to interfere. Especially when individuals often find the addiction so hard to break. If you can't stop, the negative messages are just depressing and frightening.

I would advise any hardened smoker to consider the following:

1. Try to be a light smoker. Heavy smokers are taking much bigger health risks - at 20 a day, the probability of dying from it is said to be around 50% (not an easy statistic to find, for some strange reason, but it's there). Most of the risks fall proportionally with the amount smoked, so one ciggie per day isn't a lot to worry about, depending on your idea of unacceptable risk.

2. Heart disease risks apparently do not fall with amount smoked - which seems wrong somehow - surely one ciggie at Christmas doesn't damage your ticker like 50 a day would? - but just in case it's true, if you must smoke, try to keep the other causes of heart trouble out of your life - healthy diet, sensible exercise, keep off the saturated fat, etc.

3. If you already smoke cannabis and can't stop doing that either, consider smoking nothing but joints. There appears to be no evidence that it causes lung cancer, even when mixed with tobacco. Some people find they don't need to smoke as much with joints, because the effect doesn't vanish so quickly. Definitely my lungs always felt a lot worse after an all-tobacco cigarette than they did after a reefer. I must have smoked millions of J's in my life, but my lung function is still apparently good. On the other hand, don't start smoking lots more dope as a health move - cannabis can be harmful in other ways if you overdo it or if your body/mind isn't suited to it.

4. British and American tobacco is apparently a lot more dangerous than Turkish tobacco. It's all in the way it's grown and cured. Methods exist for low-carcinogen production but governments shy away from endorsing them because it blurs their simplistic propaganda message that we must all simply stop this horrible behaviour at once. But they do exist - so consider switching to a safer product. Even hand-rolling baccy is said to be a little bit safer than ready-mades.

Lastly, please don't think that any of this is a recommendation to start smoking, to smoke more, or to stop bothering to cut down or quit. My message is for those who can't stop smoking, and I only wrote it here because most people never seem to get told that there are alternative ways of getting the risks down to a less insane level. Please don't let my words lull you into a false sense of security - like anybody else I could be wrong. I just don't like the way the medics portray the smoking issue, they're really not being very honest, it's all got mixed in with politics and authority.

All very good points. The amount of ammonia and other chemicals they put into American cigarette tobacco is obscene. And if I'm not mistaken, most manufactured cigarettes come from the US. I think they must put something in it to keep it from stinging your lungs and from you passing out. Smoking a good stogie is a totally different experience - where you're getting that pure delivery of smoldering tobacco leaves. Sometimes soaked in liquor - at the most.

BTW - I have indulged in my share of the j's you speak of - and they have never given me smokers cough and I have never, ever had pneumonia. The only time I get the "hacks" is when I have a sinus infection or am around paint fumes.

I've heard that the THC cauterizes the scilla in the lungs or something a nd helps them regenerate - but then, I pretty much only read pro-pot studies.

^
I think you're right, MmeLePen. American tobacco is also full of radioactive Polonium-210, the concentration of which is thought by some to be enough to explain the whole of the lung cancer risk and the bladder cancer risk. The tobacco used is from the cheapest, nastiest sources - essentially it's the diseased, rotting crap that nobody else wants, mixed with chemicals and rolled into sheets which are then shredded. Then of course there's the nitrate they add, which stops the ciggie going out. All these things are completely avoidable - compared to the tax per cigarette, the cost increase wouldn't be noticeable. In fact you can even grow your own tobacco and get it cured, and pay no tobacco tax at all as long as it's only enough for personal consumption.

The "cannabis protection" theory I heard was that the THC opens up the airways in the lungs and allows them to clean themselves, while tobacco alone constricts the airways and effectively seals the carcinogens in place. Certainly that describes my experience with these two drugs of abuse, and is consistent with the fact that, while tobacco smoking tends to cause asthma, cannabis tends to relieve it.

Oh, I forgot a couple of tips for hardened tobacco addicts:

5. Try to avoid other forms of air pollution such as petrol fumes and city smog. These are known to be more harmful to smokers than to non-smokers, i.e. the two have a synergistic effect. I've known health professionals use this fact as another reason to invoke the usual "thou shalt stop smoking!" mantra, though it seems pretty obvious that only a propagandist would blame just the smoking or just the air pollution. Clearly, it's both.

6. Smoking destroys vitamin C in the body. So it makes sense to take a supplement, or better still, consume more fruit and/or fruit juice.

7. Sooner or later there will be a test for individual susceptibility to tobacco-related cancer. Such knowledge might allow a more informed decision about the risk to the individual.

8. Beware of GPs and their advice on smoking. They're unlikely to tell many downright lies on the subject, but I've heard that they get a bonus payment for every smoker they talk into trying to quit, and my GP's behaviour is consistent with that rumour being true. He's very quiet about the counter-arguments to the mantra.

I don't loath smoking. I just don't smoke any more. I kicked a two pack a day habit 47 years ago.

I like the aroma of good pipe tobacco but I don't smoke either pipes or cigars either.

ruveyn

Tobaccoholism topic

I quit 28 years ago. I hate the smell, the smoke and the cost. Both parents did. I grew up with second hand smoke. No wonder I was so sickly as a kid. Had pneumonia a few times as well, as an adult, and since quitting, no major health problems.

By the way, the smoke contains chemicals that does contribute to cancer, heart disease, stroke, emphysema, dental problems. Maybe the tobacco does not, but all the crap added and the fact that it is smoked and/or chewed does the damage.

yes i smoke, 1)it's alot less painful then killing yourself but produces the same effect over time.
2) it goes goed with a beer
3) nicotine always cracks me up
4) joints burn better if you add tobacco

I don't think raising the prices actually gets anyone to quit, though...at least nobody I know has quit. All it does is either make them pay more for their addiction, or start smoking "little cigars" (which don't have the tax on them for whatever reason) or rolling their own.

The damage has already been done, but I think one thing that would really help is if there was more regulation on what actually goes into the tobacco: http://biopsychiatry.com/nicotine/freeb ... otine.html <-- for example

Semi off-topic, but a question for the Americans - Is smoking in public places like bars and restaurants legal over in the states?

I have to agree with you on that, considering just how addictive it is. I think alot of people underestimate just how hooked most smokers are.

Sad to say, but if the threat of disease and an early or painful death due to smoking isn't enough to make me quit, I doubt significantly higher prices on cigarettes would.

I said I was going to quit if the price of cigarettes ever went over $1 per pack.

In varies state by state, but I think most states are non-smoking. California was one of the first and has the most stringent laws. In some places, you can't smoke outside, either. At least within a certain distances of public places. A lot of beaches are non-smoking, too.

I think all restaurants in the US ban smoking - only some with bars allow it. I think some parts of the midwest are still quite smoking-tolerant.

The only state I've visited lately that still allowed smoking in bars is Virginia. No surprise there. I think Tennessee and North Carolina allow it in bars, too. Georgia doesn't allow it in bars - which is surprising considering how backwards everything else in Georgia is.

I don't mind if people smoke around me if its outside like on the patio, but I really can't stand it when my clothes or hair smell like smoke the next day. THAT is a major pet peeve.

I believe it's as addictive as heroin, and it takes 3 months of abstinence before you stand much chance of a permanent cure. I think that's longer than for heroin. Depression is common in withdrawal, among other delights. They should make an island tobacco free and people could stay there for 3 months to stop smoking. Security would have to be good but it'd be OK if there were lots of interesting things to do. Then a minder to police your behaviour when you get home. And still some would go back to it.