Smoking, bad for your health, just cannot stop

[Ghostpanther]

Congratulations on quitting. I know it's not easy as all smokers wanna quit but almost none does.

Thanks. Yeah, that was decades ago when I did.

Those who say they can not stop, can not because they do not want to bad enough. My uncle, smoked most of his life and told me when he was in his late 60's, " I have tried, just can not stop. " Had a stroke and then open heart surgery at the age of 72. He quit smoking after that happened.

[Ahovv]

Pro-tip, you don't actually have to respond, as you have made it clear you have no intention of having a reasonable or respectful retort.

In case for some reason it wasn't clear in any of my previous posts. I have never stated that smoking is good for you, what I have done is point out faulty science and provided information showing actual risk/benefits as much as possible. In extreme cases, smoking is far better for you than the illness (such as schizophrenics or depressives). In most cases, it is less dangerous than advertised, but definitely not good for you. It is more comparable (though probably slightly less dangerous) to eating a consistent diet of heavily processed and fast food.

The argument you seem to take issue with is that secondhand smoke isn't really a thing, and if multiple recent studies in the past 20 years from high-brow institutions and that are independently funded don't sway your opinion on that... Then good luck in life I guess.

So if nicotine is the positive part (aside from addiction), how does that positively reflect smoking? They aren't the same thing. You can vape nicotine without the cancer. You didn't really think that through very well. It's not a good defense of smoking or a way to combat "stigma."

[Puzzlesocks]

So if nicotine is the positive part (aside from addiction), how does that positively reflect smoking? They aren't the same thing. You can vape nicotine without the cancer. You didn't really think that through very well. It's not a good defense of smoking or a way to combat "stigma."

Because it is simple. You do not have the right to tell other people how to live their life. If secondhand smoke is not a valid thing (which multiple reputable sources are showing is true), then you have no reason to scorn smokers besides personal bias based off lies. It also means you definitely should not be voting on or supporting bans on smoking unless you do not believe in personal autonomy, in which case you live in the wrong country dude.

If you want to get into actual ""deadly"" facts about smoking, according to this article which states: Cigarettes cause about 1 lung cancer death per 3 or 4 million smoked, which if I were to take my smoking rate of 8/day, would take me 1027 years of smoking to complete 3 million cigs. There are also facts like: Lung cancer today is primarily caused by the inhalation of smoke from cigarettes, which is also why the disease was quite rare prior to the 20th century. Which focus primarily on cigarettes, and not things like air pollution from industrialization and cars. It might speak volumes to know that lung cancer rates are actually INCREASING even though smoking has dramatically DECREASED over the past 60 years. To quote the article directly for you;

He says that secondhand smoke and radon exposure can play a role in the development of lung cancer, but plenty of patients who have rarely been exposed can still have lung cancer. “Unfortunately, there is a generalized stigma attached with patients who are diagnosed with lung cancer – that it may be due to their behavior,” Dr. Khansarinia explains. “What we have to do is forget about that stigma and start looking at the number one cancer in the United States. After heart disease, lung cancer is the largest killer in the United States.”

In fact, he says, the number of patients who die every year from lung cancer is higher than the number of deaths caused by colon, breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer combined. “That’s not fair to that group of patients who have not smoked,” says Dr. Khansarinia. “What we have to do is fight the disease, not fight the stigma.”

Again, none of these facts show that smoking is good for you. What they do show is that there is more to the story than just smoking. If we allow the anti-smoking hate groups to keep pushing propaganda research at us, we lose sight of actual issues causing actual diseases in actual people by things they have not chosen to do. It's become taboo to even think that secondhand smoke isn't a big deal even though multiple studies have shown it only matters in extreme fringe cases. It's an argument against pure logic, and it's ridiculous.

The argument you are making against smoking as telling someone how much soda they are allowed to drink a day or telling them they HAVE to exercise every day, or else we will fine and jail you. You are forcing personal beliefs of your own onto how another lives there life. This is discrimination 101 sir, please get the context right. Don't ask me to prove an argument that I am not making nor agree with, there are "safer" though I wouldn't say better ways to get nicotine (smoking has a faster delivery system of the drug and safer is in quotations for a reason). Unless you can show me long term studies done on the effects of wearing nicotine patches or vaping over a lifetime? Keep in mind that you don't see a increase in cancer until 30-50 years of smoking. At least according to the internet (and matching with my memory of vaping) The Chinese firm Hon Lik made the first modern e-cig in the mid-2000s so if you have a long term study on the safety of vaping throughout a lifetime, I would be very interested to see proof of time travel.

[Halicia]

I would be very interested to see proof of time travel.

https://time.is/

We're all traveling in time. Where's my cookie ?

[prwraith]

I quit smoking just like I quit drinking.

I stopped. And didn't ever start back up. Smoked consistently for like 6 years, drank consistently for like 3. Never looked back. Willpower man.

[Ahovv]

Because it is simple. You do not have the right to tell other people how to live their life. If secondhand smoke is not a valid thing (which multiple reputable sources are showing is true), then you have no reason to scorn smokers besides personal bias based off lies. It also means you definitely should not be voting on or supporting bans on smoking unless you do not believe in personal autonomy, in which case you live in the wrong country dude.

If you want to get into actual ""deadly"" facts about smoking, according to this article which states: Cigarettes cause about 1 lung cancer death per 3 or 4 million smoked, which if I were to take my smoking rate of 8/day, would take me 1027 years of smoking to complete 3 million cigs. There are also facts like: Lung cancer today is primarily caused by the inhalation of smoke from cigarettes, which is also why the disease was quite rare prior to the 20th century. Which focus primarily on cigarettes, and not things like air pollution from industrialization and cars. It might speak volumes to know that lung cancer rates are actually INCREASING even though smoking has dramatically DECREASED over the past 60 years. To quote the article directly for you;

Again, none of these facts show that smoking is good for you. What they do show is that there is more to the story than just smoking. If we allow the anti-smoking hate groups to keep pushing propaganda research at us, we lose sight of actual issues causing actual diseases in actual people by things they have not chosen to do. It's become taboo to even think that secondhand smoke isn't a big deal even though multiple studies have shown it only matters in extreme fringe cases. It's an argument against pure logic, and it's ridiculous.

The argument you are making against smoking as telling someone how much soda they are allowed to drink a day or telling them they HAVE to exercise every day, or else we will fine and jail you. You are forcing personal beliefs of your own onto how another lives there life. This is discrimination 101 sir, please get the context right. Don't ask me to prove an argument that I am not making nor agree with, there are "safer" though I wouldn't say better ways to get nicotine (smoking has a faster delivery system of the drug and safer is in quotations for a reason). Unless you can show me long term studies done on the effects of wearing nicotine patches or vaping over a lifetime? Keep in mind that you don't see a increase in cancer until 30-50 years of smoking. At least according to the internet (and matching with my memory of vaping) The Chinese firm Hon Lik made the first modern e-cig in the mid-2000s so if you have a long term study on the safety of vaping throughout a lifetime, I would be very interested to see proof of time travel.

Hey dude, I think virtually all drugs should be legal, so your bullshit about propaganda and taboo clearly fails.

If you actually cared about these principles you would be equally pissed about "harder" drugs. I have a feeling you don't care, you just really want to defend smoking because you do it.

When the time comes to legalize LSD, you're still gonna be stuck on smoking. Well actually, you'll probably be dead from smoking.

[Dreknar20]

So if nicotine is the positive part (aside from addiction), how does that positively reflect smoking? They aren't the same thing. You can vape nicotine without the cancer. You didn't really think that through very well. It's not a good defense of smoking or a way to combat "stigma."

well I have noticed all the anti-smoking ads have all changed into just anti-nicotine ads, hell even mmo champ has them

[DevilTrigger1989]

I quit smoking just like I quit drinking.

I stopped. And didn't ever start back up. Smoked consistently for like 6 years, drank consistently for like 3. Never looked back. Willpower man.

Now I am trying it via doing some other activities: Raising a tank of small fishes, playing newly-released games,etc.

[Muajin76]

I'm a smoker of 10 years. Once quit the smoking twice for average period of 3 months. However, back to tobacco again with various reasons.

Summarized the reasons, I found 2 kinds of occasion which make me back to tobacco:1):Having chat with leader who is smoker. 2): Bad moon push one back to tobacco.

How's your experience on this issue?

I'm 42..i started smoking when i was 10 or so. Am i addicted? nope. I sometimes go 2-3 months wo smoking once. Or sometimes smoke a few cigars a week. If you KNOW it's bad for you, you will find a way to quit. That or some random event/gf or wife will threaten to leave you unless you quit smoking.

[Puzzlesocks]

Hey dude, I think virtually all drugs should be legal, so your bullshit about propaganda and taboo clearly fails.

If you actually cared about these principles you would be equally pissed about "harder" drugs. I have a feeling you don't care, you just really want to defend smoking because you do it.

When the time comes to legalize LSD, you're still gonna be stuck on smoking. Well actually, you'll probably be dead from smoking.

I don't understand how having a "limited government interaction" view on smoking makes me someone who wants to ban drugs. I'm actually 'for' the legalization of psychedelics despite having never tried them. The research showing clinical benefits of Psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, and Ketamine are all very compelling. Based off even the limited clinical research and toxicity levels Psilocybin alone, I would be very interested in seeing it as an over the counter supplement for micro-dosing at the least. (Let's be honest, if someone wants to trip, there are still plenty of less safe ways someone can do it with a trip to the grocery store/pharmacy right now.)

Please tell me what my other views are, I would love to see this picture you have of the type of person I am. Feel free to take it to DM if you like, as this is getting quite off-topic.

Good luck to OP if you want to quit smoking. If you don't want to, then "you do you". I'm not here to convince anyone else of how they should live their lives. My posts are generally just here to give other people insight into how I might think and possibly view a subject from a different angle.

[Gaexion Ramza Beoulve]

When you smoke you have to smoke in a secluded or private area.

But when you vape you can vape almost anywhere.

And when everyone can see what a douche you are you will eventually have to quit.

[zEmini]

I am about 7 months smoke free now. I quit during last years Blizzcon for reference and it has bee the hardest thing I have ever done. What I miss most is the nostalgia and relaxation of stepping out side for a few minutes of alone time.

[Ghostpanther]

I am about 7 months smoke free now. I quit during last years Blizzcon for reference and it has bee the hardest thing I have ever done. What I miss most is the nostalgia and relaxation of stepping out side for a few minutes of alone time.

Congratulations on quitting! And yes, it was not easy for myself ether and I still miss it. Do not have a physical craving anymore, but I really enjoyed it. Just keep that in mind and not let the temptation to start over win. I do not think I will ever get over the enjoyment I had smoking and it has been decades since I quit.

[Dreknar20]

Now I am trying it via doing some other activities: Raising a tank of small fishes, playing newly-released games,etc.

that's a good strategy

Just keep busy during idle periods, especially during those first few days

[DevilTrigger1989]

that's a good strategy

Just keep busy during idle periods, especially during those first few days

Yeah, it seems to reduce the volume at least. Then, I might find some sugar with special herb to be the substitute of smoking,such as citron peel candy，which I once quit for 3 months through it.

[FantaSanta]

I agree with you.

[Flarelaine]

I kind of agree...I understand why they keep doing it once they start, but I don't understand how anyone can start in the first place, for the most part.

Most people I've seen start smoking were stupid teens (that includes yours truly), either because it was a grown-up thing or because everyone else was doing it and "hey Joe, you don't want to be left out, what, are you a chicken"?

[steristumpie]

I smoked for 15 years. Like chain smoked. I remember almost going through a packet in one night of raiding.

Then one day I got bronchitis. Every ciggie tasted like shit and I couldn’t really inhale because I’d cough up a lung. So just left it till I got better. 3 days later I started feeling better, but thought let me see how far I could push this. I managed to make 2 weeks then fell off the wagon when I was at a friends and begged a smoke off him. When I got home I thought well may as well have another because I failed anyway, but realized I didn’t have any smokes in the house and I was too lazy to get. So I pushed it again.

That was 10 years ago. Never touched it again.

And to be honest, I still miss it. I started suffering from anxiety around that time which never really went away to this day. I don’t feel any healthier. I have a bit more money but I started playing Warhammer around that time which is infinitely more expensive than smoking. The only real benefit is I don’t have that psychological “ball and chain” any more eg. I’m going out, remember to get my smokes; Must stop at the shop on the way for smokes; Damn, last ciggie, need to put on a coat and get to the shop.

As an ex smoker, quitting doesn’t really change anything except leaves you with no spontaneous on-hand easy stress release. I wish I didn’t quit.

[Ghostpanther]

Most people I've seen start smoking were stupid teens (that includes yours truly), either because it was a grown-up thing or because everyone else was doing it and "hey Joe, you don't want to be left out, what, are you a chicken"?

With myself, I started smoking at the age of 15, because just about everyone in my family, the adults, smoked.

- - - Updated - - -

I smoked for 15 years. Like chain smoked. I remember almost going through a packet in one night of raiding.

Then one day I got bronchitis. Every ciggie tasted like shit and I couldn’t really inhale because I’d cough up a lung. So just left it till I got better. 3 days later I started feeling better, but thought let me see how far I could push this. I managed to make 2 weeks then fell off the wagon when I was at a friends and begged a smoke off him. When I got home I thought well may as well have another because I failed anyway, but realized I didn’t have any smokes in the house and I was too lazy to get. So I pushed it again.

That was 10 years ago. Never touched it again.

And to be honest, I still miss it. I started suffering from anxiety around that time which never really went away to this day. I don’t feel any healthier. I have a bit more money but I started playing Warhammer around that time which is infinitely more expensive than smoking. The only real benefit is I don’t have that psychological “ball and chain” any more eg. I’m going out, remember to get my smokes; Must stop at the shop on the way for smokes; Damn, last ciggie, need to put on a coat and get to the shop.

As an ex smoker, quitting doesn’t really change anything except leaves you with no spontaneous on-hand easy stress release. I wish I didn’t quit.

Been there done that. Has been decades since I quit and I still miss it. But do not start back up. I never plan on it ( cigarettes that is ) , except I told my wife, once I hit 80, I will start smoking cigars. By the time any cancer would get me, I will die of old age. But my wife said, I may find it so disgusting I will not continue and maybe the excessive cost will discourage me. She may be right.