Cigarette smoking.

[Kath1]

Could not believe these very nice women I was having a discussion with all smoked, but they all do. Liberal smokers. Very cool!

[spanone]

1. very stupid with todays knowledge of the consequences

[TheBlackAdder]

61. My 62-year-old sister was diagnosed with COPD and emphysema--given 5-6 years to live.

.



She did not smoke, living with our mom who did. She was a rock singer, nightclub singer and wedding circuit singer.


Besides the Polonium 210 and radioactive lead that cigarettes release into the lungs, giving someone who smokes a pack and a half the equivalent of 200 chest x-rays of radiation per year, there are thousands of other elements released into the lungs. When my father passed away from asbestos cancer, the doctors at Fox Chase said that heat was also one of the major causes of lung cancer, and to stay away from long hot showers and smoking.

.

[Hekate]

70. All those venues used to be filled wth smoke,so she got a whopping dose of second-hand smoke at work

My ex-husband was a bartender for over 10 years, and the air in the building was sealed off (i.e. air conditioned) and recirculated all night while the patrons smoked and smoked and smoked. When he came home, every stitch of his clothing went into the laundry because it stank so badly. All the employees -- entertainers, cocktail waitresses, busboys -- had no other air to breathe at work.

One of my brothers has emphysema. It's no picnic. I'm so sorry about your sister.

[TheBlackAdder]

72. Yep, second hand smoke.

.


I'm sorry to hear about your brother too.

Yet, I still see smokers, who don't give a shit about anyone else. Just as long as they get their fix, is all that matters. It bothers me to see young children trapped in a car, with a smoking adult just puffing away. They can't even wait through a car ride, and now vaping is just another silly affirmation of their addiction. Nothing to be proud of.


.

[Hekate]

73. Mormon stewardesses with lung cancer: one of the things that finally got airplanes clean

Can't remember the details any more, but I think they were part of a lawsuit about second hand smoke in the workplace. Tobacco companies and airlines kept denying that the smoky recirculated air was a problem, but when there was a group of employees who had never, ever smoked for well-known religious reasons, they had to take note.

[marble falls]

175. My doctors believe my bladder cancer is from second hand smoke....

I never smoked but I always felt second hand smoke was pretty innocent stuff. Now I can't stand the smell of tobacco.

[davidpdx]

234. Really, I'd never heard that

I grew up with both parents as smokers. I guess that is something I should watch carefully.

[marble falls]

252. I've been told that spouses of smokers are more likely to get bladder cancer...

than spouses of non smokers, and that smokers are more likely than non smokers to get it. I spent years in restaurants and bars where smoking was heavy. My non smoking past actually slowed down the discovery of my cancer. They kept asking me if I was a smoker. In fact after three surgeries and I don't know how many checkups my surgeon asked me at my last checkup if I had stopped smoking yet.

BTW: the VA has done a wonderful job of taking care of me and I have no complaints or concerns.

[3catwoman3]

94. Long hot showers?

Crap!

[Binkie The Clown]

130. hot shower + chlorinated water = toxic chemicals.

Showering with non-chlorinated water is just fine.

[TheBlackAdder]

168. Whatever.

.

Just recalling what FOX Chas'se cancer doctors said about the lung tissue damage caused by prolonged heat exposure, including saunas.

.

[CajunBlazer]

214. Probably refering to the presence of Radon 222 in the water

Radon 222 is a colorless, odorless gas that often enters a home from ground vapors and through the water supply, especially if that water supply is obtained from wells. It is radio active and is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.

From what I have read, random readily separates from water during aggregation, such as during showers. If your water has a fairly high radon content, radon concentrations can reach high levels of in the air of a shower stall and the gas then escapes into the air of your home. I would imagine that the hotter the water, the more residual radon would be released and of course the longer the shower, the more radon will escape into the air of the shower stall.

There is no doubt that radon causes lung cancer; uranium miners who were exposed to high levels of radon often had lung cancer in much higher percentages than the general population. How many deaths Radon in homes cause due to lung cancer is an open question - but evidently evidently smoking and radon exposure is a double whammy.

You an find a lot of information on this subject on the internet. Though I remember better sources, I found this one quickly: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/rad/radon/radonfaq.htm

Although some scientists dispute the precise number of deaths due to radon, all major health organizations (like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Lung Association and the World Health Organization) agree with estimates that radon causes thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths every year. This is especially true among smokers, since the risk to smokers is much greater than to non-smokers.

[trillion]

143. Condolences on your fathers passing.

[TheBlackAdder]

167. Thanks so much. nt

[SheilaT]

2. Not cool.

If you want a good argument against smoking, go to a 50th high school reunion. I recently attended mine, and it was genuinely horrifying to what extent it was easy to spot the smokers, vs the non smokers. The smokers looked a good fifteen years older, sounded awful, and clearly seemed in worse health. And that's those who showed up.

Smoking is not cool.

[Zorra]

3. Smoking killed my mother when I was 10 yrs old. nt

[davidpdx]

110. I'm sorry to hear that. I can't imagine what losing a parent at that age was like.

Smoking killed my father at 55. He had his first stroke at 42 (I'm just a few years older than that right now) and several smaller strokes after that. Weeks before his 55th birthday he had a stroke and fell putting him in the hospital and he never recovered.

[trillion]

145. I'm sorry to hear that. That is a terrible tragedy.

[SusanCalvin]

4. I'm guessing you are pretty young.

I would strongly suggest not even trying the nasty, corporate things. (They only want your money, you know.) Surprised you can stand to smell them.

My parents smoked like chimneys (before the effects were known), and I hated it. My mom died of lung cancer. It was not pretty.

[trillion]

144. Condolences on your mother.

Mine is suffering copd now. My grandfather died from lung cancer and begged her to stop smoking on his death bed. That was 1986. She stopped 1 year ago because she had to.

[SusanCalvin]

149. Thanks.

Congratulations to your mother on quitting, and hope it does her health good.

Cigarettes are a really nasty way of extracting money from people, aren't they?

[Logical]

5. LOL, yes, so cool. Like in the 60s. Lung Cancer is great! nt

[JunkyardAngel83]

134. My aunt is dying of lung cancer.

It has spread to her brain. We figured she had quit smoking, but the handmade gifts she sent my parents and I for Christmas reek of cigarette smoke. Disappointing. I guess she's sticking with it until the end.

[trillion]

146. That poor woman. At this point though, it probably doesn't matter further and she may as well

have it the last few months. I mean if that gives her any happiness.

[JunkyardAngel83]

170. Yup, that's what I figure.

I'm not going to say anything to her about it. We want her to enjoy the time she has left as best she can. My mom is really big on trying to bring her sister joy and let her know we're thinking of her. She's had me send her 3 or 4 flower arrangements since she got the news. For Christmas, she wanted to send more flowers, but I decided to ask my cousin what her mom would like. She said cookies or comfy pajamas. So we sent fleece pajamas, non-skid socks, a pound of dark roast coffee and a 3 pound tin of gourmet cookies. My aunt was so happy! It was great.

[Logical]

155. I am so sorry, my mom had terminal emphysema and smoked to the end. It must be a terrible....

addiction.

I hate smoking with a passion.

[JunkyardAngel83]

171. I'm sorry about your mom.

I hate smoking, too.

[SusanCalvin]

6. Liberal smokers have been hoodwinked by corporations.

And, I'm guessing, peer pressure and insecurity.

[Nye Bevan]

7. Yep, oxygen cylinders that folk need to haul around to breathe when they have COPD

are such a "cool", must-have accessory.



(I'm actually not sure if your post is being sarcastic about smoking being "cool". If so, I am joining you in your sarcasm. If not, I'm being sarcastic anyway).

[BlueJazz]

8. If you do smoke and you enjoy it, I say have fun with it. Your life.

[SusanCalvin]

19. I agree in principle, kind of.

Except for the corporate aspect.

[BlueJazz]

176. What you say is true. I don't smoke but I'm sure I do/eat other things that may cause a shorter life

(Although I'm pretty lucky in the genes dept.) Seems like after you've lived a certain amount of years you start letting people live the life they want without bugging the piss out of them.

[Drahthaardogs]

181. As long as you don't get to collect disability for a lung disease

I agree. Don't want to wear a helmet? Fine. Sign a waiver that the taxpayers won't fund your head injury and do it like a boss.

[BlueJazz]

187. I understand what you're saying and a part of me agrees. The problem I have is>

"You didn't eat low-fat food during most of your life and now we taxpayers have to pay..etc.
"You didn't drink enough water (each day) and now you expect us to pay for your kidney stone operation."
"You failed to wear UV protection and now we have to pay..etc.."

I know the above is not the same as wilfully smoking and all that. I DO wish that more research would be devoted to the causes and cure of addictions.

[Drahthaardogs]

192. It is not the same though.

Smoking is probably the single worst thing you can do for your health. I agree what I stated is not objective, but there does seem to be a line. In my mind, being outside is a risk for skin cancer, there is not much you can do about it. Tanning beds - whole different story.

[BlueJazz]

193. True. If it were up to me, cigarettes would be taxed like my other country. (Australia)

(hold on to your keyboard) They're over 20 bucks a pack.

[SheilaT]

204. And likewise she'll enjoy the lung cancer or the

emphysema, right?

[BlueJazz]

212. Read my post numbers 187 and 193.

[flamingdem]

9. Make sure you quit by 45

and there is still time to heal somewhat.

[SusanCalvin]

14. But it is almost impossible to quit once you have started.

So I hear.

(I smoked for about six weeks once, for a play, inhaled and everything, and quit immediately afterward - guess I don't have that particular addiction gene, plus I never found it anything other than yucky.)

[loyalsister]

37. I was lucky too

10 yrs in, I finally quit. Now when I'm around smokers I get this bit of retroactive embarrassment at the thought that I once walked around with that filthy smell. ewww!

[BlueJazz]

77. I smoked for about a year and noticed my everyday stamina was going down. I quit to..

...see if it really made a difference. Oh yeah.
I'm pretty tolerant of those who smoke though.

[Blue_In_AK]

123. I smoked off and on

from the time I was 19 to 56 but never more than 10 a day and often going two or three months or even a year without one. I guess I don't have the addiction gene either. The last I smoked was when my X and I were splitting up and I was kind of tense. After 2002, I haven't had a single smoke (tobacco, that is).

[TheBlackAdder]

75. My sister stopped singing in clubs by 40, and she still developed COPD and emphysema at age 60.

,


Your lungs and other vital organs don't repair themselves from the thousands of chest x-rays worth of polonium 210 and radioactive lead that are inhaled.


.

[flamingdem]

98. I was thinking of a light smoker

Many can heal from that but heavy smoking is another story.

[trillion]

148. Cigarettes are so addictive now a days it's hard to find a light smoker.

My nephew who currently lives with me is out side smoking literally every 20 minutes and it might be 10. He even wakes up all night to go smoke. Smokers have withdrawl systems way sooner than they used to(I'm not sure what it is but I'm guessing less than 2 hours even though google says 4) which is part of the intentional chemical make up of them now-a-days.

[flamingdem]

169. Wow

Didn't know about the new chemicals, bad news

[SusanCalvin]

180. I have absolutely no doubt that is so.

Hubby has been holding it down to a pack a day for decades on True. (Shhhhhh - don't tell anybody.)

[eridani]

191. Pretty addictive, but there are still what are called "chippers"

Slang borrowed from heroin users referring to the minority that uses casually and can take it or leave it. My MIL smoked two cigarettes daily--one after breakfast and the other after supper. Always outside of her house, so you would never suspect that anyone who smoked lived there. "Chippers" are about 90% female for some reason.

[davidpdx]

237. I read somewhere that your lungs can repair to some degree after you stop

It's not a lot, but a little bit each year.

[RebelOne]

107. I am 76 and just now trying to quit.

Been smoking since I was 16. I asked my doctor for Chantix which I hope will get me off this horrible habit.

[NastyRiffraff]

109. Good luck to you

I was a heavy smoker for 30 years. I had tried to quit several times (behavioral mod, drugs, etc) but always reverted back. The only way I could quit for good (8+ years now!) was cold turkey. Yeah it was hellish for a few days and nobody could be around me for about 3 days, but I made it.

Whatever the method you use, please keep in mind that you can never, ever take another puff. You are an addict, like me. If you say "just one" you will find that it won't be just one, it will start the cycle all over again.

[SusanCalvin]

182. Consider trying vaping, as recommended to me below. nt

[notadmblnd]

208. I havent had a cigarette in almost 2 years

I switched to vaping after some severe bronchitis. It has taken me almost 2 years to wean myself off of nicotine. I'm down from 1.2 to .04 ready to switch to .02 then none by April which will mark my two year anniversary.

Don't be like me though if you do switch. I used food as a substitute, gained 25 pounds and diverticulitis, then busted my guts and almost died. I've had two surgeries in the past year and have one more to go cause now I have a huge bulging incision-al hernia to get repaired.

[Jim Beard]

124. Very good thinking.

We exhale less as we age leaving more smoke in our lungs.

[Arugula Latte]

10. There are a lot of young liberal hipster smokers here in Portland.

I just shake my head. Dumbasses. If you don't care about the cancer, strokes, or heart disease, how about caring about ruining your looks, stinking like a fetid ashtray, pissing off everyone around you and poisoning their air, or paying out hundreds of dollars a year for a fucking stupid addiction that you should have known not to start in the first place?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

11. I'm always amazed at how many smokers are food conscience

They'll be puffing away while railing about how dairy, red meat and GMOs are killing everyone.

[Arugula Latte]

12. It's funny how people are selective about things like that.

I know someone who smokes and drinks a lot but is very careful about not getting added salt in the diet. Okaaaay...

[Mariana]

21. My brother in law is diabetic and an alcoholic.

He doesn't smoke tobacco but he does smoke weed, I don't know how much or how often. I don't know but I suspect he's also on Ritalin or Adderall or something similar. Anyway, he spends hours a day exercising and he watches his diet very carefully, so he can continue to drink heavily and still keep his diabetes under control. It's really weird this whole routine he's worked out, just to keep drinking. His whole life literally revolves around the booze.

[SusanCalvin]

15. Yep, don't start.

If nothing else, if you're a progressive, don't hand your money to the corporations.

[randr]

58. Smoking disqualifies ones hipness

[davidpdx]

112. The smell of it really bothers me

Both of my parents were smokers when I was a kid (mom kicked the habit and dad died of it).

I'm from Portland as well and notice the same things when I go back to visit.

[Arugula Latte]

120. Sorry about your dad.

The smell gets me too. Sometimes I just walk by a smoker who is not currently lit up and the stench from their hair and clothes just about knocks me over.

[davidpdx]

238. Thanks

The smell bothers me as well. Walking past a bunch of smokers is hard as I don't want to breath in that crap.

I teach at a university here in Korea and I've noticed that when some of my students come back for break they smell like cigarette smoke. It makes me seriously want to buy a bottle of Frabreez and put it on a desk and ask the smokers to spray themselves down before coming back into my classroom (I haven't done that, just thought about it).

[progree]

13. Smoker's Face -- An Evident Reason To Quit

Smoker's Face -- An Evident Reason To Quit
by Jane E. Brody Women's Health Digest Vol 2, Number 3 (year?)

Doctor Douglas Model of Eastbourne, England, added this condition to the medical lexicon in 1985 after surveying 116 patients and correctly identifying roughly half of current smokers by their facial features alone.

The distinctive characteristics of smoker's face, which makes people look far older than their years, were present in 46% of the current smokers, 8% of the former smokers, and none of the nonsmokers, irrespective of their age, social class, recent weight fluctuations, and exposure to sunlight.

The doctor could tell the patient had once been an attractive woman.
But now, though only in her 50s, her face was etched with wrinkles, her
features gaunt-looking with prominent underlying bones and her skin
shriveled and gray with purplish blotches. Diagnosis: smoker's face.

Dr. Jeffrey B. Smith, a senior resident in dermatology at the University of South Florida in Tampa, recalled this poignant diagnosis in a review of the effects of smoking - related skin conditions: Smoking damages cells and tissues in so many ways that it can have myriad effects on the body.

Wrinkles: ... as with skin that is overexposed to sunlight, smoking causes thickening and fragmentation of elastin, the elastic fibers that are long and smooth in healthy skin. Smoking also depletes the skin's oxygen supply by reducing circulation. ... all of which increase wrinkling.

...
Skin Cancers: ... and are more likely to have their cancers spread within two years of diagnosis, probably because smoking impairs the immune system. ...

Other Cancers: Cancers of the lip, mouth, penis, anus and vulva are also more common in smokers than nonsmokers.

Delayed Wound Healing: ... Smith linked the slow healing of wounds to known effects of cigarette smoking, which constricts surface blood vessels, reduces the oxygen level in the blood, thickens the blood and impedes the laying down of collagen needed for healing.

Psoriasis and related disease: Studies of both men and women with this unsightly and discomforting skin condition have shown that smokers are about two to three times as likely to develop it as nonsmokers. ....

Oral lesions: ...

More: http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/inthenews.htm#index18

[SusanCalvin]

17. I just shake my head when I hear "reason to quit."

It's not that easy.

I say leave the current addicts in peace and try to dissuade new ones.

[progree]

22. I quit, and it was hell, took endless tries, but glad I did, and a big reason was

Last edited Sun Dec 27, 2015, 02:46 AM - Edit history (3)

my periodontist and dental hygienist telling me it was likely the cause of my periodontal disease, and why the situation was getting worse despite quarterly cleanings and 3 scalings and planings and 3 surgeries in 10 years.

Now my gum pocket depths are well under control. But unfortunately roots have been, and are exposed and are thinning. One tooth cracked off a year ago -- $8700 or $5800 to fix (2 bids) for a permanent bridge replacement (involves pulling 3 other teeth whose roots have wasted down to thin spindles). And one premolar pulled this summer -- now have only 5 teeth in a couple of normally 8-tooth quadrants.

[font color = blue]>>I just shake my head when I hear "reason to quit."[/font]

Me too. It should say "endless numbers of reasons to quit". Interestingly, periodontal disease wasn't even mentioned in that article.

Some long-time smokers do find it not all that hard to quit - I'm always amazed when I hear they never bothered to try, or one or two attempts, despite multiple decades of warnings in the news. Then one day they decided it was getting too expensive and just quit.

Mine wasn't like that. Many years with multiple tries. Then a summer where I went on a series of one day, two day, and three day quits. I finally enrolled in a quit-smoking class (American Lung Association), and I guess it fit my competitive nature, plus didn't want the class fee of $125 (in 1997) to go to waste, and it worked. I quit a week before the class-assigned quit date (my competitive nature again), and have not had one puff since. I NEVER EVER EVER WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN!!!!!!!

[Skittles]

24. I hear you

it took me many tries before it finally "stuck"........now I try to imagine what the heck I was thinking when I was a smoker

[progree]

25. I read somewhere that the average number of tries is 6. For me, more like 5X that many,

and that would only count the ones that I made it for 24 hours or more.

[Skittles]

34. I think I quit on my seventh attempt

I did learn from each attempt, and I kept tweaking my efforts. By the time I actually quit for good, for example, I no longer smoked at home or in my car.

[beam me up scottie]

40. Not allowing myself to smoke in my home or car helped me too.

Making it a pain in the ass to smoke brought out my inner procrastinator. When I wanted to go outside I would think well let me just do the dishes first, or I'll just finish watching this movie first, etc. Before I knew it hours would go by without a puff.

If I had quit during the winter in Vermont it would have been even easier to put it off.

[Skittles]

43. I had to not drink any alcohol for some time to finally quit for good

that was a huge trigger.....even now I will only ever have one drink

[beam me up scottie]

44. Me too, no bar hopping for me!

I was surprised that coffee wasn't a trigger, in fact I appreciated the taste and smell even more after I quit.

[Skittles]

46. hey, same with me!!

[brewens]

54. That's what I had to do. I knew that no way I could drink and quit smoking. Plus where I usually

drank was our local Eagles Lodge. They still allow smoking there and sell cigarettes behind the bar. I knew I'd probably blow it for sure if I got drunk there. I saved so much money quitting drinking and smoking that I just stayed off the shit (so far) altogether. I'll only have a drink in situations where someone is offering something I consider to be special, or have always wanted to try.

[Aerows]

89. I quit coffee a couple of years

before I finally quit. I won't touch coffee to this day.

[SusanCalvin]

178. Seriously,

I had a quart-a-day habit at work (brought it in a thermos). Forgot the thermos one day. Worst headache I have had in my life.

[HughBeaumont]

59. Like my sister in law . . .

. . . she's the epitome of the old axiom "Smokers don't quit, they just take breaks".

She's been smoking since 16 and has tried unsuccessfully to quit around 7 times. She turns 40 in two years and I think she needs professional help at this point.

[SusanCalvin]

80. Hope she can do it.

More proof the best course is not to start.

[SusanCalvin]

78. Congratulations!

Didn't say it wouldn't be ideal for people to quit, for sure. The doctored-up corporate ones are about the nastiest thing ever invented.

[Stellar]

90. I quit almost five years ago...

and every now and then that urge comes back. Then I remember that I haven't had a cigarette for awhile. So I just have to wait about 5 to 10 minutes and that urge is gone, thank goodness.

[Arugula Latte]

125. I feel bad for old people who got hooked at a time when most people smoked.

But, Jeeeesuz, what are these young people thinking by taking up the habit in the first place?

Stupid stupid stupid.

[SusanCalvin]

150. Exactly. nt

[Drahthaardogs]

183. It's not that hard.

I chewed since my high school ball days. I needed a fusion ten years later. Doc said no fusion until you quit. I quit and never looked back.

If you want it bad it is not hard.

[SusanCalvin]

184. Congratulations, but everyone is different.

I smoked for six weeks for a play, everyone said I'd be hooked, I wasn't. No special goodness on my part, just never really liked it in the first place, plus, no doubt, a member of that particular lucky gene club.

[Liberal_in_LA]

203. Which twin is the smoker?

I could tell by the wrinkles on the upper lip

[SheilaT]

211. And the forehead. And the eyes.

Smoker twin is thinner, and she probably gets props every day for being thin, while non-smoking twin may well feel quite discouraged about being heavier. However, give the twins ten more years and the difference will be even more noticeable.

[SheilaT]

210. A smoker's face is much more obvious long

before the rather extreme version described. Although as a person continues to smoke, the damage builds and builds. The wrinkles never go away, although the gray color of complexion can go back to something more normal if the smoker quits.

As I posted above, if you're a relatively young smoker, say under age 40, just go to a 50th high school reunion and you might well be shocked at how very much older the smokers look than the nonsmokers.

I have a sister who is all of 18 months older than I am, but she looks at least ten years older, since she's smoked since she was 13.

[ronnie624]

16. Quitting was the best thing I ever did.

I'm still amazed I was able to do it. Only 20 percent of those who make the attempt are successful. If you smoke tobacco, you have my encouragement and support in your attempt to stop.

[SusanCalvin]

18. Congratulations!

Any advice to hubby appreciated.

(Yes, I married a smoker. In retrospect, yuck.)

[Mariana]

26. E-cigs worked for me instantly.

I tried an e-cig once and I never smoked again. That was in June 2011. My house was up for sale and I was preparing to move to another state - no one quits smoking with all that going on. I had no intention of trying to quit until after the move. Nevertheless, I liked the e-cig better than smoking, so I just didn't smoke anymore.

To your hubby, should he decide to try this: Don't get the shitty heavily advertised e-cigs from the convenience stores. Those are so bad I wonder if the tobacco companies make them lousy on purpose, so people will try them, hate them, and just decide to continue smoking. Go to a proper vape shop, try different models of e-cig and flavors of fluid, and get stuff you really enjoy and feel comforatble using. And don't buy a whole bunch of fluid at first, no matter how much you like it. If you stop smoking altogether and switch to using e-cigs exclusively, your sense of taste will change in a matter of weeks and you might not like the same flavors after that happens.

[Egnever]

33. Good advice

[joshcryer]

38. I wish they had good ones when I was quitting.

I read Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking and it helped me build the willpower (I still fall back into it on stressful weeks though). Last time I lapsed I got an NJOY Daily and can say that if I ever have the urge again I'll go that route. I would go the vape + DIY ejuice route but I don't want to become a vape head.

I'd encourage all smokers and vapers alike to read Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. It's like "Oh, OK, I guess I don't have to smoke" by the time you get to the end of it.

[Mariana]

65. Most former smokers who use e-cigs

reduce their nicotine intake to zero over time. After that, some of them put down the e-cigs, and some continue vaping with nicotine-free juice just because they enjoy it. Even those few who keep using liquid with nicotine forever are much better off. The important thing is that they're not smoking.

[joshcryer]

93. Absolutely, don't get me wrong.

I've kicked the habit, is all. Basically where a lot of vapers want to be. I've no problem with people and their vices, I've been there. Vaping is objectively better than cigs, but either way I'm not going to criticize. Live and let live.

[metalbot]

163. What is your source for that?

The "most" part, specifically. I know a LOT of people who have switched to vapor, and only one who has brought his nicotine down to 0 (and it periodically goes back up). I have a friend who runs a vape shop, and he claims that most people will start at a high nicotine level, then drop to about half that strength and stay there. However, it's not necessarily an indication that they are taking less nicotine, but that they are changing their smoking habits.

[Skeeter Barnes]

66. Cigs just don't compare to a good vape. I knew I was quit for good when

I hit some good RY4 after a meal and realized I didn't need that after dinner smoke. The e liquid was more satisfying and more interesting to taste. It's so much better than smoking once you find the right flavors that appeal to you. My one year anniversary will be at the end of this coming January.

Congrats on being free from the smokes.

[SusanCalvin]

81. Thank you!!

I had looked into ecigs years ago, before there were vape shops, but it all seemed too complicated online.

I bet you're right about the corporate ecigs.

[SusanCalvin]

179. Bought a kit for hubby today.

Hope he will try it.

Good thing I Googled around about technique, or he would have hurt his throat - you do NOT suck it down, but hold it in your mouth and maybe inhale after a while.

I tried it (having learned to inhale years ago, for a play).

Whoa. I think I should have gotten him lower-nicotine juice. (I got light as it was.)

I smoked then (for six weeks), and he smokes now, True. (Oddball brand, supposedly very light, hard to find and expensive.)

I don't think I ever had a real nicotine hit before. I did not like it. I'm just now getting over it, after about 15 minutes. (Well, when I first learned to inhale I threw up a lot, so it could be worse....)

It tasted good, though. (I asked the shop for the closest thing to a real cigarette, and it's similar but WAY tastier.) And the throat feel is similar enough, I think.

So wish me luck.

[Mariana]

188. If the nicotine concentration is too much for him

you can get some zero nicotine juice and mix them to dilute it. Let him try it as it is, though. I've heard that one of the biggest mistakes people make when they try e-cigs is not using enough nicotine. You want him to be able to absolutely satisfy any and all cravings for nicotine with the e-cig. He should take a hit or two every time he feels the slightest urge to smoke. It's not like smoking, where you light a cigarette and then smoke the whole thing. He can hit the e-cig whenever, as little or as much as he wants at a time.

Good luck!

[SusanCalvin]

194. Thanks,

For both the advice and the good wishes.

My worry about the nicotine level is the possible effect of one hit on his heart (he had a small heart attack a couple of years ago). I don't remember anything like that kind of effect the last time (or any time) I took a drag on one of his Trues.

Of course, it's possible that in the unpleasantness of cigarette smoke I didn't notice anything else - I really loathe the stuff.

[Mariana]

195. Hmm. He could take little sips at first.

Just short, shallow hits until he gets a feel for how it affects him. Even with the very light Trues, his body is more adapted to the presence of the nicotine. You could try it yourself first - see if you can take a small hit without getting the "oops, that was too much" feeling. If you really can't do it, then go ahead and dilute with some zero nicotine liquid. By the way, what is the strength you got, how many mg/ml?

[SusanCalvin]

196. 30 ml of 18mg

I explained about the Trues to the owner, but I think she might not have realized how light they really are, as I now notice that's the next-to-highest strength.

[ronnie624]

62. Thanks.

I wish I had some really good advice. I'm always pleased when someone else can quit.

I just dealt with each craving as it came, talking myself through it until it passed. As time went by, they became less frequent. When I reached the point where I knew I would succeed, it seemed it wasn't as hard as I had feared.

I hereby sincerely apologize to non-smokers for subjecting them to the nastiness of my smoking. Since I quit, I simply cannot be in a smoke-filled room. I was utterly clueless about the offensive nature of tobacco smoke, before. It's interesting how people who, years ago, didn't allow smoking in their homes or vehicles, were regarded as a bit eccentric or weird. It illustrates the effectiveness of propaganda, and how it can convince millions of people to suspend simple logic.

[Waldorf]

20. My buddy at work and his wife both smoke. I would imagine each goes thru at least a pack

a day. No telling how much money a month they spend. Even the cheap stuff is expensive.

[Skittles]

23. why would that be cool?

[darkangel218]

27. Why do you find smoking cigarettes "cool"?

[roody]

28. I live in a senior facility.

A very cool and nice woman lives down the hall. She cannot speak and has to puree all her food because she smoked.

[progree]

29. Rec'd for the general topic and the responses

[akbacchus_BC]

30. Why is smoking an issue on here?

Last edited Sun Dec 27, 2015, 03:31 AM - Edit history (1)

I am asking again, why is smoking an issue on here?

We all have vices, whether we care to acknowledge it or not. Going for a Starbucks or a Tim Hortons is a vice. Why is smoking on DU a taboo on DU. I smoke, that is my vice. Please do not try to help me to quit!

[Mariana]

35. There are people who hate you because you smoke.

I don't think there are all that many of them, but they exist. They will say they hate smoking, and perhaps they do, but they also hate smokers and that includes you. You can sense the pleasure they feel when they talk about the various horrible ways in which you will suffer and die because you're a smoke. They want those things to happen to you because they feel you deserve it. They very much remind me of the type of Christians who get a charge when they fantasize about everyone they don't like going to hell and being tortured for eternity.

[seabeyond]

79. This. It always, really, kinda knocks me on my ass to peruse a thread like this. Such venom. Nt.

[Hekate]

97. See my post #96, seabeyond. I don't hate my family members. I grieve for them.

I don't hate the addicts -- I'm sorry for them, quite literally, having lived with their struggles.

What I hate, loathe, and despise is Big Tobacco in all its manifestations.

There is a real difference.

[seabeyond]

99. There is a difference between being empathetic and being hateful. Yes. It is the hateful

that makes me cringe. I hear it when people talk about smokers or over weight people. I do not even hear it with the drunk or druggie, necessarily. But, when talking about the smoker and the overweight person, they get such a gleeful vilifying/vengeful enthusiasm that I truly cannot comprehend nor would I ever want to be that person.

I could be hit by a bus, and a group of my family, my in-laws would stand around my grave and snark that "She is a smoker, she deserved/earned/caused it." In all their self righteousness. I literally would not want these people at my funeral.

I have never felt the need to lessen the loss of another human being with the cause of their death.

This is one of those, that I do not get it, and I do not want to get it. And I would rather be around a heavy person, a smoker or about anyone else, than the person that walks life in this manner.

I am one that is not proud, nor do I like anything about smoking. I have been trying hard to quit about 5 yrs now and starting up again, with a goal date in the next couple days. I would give anything to not smoke. It isn't something I defend. But, it is not all that I am, either.

[get the red out]

157. You are right

The vitriol thrown at these two groups really pisses me off. If someone wants to quit, I would be more than happy to tell them how I did it about 18 years ago. But they aren't a lower class human being because of doing something unhealthy. Obese people either. Help don't hate!

[Warren DeMontague]

224. I wish you luck with that, sea.

I mean that sincerely- no snark intended.

You should talk to BtA- he's had some success kicking that one in the past year or so IIRC. Tough one to break, i know that. I've always been glad i never really picked it up to begin with; because knowing myself it would be really fucking hard for me to quit.

[akbacchus_BC]

133. Sea, I find this Op unbelievable, now smoking is a problem! What about all

the other political issues that are not progressive? Smoking is a vice but it is personal. When did smoking become a national issue albeit to be an issue on here.

This is a political site, I have no idea why some people are using this site to manipulate their mini agendas! Let's stick to the issues that are really bothering us and where we want our politicians to address them in the 2016 election.

[SusanCalvin]

83. Yep.

I said what I meant to be the same thing upthread, but not as well.

[akbacchus_BC]

131. Honestly, that is their choice to hate. But am a smoker and no one on

DU have the right to type what I can do or cannot do! This is a political site! I have no idea why some people feel they have to judge someone who is a smoker.

[OnionPatch]

197. Wow.

It sounds to me more like you hate people who don't smoke than the other way around.

[Mariana]

198. Please, find one post in which I've expressed hatred

or even dislike toward non-smokers in general. I'll wait.

[OnionPatch]

199. The post I replied to gives the distinct impression.

It sure doesn't sound like you like them very much to assume they're all wishing people dead and taking smug joy in their suffering. Or maybe you were being sarcastic?

[Mariana]

217. I'll tell you who I don't like very much.

People who lie about what another person has posted. My post included this:

"There are people who hate you because you smoke. I don't think there are all that many of them, but they exist."

How, exactly, did you get the impression that I "assume they're all wishing people dead", etc?

[Warren DeMontague]

209. Or some of us actually have watched relatives die of lung cancer.

No, Im sure it's just because we're out to get you.

[Mariana]

218. If my post wasn't about you

then it wasn't about you.

[Warren DeMontague]

219. Fine. I am thankful every damn day that I didn't pick up that particular habit as a teenager

because I know, knowing myself, I would have had a hell of a time quitting. And having watched what happened to my Dad, it's an unpleasant way to go.

As it was, I was too busy smoking weed, which may not have been a great choice either, but at least when the time came to kick that one it was a relative piece of cake.

I admit to getting a bit tired of the "poor oppressed cigarette smokers" routine- Having watched people thrown in prison for smoking pot over the past several decades, I just don't buy that it is Nazi Totalitarianism for people to have to go out of the restaurant to the sidewalk to light up a cigarette.

That said I firmly support the right of people to make their own decisions about their own bodies, even potentially harmful ones.

[Mariana]

223. I did not claim that smokers are oppressed.

I simply stated that there are some people who hate smokers and who sincerely wish harm on them. That is all. No accusations, no broad brush, no implication that all or most nonsmokers feel that way, none of that. I thought my post was clear.

[ohheckyeah]

222. Too true

[Marrah_G]

42. People have always liked to tell others how to live.

Your life and your body are your own.

[liberal_at_heart]

102. Bingo! It makes people feel superior to know they are doing what they should be doing and others

are not. I am addicted to sugar. I try to eat healthy and exercise, but I have been addicted to sugar since I was a child and will always be addicted to sugar. There are times such as now during the holidays when my healthy diet goes to hell. I am human. We are all human.

[Binkie The Clown]

132. Yes, I hate smoking. I hate that it killed my wife, and I hate that it will kill many more. n/t

[liberal_at_heart]

164. I am sorry for your loss.

It is okay to support those who are trying to quit, but we have become a shame culture and not only is shaming people not nice, it does not work. I am not saying that is what you are doing, but there are lots of people on here who do and not just about smoking. I have battled a sugar addiction all my life, and am overweight. It hurts to hear people talk about overweight people the way they do, and it has never once helped me eat better or lose weight.

[JunkyardAngel83]

135. Secondhand smoke, though...

Just sayin'. People being exposed to secondhand smoke don't always have a choice. I know I didn't when I was at my grandma's house or in her car as a kid. Being in her car was horrendous. She'd have the windows down, but the smoke would be blowing into the backseat where I was seated. That plus seeing what smoke-related illnesses did to my maternal grandparents made me abhor cigarettes (not the smoker—I have several friends who smoke). Now my aunt is dying of lung cancer. I'm glad I never took up smoking.

[raccoon]

138. Thank you. nt

[Skittles]

45. because it STINKS

[pintobean]

50. I can't smell anything on DU.

[Skittles]

100. literally and figuratively

it stinks

[pintobean]

103. I'm a former smoker, too.

When I smoked, we referred to people like you as 'born-again non-smokers'. I refuse to be like that.

[Skittles]

104. I'm not militant

but when I was smoking, I did not defend it because I was aware of exactly what it was - an addiction....if someone can't figure out why the subject of smoking may lead to people talking about how they quit, that is their fucking problem

[cwydro]

51. I think it's the ex-smokers who are most rabid about smoking.

I've never smoked, and it doesn't bother me in the least to be around a smoker.

I wouldn't want to spend time in a closed up room with smokers, but that's unlikely to happen nowadays.

[spanone]

52. it. will. kill. you.

[edhopper]

57. I don't go into a coughing fit

when someone stands next to me with a Tim Horton coffee cup.

And Starbucks is not the #1 cause of death in this country.

As a matter of fact. while the health effects of coffee are complex, right now it looks it might be good for you.

There is no debate about how bad smoking is.

[Logical]

68. You should quit, like overweight people should lose weight. But no one can/should force you. nt

[Warren Stupidity]

71. I feel the same about drowning people.

Leave them the fuck alone. Stop using my tax dollars for life guards. If seeing a drowning person bothers you, look the other way!

I saved two people drowning in the surf a few years ago. One of them had foolishly gone out into the riptide to try to rescue the first guy. If there hadn't been a life ring on a long rope I could have just let them drown in peace. Instead I had to haul their sorry asses back to shore. Let me tell you there is pretty much nothing more uncomfortable than saving the lives of strangers. Pretty much wrecked my day.

[SusanCalvin]

84. Sigh...

I have no objection to using tax dollars for anti-smoking campaigns. I would have no objection to using tax dollars to force tobacco companies to disclose ingredients and to stop putting (more) poison in them. (Which is never going to happen.)

I am also going to leave the area rapidly if someone is smoking in it.

What I am not going to do is personally harangue individuals, nor judge them, after they are already hooked. (At least I hope I don't - others would have to be the judge of that.)

I only judge people who are foolish enough to start to a certain extent, since I'm sure the tobacco companies still find plenty of ways to push them to the young (and virtually nobody starts as an adult).

And, no, I don't think it's cool, I think it's yucky.

But I don't think your analogy holds water, since quitting, I hear, is not as easy as grabbing a life ring. And some people, I hear, actually don't want to quit. Well, it's a free country, and it's legal.

[Zorra]

88. Here's two, out of hundreds of good reasons why: Open Secrets: Tobacco

http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=a02
-------------------------------------------

Aug. 23, 2004 -- Three cigarettes can cause more air pollution than a diesel car's exhaust, according to an Italian study.

The study compared levels of air pollution particles produced by cigarettes with those coming from a late-model "eco-diesel" engine. The research team was led by Giovanni Invernizzi of the Tobacco Control Unit of Italy's National Cancer Institute.

Environmental tobacco smoke is a contributor of air pollution particles. These fine particles are a risk factor for chronic lung disease which can be debilitating and sometimes fatal. They can lead to conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema, and are also a risk for lung cancer, write the researchers.

The test was conducted in the small, northern Italian mountain town of Chiavenna, which has unusually low outdoor levels of air pollution.

http://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20040823/smoking-worse-than-exhaust-for-air-pollution

[GeorgeGist]

95. Come again?

Vice: noun

immoral or wicked behavior.
synonyms: immorality · wrongdoing · wickedness · badness · evil · [more]

[SheilaT]

213. Smoking is an issue in lots of places, not just here.

Okay that you don't want to quit, but don't be too surprised when some people don't want to be around you because of your smoking.

Oh, and don't ever ask for sympathy if you get one of the many nasty diseases caused by smoking. You wanted to smoke, you took the risk, and you live with the consequences.

However, as down as I am on smoking, I don't believe anyone should be denied the best possible care if they get lung cancer, emphysema, or whatever. Same with type 2 diabetes or various other things that are connected to lifestyle. Yeah, none of us should smoke, none of us should be overweight, we should all get enough exercise, but no matter what we all deserve good medical care whenever something, anything goes wrong.

[CBGLuthier]

31. Cool? I have a friend who just had his first christmas without his wife

because she died of lung cancer after a lifetime of smoking.

Anyone who uses the word cool to describe smoking is ignorant.

[Contrary1]

32. I committed suicide by smoking for far too many years...

I just haven't died yet.

I did finally quit. Hopefully; that will help delay the consequences of my stupidity.

Not cool.

[pansypoo53219]

36. my uncle lost his wife 2 years ago at 60. i know my great-uncles were older. 72 + 90+, but my

grandpa quite smoking cigars in the 70's and died of lung cancer in his 70's. lung cancer is horrible.

[joshcryer]

39. I'm sorry for the responses you're getting.

I know that you're just glad to be able to have a commonality with liberals that you wouldn't expect to have. I would encourage you, however, to read Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking, and if that doesn't work, grab a vape mod from a local vape store. You can "do it yourself" your own ejuice and it can save you thousands every year in cigarette costs, plus you won't be inhaling all that tar. Still probably bad for you but not nearly as bad as cigarettes.

[Skittles]

47. how is smoking liberal?

maybe I am missing something?

[joshcryer]

49. Conservatives are more likely to smoke than liberals.

So the OP is happy that they aren't a pariah within the liberal group she met (such as many of these posts indicate). We all have bad stories about smoking, my mom has COPD because of smoking, Leonard Nimoy is a famous example of someone who smoked their whole life and regretted it. I myself have lost my lung capacity for smoking for about a decade there (used to be able to hold my breath for 3 minutes as a young adult, now, I can't manage a minute) We all know it's bad. OP likely knows it's bad. But rather than chastise I choose to be supportive and give non-smoking suggestions.

[Mariana]

64. I think you're missing something.

No one said smoking is liberal, not the OP and not the poster you replied to.

The OP never said smoking is cool, either, yet most the of the people responding are pretending that was said.

[Skittles]

105. I think perhaps SHE is missing something

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027476829

[Mariana]

115. She's clearly describing the people, not the smoking

as being liberal and cool.

[Skittles]

119. riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight

[nadinbrzezinski]

185. Addictions are a disease, and they have nada to do with political views

[davidpdx]

240. Well put Nadin

[Marrah_G]

41. I finally quit by vaping :)

I got it a year ago and have not even wanted a cigarette. The thought of the smell and taste now makes me sick. I'll stick to yummy flavors and smells. Right now I am vaping dragonfruit, cotton candy and kiwi.

[TheBlackAdder]

76. Vaping? Isn't that an admission of a chemical dependency or psychiatric-induced behavior?

.


Regardless of the medium, drugs are still introduced into the lungs, and many of those have their own adverse risks that are just starting to come out. But the forced need to raise a cigarette-shaped item into the mouth, when vaping, seems silly to non-smokers and just reinforces other things that are driving this action, besides the old excuse of 'taste.' I used to hear that excuse all of the time--taste. Really, taste? I like the taste of certain foods that make me gain weight, so I don't eat them. Being compelled, means other factors are involved.


.

[Marrah_G]

82. It's called "doing something enjoyable"

I enjoy it a great deal. I now vape with almost no nicotine. You can judge all you want, but I am glad I finally quit smoking cigarettes.

[Mariana]

114. I made a post about people who hate smokers

and not just smoking. Jumping in a former smoker's shit for having quit smoking "the wrong way" is one manifestation of that. They want you to quit, sure, but you're supposed to be miserable while you do it. They can't stand that you've found a pleasurable substitute and can quit painlessly. If they really hated smoking, they'd be thrilled that more people are taking up e-cigs. But they don't just hate smoking, they hate smokers and want them to suffer - even after they've quit.

[trillion]

147. Not true for many of us. It's because people we know people who died and are dying from it.

And, unfortunately many of us have been subjected to chain smokers smoke - me from my mother.

Anyway, I've been reading that the ecigs have problems to and are often just as bad as cigarettes. So far it's only marijauna that has a modicum of being safe. I can't stand the smell(bad bo) or the high from marijauna(I don't like being drunk either). It's not for everyone but if you can switch over I think you'd be healthier.

[Mariana]

156. Please link to a study that shows

that e-cigs are "often just as bad as cigarettes". If that is true I will stop recommending that people use them to stop smoking. See, this is the most recent report I have read about them. I consider the NHS to be a trustworthy source of information related to health matters:

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/08August/Pages/E-cigarettes-95-per-cent-less-harmful-than-smoking-says-report.aspx

Anyway, unless you've been putting people down for quitting smoking by using patches, gum, or e-cigs to help them, then I wasn't talking about you.

[Act_of_Reparation]

121. Well, the important thing is you've still managed to feel superior to smokers...

...even when they do something 95% safer to them and completely harmless to you.

[Mariana]

158. Even better, the poster has managed to feel superior

to former smokers as well. Murrah G has quit smoking, an act worthy of praise in every case. But instead of congratulating and being supportive, that poster is putting Murrah G down for having done it in that particular way.

[Marrah_G]

159. It's the internet

Jerkish behavior is liberally applied to all message boards.

[Act_of_Reparation]

161. Quitting is difficult enough by itself.

No one who hasn't gone through nicotine withdrawal can even begin to comprehend that. And instead of encouragement, which can work fucking wonders for someone trying to break free of addiction, they get heaps of scorn from self-righteous asshats for having been "stupid" enough to have started smoking in the first place.

It's as cruel as it is transparent. These clowns give precisely zero fucks about smokers, much less their health. Smoking is simply a quality around which the superficial and petty self-radicalize; It's all about appearances and the acquisition of social status. If smoking is illiberal, then coming down hard on smoking makes one appear more liberal. The more liberal one appears, the greater one's status within the liberal in-group becomes.

If we are take any solace from this, it's in that the poster's obnoxious objections to matters that do not concern them in the slightest aren't about you, or me, about Murrah G. They're about that poster's unfulfilled desire to be valued by their peers.

[nomorenomore08]

205. Good post. Explains a lot of the more self-righteous behavior around here, on various subjects. n/t

[Humanist_Activist]

53. Are you 12? When is smoking cool? Mom died far too young(in her 60s) from lung cancer after...

a lifetime of smoking. It was the motivation I required to quit, been almost 2 years now.

[Vinca]

55. Great. Maybe in a few decades you can share oxygen tanks.

Last fall I encountered a former co-worker I hadn't seen in 30 years. When we worked together she always dressed better than any one else, seemed more sophisticated than anyone else, dated a man who was wealthy and a judge (women in the office were jealous) and she chain smoked. I met her in a parking lot where she had pulled up to the ticket machine to insert her money for a parking slip. I almost didn't recognize her she looked so ill. She had plastic tubes running from her nose to a big green oxygen tank in the back seat of her car. I took her coins and got her ticket so she didn't have to extract herself from the car more than once. She told me she had emphysema. It was very sad. I haven't see her since, but it wouldn't surprise me to see her obituary in the paper. It's not cool.

[Act_of_Reparation]

122. Cool story.

I'm sure smokers keep on smoking because they just aren't aware of the risks. Maybe if you taunt them with their inevitable demise a little more, they'll see the errors of their ways and put away their lighters.

[RedCappedBandit]

56. Lol, how is that very cool?

Terrible for you. Terrible for others. Terrible for the environment. Supporting terrible corporations that support terrible policies that are terrible for everyone. I've also yet to see a smoker who didn't litter everywhere with their cigarette butts.

[stonecutter357]

60. i had a heart attack at 43 from smoking.

So not Very cool!

[Skeeter Barnes]

63. You should try vaping. Not the cigalike things at the gas station though. A good atomizer

and battery that will last all day did wonders for me. And it is so much better than smoking. Your sense of smell and taste come back pretty fast. And you'll breathe easier. Good equipment is a bit of an investment at first but it's money well spent since you'll save money after that vs. smoking cigs.

Vape for a couple of months and then try a cigarette. You won't believe how bad they taste.

I tried Chantix, Wellbutrin, gum, patches and even hypnosis but the only thing that worked was vaping. I'll be smoke free for 11 months at the end of this week because of vaping. There are a lot of days I don't even take my mod to work. I mostly just vape at home to relax a little these days.

Vaping could be the future if misguided Democrats aren't successful in their efforts to destroy it. I'm afraid the damage has already been done though. The proposed FDA regs will put many of the vape shops out of business. All that will be left is the tobacco companies and their shitty, expensive cigalikes.

[SusanCalvin]

86. And you know

That the tobacco companies will load them up with addiction enhancers, same as cigarettes.

Although, personally, I would encourage only current cigarette smokers to vape - I feel doing neither is ideal.

[Marrah_G]

215. I use an Aspire Nautalis and local made vape juice

I also like that it's cheaper, tastes and smells better. I can switch juice to whatever I am in the mood for. My breathing has cleared up and I am down to a 3mg nic or sometimes 0 nic.

And another important fact is that I am supporting a small local business.

[steve2470]

67. I'm glad you have friends, who happen to be liberal and who happen to smoke

They might want to quit smoking. My grandfather died when I was 6 of lung cancer, from cigarette smoking. No other causes.

[Hekate]

69. Glad you feel reinforced by a peer group, but it's still a deadly addiction. nt

[hunter]

74. Someone in my extended family died just this Christmas Eve of smoking-related disease.

Fuck that shit.

[sorefeet]

85. I have a friend who has lung cancer right now

been in chemo for over a year now. It has now gone to her brain and she still smokes. Her and her husband smoke, but have it under control now. Guess what, it isn't under control until you quit.
I know a guy who is famous for going to jail or prison. He said after 2 days you don't even think about a cigarette. He has spent as much as 5 years in prison smoke free and as soon as he gets out he buys a pack of smokes. Virtually everyone I know who have smoked for long periods have some kind of illness from the tobacco. It's your business, but you should have a little more respect for your health.

[edhopper]

87. Is the OP too "cool"

to defend her stupid ass post?

[raccoon]

139. You said what I was thinking. nt

[Reter]

91. There's nothing cool about putting that poison into your body

Smoking is not only disgusting, but foolish. Everyone knows it causes cancer and many other health issues, tet they still start and continue to smoke. Ban it.

[arely staircase]

92. Did you think liberals are immune to addiction? nt

[Hekate]

96. My brother has emphysema. My grandma died of bladder cancer; my grandpa died of kidney cancer...

Mom had a history of miscarriages and breast cancer.

My daughter started smoking at age 12 or 13 (Thank you, Joe Camel campaign!!! ). She has never been able to quit, even during pregnancy. She just turned 40. She has a history of miscarriage and one baby who died of SIDS. You cannot imagine the ruinous grief.

Remember the old meme about marijuana? (or maybe not; you seem young) "Evil Weed with Roots in Hell."

[still_one]

101. Are you sure it is cigarettes?

[LiberalElite]

106. My godfather developed emphesema from

smoking a pack a day for 25 years. He coughed and coughed every morning for at least 20 minutes to get up all the gunk that had accumulated overnight. Climbing just a few steps was a challenge. Smoking is not cool. It's slow suicide.

[DonCoquixote]

108. is this possible flamebait?

I am not sure, but it is hard to take this seriously, especially considering that Big Tobacco funds the GOP like mad.

[raccoon]

140. Ding, ding! We have a winner. nt

[Dont call me Shirley]

111. Sooooooo glad I quit that filthy habit 13 years ago, shit, I wish I never would have even started.

[SheilaT]

250. Important point.

Even people who defend smoking and say they enjoy it, never seem to want to encourage others to take it up. That alone says a lot.

[ileus]

113. Makes me glad I've never been rich enough to smoke.

Why do people want to smell that bad...

You can smell those stinky nurses just walking by them in the hallway.

[Kath1]

116. I said I could not believe it.

Yes, I am the occasional social smoker. The women I was having a very nice discussion with at a party happened to go out to light up and I was surprised. And, as a social smoker, I joined them. And I could not believe these very intelligent women were smoking. And I did think it was cool to join them. Some people are going to die from a brain aneurysm from worrying about other people too much. Sorry for the misunderstanding but the response was insane.

[Logical]

117. The post was silly and made no sense. nt

[Kath1]

118. Thank you!

I always appreciate being educated by my superiors.

[LAGC]

126. Every time you buy a pack of cigs you are supporting the Chamber of Commerce and their GOP lapdogs.

The US Chamber of Commerce hasn't just worked to thwart climate change legislation, obstruct health care reform, and pooh-pooh Wall Street regulations. The nation's most powerful business lobby recently turned its attention to promoting cigarettes overseas, apparently using a rationale that corporations are, well, people:

http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2015/07/us-chamber-of-commerce-tobacco-companies

2012 Presidential Elections

As of November 2nd, 2012 the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has spent $35.3 million towards influencing the elections, $27 million has been used in attacking Democrats.[15] They have heavily backed a slue of Republicans, including Rep. Todd Akins (R-Mo), Rep. Marie Buerkle (R-NY), and many others.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S._Chamber_of_Commerce

Think about that next time you "put it in your pipe and smoke it."

[applegrove]

127. That is addict talk. Not cool.

[JunkyardAngel83]

137. Yup.

[SusanCalvin]

151. "And I could not believe these very intelligent women were smoking."

I can (unfortunately, from my point of view), because big tobacco is still finding ways to market to young people. You seem to be saying it's unusual, though, which I hope is the case.

[Mariana]

160. This will happen if you say anything positive about any smokers.

As I've said upthread, some people don't just hate smoking, they hate smokers, and that includes you and your friends. Some of them are so eat up with it that they'll even put down former smokers, people who used to smoke but have quit. There's at least one example of that on this very thread. So yeah, it probably would have been best to just not mention that your new friends are smokers.

You want to see some insanity, check out some of the threads about e-cigs, and people who have used them to stop smoking. Good lord.

[Kath1]

172. I thought the original post was pretty innocuous.

I won't bring the subject up again.

I think the reaction was totally over the top.

[JudyM]

173. Maybe you've never known anyone to suffer horribly from its effects...? Nt

[Mariana]

174. It was pretty innocuous.

You said nice things about some smokers. That's quite enough to set off the shitstorm you've seen here.

[IADEMO2004]

177. Garrison Keillor has Lake Wobegon, DU has Lake Virtue.

Only the most pure of heart may reside here. Step off the one true path and the locals call upon the lake to rise up and drown you.

I'd rather laugh with the sinners than die with the saints. The sinners are much more fun. Not all of the good die young.

Not an exact Billy Joel lyric

[Joe Shlabotnik]

128. I got no problem with cigarette smokers.

We're all people. We can all get along.

[Binkie The Clown]

129. I sat in the doctors office with my wife when she was told she had lung cancer.

She was a heavy smoker, and even after the diagnosis, did not quit.
I sat with her in the hospital room when she died.

Yes, smoking is oh, so cool.

Frankly, only ignorant fools smoke, or condone smoking. I can say that because I was an ignorant fool for 40+ years from the time I started smoking as a teen right up to the minute that I heard that lung cancer diagnosis. That's when I stopped being an ignorant fool, stopped lying to myself, and stopped smoking forever.

All smokers must, if they are to continue smoking, lie to themselves on a continuous basis.

[onethatcares]

141. I'm sorry for your loss

You had a very hard row to hoe on that diagnosis.

[JunkyardAngel83]

136. WTH is cool about smoking?

IDGI

[Skittles]

220. nothing

[trillion]

142. yeah, nothing like COPD. Good luck to them. Cigarettes are more addictive than ever with the

chemicals put in them to cause addiction.

[DustyJoe]

154. alternatives

There are brands available with additive/chemical free natural organic tobacco. Usually marketed by indian tribes.

[SheilaT]

251. Hmmm. I'm not so sure about that.

I used to do out patient registration at the local hospital, in a city where those natural organic tobacco cigarettes are made, and it was slightly surprising how many people who worked for that company were checking in for some sort of tests related to lung issues. Tobacco is simply not good for you. In any form. Even without the additives those nasty companies add.

Not good at all.

[Android3.14]

152. As a former smoker, I have to disagree

I still want a cigarette, ten years later, and I love the smell of cigarette smoke. The cigs are that addictive, but smoking is uncool, whether with liberals, conservatives, vapor, burning or otherwise.

What you mistake for cool, is actually a feeling of relief from having to deal with the social stigma of smoking.

[Skittles]

221. that is correct

[DustyJoe]

153. switching to thc

Waiting for the Pot smells better and the 2nd hand smoke from a joint just makes folks hungry.

[Act_of_Reparation]

162. Not true.

While they are not equally carcinogenic, both tobacco and cannabis produce partially oxidized hydrocarbons when burned.

[TheManInTheMac]

165. Are you 16? Jesus Christ!

[LWolf]

166. There's nothing cool about smoking. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

186. If you are not a heavy smoker yet

I recommend you quit for a myriad of heath reasons. The addiction, and yes it is an addiction, will ruin health, Nope, not immediately, but it will.

There are many ways to quit, if one does not work, try another.

This is not being puritanical or anything.

Oh and do not invite me to that party. I get the worst asthma attacks around smokers. Yup, second hand sucks too.

[Skittles]

189. I used to admire an ex who could truly just enjoy a cig during a night out

without being addicted like I was..........last time I ran into him, I had quit my bad habit and he was smoking like a chimney

it is indeed an addiction

[Recursion]

190. Pretty much every country I've been to smokes a lot more than the US

Hell, there are still smoking sections in restaurants in France and Austria.

Smoking is bad. It will make you sick, and it will take your money (you want to quit smoking? Keep track of how much you spend on it...) But it also feels really really good.

[nomorenomore08]

207. Not that that's a good thing, but it does make some of the discussions here seem a bit silly. n/t

[SusanCalvin]

226. Urgh! It's yucky!

As explained above, I learned to smoke, inhaling and everything, for a play. Put it down immediately after. I'm very lucky I found it yucky, and I sure don't judge addicts.

[Corey_Baker08]

200. While I Would Never Consider Smoking In front Of Kids...

The way that I Look At It Is Very Simple Enough, If There Are Minors, Non-Smokers, The Elderly, Or Anyone That Is A Non Smoker, I Will Politely Excuse My Self From The Room , Go To My Car & Smoke.

However One Of My 2016 New Years Resolutions Is To Kick The Nasty Habbit Of Smoking & That's Going To Improve My Health, My Energy & My Finances Since That's $6 Per Day Not Out Of My Pocket.....

GOOD LUCK & I WISH YOU A GREAT 2016

[MohRokTah]

201. I smoked for 25 years.

I haven't smoked for the past 16 years.

I wish I had never started.

[SusanCalvin]

228. "I wish I had never started"

Exactly. The really annoying part is the corporations you're handing the money to.

[Babel_17]

202. Four years free thanks to Allen Carr's system

http://www.wikihow.com/Quit-Smoking-by-Using-an-Allen-Carr-Book

I quit smoking on April 4, 2011.

I used Allen Carr's "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking".

Border's had a nice compilation of some of the best quotes from that book in a nice pocket sized paperback that I carry around and which was very helpful and inspirational.

Great free videos that were also helpful here.

Lol, I quickly figured out that I'd feel at a loss when walking past the spot I'd stash my cigarettes when at home. I'd have a cup of coffee in my hand and feel like I was forgetting something.

I've had several nightmares about smoking. Supposedly this is ok/"a good thing".

Dreams of smoking 2.38mb 7.10mb UTube 2.92mb 06:28 11/10/06

https://www.youtube.com/joelspitz#p/u/41/Dvkxt_GMG-0

Allen Carr’s 7 Tips To Stay Quit

Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Quit Smoking

If you follow these simple instructions, you cannot fail.

1 Make a solemn vow that you will never, ever, smoke, chew or suck anything that contains
nicotine, and stick to your vow.

2 Get this clear in your mind: there is absolutely nothing to give up. By that I don't mean simply that
you will be better off as a non-smoker (you've known that all your life); nor do I mean that although
there is no rational reason why you smoke, you must get some form of pleasure or crutch from it or
you wouldn't do it. What I mean is, there is no genuine pleasure or crutch in smoking. It is just an
illusion, like banging your head against a wall to make it pleasant when you stop,

3 There is no such thing as a confirmed smoker. You are just one of the millions who have fallen for
this subtle trap. Like millions of other ex-smokers who once thought they couldn't escape, you have
escaped,

4 If at any time in your life you were to weigh up the pros and cons of smoking, the conclusion would
always be, a dozen times over, 'Stop doing it. You are a fool.' Nothing will ever change that. It always
has been that way, and it always will be. Having made what you know to be the correct decision, don't
ever torture yourself by doubting it.

5 Don't try not to think about smoking or worry that you are thinking about it constantly. But
whenever you do think about it –whether it be today, tomorrow or the rest of your life think,
'YIPPEE! I'M ANON-SMOKER!'

6 DO NOT use any form of substitute.
DO NOT keep your own cigarettes.
DO NOT avoid other smokers.
DO NOT change your lifestyle in any way purely because you've stopped smoking.
If you follow the above instructions, you will soon experience the moment of revelation. But:

7 Don't wait for that moment to come. Just get on with your life. Enjoy the highs and cope with the
lows. You will find that in no time at all the moment will arrive.

http://allencarr.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easyway-Stop-Smoking/dp/0615482155

[SusanCalvin]

231. Hmmm...

I got a Kindle copy, intending to read it and try to get hubby to do so if I thought it might help.

The above would never work for me, so I assume it wouldn't for him.

An addiction is filling a need, whether artificially induced or not. Or (more likely, IMHO), starting as a real emotional need which then gets tied to a substance. The above does nothing I can see to address that. Paging Nancy Reagan.

Thanks for saving me some time.

[Babel_17]

233. If you want to stop smoking, the Allen Carr book works (he tells you to smoke while reading it)

He doesn't use scare tactics, says they don't work. He tells you not to nag current smokers, it's not helpful.

His book works like deprogramming/hypnotic suggestion. He addresses your concerns in a well thought out manner. He addresses all the concerns that smokers have.

I read the book several times, watched the movie a few times, and I became convinced I was now a non-smoker.

You don't stop smoking when you open the book, all that's needed is a desire to stop. As he says, you have nothing to lose. You'll either want to stop at the end, or you won't. Lol, and it's a very entertaining read.

Well, the full movie is back up on youtube. That alone can be enough for anyone. See if you can spot which Game of Thrones star has a prominent part in it. He's good in his roles, he doesn't reek. lol

[SusanCalvin]

236. Thanks.

You still saved me some time, as I know hypnosis works for me but not for hubby.

Best wishes for the new year!

[Babel_17]

241. All the best for you and your husband! nt

[nomorenomore08]

206. I smoke various things myself, mostly recreationally.

I know it's not the best thing to do, health-wise, but we're all gonna die from something or other...

[romanic]

216. I don't smoke

but I don't judge others who do. Sometimes people smoke because they're stressed out, not necessarily to look "cool".

[kwassa]

225. There is nothing cool about smoking, ever, at any time, in any way.

Nicotine addiction kills hundreds of thousands every year.

once hooked, it is a very difficult drug to shake.

[Warpy]

227. I think the OP must be very young

Only the young buy into the advertising without considering any of the consequences. Then they're afraid to stop, since gaining weight after quitting smoking is a common problem and gaining weight is worse to them than dying of cancer, heart disease or emphysema when they're over the hill in their 40s.

[SusanCalvin]

229. Oh, absolutely, but I can't blame them.

Big tobacco still manages to push it, and I used to think I was bulletproof as well.

[kwassa]

230. I was a smoker when I was young.

We were fashionably fatalistic. As young people, we also felt immortal, at the same time. And, as cool as can be.


I'm sad to hear that today' s young people aren't smarter than we were.

[Kath1]

232. 231 replies, 6211 views?

Are you shitting me?

Enough already. I get it. I will never bring it up again.

There are much more important things.

[SusanCalvin]

235. I think it started a good conversation.

I know there were several things that helped me out.

One never knows, do one?
http://www.allmusic.com/album/one-never-knows-do-one-a-tribute-to-fats-waller-his-music-mw0000251829

Happy new year, and I think quite a bit of good was done.

[Kath1]

239. Thank you.

One never knows.

I hope some good came out of it!

Happy New Year, SusanCalvin! PEACE!

[Babel_17]

243. I hope you don't mind I went off topic with the Allen Carr promotion

Like Dr. Calvin said, some positive stuff came from your OP.

Have a Happy New Year!

[Kath1]

244. No problems.

Peace. Happy New Year!

[SusanCalvin]

246. Awwww, you called me by my title!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Calvin

[Babel_17]

247. Big fan of your work!

I figured you got a job with Microsoft after your gig at U.S. Robots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Robots_and_Mechanical_Men

[davidpdx]

242. I think regardless of the OP's statement, most of the replies in this thread have been incredible

It is nice to see people open up and share their experience either as a smoker or non-smoker. Those who shared stories of friends or loved ones who are sick or have died are very compelling. So thank you to everyone for sharing.

[Kath1]

245. And I can appreciate that.

Peace.

Happy New Year to you.

[Mariana]

248. It was good to read the successful quitting experiences, too.

It's wonderful that there are so many different options available today to help people stop smoking, if the willpower route just isn't working for them.

[davidpdx]

249. Yes, quitting something whether it be smoking or eating too much is a challenge

My problem is the latter and I have been eating less and exercising more. I only have two New Years resolutions: 1) lose weight and 2) to visit the US this summer to see my family. I'm crossing my fingers both can happen.

[madokie]

253. August 14, 1977. 8:05 am

I smoked my last cigarette. Started smoking before I was in the first grade. By the time I started school I could roll a cigarette with the best of them. They always made me dizzy so it was relatively easy for me to quit. I was smoking two packs of tareytons a day when I quit. They had the carbon, micronite or some shit like that filter on them.