Are you a smoker? And do you think it is as dangerous as it's claimed to be?

[Anonymous]

Please explain your opinion about smoking and why are you smoking (if so)

[Rawrzz]

I was a smoker 14-23. I tried to switch to e-cigs. I started smoking at work, the swimming pool, when I was 14. These two gorgeous chicks went outside, and I followed them like the puppy I was. Then this girl I was hypnotized by handed me the lit cigarette, and I was like "Prove that I'm like her? Damn straight." Then I was a smoker. Also friends with gorgeous girls. Then I was more than that, but that's a different story.

When I was 19, I discovered e-cigs. I tried switching, and it worked for awhile, but then I got a job around a bunch of smokers, so I failed for a couple more years. Then, I completely switched to e-cigs when I was 23. My aunt died a year and a half ago, so I picked it back up for a couple weeks, but I switched back to e-cigs again. So, I'm a vaper now, not a smoker.

And yeah. It's obviously as dangerous as it's claimed to be. You kidding? There are mountains of evidence. I watched my aunt die from 15 different cancers, because she was a smoker all her life. Now, if you want me to prove it was from cigarettes, then just check all the medical journals. I'm not about to try to prove something well known as deadly.

My opinion about smoking is that it's suicide over time, and you really don't want to die the way my aunt did. Over 3 years, wasted away to nothing but bones, barely able to walk, in perpetual pain. People make the argument "I'd rather shave off a decade of my life when I'm old and frail anyway," which I would totally agree with--if it wasn't granting you an excessively painful death. I'd rather my death be quick.

As for other people, I believe everyone would be better off vaping--kill all cigarettes. And that might happen. But, until then, I'm not going to preach at anyone. They make their choices; I make mine.

[Asker]

I do know it's dangerous I just suggested it might be not only because of the tabacco itself but of the negative feedback they're given everyday as smokers.
And I know about everything they say about how unheathy it is I just don't know any people that got sick because of it, there are only statistics around me and I tend not to believe them in general.
Thank you for your answer and I'm sorry for your aunt!

[Rawrzz]

And it's good that you're wary of statistics. But, something you can trust is peer reviewed articles and medical journals. You can look them up on google scholar and do your own research to either prove or disprove your point.

It's hard to really connect the dots, since it takes so much time for the damage to be done. But you can see what a smoker's lungs look like after 10-20 years. If nothing else, it will clearly fuck your breathing up. But when you light something on fire, you're creating carcinogens, most of the time. Add in all the 4,000 dangerous chemicals that they add in to tobacco, and it's just going to cause cancer. If you want to know, then there are 50-75 active carcinogens--cancer causing agents--in cigarettes. That's proof enough, to me. You can look up some of those chemicals then look up studies done on rats or monkeys.

That's an interesting thought, but I don't think that's the reason.

Thanks. She was my favorite family.

[WombRaider]

I used to. I quit over 3 years ago now. I still vape though.

I've noticed huges changes. I can taste food, I can run further, I breath normally, etc...

Smoking is deadly and vile. My aunt passed away from lung cancer due to it over a year ago - even though I loved her (and still do), I don't want to go down that road.

[Asker]

I'm sorry for your loss!

[musicbrain5]

I do not smoke anything, and yes it is as dangerous as it's claimed to be. The information about how bad smoking is, is out there. The tobacco industry has been trying to sweep all of it under the rug, saying that it's just fear mongering published by public agencies like the CDC or the FDA. Governments keep cigarettes and tobacco products legal because they make a shit load of money from the sales (high taxation on cigarettes here in Canada). Governments try to present themselves as a neutral party when it comes to the fact that cigarettes are bad for you, yet at the same time they're always heavily swayed by tobacco lobbyists (money, again).

My parents are doctors and they've seen for themselves what kind of effects smoking has had on many of their patients over the years. My mom has done autopsies on people who were life long smokers, and I've seen some of her pictures of various organs from those bodies (she occasionally takes photographs for her research). It's all so gross... tobacco in general negatively affects the entire body, not just the lungs.

[Asker]

Very interesting! But I'm still asking myself why aren't more types of drugs legal

[Paris13]

I am Not a Smoker with this Very Hard habit to Break, @Heera.
My own dad had to quit 4 years ago, but sadly a bit later, he Ended up on an Oxygen machine Anyways... The damn Damage had already hit and it was too late. However, at least he still has a Better chance with Not picking up a cigarette. But years later, this can still lead to death anyways.
I also have family members who have COPD and One who has this, as well as PAD which is Cut off Circulation in his One leg and has to now 'Quit' smoking Himself and go to the Hospital this Fall for a Stench in his Leg so he can Walk better and Longer and Endure More Gain of Less Pain.
Sure, it's not just "Possible" Detrimental to your Health as my Dad's Packs of Ciggies Used to Read, But Now: Are Detrimental to your Health.
Good luck and Great question, and if you do Not Smoke, Do not Start. xx

[Asker]

I'm sorry to hear that! Wish you and your family the best :)

[Paris13]

*When someone should Die of Lung cancer or Some Sort of Respiratory illness, They are the Ones Crying the most at their Friend's or Family member's Funeral. xx

[Paris13]

God bless you, dear, Thank you so much, and thank you for the Like. Greatest Most Important Question on Gag Today, instead of some usual Ones which do not have much meaning at times many Times.
Have a Great day, and thank God I can see my dad for another father's day this month. xx

[vonasaurus]

i'm not a smoker, but my boyfriend is; while he admits that we could save a ton of money if/when he finally quits, he also says that the dangers of smoking are "overhyped".

(he's also told me that, if i ever start smoking, he'll break my fingers. but i'm a 30 year-old woman and have never lit up, so i doubt that will be an issue lol)

that said, i'm still concerned for his health (for obvious reasons). and yes, i've lost relatives to emphysema and lung cancer from smoking, though they all still lived well into their 70s. it's hard to know what to believe, though there are definitely variables that aren't accounted for in some of the information we're presented with~ not just with regards to smoking, but in general.

[Asker]

Thank you! Finally someone understood my concern.
I'm sorry for your relatives! Hope your boyfriend will be fine
Wish you the best :)

[vonasaurus]

you're welcome, and likewise :)

[YaBaba]

No, I am not a smoker.
And yes, I do believe it is extremely bad for health because it is proven to be so and I have had a friend who was a serious smoker/into alcohol I guess and faced some serious consequences.

It is also something that you get addicted to and that to me is a negative since addiction is a weakness to the soul.

Lastly, aside from the health risks, it also has negative impact (?) or effect on relationships (family/ spouse, etc)

[Asker]

I know it's dangerous, I just wanted to lnow if it is as dangerous as it is said to be, because I watched some videos few days ago about consequences of fastfood and it seemed like "food" we eat is actually even more dangerous than smoking in the long term and I started questioning myself why is legal to consume something like that. Also, the danger of tabacco seems like more of a placebo effect to me. Again, I'm not saying it is healthy, I am saying that it might not be as dangerous as its claimed to be.
Thank you so much for your answer! I hope your friend will be better soon!

[Somali]

I smoked cigarette just once when i was kid and I didn't get addicted

[Asker]

@Somali I doubt you could become a smoker by smoking just one cigarette. It's good you weren't interested in another one tho :)

[Somali]

I vomited very bad... I was punished for smoking since I was under 15.

[Asker]

@Somali sorry to hear that but at least it lead to not becoming a smoker ^^

[Victorianne]

I've never smoked and I won't allow anyone to smoke in my home either. I do believe smoking has a detrimental affect on your health and those around you. I. e second hand smoke and third hand smoke , both can cause long -term health problems on people who've never smoked, but have been in an environment where people have been smoking.

Even if smoking didn't affect my heath I still wouldn't smoke. I hate the smell of stale smoke. It discours your skin and hair. Plus, I can think of better things to spend my money on

[Victorianne]

To* people

[CoolSky01]

well all my friends smoke, they have zero stamina, can't walk few feet without stopping to catch their breath, they cough a lot, they always have something stuck in their throats, they spend lots of money on cigarrettes, and a couple of them were told their X-rays and blood tests are not good and they should quit smoking, is that good enough for you?

[Asker]

you don't have to be so bitter, I'm not even a smoker

[CoolSky01]

iam just stating the facts

[Asker]

I know and I appreciate that. But "is that good enough for you" didn't sound so nice. Anyways I know scientific facts, I wanted personal opinions, because of that, thanks for telling me about your friends experience!

[CoolSky01]

lol i didn't mean to be mean or anything

[cth96190]

The medical evidence is overwhelming. You can find it for yourself if you use Google, or go to the US Food and Drug Administration medical paper database at www.pubmed.com
You would also find it instructive to read what psychology journals have to say about the psychological profiles of smokers and the ways that those flaws in character are exploited by the advertising industry.

[front2back]

You absorb so much radiation from smoking. It has radioactive elements within.

"In a person smoking 1 1/2 packs of cigarettes per day, the radiation dose to the bronchial epithelium in areas of bifurcation is 8000 mrem per year -- the equivalent of the dose to the skin from 300 x-ray films of the chest per year. This figure is comparable to total-body exposure to natural background radiation containing 80 mrem per year in someone living in the Boston area."
https://www.rmeswi.com/36.html

[Aizou]

Never even tried smoking, and probably won't either. While it is true that "smoking kills" I am questioning the potency of that sentence.. Obviously nobody wants smokers lungs, but.. my grand mother on my mothers side smoked from she were 12, and reached 64 before she died to lung cancer.

[Azgeda]

I don't smoke but I've vaped and smoked a cig before just to see what the big deal is.
I don't get it. Seems like a really expensive hobby with no return at all , if not downright bad for your health. I'd like to keep my body at tip top shape thank you very much.

[TripleAce]

Its defiantly bad. You will garanteed have reduced lung function, air flow and whatever else it causes. But thats not everyone to be honest. Some people live their whole lives smoking and only ever get something major at an old age. And some get cancer trigger within 5-10 years of smoking which is very quick

It depends but you'd never really know unless you've lived it. Better to just not smoke

[LittleMissCuriousity]

I am occasionally a smoker. I only smoke when I'm stressed (pretty much around finals and when I'm travelling). I think it can be dangerous, when people smoke too often or for long periods. But I've also read that the lungs begin to heal when people quit.

[steveguitar]

I'm not a smoker, but if you think about it, if you were in a house that was burning, but you knew it wouldn't fall down, you wouldn't stay in it. The fumes are poisonous. I have seen people take their first smoke and cough, isn't that a bad sign? Your lungs aren't equipped to take in carbon dioxide, which is exactly what you are taking in. Trees are designed to take in carbon dioxid, not humans.

[guy532]

It's actually more dangerous than most people think it is. The list of pathalogies that have smoking as a very high risk factor is endless.

[Asker]

I know that but I tend to believe we are usually told wrong information about health. I mean, why are so many unhealthy things still legal? Why are drugs still illegal? And why do so many diseases have no cure when the technology is so advanced? This made me think why something as dangerous as cigarettes (and every pack has warnings on them) are still commercial and why they keep telling people about the danger while still selling them. Also, the tabacco addiction is mostly psychological and I believe that it is more unhealthy to us because of the placebo effect. Is it possible that some people are creating dangers on purpose for us?

[guy532]

Nicotine addiction is physiological and not psychological. Nicotine is a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist. Nicotine exposure desensitizes this receptor. When you're not smoking your body is starved of this receptor's actions and hence why it becomes something you depend on. It's only when these receptors are not desensitized anymore that you are no longer physiologically addicted. Also, there is still a lot we don't know in medicine, we have a good grasp on a lot of things but not everythingn. Also, just knowing how something works or why it goes wrong doesn't mean that we can magically cure it. I can't go into that much detail just because there is wayyyy too much to cover. I'm sorry, but you clearly don't have enough of a biology background to make these assumptions. Don't assume things when you don't know much about them, that's a general rule to life. Use it and you'll better yourself and learn more :). So in short cigarettes are not a placebo, the mechanism of how they

[guy532]

cause addiction is fairly well understood and the diseases they cause are not a placebo. You can't get cancer just because you think you can. You can't have your lungs get worn away until they're like a plastic a bag just because you think you can, you can't get artherosclerosis just because you think you can. I hope that's cleared up any misconceptions.

[Asker]

Thank you so much for your long answers! I ll keep researching to find out more ^_^

[FL1ppY]

They still sell it because the taxes on them are really high and a lot of money is made on them.

[Asker]

@FL1ppY the taxes were very little in my country 10 years ago then they started to post warnings on packs I guess that makes sense

[FL1ppY]

Oh, well over here the taxes are about 40%

[guy532]

no worries :)

[GingerGuy]

They're legal because they make money off it and that's more important to them then peoples health. There are some people that believe that they've had a cure for cancer for a long time but aren't curing people because of the money they make off the treatments?

[Asker]

@GingerGuy yeah, that's what I thought. Thank you for answering!

[Anonymous]

gifrific.com/.../Angry-Mr-Bean-Shakes-Head.gif

"Oh now, come on now! Don't abandon us! Buy your products; never mind what's in them! Never mind all the toxic chemicals we put in it, such as tar! Heck, we'll slap on a sticker for you that state the cigarettes are "light", so it'll only kill you slower" - luv, the cigarette companies

[Asker]

The weird part is that everyone knows they are bad but still they're legal and still it seems like government actually cares which is even weirder

[Opinion Owner]

Where I live they are sold in grocery stores; but they are hidden away and the store staff can only ring them up in the till if they are 18 or older... which is frankly dumb. And liquor is still sold in specialty stores run by the state.

The states know they would be in deep **** if they were to ban it, because people would protest like there would be no tomorrow. The french revolution would seem like a walk in the amusement park compared to the vindictive nature of the massive protest that would break out.

Plus, the state gets so much money off selling these items that they'll probably never stop. The liquor stores, which are run by the state, had a profit of 9,760,461.995 USD last year.

[Asker]

That's an interesting point of view. Thank you!

[spoonman2014]

I very active and eat pretty clean so that probably offsets what smoking could be doing to me, the worst I ever feel is I may cough at night and that is it. The reason I do it is I like the buzz, I started in the air force because smokers get more breaks lol, and I do not smoke a lot either. I think the biggest pain is the social smokers, the ones too embarrassed or cheap to buy a pack of their own, so on my own I may smoke at the most half a pack a day.

[AhGojira]

I smoked when I was a teenager... The scientific evidence is pretty clear and has been for a long time. While some people are more resistant to certain types of cancer, over all smoking fucks you up over the long run. Even if you duck lung or esophogeal cancer you probably will end up with COPD in old age and have to lug your oxygen tank...

[Anonymous]

I am not a smoker and it is definitely dangerous. It causes cancer and these e-cigarettes can also blow up in your face. People have had some serious trauma because of it in Germany. Some had nose injuries and some had to get new teeth..
The smell of the regular smoke also is kinda eww

[BCRanger10]

I smoke an occasional cigar, meaning once every few weeks or months. I'm usually classified as a "non-smoker" though.

[Asker]

Do the health issues that might be caused of smoking concern you?

[FL1ppY]

It's gross and smoking is REALLY annoying to other people around you. Why won't smokers realise that

[Asker]

I don t know honestly. I am not a smoker but it never bothered me

[FL1ppY]

For most non-smoking people it does

[sp33d]

Its danger is under-rated. I quit ~2 years ago. I started smoking when I was 13 because I shared a common symptom among people that age - stupidity.

Opinion? I hate seeing people smoke when little kids are nearby. Even when I was smoking and I was walking along the street and someone walked in my direction with their child, I'd hold the cig as far away from them as I could.

[Yumix]

no I don't. It's unhealthy, expensive and bad for the people around too. You also can't do it everywhere you want so when you feel the need for it... meh. Starting with it is a shitty idea.

And that it's dangerous should be a fact by now, everyone thinking different... urgh.
You can find the evidence for it everywhere, no need to explain it again