Smoking in Moderation

[The Cor]

21 and started about a year ago. Yeah I've heard that, but surely its all about willpower, if I dont let myself have more than one a day max, and stop myself from having any more than that, i'll never develop any dependancy on them.

If you do anything addictive in a stable pattern or in an excessive manner, your body will become dependent. It's unavoidable, it doesn't mean that you start smoking more(though it's very likely that you will at some point) but it just means that your body will slowly just get used to the one cigarette a day.

It will be hardly noticeable, there will be even days that you skip that one cigarette but on one day you will crave for it more then you did before. Not that I mind that you do it just go ahead, I am smoker myself and it doesn't really bother me what other people do with their body.

 

[Dr Jones]

I'm not going to tell you to quit because I'd be an awful hypocrite and I hate when people give out about smoking myself so I'll just advise you to not take potential habit lightly.

Not really. If you are addicted to it, telling others not to smoke would be the best thing you could do!

 

[AndyFromMonday]

I'm sorry but there's no way I could approve of smoking in any way, shape or form. Studying case reports of smokers with COPD (COAD for you foreigners) receiving powerful and expensive intravenous drugs during their rather frequent hospital stays are expensive for hospitals (which are in turn mostly funded by the government in any decent country). Taxpayers should not have to pay for people who choose to damage their own bodies like this.

Those smokers also pay taxes you know. In fact, smokers pay more taxes than non-smokers since cigarettes are taxed in virtually every single country. As long as they contribute to the overall fund they should receive the same amount of care as any other individual. Medicine is there to help people with their illnesses, self inflicted or not. You don't get to dictate who receives care and who doesn't. Think of it this way, your tax money doesn't go towards treating self inflicted diseases, it goes towards treating human beings of their illnesses.

Disclaimer: If this is a double post then it's because I didn't want to edit my original post since if I did that the person I'm quoting wouldn't be alerted to my reply.

 

[thespyisdead]

speaking from experience, the only difficulty you'll have in terms of quitting, if you smoke 2 smokes a day, will be a mental one, more than a physical one. if you do get physical symptoms, the wors you'll get, is a light headache... nothing you can't handle... my point is, that to stop, you WILL need a lot of willpower once you start

 

[azukar]

I've smoked twice in my life, both times in the past four years, and on neither occasion did I see any appeal in it. It makes me think that the addictive properties (calming, wanting more etc) are the only thing stopping people from realising they're deliberately inhaling SMOKE into their bodies.

I imagine smoking occasionally to be less harmful than smoking frequently, but then, I don't see why anyone should smoke at all.

This kind of question you should be asking a medical professional, not The Escapist.

 

[Odbarc]

If you smoke, you're a smoker. Non-smokers don't casually smoke. They're non-smokers.
Just because you don't get drunk every day doesn't mean you don't drink alcohol. But some people actually NOT drink alcohol.

 

[Felix 'Solomon' Hultgren]

Moderation is for sisses. I smoke right now.
In all seriousness, smoking ADDICTION is not the problem. Anyone with a little bit of willpower and determination can stop smoking in three days. The problem is that it is very habituating and once you properly start (which you probably will do as Colour-Scientist pointed out) it is much easier to pick it up again. I usually give up smoke for lent, but since I enjoy smoking and pretty much all of my friends are smokers I don't see a reason to quit. I mean, yeah health and all that but as long as I'm not hurting anyone else I don't see why people should care.

 

[instantbenz]

I've smoked occasional cigars and cigarillos in moderation since I was legally able to. I don't inhale, but after 5 years of smoking no more than once a week I'm still getting nagging twinges in my temples for more. I've slowed to no more than one every two weeks, but I still always do it as a social thing, like when I'm flipping burgers at a bbq I'm holding or outside at a wedding reception.

If the nagging would become really bad I would stop altogether because my parents both smoke and they've never been able to quit having started too young. I don't want that extra financial burden.

Though the occasional cigars aren't cheap either!

If you smoke, you're a smoker. Non-smokers don't casually smoke. They're non-smokers.
Just because you don't get drunk every day doesn't mean you don't drink alcohol. But some people actually NOT [sic] drink alcohol.

Well, aren't you all black and white about the world. Does the same go for someone who plays games once? Are they forevermore known as a gamer? If so, my grandmother is a pretty hardcore gamer as she played Gears once back in the day.

 

[Dogstile]

Smoking in moderation isn't going to kill you in an unreasonable timeframe.

I'd advise you to ignore the idiots saying you should quit if you only smoke a few times a week (or month, like I did before i decided games were better value). The negative effects will kill you about forty years from now. Lets be honest, it's not exactly like you're going to be up to much at that point.

Also, a point that I like to use but doesn't really stand up in an argument. How many smokers do you know that are over fifty? I know plenty, they seem fine. Most smokers I knew as a kid were smoking until they died at the ripe old age of 75 or above.

 

[floppylobster]

don't count on it.

Cancer, heart disease, liver disease, DVT, COPD and all the other diseases associated with using drugs can also kill you in your sleep. It's funny how life works, you know. Everything enjoyable will also slowly kill you. Hell, even if you manage to avoid all vices you'll still eventually die due to some sort of illness and whether you do drugs or not that won't change the fact that dying in your sleep is highly unlikely. Either way, life's short. Do whatever makes you happy because at the very least when you die you'll be content with having experienced most of life's intrigues.

I'm only trying to convey what my father tried to tell me as he lay dying on the floor. He seemed fairly convinced that this advice might be important to someone. I hope someone gets something out of it.

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

I've been smoking on and off (mostly on) for about 12 years (I'm 28), and never really had a major issue controlling it. But not everyone has the same willpower. If I had a girlfriend who didn't smoke, I could put it away for months. Nowadays, I like one after work, but that's really just about it. I can still put 'em down for a couple of weeks or whatever, especially if I'm on holidays or weekends. Sometimes I smoke more socially, with friends having drinks etc.

But I've kept most other aspects of my life pretty on track, been able to maintain an ok level of fitness (run 10km's in under 50 minutes kind of thing), eat ok, and have binges every now and then, and not really feel like I need to light up except in times of extreme stress, which I've also been able to manage better lately.

What I would do, and what a personal trainer friend of mine always said, is just listen to your body. If you think some part of you is degrading and needs attention, don't ignore it. If you are coughing up shit a bit too often, or find your fitness/stamina deteriorating, then do something about it. But like some people have said, you only live once, if it's not debilitating and you can control it, knock yourself out. IF you can quit though, better to do that while you're ahead - I'm sure it gets harder the later you try.

 

[VladG]

It is a very slippery road you are going. Yes, you can be a social smoker and not get addicted, but you won't even realize when you do get addicted. You should also understand that nicotine addiction is a physical process, not will-power related, very similar to Cocaine addiction (although less destructive) since it also stimulates the mesolimbic pathway. Nicotine is an active chemical that has a very powerful effect on the brain and circulatory system. Do not take it lightly, since the ease of obtaining nicotine, it's strong social acceptance and deceivingly non-destructive effects make it one of the most difficult addictions to shake off.

The surest way to an addiction is regular smoking. Doesn't matter if it's one pack a week/month/day, regularity will get you addicted. I'd advise you never to smoke if you're stressed and want relief, nicotine acts on the reward system of the brain, and if you smoke when you're low, your body will demand nicotine every time it feels low, and that's the most treacherous part of the addiction, since the more you fight it, the more you want it.

As for the health effects, why do you care about other people shoving big macs down their throat? That's their problem, their health, you should worry about yours. Just because there are worse things out there, doesn't make this a good thing. First off you very likely know that it will fuck up your lungs. What you probably don't know is that it also fucks up your arteries (nicotine is a cardio-vascular stimulent) and it releases cholesterol and fat in your bloodstream. Basically what will happen if you smoke is you will gradually become physically weaker. Less lung capacity, weaker circulation. Again, don't think that after 2 smokes you will be weak as a kitten, that won't happen. But after a while you will be weaker than you would normally be.

In the end my biggest advice to you is to do some serious research in the matter, since you have some major misconceptions about the whole thing. Just to name a few from your posts:

"but surely its all about willpower, if I dont let myself have more than one a day max, and stop myself from having any more than that, i'll never develop any dependancy on them." The problem is not from stopping yourself from smoking more. Unlike cocaine, you don't develop much of a tolerance to nicotine, so there's no need to up the dose. The problems come when you'd rather not have that one a day, but end up not being able to. Also as I've mentioned above, it's not that much down to willpower.

"I dont crave a cigarette anymore than I "crave" a drink during a hot day, or "crave" hitting the nightclubs on a saturday after a tough week. Bad examples, but its not a dependancy, it's just something I enjoy doing."

Again, you should read up about nicotine dependency. Yes, you enjoy it because it directly stimulates the pleasure center of your brain. It actually makes you enjoy everything more because of that. Conversely when you try to quit, you will enjoy everything a lot less during withdrawal, and you will ALWAYS remember how good that one smoke a day was even after you've shaken off the physical addiction.

I tell you this out of personal experience. I used to be a social smoker, then a regular smoker, than a 2-pack-a-day smoker, and finally quit. Also as a warning, even if you manage to quit, you will NEVER see a smoke and not want it afterwards. It will be a constant will-check for the rest of your life.

P.S. Don't take the fact that I'm contradicting you as trolling. It's up to you if you smoke and I personally have nothing against smokers. It's misinformation that I dislike, and the fact that you are going into this without knowing anything about it. You started this thread to get information, and that's what I'm giving you. What you chose to do with it however, none of my concern.

 

[Communist partisan]

I smoke if I can get a cigg from somebody but I never have any money to buy my own so I must have control over it, and it works.

 

[Superior Mind]

I smoke cigars very rarely, (birthdays, New Years, other celebrations,) but I smoked cigarettes for a short while. I was never addicted because I never really got the appeal and didn't particularly like the ashtray-mouth it gave me. Made me look cool though.

Health wise though - every cigarette does damage. People can get lung cancer from second hand smoke. The belief that cigars are healthier because you don't inhale is also false, you can get mouth cancer and residual smoke finds it's way to cause throat and lung cancer. If you smoke less you'll mitigate the effects sure but that doesn't mean you're not doing any harm or even much harm as some people can be effected worse than others.

I like smoking cigars so I do but I don't kid myself about the risks. I also like drinking but I don't forget the harmful effects of alcohol either. If you're willing to assume the risks and can weigh them against the benefits as they are to you then I see little harm in a minimal habit like a pack a month. Really though if smoking is kind of "meh" one way or the other as cigarette smoking was for me I'd say just quit for the sake of the health benefits and the fact it'll get your friends and family to stop bitching at you. Now that will take years off your life.

 

[Game_Geek]

The other day I smoked a pack of black and mild cigars (4) and I hurled so much. Now that I have tested my limits I can moderate. It is like knowing your max while weightlifting.

 

[LiftYourSkinnyFists]

What's everyones thoughts on smoking (tobacco) without an addiction? Is it possible? Can it be safe if you have the willpower to control yourself? What do you think the chances of medical issues are later in life if you only smoke one a day for example?

Personally I consider myself a social smoker, in the same way people can be social drinkers (which I also am, btw). Which means I am not addicted or dependant on cigarettes, but I enjoy them with other people that are also smoking, (not peer pressure, its just great to have a smoke and chat with someone in a way non-smokers might not understand) and occasionally light up on my own if I am feeling stressed out or upset (it calms me down, relaxes me, and gives me a temporary high for a minute or two). I have no cravings at all, and I can literally go as long as I want without smoking. I've gone over a month before without a smoke since starting, and often I go a week or two without one. Generally though I go through a pack of 25 in about a month, sometimes in 2 months.

I keep being told that I should quit, but why? Assuming I continue doing this, I will probably smoke about as much im my lifetime that the average smoker would have in a year or two (or less). How is this dangerous to my health? In moderation there are much worse things that can be much more damaging. Why should I be scolded for having a smoke every other day, when there are people who shove Big Macs down their throat every other day and will die at 50 from a heart attack caused by obesity?

I smoke, I don't need to smoke I genuinely enjoy the taste it's not a case of I need the substance but a case of I would like to, like a fat person to cake... wait no that's not right...

 

[Murray Kitson]

i have to say, a little bit of poison is beneficial to our bodies. it boosts its resilience in the long run. for instance, a pack a day smoker quits. five years later, their lungs are stronger than someone who hasn't smoked a day in their life. this has been proven clinically! also, the oldest living woman in canada at the moment smokes a single cigarette a day, and has since she was 14... around 100 years ago.

now this method of strengthening your lungs is not recommended. in the time smoking, other problems may develop (from cancer to other diseases) and also, you will not be able to take it into any sports events. people train for years to compete in sports, so take the years it takes to train, add the years it takes to recover and heal from the damage you did, and add the years of smoking. you are at or around 35 years old. no team would bother taking someone who is this old unless they are established. cute idea tho.

is smoking bad... yes. will it kill you... most likely, but i never intended to live forever. as i said, toxins in small quantities build resilience towards harsh environments. one a day and you may outlive us all. you'll still be shitting your diaper, but you will be alive ^_^

 

[Blue_vision]

The reason that I hate tobacco is that it ends up being really hard to consume it in moderation. If it were easy to just have it once in a while, then I'd have little qualms over its use, and for people that can just have a cigarette once or twice a week, I say go right ahead. But if you're smoking packs a week, you simply need to stop, and I think that as long as people continue smoking packs a week, cigarette use needs to be limited by some controlling body.

So yeah, I see proper cigarette consumption about in line with alcohol. Two in a day's alright, half a pack in a week's fine. But more than that, and I can't support you doing it.

 

[Carl Casey]

"I prefer a good cigar and a bad woman" -Duke Nukem (Time to Kill)

 

[dyre]

Pretty much everyone in China smokes in moderation. It's a huge social thing, not in the "c'mon, it's cool" way, but rather in a "meet someone new in your job, share a cigarette with him" way.

A lot of people I know there smoke like two or three cigarettes a day on average, which I'd hardly call an addiction. And they've been doing it for years...