So... why start smoking?

[Yopaz]

Yes, life is a risk. But smoking is a HUGE risk. In every possible way.

Source

I defend smoking and I've never smoked a single ciggarette. It's a choice you make, it's legal, and it's not as bad as other addictions. In our western world there are 2 legal addicitve substances, nicotine and alcohol. A drunk driver might run over someone or end up getting killed and killing those in the same car. A smoker may or may not die from smoking over the course of years depending on how much, ome survive 70 years of smkoking so it's not something that must happens, nor killing someone with drunk driving. Smoking is an addiction that is less likely to make you lose your job, friends and family than alcohol addiction.
More than a third of those I know (and have known) over 90 (that accounts for more than 50 persons) have been smoking since they were in their 20's, I know you mentioned this, but my point is that smoking doesn't lead to cancer, heart and lung diseases in 100% of all cases.

Finally, smoking is far from a risk in ever possible way. How many ways are there to die? Bilions. A smoker simply increases the chance for less than 100 possible deaths. A smoker doen't have any bigger chance to die from being struck by lightning, a smoker doesn't have a bigger chance of being mauled by a bear (perhaps less since the bear would shy away from the smoke).

 

[Jonabob87]

young, stupid, social pressure and the desire to look cool/grown up.

All the other ansers are bulls*** and are usually from smokers who are in denial.

Nicotine is probably the very worst drug around to become addicted to, because it really gets you nothing in return from your addiction. Alcohol and weed for example at least give you a nice buzz when you use it.

Nicotine doesn't do shit for you.

*lights up*

Nicotine does give you a buzz, maybe not as powerful as marijuana or alcohol, but it does effect you physically and mentally.

 

[DeadXV]

I have smoked 3 times in my life (all in the one night) and found that ciggarette's do calm you down a little, because they take your mind off of problems you may be facing. However I found that (these particular) ciggarette's had no flavour or any thing that would make me want to do it again.

 

[moretimethansense]

Just for the sake of conversation and curiosity, do those studies indicate that the researchers factored in indoor pollution, city pollution, car pollution, and on and on and on

I think you may have quoted the wrong one pal, I didn't post the statistics.

The thing is, they kind cheat with those statistics. They say smoing RELATED deaths. For example, if you die of a heart attack, they ask whether you smoked or have ever smoked. They then put you in the category of 'smoking related death', even if the real cause was the fact you were 400 pounds and ate junk everyday.

Personally, i smoke becuase i want to. I dont defend it, or reccomend it. But im sick of having to explain myself for it. People do all sorts of bad thing to themselves. Smoking is just an easy target

I figured as much, though you can't deny that smoking would make it worse.

True, but so many smokers get uppity and defensive about it that I feel compelled to call them out on their bullshit.
As I said before, smoke if you really want to but don't lie about the effects, and don't act like some poor put upon victim.

Personal note:
One example of smoker denyal, my mother suffers from IBS, one doctor once claimed that smoking helped with it, my mother now tries to use that as an excuse even to the six (I've fucking counted) doctors that told her that this was bullshit, four of which explicitly told her that it in fact just makes things worse.
Smokers are far from the only people to do this but they are in my experiance the worst by far.

 

[Godsfists]

OK, i made an account just for clearing this up for anyone who still feels confused.

I did a lot of research about smoking.

A brief summary:

As any drug it has an affect that feels positive for the ones tolerable to sustain the immediate intoxication.
It gives you an adrenalin rush and improves digestion.
The intoxication through lungs gives immediate effect on the bloodstream, brains and nervous system.

How harmful is smoking really?
Immediate:
damage and "coloring" of teeth, mouth gum, throat, lungs, skin and nails.
Smell and sticky tar all over the hands, hard to wash off (except when smoking with an adapter). Major decrease of physical stamina. Anxiety (or in other words "ready for action").

People who are not yet "hooked" feel dizzy, anxios, want to cough and might get sick and even throw up when they smoke.
When this effects are gone and feeling bad when smoking is gone, the so-called resistance of the organism is build, and with it- addiction.

Long-term:
Increased risk (high bids on lottery of getting sick with lung, skin, mouth, troat cancer
(google 'em, scary sicknesses).
Heavy or PERMANENT damage to the lungs.
Increased chance of nervous system disorders.
Vain damage.
The list of toxins and their effects in cigarete smoke can be foung online.
Passive smoking also gives you free lottery tickets for all the sicknesses mentioned above.

Why do we smoke?
-- Social- cigarette companies spent 100 of millions to build a good image of smokers
(Schwarzenegger, Jack Nicolson, Humprey Bogard, Marlboro Formula Racing, Cowboy movies)
Smoking in a bar is still fashionable, you look good puffin that cig, but your breath, hair and hands smell. The girl or boy you want to look good for should definately like this odour...you get the point.
It is tough and hard to decide not to smoke when in a social circle of smokers, and people who do that, deserve the credit.
-- "Need a brake" - getting fresh air and smoking at the same time is actully funny absurd.
-- "Relaxes" - only psychologically. The cigarette does not have any medicinal relaxation effect, on the contrary. The relaxation comes from the "inside" the person, not from the
smoke. Taking deep breaths would have a better effect.
-- "Clears my head" - more like putting nitro instead of normal petrol in a car- it will innevitably make the engine do something it is not supposed to. Coffe, green or black tea are a better alternative, but do not work as fast since not consumed through lungs!
-- "A habbit" - habbit plus addiction gives a feeling that smoking is a part of one's identity.
-- "Smoking ocationally" - a biggie, dependant on personal resistance to building habits and addictions. That is why some people can smoke "sometimes" some not. Better of not trying to find out where you want to be, you would be bidding on a liability.
-- "Makes me feel fit" - subjectivelly and short-term. Smoking has no long-term physical benefit. Rather try stamina sports.
-- "I like danger and being edgy" - may i suggest martial arts, stunt sports, mountain climbing? All the things that smoking would make a little more hard to do, since it has all something to do with stamina.
-- "Taste" - the flavor is mainly in the cigarette paper. Parfume and aroma are chemicals. Raw tobaco hardly tastes better than any other random plant.
-- "Pleasure" - if you really like watermellon, do you carry it around with you at all the times? Addiction removes the "i had enough of this for a month or so" barrier in our brain.

Bottom line:
The benefits of smoking are "all in the head"- our heads are very different from each other.
So the story and intepretations are different.
The sience behind smoking is simple: smoking has not one long-term physical benefit.

Hardly will anyone ever force you to smoke.

If you do smoke, then just make sure you really enjoy everything about this activity, not do it for reasons wich you do not comprehend. (like: why do i even spend money on sigarettes???)

And more important, stop smoking at all costs if you realise that you dont like it anymore.

Thats it from me.

Good luck!

 

[Malkavian]

Smoking feels good. Don't let any of the non-smokers who don't know tell you anything different, from their ivory towers.

Now, I have actually quit smokes, to lead a more healthy life, but I still rage whenever I see the legions of non-smokers who think they have the slightest idea what it is to be a smoker.

OP, your post asks a very good question, why? Because it feels good.
I didn't feel sick the first time I smoked. I felt good. It was a comfortable, short buzz. So I did that occasionally, at parties.

I got used to the smoke. I didn't cough whenever I took a drag, I learned to inhale. Then, at some point in my life, I had a very stressful time. I remembered people said cigarettes calmed them down, so I got a pack. It didn't really calm me down that much, but I still enjoyed every cigarette, so I kept smoking.

I know the healthrisks. Very well. My stepmothers father died from cancer caused by smoking. I just don't care. I still don't. Everything is dangerous and can kill you, and maybe that's a stupid viewpoint, but I don't fear the risks enough to keep me from smoking. I have quit now, however, but that is because I am exercising a lot, and need good, working lungs.

Still smoke a hookah several times a week, though.

 

[moretimethansense]

Yes, life is a risk. But smoking is a HUGE risk. In every possible way.

Source

I defend smoking and I've never smoked a single ciggarette. It's a choice you make, it's legal, and it's not as bad as other addictions. In our western world there are 2 legal addicitve substances, nicotine and alcohol. A drunk driver might run over someone or end up getting killed and killing those in the same car. A smoker may or may not die from smoking over the course of years depending on how much, ome survive 70 years of smkoking so it's not something that must happens, nor killing someone with drunk driving. Smoking is an addiction that is less likely to make you lose your job, friends and family than alcohol addiction.
More than a third of those I know (and have known) over 90 (that accounts for more than 50 persons) have been smoking since they were in their 20's, I know you mentioned this, but my point is that smoking doesn't lead to cancer, heart and lung diseases in 100% of all cases.

Finally, smoking is far from a risk in ever possible way. How many ways are there to die? Bilions. A smoker simply increases the chance for less than 100 possible deaths. A smoker doen't have any bigger chance to die from being struck by lightning, a smoker doesn't have a bigger chance of being mauled by a bear (perhaps less since the bear would shy away from the smoke).

I'd just like to point out that
First:
Caffine is somewhat addictive and unless there's been a change in the law recently it is also legal.

Second: smoking can cause accidents, here's a few ways:
1. Many careless smokers simply throw their buts out of the window, more than a few morecyclists have take one to the face, it's rare but it can cause them to crash.

2. Just like texting lighting up splits your attention, so mistakes can be made.

3. Addicts (if they havn't smoked in a bit or are just that addicted) become easily stressed and are more lik,ely to drive aggressivly, have you ever been in a car with someone that's driving to pick up more fags after running out?
It's fucking terrifying.

Also Second hand smoke can cause sereous problems for thoe around th smoker as well.
And don't try to say it doesn't Iv'e seen it happen.

 

[Godsfists]

@ Longshot you are still a hardcore smoker check it out
http://www.ehow.com/about_5092631_hookahs-bad.html

 

[Jonabob87]

OK, i made an account just for clearing this up for anyone who still feels confused.

I did a lot of research about smoking.

A brief summary:

As any drug it has an affect that feels positive for the ones tolerable to sustain the immediate intoxication.
It gives you an adrenalin rush and improves digestion.
The intoxication through lungs gives immediate effect on the bloodstream, brains and nervous system.

How harmful is smoking really?
Immediate:
damage and "coloring" of teeth, mouth gum, throat, lungs, skin and nails.
Smell and sticky tar all over the hands, hard to wash off (except when smoking with an adapter). Major decrease of physical stamina. Anxiety (or in other words "ready for action").

People who are not yet "hooked" feel dizzy, anxios, want to cough and might get sick and even throw up when they smoke.
When this effects are gone and feeling bad when smoking is gone, the so-called resistance of the organism is build, and with it- addiction.

Long-term:
Increased risk (high bids on lottery of getting sick with lung, skin, mouth, troat cancer
(google 'em, scary sicknesses).
Heavy or PERMANENT damage to the lungs.
Increased chance of nervous system disorders.
Vain damage.
The list of toxins and their effects in cigarete smoke can be foung online.
Passive smoking also gives you free lottery tickets for all the sicknesses mentioned above.

Why do we smoke?
-- Social- cigarette companies spent 100 of millions to build a good image of smokers
(Schwarzenegger, Jack Nicolson, Humprey Bogard, Marlboro Formula Racing, Cowboy movies)
Smoking in a bar is still fashionable, you look good puffin that cig, but your breath, hair and hands smell. The girl or boy you want to look good for should definately like this odour...you get the point.
It is tough and hard to decide not to smoke when in a social circle of smokers, and people who do that, deserve the credit.
-- "Need a brake" - getting fresh air and smoking at the same time is actully funny absurd.
-- "Relaxes" - only psychologically. The cigarette does not have any medicinal relaxation effect, on the contrary. The relaxation comes from the "inside" the person, not from the
smoke. Taking deep breaths would have a better effect.
-- "Clears my head" - more like putting nitro instead of normal petrol in a car- it will innevitably make the engine do something it is not supposed to. Coffe, green or black tea are a better alternative, but do not work as fast since not consumed through lungs!
-- "A habbit" - habbit plus addiction gives a feeling that smoking is a part of one's identity.
-- "Smoking ocationally" - a biggie, dependant on personal resistance to building habits and addictions. That is why some people can smoke "sometimes" some not. Better of not trying to find out where you want to be, you would be bidding on a liability.
-- "Makes me feel fit" - subjectivelly and short-term. Smoking has no long-term physical benefit. Rather try stamina sports.
-- "I like danger and being edgy" - may i suggest martial arts, stunt sports, mountain climbing? All the things that smoking would make a little more hard to do, since it has all something to do with stamina.
-- "Taste" - the flavor is mainly in the cigarette paper. Parfume and aroma are chemicals. Raw tobaco hardly tastes better than any other random plant.
-- "Pleasure" - if you really like watermellon, do you carry it around with you at all the times? Addiction removes the "i had enough of this for a month or so" barrier in our brain.

Bottom line:
The benefits of smoking are "all in the head"- our heads are very different from each other.
So the story and intepretations are different.
The sience behind smoking is simple: smoking has not one long-term physical benefit.

Hardly will anyone ever force you to smoke.

If you do smoke, then just make sure you really enjoy everything about this activity, not do it for reasons wich you do not comprehend. (like: why do i even spend money on sigarettes???)

And more important, stop smoking at all costs if you realise that you dont like it anymore.

Thats it from me.

Good luck!

Smoking in bars is illegal where I live

 

[Red Right Hand]

For some reason, some smokers think that because reasons to stop smoking were in a PSA, they're automatically invalid. They've got little hints of anecdotal evidence to imply how non-dangerous smoking is (X person smoked and lived a long time), as though that's any real indication of risk factors.

There's a tendency of people to defend any behavior they're involved in, regardless of rationale. Clearly smoking is one of these. In this thread we see people denying the addictive qualities of tobacco, despite irrefutable scientific evidence to the contrary.

Another common flimsy rationale: Man, EVERYTHING causes cancer, should I avoid doing everything that has a risk factor? (Answer, you should logically avoid things with an absurdly high risk factor and little benefit)

This is a vast exaggeration. We commonly see sensationalist articles based on single papers stating something to the effect of "X linked to a mild increase in cancers." These get turned into "X CAUSES CANCER" headlines by non science-savvy journalists. This is vastly different than the vast quantities of epidemiological studies regarding links between smoking and health problems. Equating the two is invalid.

Smoking is a bigger cause of death than car accidents, HIV, murders, (other) drug abuse, suicides, and drinking-related deaths combined. It is completely, unfuckingdeniably, a high-risk activity. 20% of all deaths in the US are from smoking-related health problems.

[HEADING=1]20% of all deaths in the US are smoking-related.[/HEADING]

For every 10 smokers who die from smoking, there is a non-smoker who dies from their smoke.

On average, smokers live 14 YEARS less than non-smokers. If we make some basic assumptions about when people start smoking (around 20 we'll say) and average live expectancy (78), we find that people who smoke reduce the duration of their remaining life by 14/58, or ~30%. That's right, the average starting smoker loses about a third of their time spent alive.

Yes, life is a risk. But smoking is a HUGE risk. In every possible way.

Source

I don't care. I'm still going to smoke.

Kindly stop shoving those facts down peoples throats. I'm pretty sure they're not going to quit because of it.

 

[Stryphoon]

Smoking offers desirable effects but not to the point you cannot function, you can smoke and be a productive person, as opposed to being high or drunk.

Fair to say that likely not everyone experiences all, or possibly any, of these benefits, personally I don't get the clearer sinuses someone mentioned earlier, maybe some people need to try a few times to ajust to smoking, I didn't but I was around smokers growing up, my friend coughed a lot at first but had not really been exposed to it much prior.

As with the health risks? Yes they exist, but as someone exlained ealier those figures are skewed against smoking by adding things that shouldn't really count (heart disease from a person who eats terribly and smokes occasionally, etc). But hell, I counter against it by not driving, or doing any form of extreme sport.

As for social situations, I don't smoke in croweded public areas and so forth as common courtesy, same as I expect them not to do things to bother me.

One issue though, the government has outlawed indoor smoking in bars, personally I think it should be up to the owner if they wanna have smoking everywhere people offended by it can go to a bar that has no smoking etc.

 

[Realitycrash]

Because it's cool? Why else would you do it?

Oh, you think lung-cancer is COOL? You think accidental fires are COOL? Blah blah blah..Obviously not. But no teen/young adult thinks about the future in that way when they pick up smoking. They think "that's never going to happen to ME".
And that's why we have agelimits on selling ciggarettes, because if you got ahold of your first ciggarette when you were eighteen, you'd be alot less likely to fall for group-pressure.

 

[Red Right Hand]

I'd just like to point out that
First:
Caffine is somewhat addictive and unless there's been a change in the law recently it is also legal.

Second: smoking can cause accidents, here's a few ways:
1. Many careless smokers simply throw their buts out of the window, more than a few morecyclists have take one to the face, it's rare but it can cause them to crash.

2. Just like texting lighting up splits your attention, so mistakes can be made.

3. Addicts (if they havn't smoked in a bit or are just that addicted) become easily stressed and are more lik,ely to drive aggressivly, have you ever been in a car with someone that's driving to pick up more fags after running out?
It's fucking terrifying.

Also Second hand smoke can cause sereous problems for thoe around th smoker as well.
And don't try to say it doesn't Iv'e seen it happen.

Those seem like fairly contrived arguments. And the second hand smoke thing is bullshit.

Also how can you say that you've seen it happen? Seen what happen?

 

[moretimethansense]

Snip

Contrived they may be, but they still cause accidents.

My dog, it developed Bronchitas in its later years, but because my mother smoked so much it couldn't sit in th house even hours afterwards since doing do would cause it to have drastic and violant coughing fits, yjhe last few months of it's life it was on steroids to mitigate the problem, but in the end it killed him.
And yes, it was the second hand smoke, you could take him anywhere else he's stop coughing imediately.

 

[Yopaz]

I'd just like to point out that
First:
Caffine is somewhat addictive and unless there's been a change in the law recently it is also legal.

Second: smoking can cause accidents, here's a few ways:
1. Many careless smokers simply throw their buts out of the window, more than a few morecyclists have take one to the face, it's rare but it can cause them to crash.

2. Just like texting lighting up splits your attention, so mistakes can be made.

3. Addicts (if they havn't smoked in a bit or are just that addicted) become easily stressed and are more lik,ely to drive aggressivly, have you ever been in a car with someone that's driving to pick up more fags after running out?
It's fucking terrifying.

Also Second hand smoke can cause sereous problems for thoe around th smoker as well.
And don't try to say it doesn't Iv'e seen it happen.

I did not mention caffeine because it's not very addictive, and not very dangerous, I do get severe headaches and can't sleep or eat without coffe, but I repreent an extreme.
All your 3 examples are extremely flawed. You got 2 examples representing the dangers of driving. The 2nd example alo said that it doesn't need to be smoking that does it.

Yes, being careless when you drive may cause deaths, that we already knew. Being stressed while you drive may be for some other reason than not having smoked. I've been sitting in the back seat of my dad's car when we were in a hurry to reach a ferry. Ice and rain and 10 minutes to drive a distance that would require at least 15 minutes with the speed limit on a road that was in a state that should make you drive under the speed limit.
Also in my post I said that there were less than 100 dangers of smoking which I consider a high estimate. If you can come up with 101 possible deaths by smoking, that couldn't have have happened without it, then please, entertain me with your wall of text.
I never said once that second hand smoking isn't harmful, not once. Quote the exact place where I said it wasn't.

I also never said smoking wasn't dangerous. I jut said it wasn't dangerous in every possible way, like the guy I originally quoted claimed to think. Smoking i a danger, I wont deny that. Driving is a danger, running is a danger, not wearing a proper helmet while driving a motorcycle is a danger, yeah, here the law states that your eyes should be shielded while riding a motorcycle.

 

[richd213]

To learn how to smoke so you can smoke weed.

wait am i allowed to say that on here without getting arrested?

You don't need to smoke tobacco to smoke marijuana...

It helps with not coughing expensive stuff up.

 

[NuclearPenguin]

Conversation.
That is the reason I started.

 

[hooksashands]

The people raging against smoking make it sound like a form of population control.

But if so many die from it per year, then why is the birth rate in almost every country still 2 to 3 times more than the death rate? Why does the job market still suck?

10-14 years off my life doesn't mean shit to me. Even if you don't smoke, chances are at such an age you'll be putting your teeth in a glass of water before you go to sleep and pooping in a diaper again. If I can drop the curtain quicker on that act, good.

One thing I always tell people is "Unless you're an organ donor, shut the fuck up." Seriously. If you plan to keep your body in pristine condition, there had better be a little heart symbol on your driver's license.

 

[Th37thTrump3t]

People start smoking for a few reasons; stupidity, curiosity, peer pressure, ...stupidity.

 

[Thaa'ir]

My mom's a smoker...she claims people start out of idiocy. Most of my friends started because people they thought were cool or were close to encouraged it or because they picked it up on breaks from people at work.

That's their choice I suppose. And my choice is restricting where and when they can smoke when they're in my house or my dad's car.