Why do people smoke?

[JonathanLivingstonSeagull]

appetite suppressant

 

[Smithy]

I've absolutely no problem with smokers as it's their life, but I've never understood it personally. You can't beat the smell of fresh air IMO.

 

[bhamex1901]

Whenever I see someone smoking I feel this strong sense of hatred against this person, who is probably perfectly alright. I don't know why it happens either - I think I'm just annoyed that they are ruining their body.

 

[Seagull27]

If I see a girl smoking, no matter how fit they are, it puts me right off them. Could never go out with a smoker.

As someone who is of a younger generation, I never quite understand what drives people to take up smoking - I didn't think, certainly not when I was at school, that there was very much of the 'peer pressure' and coolness associated with smoking. I never felt pressured into or attracted to taking it up myself.

I also think that the public smoking ban might have an effect on the amount people smoke - are there any statistics since the ban came into place? As I'm sure that before, many people must have done most of their smoking in pubs and clubs, but now that you actually have to be antisocial and leave the place if you want to smoke, this must put off a lot of the casual smokers?

 

[Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms]

If you're a smoker you've been mugged by a multinational corporation. There's nothing cool and rebellious about that.

 

[Normal Rob]

I view smokers in the following way

50+: I pity them
25-50: Think that they are f***ing idiots
under 25: View them as ignorant and stupid but young and can learn.

 

[NMH]

because its rebelious, its cool, sociable with like minded people, it goes sooo well with a pint of beer and its a stress relief. these reasons explain initial attraction and adoption in order. banning and restrictions have only serverd to increase the weight of the first three.




its damaging and might kill you. if you actually do look at the statistics you'd see only a fraction of smokers die from smoking or related disease (nice wish-washy term in itself, im sure subject to variation). statistically it will shorten your life, but how many of those statistics will cross-reference other life-style, health and demographic issue and account for them? ie if more lower earners smoke and lower earners have a shorter life expectancy do to poorer diets, living conditions etc, then how much of the shorter life expectancy is due to the smoking and how much due to the other factors? or put another way, the premise "if you smoke you will die from it" is false, theres simply isnt a one to one relationship and most smokers will die of somthing else.

im not advocating smoking 20 a day, just highlighting some of the accepted wisdom is from statistics presented by one side. lets ban it, i wouldnt be too fussed, but i hope we all accept the increase in income tax (takes 10x more revenue than cost to NHS, a cost still to be born for 50 years its banned), and we look to ban similarly dangerous products in our life: alcohol, all fats, common medicines, petrol and diesel, which all shorten life expectancy and cause deaths

Agreed, it's those 'black or white' statements that cause issues. BUT, it is something Doctors always ask about when treating patients.
They may well have a back-of-their-mind inkling that the patient is not helping either person (doc or themselves), and that the problem may still be exacerbated by continued smoking.
EVEN IF the disease or symptoms appear to be unrelated to smoking, there's a good chance that the habit has not helped or has inhibited the immune system we have for fighting disease.
The oxygen to the brain, and quality of air in the lungs IS rather intrinsic to one's health, don't you think? !!!

 

[BensGrandad]

AS a reformed ex smoker I am saddened to see my sons smoke as they have seen the suffering that I had with cancer and now suffer with COPD and if I could have one wish it would be that they would pack up smoking.

It also annoys me that the government have banned smoking in enclosed places which has done nothing other than force smokers out into the fresh air so that now you cannot sit outside of a bar or coffee shop unless you wish to be surrounded by smokers, or even enter a shop or stand by a bus stop. As a smoker I would probably have objected but I hope the day will come when smoking is banned anywhere in public. As they say ex smokers are the worst!!

 

[NMH]

Do you know whats funny i want to quit smoking. Mainly due to the cancer.
The heamotologist was going through all the usual shit when it came about smoking. Of course i said i smoke between 10 and 20 day i expressed that i wanted
to give up. Her exact words were dont worry about it now if i want a ciggie have one she said. It surprised me a bit coming from the doc.
I do want to stop but with everything thats happening ill hold off for a bit for now unless theres some miracle thing out there to make you stop instantly

Sorry, but you suggest a kind of resignation may be present there.
If I were you (and I'm really not going to be holier than thou or pretend to know your position, just saying...) I might just quit smoking and tell all your health professionals you are doing it to give as much fight to your health cause. Not only is that attitude an essential to your improvement, but will tell the Doctors treating you that you are very interested in helping to get better. If only to impress that upon them it's worthwhile, and may put just a single thought out that may spark one physician to try something extra to tip the balance in your favour.
In terms of balance - you can heap sand on one side to try to get it on your side - but it is one mere grain that is eventually needed to tip it your way.

 

[narly101]

I smoked because of peer pressure. Simple. Once I started it was difficult to give up, partly because I didn't really want to. Smoked for around 18 years (around 20-40 a day), then when my wife and I started trying for offspring we both gave up. Never looked back. Now I have wads of cash, clean smelling clothes, and no longer freeze my nuts off during the winter months.

But I do have symapthy for those trying to give up. All I have to say is try it without patches or gum or anything like that and eventually you'll be able to kick it. Just remember one simple thought - before you smoked you didn't need it, and you are still that person, just find him/her again.

 

[sir albion]

Opening up possibly the widest possible avenue of discussion ever but...why do people smoke?

I nipped to the shop just before and saw two very pretty young women puffing away on fags. I thought "Why? Everyone knows the damage?"

The damage?plenty of people who smoke live longer than non smokers,the media make it worse than it actually is end of.

Why do people drink?

Saying that i,ve just given up smoking

People can do as they wish

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

My Mum died of cancer last month, so I spent a lot of time in Howard 1 ward at the RSCH. Although my Mum's disease wasn't smoking related, the woman in the next bed had terminal lung cancer. She spent all her time wearing an oxygen mask because she couldn't breath, and her husband stayed with her all night, every night because she kept having panic attacks. He said she had smoked all her life to try snd keep her weight down. The tragedy of cancer isn't so much the affect on the sufferer, but on their families. Watching her children crying at her bedside was truly heartbreaking.

 

[NMH]

I was thinking of asking this chap about nutrition, and tucking into anything and everything there is available to consume......
575-pound Heart Attack Grill spokesman dies at 29 - USATODAY.com


May he rest in peace.... and cheese, double patties of high-fat meat, mayonnaise, and ketchup with a large fries followed by a big stack smothered in maple syrup, and a bottomless coffee with milk and sugar.

 

[drew]

Peer pressure and percieved image. Then it becomes a drug addiction.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Shame some of the selfish b*!$&*ds can't wait till they're out of the Withdean before lighting up and puffing their vile stink all over us. And with the confined space, you have to watch they don't burn your clothes as well!!

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

I did always laugh when sitting around a camp fire how smokers would move away if the smoke was blowing in their faces.

Yet they will inhale the shit into their lungs readily and puff it out there for all and sundry to walk past through when outside havin a fag.

There was always an irony in that for me.

 

[bhaexpress]

People who smoke keep income tax down. As long as it's not near me then fine. However I find people who smoke where it's prohibited as annoying as people who drive and use a mobile phone. Both acts are utterly selfish as neither stops to consider the consequences their actions could have on others.

 

[del strangefish]

I would bet that most people start smoking as they think it makes them adult/hard/cool (none of which is true) but then they get hooked. I remember that the hard kids used to smoke inside school grounds just to show how cavalier they were. The many adverts trying to persuade people not to smoke were so trite they just perpetuated the myth.

I agree 100% with this.
Though I don't smoke I still love the smell of it. Reminds me of the Goldstone when 28000 people used to light up at half time. Great days.
Also pubs are shit now. Full of the smell of piss and families eating!!

 

[Sheebo]

I don't really think anyone can spout their mouth off without having been addicted to it. I never used to smoke and was really anti it (and am planning on giving up soon) but my whole day revolves around a morning and afternoon fag break at work! Sound stupid but it's so true. If i didnt smoke i wouldn't go outside and stand there for 5 mins twice a day. It sounds stupid and I know it is a silly mental cycle that I need to break... But show some empathy people... How many people on here drink regularly? Daily / every other day etc? I don't, I probably drink once a month and always have coke if i'm not flat out on it - drinking regularly is exactly the same thing but i wouldn't go making snide higher than mighty remarks about people that drink every day on a thread like this...

 

[bhaexpress]

I agree 100% with this.
Though I don't smoke I still love the smell of it. Reminds me of the Goldstone when 28000 people used to light up at half time. Great days.
Also pubs are shit now. Full of the smell of piss and families eating!!

I don't much like the smell of smoke and in fact it was one of the things that made me avoid pubs. I'm an ex-smoker but I try not to be sanctimonious about it. I actually decided to stop smoking one day and just stopped, never had any pangs and haven't had one since. Unusual I know but people have the right to smoke and as long as they do it where they're allowed to I see no need to critisise them, it's their choice. As far as the effect on health is concerned there are plenty of more dangerous things somebody can do, a lot of sport for a start.