Why do people even smoke cigarettes?

ScumLord

fakearms123 wrote: »

Again I don't know how you got so many thanks for these answers, they are rubbish answers. From saying they're not expensive they're just heavily taxed is just stupid, your still paying a lot of money for a pack of the stuff in the end.

No I'm not, like I said I'm having them shipped into me from Spain, 10 50g packs of drum for just under €50 where as one pack of 50g drum would cost me something like €16 here. There also is a difference between high tax and an expensive product. In one the product is worth the money you pay for it in the other some ones making you pay them to buy from someone else.

Then you go on to say everything causes cancer... do lollipops cause cancer?? what about fruit, does fruit cause cancer??

Quite possibly, do you actually know what causes cancer in the body? A large proportion of people that die, die of cancer even if they don't smoke. As your implying that one thing is the root cause of a cancer, ie: smoking is the cause of lung cancer, there must be something causing these other people to die of cancer. It could very well be sweets, has the research been done? Do we know for sure? Until research proves otherwise we have to accept that sweets could possibly be causing cancer all over the shop.

Then you say that we're going to die regardless, i'll tell you what I'd rather, i'd rather die at the age of 90 and being alive to see my children and my grandchildren grow up and achieve their dreams and be there for them in the dark times as a guide.

By the age of 90 you probably won't be able to see all that well, I don't understand this assumption that living to 90 is great and we should all want to do it. Old peoples quality of life and poor abilities scare me, I don't see the appeal in being that old. My body isn't able to live to that age.

I'd also rather smell like lynx "rancid chemical spray" than cigarette smoke but that's just me I guess :rolleyes:, I wonder why armani haven't come out with a tobacco scent

:P http://www.aboutfragrance.cybersouk.com/index.php/archives/30/tobacco-perfumes. I hate the smell of perfumes I find them repulsive. They smell like toilet cleaner most the time, I hate walking through a supermarket only to feel like I'm being attacked by some form of nerve agent passing by a woman who doesn't know when enough is enough.

And yeah there's nothing sexier than a nice deep coughy smokers voice :rolleyes::rolleyes:

I don't know how you can legitimately ignore all the raspy singers and movie trailer announcers that are famous for their smokers voice. If you want to live with your head in the sand, do so it's no skin off my nose.

And if you smoke purely to annoy people like me, then you have a giant tool and are super cool.

I agree with you completely.

Deleted User wrote: »

Every day I see hospital wards full of people suffering from smoking related diseases, which btw are more than just the various cancers that smoking causes. A brief list off the top of my head would include coronary artery disease, cerebral arteriosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, COPD and many more too numerous to mention.

Treating these patients costs millions and consumes limited hospital resources.

But they're going to need that care one way or another at some stage in their lives. If all the smokers stopped smoking the going to end up costing us all in old age pensions, housing, heating costs and of course all the care old people need. At the end of all that they may well still end up getting the same diseases they would have gotten if they smoked every day of their lives. You can't guarantee anyone they'll live a long, healthy and productive life if they don't smoke, you can't even guarantee they won't get sick and die.

ScumLord

ScumLord wrote: »

At the end of all that they may well still end up getting the same diseases they would have gotten if they smoked every day of their lives.

Not true. COPD is almost exclusively a disease of smokers, as is lung cancer.

ScumLord wrote: »

But they're going to need that care one way or another at some stage in their lives. If all the smokers stopped smoking the going to end up costing us all in old age pensions, housing, heating costs and of course all the care old people need.

If you've gotten to the stage where you're claiming that smoking is good because it prevents people from living too long, it's pretty obvious your argument has become weak.

scientific1982

Deleted User wrote: »

Not true. COPD is almost exclusively a disease of smokers, as is lung cancer.



If you've gotten to the stage where you're claiming that smoking is good because it prevents people from living too long, it's pretty obvious your argument has become weak.

Lung cancer is not exclusively a disease of smokers.

scientific1982

scientific1982 wrote: »

Lung cancer is not exclusively a disease of smokers.

I said almost. Smokers are 14 times more likely to get it.

ScumLord

Deleted User wrote: »

Not true. COPD is almost exclusively a disease of smokers, as is lung cancer.

So your claiming someone who doesn't smoke can't get lung cancer and the only way to get lung cancer is by smoking?

If you've gotten to the stage where you're claiming that smoking is good because it prevents people from living too long, it's pretty obvious your argument has become weak.

I'm not saying smoking is good I'm saying is old age isn't worth denying myself now. Old age isn't that appealing.

fakearms123

ScumLord wrote: »

No I'm not, like I said I'm having them shipped into me from Spain, 10 50g packs of drum for just under €50 where as one pack of 50g drum would cost me something like €16 here. There also is a difference between high tax and an expensive product. In one the product is worth the money you pay for it in the other some ones making you pay them to buy from someone else.

Quite possibly, do you actually know what causes cancer in the body? A large proportion of people that die, die of cancer even if they don't smoke. As your implying that one thing is the root cause of a cancer, ie: smoking is the cause of lung cancer, there must be something causing these other people to die of cancer. It could very well be sweets, has the research been done? Do we know for sure? Until research proves otherwise we have to accept that sweets could possibly be causing cancer all over the shop.

By the age of 90 you probably won't be able to see all that well, I don't understand this assumption that living to 90 is great and we should all want to do it. Old peoples quality of life and poor abilities scare me, I don't see the appeal in being that old. My body isn't able to live to that age.


:P http://www.aboutfragrance.cybersouk.com/index.php/archives/30/tobacco-perfumes. I hate the smell of perfumes I find them repulsive. They smell like toilet cleaner most the time, I hate walking through a supermarket only to feel like I'm being attacked by some form of nerve agent passing by a woman who doesn't know when enough is enough.

I don't know how you can legitimately ignore all the raspy singers and movie trailer announcers that are famous for their smokers voice. If you want to live with your head in the sand, do so it's no skin off my nose.

I agree with you completely.

I'm not trying to stop you from smoking, I don't care if you do smoke, I don't agree with your opinions at all but an opinion is an opinion so I have to at least try to understand where you coming from.

Fair play on getting your fix cheaper, your just one person though, most people have to go down to the local newsagents to pick up there cigarettes so for the majority it is an expensive habit.

In terms of arguing whether sweets cause cancer... I'm not going to get into it because its not what we're talking about, smoking cigarettes can lead to cancer, thats a fact, research has been done, many many people have died from it, there's no argument, smoking can kill you younger then you would die naturally.

My body isn't able to live to that age.

Well of course it isn't going to now because your smoking. Lets say that when I'm 90, I cant see that well, at least i'll be able to sit out by the porch listening to my music with a glass of red wine during a warm summer day as my grandchildren play around in the garden, if I ever get to experience a moment like that I wouldn't trade it for all the cigarettes you have smoked to prevent you from having that experience.

I wear paco rabanne 1 million, only 1 or 2 sprays of it is enough, there's a reason smokers try to cover up the smell of tobacco with deodorant but as you said it's really up to the person what they want to smell like.

What is the real reason you started smoking? Because it couldnt be just to annoy people like me

_feedback_

ScumLord wrote: »

Old age isn't that appealing.

Your family wouldn't agree with you if you die of a stroke at 45.

wellsir

People smoke for a myriad of reasons.

I started when i was 16, and of course became addicted pretty quickly
so trying to fit in was the reason.

Took some serious risk to avoid parents finding out as they would go mental....but 3 years ago at age 29 I literally woke up one day and stopped.

most wish they could stop...but fail to realise that it really isn't that difficult.
Think for one second that your next drag was the one to kick off cancer in your body, would you take that drag.

There is a great sense of achievement once you ahve done it.

I'm probably sounding smug and arrogant or both, but it is built up to be this impossible thing to do, but i didn't find it difficult at all.

ScumLord

ScumLord wrote: »

So your claiming someone who doesn't smoke can't get lung cancer and the only way to get lung cancer is by smoking?


I'm not saying smoking is good I'm saying is old age isn't worth denying myself now. Old age isn't that appealing.

Once again, I said "almost exclusively"

Also, old age might not be that appealing, but is a hell of a lot more appealing if one is in good health, which one most certainly will not be if one has been a lifelong smoker. My father is 63 and cycled from mizen to malin with me in the summer and is going cycling for a month in New Zealand next year, not bad going for a man of his age. This is in stark contrast to some of the patients I see in hospital ten years younger than him who can barely climb a flight of stairs without needing to sit down afterwards, thanks to the combined effects of COPD and coronary artery disease.

Dravokivich

Er.. not cigarrettes but more so cigars... I like smoking them.. enjoy the feeling of if along my tounge while exhaling...

...what's the problem with that?

Yakult

Dravokivich wrote: »

...what's the problem with that?

Alot when you read some of replies in this thread. :rolleyes:

ScumLord

fakearms123 wrote: »

What is the real reason you started smoking? Because it couldnt be just to annoy people like me

I started smoking because it was cool. You can imagine how upset I am to find out now after years of investment that it's no longer cool.

Dravokivich wrote: »

Er.. not cigarrettes but more so cigars... I like smoking them.. enjoy the feeling of if along my tounge while exhaling...

...what's the problem with that?

Lung cancer, that's what's wrong with it. Lung cancer.

liah

I started smoking because I like to try things before making up my mind on them. I enjoyed it in a social setting as it keeps my hands and mouth busy, fills in the conversational gaps, etc.

I don't smoke tobacco/fags much anymore, but do with drink for the reasons listed above. I am also completely unaddicted and have never experienced a problem with quitting.

My grandmother lived to be 87, smoked all her life. What took her was cervical cancer (unrelated to smoking), so if I have anything to worry about in my medical future, it's probably that. Regardless, I also do not envision myself enjoying old age and have no dreams of children and grandchildren. Dying at 50 would suit me just fine so long as I've got my travelling done by then.

I do not get yellow stains on my fingers or stained teeth as I shower and brush my teeth daily.

You ask why we smoke when it could kill us: why drive a car when we could die in a horrible accident at literally any moment? Why eat fatty food when it could lead to heart disease? Why drink alcohol when it could lead to liver disease or alcohol poisoning?

The answer to all of those, and smoking, is this: Just because something COULD happen is no reason not to do something you enjoy. Smokers enjoy smoking, regardless of what their specific reasons are, they are fully aware of the health dangers-- same way they're aware of the dangers of drink or driving a car or eating a whopper-- and they're willing to take that risk.

If we lived in fear of what would kill us we'd never leave the house. Everything can kill us, it's just a question of when and how. Who says all non-smokers die peaceful happy deaths and all smokers die bed-ridden ones?

fakearms123

liah wrote: »

Regardless, I also do not envision myself enjoying old age and have no dreams of children and grandchildren. Dying at 50 would suit me just fine so long as I've got my travelling done by then.

I honestly feel sorry for you. I'm not going to try and change your mind on this idea because I'm guessing your relatively young and 50 seems like a long time away but if your okay with dying at the age of 50 then you must not be enjoying life that much. My mam is 50, if she died now she would leave behind my brother who is only 10. The thought of that as your goal is very sad.

_feedback_

liah wrote: »

My grandmother lived to be 87, smoked all her life. What took her was cervical cancer (unrelated to smoking), so if I have anything to worry about in my medical future, it's probably that. Regardless, I also do not envision myself enjoying old age and have no dreams of children and grandchildren. Dying at 50 would suit me just fine so long as I've got my travelling done by then.

We all know the story of the person who smoked twenty woodbine a day and never suffered even a cough - only to die as a result of a freak incident with a sewing machine at the age of 93. On the flipside of the story about your grandmother, my mother smoked all her short life and died as a result of a stroke at 45.

To say you are happy to leave a family (if you decide to go down that route) behind at 50 is a bit selfish tbh. I'm sure my mum never meant to be selfish by smoking, but she sure as hell never said "sure I'd be happy to clear off at 45 as long as I can have me smokes"

BigDuffman

fakearms123 wrote: »

Now I have smoked a few cigarettes in my time but only for reasons to fit in with a group maybe on a night out when I was absolutely hammered, don't know why I felt the need to fit in that way, I was young but even then I didn't enjoy it. There are so many reasons not to do it and not enough reasons to do it so why do people smoke cigarettes when:

Kind of answered your own question there as to why they start? You had the same motivation initially, some people keep it up and get addicted. Simples.

fakearms123

elviscostello wrote: »

We all know the story of the person who smoked twenty woodbine a day and never suffered even a cough - only to die as a result of a freak incident with a sewing machine at the age of 93. On the flipside of the story about your grandmother, my mother smoked all her short life and died of as a result of a stroke at 45.

To say you are happy to leave a family (if you decide to go down that route) behind at 50 is a bit selfish tbh. I'm sure my mum never meant to be selfish by smoking, but she sure as hell never said "sure I'd be happy to clear off at 45 as long as I can have me smokes"

Sorry to hear about that man

ScumLord

fakearms123 wrote: »

I honestly feel sorry for you. I'm not going to try and change your mind on this idea because I'm guessing your relatively young and 50 seems like a long time away but if your okay with dying at the age of 50 then you must not be enjoying life that much. My mam is 50, if she died now she would leave behind my brother who is only 10. The thought of that as your goal is very sad.

I guess it's just a different outlook on life. I don't look at 90 year old's and think "I can't wait to be like them".
When I hear it'll make you live longer all I hear is the reality of being old for longer, you don't get the extra years added onto your 20s or 30s you get extra bad years.

Life is about experiences not longevity as far as I'm concerned. Not doing something to live longer makes no sense to me, the best thing about life is getting the chance to try things and gain experience. If you don't do these things there's no point in living at all. I'm really talking about more than smoking here but it's all under the same umbrella.

FatherLen

ella ella ella

liah

fakearms123 wrote: »

I honestly feel sorry for you. I'm not going to try and change your mind on this idea because I'm guessing your relatively young and 50 seems like a long time away but if your okay with dying at the age of 50 then you must not be enjoying life that much. My mam is 50, if she died now she would leave behind my brother who is only 10. The thought of that as your goal is very sad.

That is the most patronizing thing I have ever, ever read tbh.

I have had a tough life but I cherish every single second of it, I'm happier than I've ever been before. I'm only 23 and I've already covered so much ground and come into myself as a person since then. I don't want kids, that's my prerogative. It doesn't make me sad, it just means I have different priorities. Kids are great and all, but they're just not for me.

I am young and alive and having so much fun, I have so much of the world left to see and the second I am brought down, as soon as my body makes it impossible for me to travel and fully experience life anymore, I will not be truly happy anymore.

Things could always change, but as far as I see it, to do what I enjoy doing I need all my faculties and physical ability to do these things. Not that these things disappear at 50, mind. I don't literally mean "I hope I die at 50," but if I did die at 50 I know I would've had an amazing life up until that point and would die with absolutely no regrets.

Does being so judgmental give you some feeling of superiority? I don't know about you but I'm far happier letting people live how they please and appreciating them as they are instead of assuming everyone who isn't exactly like me MUST be sad and pathetic.

kylith

My grandmother smoked all her life and died with great lungs, another lady I know never smoked and had a stroke before she was 60.

I have to agree with ScumLord that I can't understand why everyone's so desperate to live to be 100. I can't think of anything worse than losing my marbles, losing control of my body, watching all my friends and family, and maybe even my children, die. Sitting alone in a nursing home, just another mad old biddy whose living relatives can't be bothered coming to visit.

fakearms123

ScumLord wrote: »

I guess it's just a different outlook on life. I don't look at 90 year old's and think "I can't wait to be like them".
When I hear it'll make you live longer all I hear is the reality of being old for longer, you don't get the extra years added onto your 20s or 30s you get extra bad years.

Life is about experiences not longevity as far as I'm concerned. Not doing something to live longer makes no sense to me, the best thing about life is getting the chance to try things and gain experience. If you don't do these things there's no point in living at all. I'm really talking about more than smoking here but it's all under the same umbrella.

You obviously have a very pessimistic outlook on old age and you seem to think that life ends at the age of 50, old age is not all about sh*tting the bed and p*ssing in your slacks...

If you are healthy in life and stay relatively fit you can still do most of the things you do now, sure I climbed Carrauntoohil a few weeks ago and a group of 70 year old women were flying up and while I was sweating and taking my 5th break in a half an hour these women passed us out on the way to the top.

To be healthy in old age doesn't mean you can't go for a drink with your mates at the weekend or eat some bad food from time to time, just once ye take care of your health and fitness. Smoking isn't going to help you achieve any bit of health when your older.

And in terms of dying around 50ish, no matter how you feel about it someone who loves you is going to suffer, your always going to leave someone behind..
your probably saying to yourself that sure we're going to die anyway, if I had the option to spend another 30 years alive with my girlfriend who I love then sign me up for the sh*tting of the bed and the p*ssing off the slacks because thats where I wanna be!

kylith

kylith wrote: »

My grandmother smoked all her life and died with great lungs, another lady I know never smoked and had a stroke before she was 60.

There really is a terrible lack of understanding of statistics and epidemiology shown by many posters on this thread. Everyone keeps mentioning anecdotal evidence like the above, but anecdotal evidence is next to worthless when trying to elucidate the causative factors in any illness.

What isn't worthless are large scale studies, properly controlled, blinded and peer reviewed, and every such study done on the link between smoking and lung cancer since the pioneering work of Sir Richard Doll in the 1940's has shown that smokers are 14 times more likely to get lung cancer.

_feedback_

kylith wrote: »

My grandmother smoked all her life and died with great lungs

How do you know what state her lungs were in?

fakearms123

liah wrote: »

That is the most patronizing thing I have ever, ever read tbh.

I have had a tough life but I cherish every single second of it, I'm happier than I've ever been before. I'm only 23 and I've already covered so much ground and come into myself as a person since then. I don't want kids, that's my prerogative. It doesn't make me sad, it just means I have different priorities. Kids are great and all, but they're just not for me.

I am young and alive and having so much fun, I have so much of the world left to see and the second I am brought down, as soon as my body makes it impossible for me to travel and fully experience life anymore, I will not be truly happy anymore.

Things could always change, but as far as I see it, to do what I enjoy doing I need all my faculties and physical ability to do these things. Not that these things disappear at 50, mind. I don't literally mean "I hope I die at 50," but if I did die at 50 I know I would've had an amazing life up until that point and would die with absolutely no regrets.

Does being so judgmental give you some feeling of superiority? I don't know about you but I'm far happier letting people live how they please and appreciating them as they are instead of assuming everyone who isn't exactly like me MUST be sad and pathetic.

Jesus liah I was just reading what you wrote down, I'm 23 too, most of my friends smoke, i'm one of only two of a large group of friends who don't smoke, doesn't make me any bit superior or judgemental, I don't try and convert my friends to stop smoking, I don't lecture them about it cause it's there choice. You did say in your post that it would suit you to die at the age of 50 if you got all your travelling done. To me, that just doesn't sound good.

I know you said you didn't want to have kids but the friends you made and will make will miss you when your gone. I didn't mean to be patronizing. There will still be plenty more places to travel to after 50 trust me. Smoking is ironically one of the things that might stop you from travelling. Just something to think about.

ScumLord

fakearms123 wrote: »

You obviously have a very pessimistic outlook on old age and you seem to think that life ends at the age of 50, old age is not all about sh*tting the bed and p*ssing in your slacks...

If you are healthy in life and stay relatively fit you can still do most of the things you do now, sure I climbed Carrauntoohil a few weeks ago and a group of 70 year old women were flying up and while I was sweating and taking my 5th break in a half an hour these women passed us out on the way to the top.

To be healthy in old age doesn't mean you can't go for a drink with your mates at the weekend or eat some bad food from time to time, just once ye take care of your health and fitness. Smoking isn't going to help you achieve any bit of health when your older.

And in terms of dying around 50ish, no matter how you feel about it someone who loves you is going to suffer, your always going to leave someone behind..
your probably saying to yourself that sure we're going to die anyway, if I had the option to spend another 30 years alive with my girlfriend who I love then sign me up for the sh*tting of the bed and the p*ssing off the slacks because thats where I wanna be!

Again we just have a big difference in the way we look at life. You see it as something that should be minded in a velvet box where as I see it as a hired car that I'll drive the balls off until it's ready to fall apart, then throw the keys in threw the door of the agency and run away. (I'm not really extreme but you get the idea).

I can't decide when I'll die and I can't restrict my life for other's. I'd bend over backways for my family and they'd do the same for me but I wouldn't want them to hold back from life just to appease me. There's a certain comfort knowing someone you loved died happy doing things they loved even if it was dangerous.

There's a balance you need to find in life between looking after the people you love and looking after yourself and everybody needs to find that balance for themselves and recognise it for others.

liah

fakearms123 wrote: »

Jesus liah I was just reading what you wrote down, I'm 23 too, most of my friends smoke, i'm one of only two of a large group of friends who don't smoke, doesn't make me any bit superior or judgemental, I don't try and convert my friends to stop smoking, I don't lecture them about it cause it's there choice. You did say in your post that it would suit you to die at the age of 50 if you got all your travelling done. To me, that just doesn't sound good.

I know you said you didn't want to have kids but the friends you made and will make will miss you when your gone. I didn't mean to be patronizing. There will still be plenty more places to travel to after 50 trust me. Smoking is ironically one of the things that might stop you from travelling. Just something to think about.

If you don't mean to be patronizing, don't go around calling anyone who says something you don't necessarily feel the same about sad. It makes you come across as highly judgmental with some sort of superiority complex, especially considering how judgmental you are about smokers.

Of course friends would miss me if I was gone, but they will have to deal with that at one point or another anyway. Or I would.


Regardless: what the hell happened to "live and let live?" Is it "Live, but only on my terms!" now?

pickarooney

liah wrote: »

That is the most patronizing thing I have ever, ever read tbh.

I have had a tough life but I cherish every single second of it, I'm happier than I've ever been before. I'm only 23 and I've already covered so much ground and come into myself as a person since then. I don't want kids, that's my prerogative. It doesn't make me sad, it just means I have different priorities. Kids are great and all, but they're just not for me.

I am young and alive and having so much fun, I have so much of the world left to see and the second I am brought down, as soon as my body makes it impossible for me to travel and fully experience life anymore, I will not be truly happy anymore.

Things could always change, but as far as I see it, to do what I enjoy doing I need all my faculties and physical ability to do these things. Not that these things disappear at 50, mind. I don't literally mean "I hope I die at 50," but if I did die at 50 I know I would've had an amazing life up until that point and would die with absolutely no regrets.

Does being so judgmental give you some feeling of superiority? I don't know about you but I'm far happier letting people live how they please and appreciating them as they are instead of assuming everyone who isn't exactly like me MUST be sad and pathetic.

Surely the whole point of travelling is to broaden your horizons, so to have your mind made up before you set off seems a bit counter-productive.

fakearms123

ScumLord wrote: »

Again we just have a big difference in the way we look at life. You see it as something that should be minded in a velvet box where as I see it as a hired car that I'll drive the balls off until it's ready to fall apart, then throw the keys in threw the door of the agency and run away. (I'm not really extreme but you get the idea).

I can't decide when I'll die and I can't restrict my life for other's. I'd bend over backways for my family and they'd do the same for me but I wouldn't want them to hold back from life just to appease me. There's a certain comfort knowing someone you loved died happy doing things they loved even if it was dangerous.

There's a balance you need to find in life between looking after the people you love and looking after yourself and everybody needs to find that balance for themselves and recognise it for others.

Finally! I agree with you, was really just looking for a bit of perspective. I can understand the appeal of it all, and I can agree with your metaphor, its like, would you rather live fast and die young like James Dean and always be remembered having fun in youth or would you rather die slow, fat and miserable like Marlon Brando where people tend to forget what you used to be like.... I get it, thanks scumlord

liah

pickarooney wrote: »

Surely the whole point of travelling is to broaden your horizons, so to have your mind made up before you set off seems a bit counter-productive.

Just to clarify before I reply, what is it you think I've my mind made up on?