smoking is bad, right?

[PeterL]

i'm sure george carlin would've had something funny tosay to end this.

Why don't you just relax with a beer and a few cigarettes?

[Taliesin]

I do not smoke, but I am pretty sure that if I did and if someone started giving me an epistle on the topic, I'd probably feel the urge to punch him.
People have the right to self-destructive behaviour if they don't harm others. Stuff that shortens one's life might improve the quality of it.

Health and long life are not ultimate goods, one shouldn't make them a religion.


(Now the problem might be that other people might have emotions towards the person with self-destructive behaviour, and thus, out of empathy, would like him to stop, but I think they wouldn't be derisive towards the person.)

[Dirtbag]

Our well-being is not entirely in our control but I think it's important for us to make an effort to stay healthy. We are all participants in a physical environment and our potential to ameliorate the world around us is limited by our ability to control it. Your disregard for your body is a disregard for your ability to physically help others.


It's kind of parasitic to revel in unhealthy amounts of self indulgence all while expecting taxpayers to repair you when your body starts giving out. This only applies to countries with universal health care but... that's like almost everywhere now, isn't it? If your paying to fix yourself after you self-destruct than I would have no problem with it.


Nootropic drug use (LSD, caffeine, nicotine, etc... ) has benefited society as a whole so I advocate people doing whatever they need to do to their brains in order to form and work out the ideas they feel necessary to contribute. Although I believe in maintaining a healthy body, I think the mind is capable of forming longer lasting value than the body is. Physical damage can be fairly traded for some important ideas.

[wlz]

Smoking gives me bodily movements and functions I wouldn't otherwise have. Plus, it makes me feel cool which is something that makes me happy. And when happy, I am relaxed, and I consider this state a positive thing because when I reach alpha mode, I am calm and full of peace - all is tranquill. Smoking helps me to endure the agitation of dealing with people I dislike everyday: when approached by someone I begin smoking in the hope they'll go away soon. Generally, when smoke gets in your eyes you begin squinting, or pulling a wince and a look of malice and spite pervades the features and this is off-putting to the approaching adversary. If they are smokers as well, I begin smoking in order to raise as much smoke as possible so that I can first hide, and then disappear, as though by some sort of magic. So, in a way smoking shows both my indifference and will power to do as I please and also my ability of stealth. I am, because of smoking, a sort of amateur ninja. Imagine Michael Dudikoff wielding a fag rather than a death star or pair of nunchakus in the film American Ninja...

"Why don't you just relax with a beer and a few cigarettes?" - PeterL

O yes....... roll on seven o' clock!

[PeterL]

"Why don't you just relax with a beer and a few cigarettes?" - PeterL

I assume that you now know why you feel good and cool after smoking.

[Mathor]

well, it got my attention on TV it was some kind of documentary

we all know that smoking is bad, even before the writings on the boxes. Lung cancer and impotency and all that stuff. But if someone knows all that stuff, some still judge him/her for it.

there was an example:
Person A is a smoker and is lighting a cigarette, and Person B is a non smoker and judgmental and is all "how can you do that to yourself? Don't you know that smoking is bad, and ...."

Now if there was a large woman/man in a McDonald's eating for tree would someone yell at her " how can you do that to yourself? watch your cholesterol? look at the size of you"

how is this different?

many many religions consume smoke of many diferent herbs (including tobacco) as a sort of spiritual cleansing. To make any comment about the inherent evil of smoking is pretty judgemental in any viewpoint, if you ask me.

[PeterL]

many many religions consume smoke of many diferent herbs (including tobacco) as a sort of spiritual cleansing. To make any comment about the inherent evil of smoking is pretty judgemental in any viewpoint, if you ask me.

Humans judge everything. So commenting that humans are judgmental is not very informative.

[Michael T]

Nothing good ever came from smoking. All it does is slowly destroy your body and harm the bodies of those in the vicinity of the smoker. You can quote a few shallow reasons why it's ok or cool or even say that it's a question of personal choice, but the truth, as I have said, is that we all know that nothing good ever came from smoking.

[Charlie5thumbs]

It's not that different, but the effects of smoking are a little more visible in my opinion. Plus I think the reason people may seem a bit more judgmental toward smokers is that when people do smoke it affects the air that everyone else breathes in and people just don't care for that. I believe smoking is just a little bit grosser than eating a quarterpounder with cheese.

[Paulclem]

many many religions consume smoke of many diferent herbs (including tobacco) as a sort of spiritual cleansing. To make any comment about the inherent evil of smoking is pretty judgemental in any viewpoint, if you ask me.

Which are these many many religions? I presume you're not talking about things like joss/ incense sticks, because the point of these is as an offering to Gods/ teachers - not the consumption of.

Smoking gives me bodily movements and functions I wouldn't otherwise have. Plus, it makes me feel cool which is something that makes me happy. And when happy, I am relaxed, and I consider this state a positive thing because when I reach alpha mode, I am calm and full of peace - all is tranquill. Smoking helps me to endure the agitation of dealing with people I dislike everyday: when approached by someone I begin smoking in the hope they'll go away soon. Generally, when smoke gets in your eyes you begin squinting, or pulling a wince and a look of malice and spite pervades the features and this is off-putting to the approaching adversary. If they are smokers as well, I begin smoking in order to raise as much smoke as possible so that I can first hide, and then disappear, as though by some sort of magic. So, in a way smoking shows both my indifference and will power to do as I please and also my ability of stealth. I am, because of smoking, a sort of amateur ninja. Imagine Michael Dudikoff wielding a fag rather than a death star or pair of nunchakus in the film American Ninja...

Smoking is all very well if it's all about you. The trouble is smoking can't be confined to yourself. In asserting their liberty to smoke, smokers are denying others' liberty not to smoke. Of course if your smoking is unobtusive, then no problem. Smkers rarelytake this attitude though.

[NikolaiI]

Which are these many many religions? I presume you're not talking about things like joss/ incense sticks, because the point of these is as an offering to Gods/ teachers - not the consumption of.

The only one I can think of is Native American. Tobacco is used in ritual and prayer, and it is smoked in a peace pipe. It's considered that with the smoke which rises in the air, the prayers also rise up to the spirit world. They do it in sweats, for instance... I don't remember if at the beginning or at the end.

[The Atheist]

Now if there was a large woman/man in a McDonald's eating for tree would someone yell at her " how can you do that to yourself? watch your cholesterol? look at the size of you"

how is this different?

It's not.

Smoking has no health benefit at all, whereas food does.

Nothing good ever came from smoking.

...we all know that nothing good ever came from smoking.

These comments are incorrect.

While I am in no way "pro-smoking", I am entirely "pro-fact".

The facts are that smoking appears to be a complete defence against Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Given the enormous expenditure and care Alzheimers' patients require, the economic situation isn't at all clear.

Also, from an economic perspective, smokers live shorter lives on average than non-smokers. In the western world, with increasing age populations, the effect on pensions runs into trillions of dollars.

Smoking is unquestionably bad for you in many ways, but to dismiss it as having no benefits at all is not right.

To be totally honest with you Peter, I don't know if it really does stop any childhood illnesses.

It doesn't.

Smoking is all very well if it's all about you. The trouble is smoking can't be confined to yourself. In asserting their liberty to smoke, smokers are denying others' liberty not to smoke. Of course if your smoking is unobtusive, then no problem. Smkers rarelytake this attitude though.

I disagree with this as well.

I've seen smokers all my life, and back when many people smoked, I cannot recall a single instance of a smoker lighting up without first checking whether it was ok or not. Most smokers are very careful not to offend.

[papayahed]

I've seen smokers all my life, and back when many people smoked, I cannot recall a single instance of a smoker lighting up without first checking whether it was ok or not. Most smokers are very careful not to offend.

Wow. That is totally opposite to my experiences.

[Paulclem]

It's not.





These comments are incorrect.

While I am in no way "pro-smoking", I am entirely "pro-fact".

The facts are that smoking appears to be a complete defence against Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Given the enormous expenditure and care Alzheimers' patients require, the economic situation isn't at all clear.

Also, from an economic perspective, smokers live shorter lives on average than non-smokers. In the western world, with increasing age populations, the effect on pensions runs into trillions of dollars.

Smoking is unquestionably bad for you in many ways, but to dismiss it as having no benefits at all is not right.



It doesn't.



I disagree with this as well.

I've seen smokers all my life, and back when many people smoked, I cannot recall a single instance of a smoker lighting up without first checking whether it was ok or not. Most smokers are very careful not to offend.

I'd have a lot more sympathy if this were true in my experience too. I really don't mind smokers smoking. What I mind is smokers making me smoke. But can you mention it to them? I wouldn't even bother. I'd have no problem with considerate smokers like your good self.

[wlz]

Smoking helps me to endure the agitation of dealing with people I...

"Smoking is all very well if it's all about you. The trouble is smoking can't be confined to yourself. [No ****, Sherlock] In asserting their liberty to smoke, smokers are denying others' liberty not to smoke [yeah...? I couldn't give a rat's arse]. Of course if your smoking is unobtusive, then no problem [oh, okay]. Smkers rarelytake this attitude though.[and what?]" - Paulclem

so smoking is sort of like opinions...?

As the great gun-slinging, showdown philosopher, Clint Eastwood said, "Opinions are like *******s, everyone's got one".