Posts by nimblestag31

John Perez85 said:I actually smoked myself,
so I have some thoughts on this too...

I’m usually the first one to stand up for diversity—you know, different lifestyles and personal freedom.
And that includes the freedom to smoke, even if it means poisoning oneself—I guess.
I don't think we should really be limiting people or their right to smoke.
But honestly, this law isn't even about restricting that right.
It’s more about making sure non-smokers have a right to their health and staying protected from carcinogens in the air.
Nobody is forcing anyone to pick up a cigarette. But, maybe, when they're sharing space with non-smokers, they shouldn't be smoking then.
They can always just step out of a public area to light up. They can smoke as much as they want, whenever they want.

man, 😘
I love smokers like that 🙂

Scott Smith said:This whole thread just goes to show how often people jump into discussions about smoking with moralizing, judgmental attitudes instead of actually sticking to the scientific facts.

That's true—we definitely could use more actual science and less opinion.
but...
the thing is, a huge chunk of smokers already know all about the risks—they know their lungs are getting trashed, they've seen the graphic warnings, and they read all those scary messages on the packs—but somehow none of that really hits home.
everyone seems to think (well, we all seem to think) you only live once, so why not indulge a little?
it’s kind of like how we eat junk food or stay glued to the couch too much... it's just how it goes, I guess.

Of course, education should be improved, but I'm worried it might not make much of a difference in the end.😢

John Perez85 said:I really object to this kind of reasoning—it just feels wrong. You're talking about hundreds of thousands of people being brutally killed, and I don't think that should be treated as a joke or put in this kind of context.

I actually mentioned right below that it was horrible,
but it just popped into my head as an example of what happens when there are no laws—I definitely wasn't trying to make light of it
for God's sake
sorry

So, I felt like I needed to write this up, haha
Basically, I think Mother Nature got it right. Babies drink milk because it’s essential and super healthy for them—and obviously, I mean breast milk!
You get exactly what you need from it, and then—boom—you're good to go.

I honestly feel like nobody would be any less healthy if they stopped drinking milk once they grew up, but maybe those who *do* keep drinking it might be worse off... A lot of people deal with lactose intolerance probably because nature never intended for our bodies to spend our entire lives breaking down something we only really needed as infants... I think, for instance, that many people in certain parts of Asia don't drink milk at all, simply because they didn't evolve to produce lactase.

Anyway, I guess that's all I had to say! 😬

👋

John Perez85 said:If we're talking about protecting people from dangerous substances, then there's a whole list of things we should probably address. If you only pick one thing to target, it isn't really a principle anymore—and if you try to justify focusing on just one by using general principles, well, that feels a bit hypocritical.

Yeah, I guess that's true.

It’s just that smoking is way more prevalent than most other hazards, and it seems to cause direct issues much faster and more obviously than a lot of other stuff...

I mean, sure, we should definitely cut down on exhaust fumes, use biodegradable packaging, fine people who dump car parts by the side of a road, try to use less soap in the shower, or turn off the tap while brushing our teeth or shaving... blah blah blah.

But, I don't know, it feels like maybe that's not really what this thread is about?🙂

Gerald Rivera17 said:1. Cancer is a leading killer in many countries.
2. Exhaust fumes cause cancer.
3. Because of point #2—plus all sorts of other physical and mental reasons—exhaust fumes end up hurting both active drivers and passive passengers alike.
4. Exhaust fumes stink; they make streets and rooms smell, and they stick to clothes, skin, and hair.
5. Exhaust fumes shouldn't even be used—they're basically just for the driver's own pleasure, at the expense of everyone else around them.

When you weigh it all up, is it really okay for drivers to wreck people's health and poison those of us out riding bikes or taking the subway?

🙂

man oh man

I guess that comparison is a little bit nonsensical...
Personally, I've never had an experience where I've driven a car, walked through town, or just hung out outside only to come home smelling like exhaust. Or maybe that's just happening to you? 😕
For heaven's sake!!!
But when I am out, or if I spend an hour or two in a smoky, unventilated room, everything smells!
And it’s actually kind of fascinating—even my underwear! Everything! Not to mention my hair. Honestly, nothing is worse than not wanting to sleep on a pillow that smells like my own hair😠
all because of smokers... who, of course, shouldn't have their right to smoke taken away. Since it's so thick, right? 😉

But yeah, why defend smoking when there are worse things out there? And those worse things actually seem to make more sense. I mean, go ahead and smoke, but let's not downplay the rights of non-smokers to have clean air.

Laws eventually have to be made. Like, sixty years ago, there wasn't even a law against performing experiments on walls. Right?
I know it's a gross comparison, but that's just how laws work, I guess.

If nothing else, they should at least mandate ventilation in rooms where people smoke.😁

Honestly, I'd be way happier with that than what we have now.🙂
I even do that at home—the second the old folks light up a cigarette, I'm opening the balcony door.
Even if it's like zero degrees outside.😁

🙂

Honestly guys, comparing cigarettes to alcohol doesn't really make much sense... I mean, obviously it's a total tragedy when someone drinks too much and ends up hurting themselves or some innocent bystander... I think both smokers and non-smokers would agree on that one.

Anyway, I'm all for banning smoking in public spaces—mostly because smokers can be a bit selfish sometimes. Instead of people giving us weird looks for what we're doing, people end up staring at us non-smokers just because the smoke bothers us—and for some, it's even a health thing—just because we want clean air...

I don't really get why there's such an insistence on the "right" to pollute the air for everyone else just because you feel like having a smoke...
I guess it makes more sense to smoke marijuana than cigarettes, since it smells better and actually has an effect—plus, people use it way less often.
And don't even get me started on the carcinogens in cafes, or even outdoors... I have a sensitive nose for smoke, so even waiting for the bus gets annoying if someone starts lighting up right next to me...

There was this funny sign on the wall in my high school biology classroom—I can't remember the exact wording, but it went something like this:
"Smoking is a sign of rude antisocial behavior, and it threatens anyone who isn't capable enough to defend themselves by smoking too."

👋

hmm, I didn't even realize I actually had OCD until just now : )

It was maybe 7 or 8 years ago, back in elementary school. I'd wash my hands like 4 or 5 times in a row—totally knowing it made zero sense and that I was being crazy, but what can you do? 🙂
I guess it was mostly tied to this fear of germs and dirt

And then it just... passed? It lasted a few months and then vanished. I have no clue how or why it stopped, but yeah
it came and went just like that

I also had some other weird habits back then, kind of like little superstitions—where I'd force myself to do certain things a specific number of times after having a certain thought... I was seriously out of it😬

Doesn't it feel like every one of those disorders is basically built on some kind of superstition? That's just how it feels to me when I look back...

Or, better yet, what's it like for those of you who've dealt with this? Like, that feeling where you can't do something fewer than a certain amount of times because if you don't, it won't feel right, or thorough enough, or whatever?

btw, "as good as it gets" is 👍

hiddencyclist2 said:...receptors start showing up that aren't usually there

🤣

Maybe take a quick look at the other threads...
Over there, people are talking about nature and love (love, right?)—but here you're just geeking out over mushrooms.
I mean, don't get me wrong, mushrooms are definitely part of nature, but I think you know what I'm getting at... 🙄

Anyway, personally, I find music hits the hardest when I'm sober... it's just beautiful... though sometimes maybe a little alcohol helps me connect with people... but hey, that's still perfectly legal...

Cheers