Do you smoke?

northernsailor said:it turns out smokers are just unintelligent, smelly, second-class citizens who ought to be wiped out...

👍

This thread has somehow spiraled from a simple discussion about smoking into a full-blown propaganda machine and an ad space for some pretty clueless fans. It seems like once they ran out of actual arguments to make, they just started throwing random pictures around to fill the void.

Jamie Newman40 out.

Kudos to you, Walter Cox5... I'm honestly speechless.

Lisa Morales4: Well, now I don't even have to cram for my finals from the textbook. Between reading everything you posted and cutting out a few diagrams, I might just walk away with a Fulbright Scholar award, haha.😬

Best,😁

northernsailor said:Respect, Walter Cox5, I'm speechless...

tt: Now I don't even have to study from the textbook. I'll just read everything you posted, grab a few diagrams, and I might actually win a Dean's Award... haha😬

Best,😁

Lilly 🤣 this is basically half the exam already👍 Just soak up some of Jamie Newman40's commentary and our anti-smoking campaign😁 and you'll be at the top of your class🤣 🤣

Come on, good luck to you😘

My professor would be more than thrilled if I turned in exactly what Jamie Newman40 wrote... she approaches problems with that same mindset...
Substances—and yes, I’m including cigarettes and coffee—are here, they're part of our lives, and they always will be. People will always seek out things that alter their mood, whether it's through drugs or just an adrenaline rush like bungee jumping or speeding down a highway. We really need to shift the focus toward "harm reduction."
Even though I don't think she particularly likes me (probably because she catches me with a cigarette in my hand right before class starts, haha, and throws a comment my way), I believe her approach to the drug issue is excellent. It would be great if you all could attend some of her lectures...🙏
From what I've gathered so far, the approach here in the States is much more about that philosophy, and I actually like it. More importantly, it's been proven to work better than in other countries that still cling to the outdated motto of "crush everything we don't like."

Best,😁
Oh, and those photos Lisa Morales4 posted (the black ones with the smoke figures) are absolutely incredible...
What kind of campaigns are these? If I saw an image like that on TV, I wouldn't even realize it was meant to be anti-smoking, haha.

Lisa Morales4 said:Bradley Diaz48, did nobody ever teach you ANGER MANAGEMENT ?!!

There are plenty of ways to deal with being pissed off... and lighting up a cigarette is at least one of them. 😳

That’s just total BS. What kind of "anger management" nonsense is that? Pure Western crap. Look, when your engine overheats because some part died and you have to wrench on it for six hours—after you've already spent six hours fixing the damn thing this month alone—you're gonna smoke through an entire pack in an hour. What's a guy supposed to do in those moments? Count sheep on a pillow? Try meditation?? No, you just work on that damn car. (Never buy a Dodge Spirit.) Or when nothing is going right? You try to stay calm, but it just doesn't work. So now we're supposed to sit there and think about how to control our rage? That's why I say, best thing is to light up five or six of 'em just to take the edge off, otherwise you're gonna blow a fuse.

northernsailor said:Also, that one photo you posted—the black one with the smoke figures? It’s way too good...
If those were actual anti-smoking ads on TV, nobody would even realize they're supposed to be against smoking haha

Look, everyone’s a genius when it comes to whining about how smoking is bad, but nobody ever asks the real question: why the hell does everyone smoke in the first place?

northernsailor said:Seriously, Walter Cox5—I am honestly speechless...

My "comment" was meant to be a joke—a failed one, apparently...
I truly had no intention of judging anyone😉

By the way—my husband has been a smoker pretty much since I've known him... with very, very brief breaks from quitting—and I certainly don't feel the need to look down on him for it, so I don't see why I would judge anyone else

OK?! 🙂

Just so nobody gets the wrong idea—I am not some kind of smoker... I've never been one for that life myself

But, for instance, my grandfathers used to smoke... though they smoked actual tobacco, not all this chemical stuff people use today, and they lived to be nearly 100 years old

On the flip side, my daughter was the very picture of health—so full of life, an athlete... and she was diagnosed with cancer (a rare type) and passed away at just 15... and she never drank, never smoked, and never even had a bad diet

So, really, there are no rules
We can spend our days until Judgment Day judging pictures and trying to lecture one another, or... as my dearest said just a few days before she passed, we can simply accept each other as we are and try to live in peace

Anyway, let's all go have a smoke🙂

Betty Allen65 said:my "comment" was intended as a joke—a failed one, apparently.....
I certainly had no intention of being insulting 😉

Understood?! 🙂

Fine, I suppose I missed the mark... it’s difficult when you can't see a person's face to realize they're being sarcastic rather than serious...
An astute observation.👍

Best,😘

Lilly My professor would be more than happy if I actually turned in what Jamie Newman40 wrote... she takes the exact same approach to the problem.
Drugs—and I’m talking about everything from cigarettes to coffee—are right here among us. They always have been, and they always will be. People are going to use them, just like they use anything else that alters their mood, whether that's bungee jumping or driving a little too fast. Instead of fighting the inevitable, let's just focus on harm reduction.
Even though I get the feeling she might not be my biggest fan—probably because she catches me with a cigarette in my hand right before every lecture, haha—I honestly think she has an incredible approach to the whole drug issue. It would be well worth your time to check out some of her presentations.
From what I’ve gathered so far, the approach here in the States is much more laid-back, and honestly, I really dig that. More importantly, though, there's actual proof that this way of doing things works better than in other countries that still cling to that old-school "crush anything we don't like" mentality.

Hey there.
That one photo you posted—the black and white one with the smoke figures? It’s honestly incredible.
Are these actually public service campaigns? If I saw an ad like that on TV, I wouldn't even realize it was supposed to be anti-smoking, haha.

Lill, I honestly don't think your editor cares one bit about what kind of "attitude" someone has. Teachers don't really take a personal "stand" on things, nor do they get emotionally invested in the material they're teaching; especially since the curriculum covers... Factually speaking.And let's be clear—this isn't just propaganda.I'm not here to try and sell you on anything.And without all that constant bashing of people struggling with addiction or those who find themselves caught up in the misuse of drugs—that’s just not how we should be doing this. It doesn't matter. She isn't here to justify drug abuse or show any sympathy toward addicts; she simply isn't being paid to sit around thinking about them or looking out for your best interests (unlike me, little one). 😘 )

Besides, when he sees you with a cigar, the only thing crossing his mind is that you’re basically representing a $16,000 windfall for her institution. She really loves you., He tries his best to make you happy and goes out of his way to ensure he doesn't upset you, yet once he's back home, he’s off chatting with his girlfriends about those "girls from the old country who lived like it was the 19th century"—back when nobody even realized how much smoking could actually kill you.

I actually dig those photos too... It’s not that they’re "against" smoking—it’s just that they are all about the smoke itself. They're genuinely good, really artistic photography, ha!
Comparisons work. You could probably pull off some pretty awesome artistic photography like that right after a nuclear blast. ...

Kokuz >>>
So, he's asking how someone is supposed to manage their anger? Honestly, I think the best move is just to bring in five or six people to help de-escalate things and calm the situation down. If you don't, the whole thing is just going to blow up in your face.

...

Everyone seems to be an expert on the health risks of smoking, but nobody ever stops to ask the real question: why does anyone do it in the first place?

Hey, stubborn head! 😘

Walter Cox5 Just so nobody gets the wrong idea and thinks I’m out here advocating for smoking... I'm definitely not, and I never have been.

Look, I mean, my grandfathers used to smoke, too... but there’s a massive difference. They were smoking actual tobacco, not all this synthetic chemical crap that people are inhaling nowadays. Despite that, they still lived to be nearly 100.

On the other hand, my daughter was the very picture of health and vitality. She was such an athlete, always active and full of life, yet she was diagnosed with cancer—one of those incredibly rare types—and passed away when she was only fifteen. It’s hard to wrap your head around because she never touched alcohol, never smoked, and never even had an unhealthy diet.

So, you weren't a smoker yourself? Maybe not an active one, but certainly a passive one; a second-hand smoker 😢

Your grandparents lived a different kind of lifestyle—not nearly as stressful or fast-paced as ours—so when it comes to health, they definitely had a bit of a head start

I am so sorry about your daughter... there isn't anything that can undo what happened, but for her sake, let's look at these sources I found (your post prompted me to dig into this; I hadn't really thought about the implications of smoking or not smoking quite this deeply until now):

Cigarette smoke alters DNA in sperm, genetic damage could pass to offspring (June 1, 2007)

PHILADELPHIA -- While science has established for a long time that smoking causes cancer, new research indicates that children might actually inherit genetic damage from a father who smokes. ...

Or

Smoking 'could pass damage to offspring' (June 1, 2007!!!)

Scientists stated today that men should quit smoking long before their children are born if they want to improve the health of their offspring.

Researchers in Canada believe their latest study suggests that children could inherit genetic damage from a father who smokes. ... ... ...

Lead researcher Dr. Carole Yauk commented: "This suggests that damage is related to the duration of exposure, so the longer you smoke, the more mutations accumulate, making it more likely that a potential effect may arise in the offspring.

"We have known that mothers who smoke can harm their fetuses, and here we show evidence that fathers can potentially damage offspring long before they may even meet their future mate."

She added: "While some men say they'll quit smoking after their child is born, this represents a good reason to quit well in advance of trying to conceive."

Or

Tobacco smoke carcinogens, DNA damage and p53 mutations in smoking-associated cancers. (October 2002)

As you can see, these sources are scientifically recent... who would have known before this?

...

Betty Allen65 said:but, for example, my grandfathers smoked... except they smoked real tobacco, not the chemical sludge people inhale today, and they lived close to 100 years old.
...
so, there are no rules.

There are rules, it’s just not a direct cause-and-effect chain; it's a statistical reality. You take 1,000 smokers and 1,000 non-smokers, track the rates of cancer, heart disease, respiratory issues, lung failure, and so on, then calculate the average life expectancy—there's your proof. A sample size of two grandfathers is simply too small to be statistically relevant.

Ultimately, I believe everyone has the right to end it however they see fit. Personally, I’d opt for the James Dean style 😬 , whereas others seem to prefer a slow, agonizing decline caused by some nasty disease from smoking.

I think Americans have found a decent compromise: smoking is banned in all public spaces, so they just provide airtight smoking rooms instead. If you want it, there it is.

Throughout human history, smoking served a purpose for the greater good only during those specific moments when a "peace pipe" was shared. 😁 Perhaps a few lives were actually saved that way. Nowadays, even that ritual has lost its significance.

So, the conclusion remains: smoking is harmful.

P.S: My avatar has absolutely nothing to do with this conclusion. 😁

Alright, look, you can totally view smoking as just another hobby.
Like a whole lifestyle thing...

And honestly, what does it even have to do with sexuality?!

So, Rise—which look is sexier: the ones with a cigar or without?

Bradley Diaz48 said:(never buy a Dodge Spirit) and I

As for me, I actually bought that exact same Dodge Spirit back when I was still working at the old firm—got it for my wife in '92—and honestly, thank God, it’s still cruising down the road today. We take care of it, you know? Regular car washes, fresh oil, new tires... the whole bit. And here's the kicker: Zagorka actually prefers driving this thing over the Lincoln. It’s got about 149 miles on it, but it's still running with the original engine and transmission. Yeah, it gulps a little oil here and there, but it doesn't smoke.

Lisa Morales4 said:blah blah

Please—don't feel any pressure to reply to my posts, as I am perfectly capable of just copy-pasting from the internet myself... besides, I haven't actually come across anything particularly insightful or worth reading in your comments yet.

Also, please refrain from bringing up my daughter's memory by mentioning her in those morbid posts of yours.

Thanks.

stormylynx14 said:Sure, but that isn't actually a causal chain—it’s just a statistical effect. You take 1,000 smokers and 1,000 non-smokers, track cancer rates, heart disease, respiratory issues, lung problems, and so on, then calculate the average life expectancy, and voilà—there's your "proof" that smoking is harmful. A sample size of just two grandfathers is simply too small to be statistically significant.

Like I said... there are no rules.

Richard Booth35 said:I actually have that exact same Dodge Spirit; back when I was still working at the firm, I bought my wife a 1992 model, and thank Bog, it’s still cruising down the road today. We make sure to wash it regularly, change the oil, swap out the tires, and what’s truly interesting is that Zagorka would much rather drive that than the Lincoln. It’s got about 149 miles miles on it, but it’s still running with the same original engine and transmission. It burns a little oil here and there, but it doesn't smoke.

It's just like everything else where "owning something means you also have to maintain it"....👍
I used to work on my own cars too... back when I was able to.

It's the same story with smoking.......you smoke, get sick, and then you're left dealing with the fallout twenty or thirty years later.

If you quit /in my case, it's been 20 years now/ the lungs and the heart recover, but the damaged veins and the hardened arteries remainNE.

So, the choice is yours!

Vilko
🙂 😉