Smoking

[markedel]

It's economics-demand for cigarettes is inelastic so taxes will decrease quantity demanded by only a small amount. The things you learn in first year econ

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Blackheart
I overheard someone YESTERDAY, talking about taking a tractor trailor load to New Jersey, of all places, and netting a 200% profit on each pack. He came back a rich man.

As if you can believe everything you overhear.

[Blackheart]

In this particular instance, yes. I know the guy, nominally. LAter he joked that he was thinking of quitting the dope smuggling business and taking up tobacco running full time, because the penalties were substantially less.

[Duddun]

I hate smoking, it smells nasty and I don't know why you would like it I've never tried it and never will.

[Blackheart]

*plays devil's advocate*

Yes.. but if you never try it, you'll never know why...

[Renille]

Originally posted by Duddun
I hate smoking, it smells nasty and I don't know why you would like it I've never tried it and never will.

I second that! I hold my breath every time I walk into Wal-Mart because there are always at least 5 people standing there smoking because they're not allowed to inside. It's really kind of sad...to think they have have to stand out there in our" beautiful" winters and freeze just because they're addicted to that little paper hanging out of their mouth.

[Sminty_Smeagol]

One time I was in the mall and there was a gang of little boys all smoking cigarettes, INSIDE the frickin mall. In the main section not even in a store. They must've been in like 7th, 8th grade tops. They apparently hadn't started too long ago and they apparently also were mainly doing it for show.

I think they would do it to be grown up. I've never smoked tobacco in my life. What's the point unless it's actually going to do something like relax you or something? I mean I know if you're addicted it will relax you but why start? It seems like the only reason to start is image.

[Lalaith_Elf]

um... i smoke at times... theres nothing THAT wrong about it.... well maybe having like 10 a day.... i only had the odd one.... haven't had one for a few weeks now.... but yep i admit it.... i like it

[Hemel]

What I've wondered ... it seems to me that people, AFAIK, say their first one or two cigarettes are pretty awful - they cough and such. So - from that, how do they get to smoking? Why doesn't the first experience put them off?

I'm a non-smoker - dead set against it for reasons like watching my dad die of cancer, and also because getting near people who smoke makes me ill. So there are places I would love to go but can't - just because people will be smoking. This week alone I've had to miss out on two events

Over here there were recently suggestions that places like pubs and restaurants should be smoke free. But last thing I heard, the minister concerned had said she didn't want a full ban - she'd rather leave it to the owners concerned, but that there should be smoke-free areas in pubs and such. But the problem with that is that it doesn't really solve anything, because even with air extractors, the smoke still drifts so you still end up inhaling it and reeking of it

(We have a classic pub near where I used to live - that had a no-smoking area, separated by just a rail from the smoking area. What was even dafter was that the no-smoking area was raised .... just right to catch the drifting smoke ... )

[Nurvingiel]

Originally posted by Lalaith_Elf
um... i smoke at times... theres nothing THAT wrong about it.... well maybe having like 10 a day.... i only had the odd one.... haven't had one for a few weeks now.... but yep i admit it.... i like it

Are you saying you occasionally smoke but aren't addicted? I don't know anyone like that myself, so I'm impressed, if that's what you're saying.

People getting addicted to smoking to such a degree that they need to inflict second hand smoke on other people is what ticks me off.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by Sminty_Smeagol


I think they would do it to be grown up. I've never smoked tobacco in my life. What's the point unless it's actually going to do something like relax you or something? I mean I know if you're addicted it will relax you but why start? It seems like the only reason to start is image.

of course. what other reason is there. can you think of a good reason to start smoking? basically it comes down to theres only two reasons TO smoke. because you want to look cool or because you are addicted. All the reasons Ive ever heard fall under one of these two categories. Psychology and biology. Thats all thats at work here.

[Coney II]

Originally posted by Lalaith_Elf
um... i smoke at times... theres nothing THAT wrong about it.... well maybe having like 10 a day.... i only had the odd one.... haven't had one for a few weeks now.... but yep i admit it.... i like it

with all due respect, you're mad Wait until the nicotine grip gets a hold of yer.........and then see how much fun smoking is in 20yrs time.

Throw the things in the bin.

[Lalaith_Elf]

Originally posted by Nurvingiel
Are you saying you occasionally smoke but aren't addicted? I don't know anyone like that myself, so I'm impressed, if that's what you're saying.

People getting addicted to smoking to such a degree that they need to inflict second hand smoke on other people is what ticks me off.

nope i'm not addicted. and its wierd cos everyone else i know is.

with all due respect, you're mad Wait until the nicotine grip gets a hold of yer.........and then see how much fun smoking is in 20yrs time.

i know i'm mad. and ive been smoking for just over a year now (i started properly years and years ago but quit) and ive never got addicted. and i know i've sorta contradicted myself - people always ask me if im not addicted why do i still smoke - but i like it. and i never really expect to live past 30 anyway... well not the way i cross roads!

[The Gaffer]

Well, speaking as a lifelong (20 yrs) smoker who is in the throes of giving up: don't kid yourself, sister! Nicotine WILL get you in the end. The fact that you like it at all shows that it has already made a little receptor for itself in your brain. Still, you have to make your own choice and who am I to deny the delights of a tab?

Some facts that affected my choice are:
The good news about smoking is that it's a dose-reponse thing. That is, the more you smoke, the more you harm yourself. So, if you just smoke one or two a day you're probably not harming yourself very much at all.

The tobacco companies have, however, made sure that this is very difficult to sustain by enhancing the addictiveness of tabs. They do this by chemically extracting the natural nicotine then replacing it with a chemically-rarefied form of it which degrades much more quickly in the body. The result is that you get a quicker hit off the tab, but you start craving more almost immediately. I don't like being a victim of this.

(By the way, the evidence on passive smoking is based on non-smokers who lived their whole lives in a house with a smoker, so spending a few hours in a smoky pub almost certainly does negligible amounts of harm)

The bad news about moderate smoking (10 a day for adulthood) is best summed up by tossing a coin: heads it kills you. If you're happy with those odds, fine.

The thing that made me determined to stop wasn't death. Who's scared of that? I'm an atheist so I don't expect to spend eternity having a red-hot a poker shoved up my ass. No, what does it for me are things like COPD (spending your last six months of life gasping for breath), peripheral vascular disease (spending years in excruciating pain as the blood supply to your limbs slowly shuts down), and amputation (me, I like having arms and legs). Oh, and knowing my grandchildren.

Sorry, rant over. Obviously, people have to make their own decisions; just thought I'd share the perspective of someone who, at the age of 17, thought he could smoke and not get addicted.

[Lalaith_Elf]

is this a bleak outcome of life to come for me then?
lol. i dont really mind. i have more worrying health problems to deal with, apart from smoking.
and i heard that bbq smoke does just as much damage to your lungs and car exhausts

[Twista]

" i dont smoke "

except on saturdays when im drinking and go through about 3 packets lol. Anyone else have that problem?

[Lalaith_Elf]

Originally posted by Twista
" i dont smoke "

except on saturdays when im drinking and go through about 3 packets lol. Anyone else have that problem?

i don't call that a problem. thats the start of a good night in the pub with friends.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by Lalaith_Elf

and i heard that bbq smoke does just as much damage to your lungs and car exhausts

only if you smoke meat and cars.

isnt denial just great?

[Lótiel]

Originally posted by Twista
" i dont smoke "

except on saturdays when im drinking and go through about 3 packets lol. Anyone else have that problem?

Hehe. I´m just like that. I really enjoy sigarets and alkohol together. I really miss something if I don´t combine them! So, I smoke everytime I drink, but as long as I don´t drink more then 2-3 times a week it´s fine.

[Lalaith_Elf]

lol
yep denial is great its one of the things i cannot live without