I found a nice graph that shows that you should'n smoke...



And another one:



So, let this be a lesson to everyone! If you don't smoke, you can't die because of smoking!! ;)

Another question, who smokes around here?

Odin Supreme 8)

I smoke, but don't really care if I die young because of smoking, I figure life is not worth living if your not having fun.  Although smoking isn ot fun, at times anyway, it is quite addictive.

Farv M Larion

Figures and statistics.
You can get them to say what you want.
My mother was a smoker and died of lung cancer.
Was that caused by smoking or the fact that she used to make gloves from asbestos before the times of "Health and Safety".
Incidentally if 25% of road accidents are caused by drunken drivers, who are the better drivers then? It stands to reason that the other 75% are caused by SOBER drivers....

I know this is going to sound fatalistic but...

As a smoker, I look at it this way.  We all know that weird s*&t happens out there in the big, wide world.  If any of you read the Fortean Times, check out the Weird Deaths section.  Although the graphs you show are indicating (and I like to know the source of the statistics used) that such a large number of smokers in the US die from smoking, if you add up all the other ways you can die, then this far outnumbers the deaths from smoking.  

As far as I am concerned as an amateur parapsychologist, with all that I know about the world, I am just as likely to die from an asteroid falling from outerspace, or a chupacabra or a flood causing my car to be swept away down a road.

On thing I really hate about this pro-smoking lobby is when they throw statistics at you without justification for them.  How many of the Heart disease and emphysema patients for example died from other causes.  Not all heart disease is attributable to smoking.

Wasn't it Henry Ford who once said

"Lies, damn lies and statistics"?

Personally, as I am on a low income and likely to remain so, unable to work, I will only receive a state pension and crap health care.  I don't want to linger into my 80s unhealthy, ill, with no dignity, stripped of all I possess to be possibly abused in a Retirement Home by some Yob who wants my pension.  

So, I compromise - I only smoke 5 cigarettes a day.  Enough to help me survive the rigours of life, but little enough to ease my social conscience!

"Here endeth the first lesson!" 8)

Ok, firstly Odin, you can die of smoking even if you don’t personally smoke.  You just need others around you to smoke.

Farv, you’re not really making sense there.  You don’t care if you die young because of smoking.  Why?? Because smoking is so much fun? But you already said that smoking isn’t fun? OK I’ll leave that because I’m getting confused there. ???  

Sheff P, good point about stats can be interpreted in many ways, but is that really so bad in trying to deter people from using addictive drugs?

Nessy, “if you add up all the other ways you can die, then this far outnumbers the deaths from smoking.”

This is true, but how much control do you have in other dying situations? At least with smoking, it is your choice and your responsibility if you choose to smoke (and subsequently die).  You are fully aware of what you are getting yourself into, and it can only be your fault in you were to contract a disease as a result of it.  (exceptions made for passive smokers)

Personally, I have never smoked, nor have any desire to.  This could be because I am quite an active sportsman, but I don’t mind being in an environment of smoking people.

I guess it boils down to how much you are willing to accept the dangers of smoking and how much they will affect your health personally. :-/  

(Nothing like a happy cheerful post about death to start the evening.)  :)

Tommy :)

About the Statistics, ok, you can create them so they show what you want but still, smoking isn't healthy. If people want to smoke, they are free to do it.

But the problem is that you as a non smoker get more poisen in you when someone smokes as the smoker because he has a filter between him and the smoke and you don't.

Odin Supreme 8)

PS,

YOU ARE FREE TO POISEN YOURSELF!!!

Sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound as if smoking is fun.  What I meant was that I don't worry about what can kill me, so I do basically whatever I just happen to be doing.  Smoking to me is not exactly fun, but I did get myself addicted to it, and therefore am letting it be, (This possible doesn't make any sense.).  Tell me if I'm still not making any sense.

Farv M Larion

The anti-smoking ads on tv are enough to put me off me dinner.  (The father in his 30's with only one lung etc -  :'()  I'm sorry, but smoking just aint worth it.  

It's REALLY pisses me off to see mothers waving fags around their babies.  If you wont give up smoking for your sake, when you're a parent do it for your kids.  I'm sure kids would be much happier having a parent who lives into their 80's, than one who dies in their 50's from lingering cancer.  At least then, you have a chance to know your grandchildren before you 'cross over'.

As an aside, to compare smoking to drug use - the world is up in arms about it's drug problems.  Programmes are all over the place to help people 'get clean' and rehab clinics make a fortune from desperate addicts (and their families).  And yet, we all sit around and watch friends & family members poison themselves everyday.  It's such a shame that in this day and age, when we're all taking such big care in developing our spiritual & emotional selves, we're not looking after the physical so well.

My other half smoked up to 20 a day for about 15 years.  When we met, he was still smoking, but when we started to get serious he decide he'd give up (thank gawd!  ;)) and (somehow) never smoked again.  Went from smoking a shedload one day, to nothing at all from then on.  It's true that snogging a smoker is like snogging an ashtray, and the smell on them?  Ew.  Aftershave, deoderant and perfume dont hide it y'know - they just make you smell like a flowery chimney!

Oops.  Had a rant.  Didn't mean to.  Sorry for going on.  Each to their own and all that.  

:-[ ;) ;D :-*

Ok so I'm a ciggy junkie-but I've never killed an old man or battered an old lady nor committed ANY crime to fullfill MY craving.

i don't smoke, never have. but my wife does, so we compromise, she smokes outside and never in front of our two small boys! :)

I was once asked whether I smoked after having sex-
I replied "I don't know-never looked"
(The oldies are the best)  ::)

;D thank the lord for the gift of laughter!! ;D ;)
"dean says in a sarcastic tone!" ;)

I'm not smoking either, but everyone who is smoking should think about his/her health. But anyway they should know it for theirselfs...

Like everyone should know, smoking isn't that good for your health. Sorry Odin, but I couldn't see the graph, but I sure it wasn't that great.
When you start smoking, the chance that you can stop is quit small.
If I look to my sister, who is smoking all the time, I don't see a bright future.
She tried to stop, but next day she was smoking again. But if you really want to stop, you can do it!!!

I have never smoked before, and I will never smoke...

;)

The Sorcerer