NationStates Jolt Archive

Lately, I've been considering taking up smoking (cigarettes for now). I want to, but I'm not sure of the repercussions. The only sources of information I have are Health class videos which are so unbelieveable that I find it hard to trust anything they say. So I was wondering if I could get some opinions from real people. What are the real consequences of smoking?

You get AIDS from smoking.

Bad breath. :gundge:

You get AIDS from smoking.
:confused:
Err, no.

As someone who smoked for about six years, pretty much everything they tell you in those health videos is true.

:confused:
Err, no.
Err, no shit.

Lately, I've been considering taking up smoking (cigarettes for now). I want to, but I'm not sure of the repercussions. The only sources of information I have are Health class videos which are so unbelieveable that I find it hard to trust anything they say. So I was wondering if I could get some opinions from real people. What are the real consequences of smoking?You mean besides bad breath, discolored teeth, smelling awful, an increased likelihood of cancer, an increased likelihood of various other diseases, addiction, and freezing your butt off while going out for a smoke?

Not much.

Lately, I've been considering taking up smoking (cigarettes for now). I want to, but I'm not sure of the repercussions. The only sources of information I have are Health class videos which are so unbelieveable that I find it hard to trust anything they say. So I was wondering if I could get some opinions from real people. What are the real consequences of smoking?
One consequence would be greatly increased possibilty of lung cancer. Another would be the aforementioned bad breath. Another would be addiction to nicoteine.

Back when I was in middle school, the videos they had were pretty close to the truth, but I'm not sure about now. Err, I'll try and find some websites with info if I can find any good ones.

Err, no shit.
What are we talking about here?
Were you joking when you said you got AIDS from smoking?

(hee, my sentence rhymes!!)

You mean besides bad breath, discolored teeth, smelling awful, an increased likelihood of cancer, an increased likelihood of various other diseases, addiction, and freezing your butt off while going out for a smoke?

Not much.
So they tell the truth? OK, thanks. Sorry if I seemed stupid or something, but these are the same videos that seemingly try to convince you touching the opposite sex will kill you.

The consequences are that you will expend a whole lot of money for something that will interfere with your ability to enjoy many simple things in life and damage your health.


If you feel the need to take up a bad habit - save the money for beer. You'll get far more out of it.

Were you joking when you said you got AIDS from smoking?

I was being sarcastic.

Why in the world would you want to start smoking?
Just for the hell of it?

Here are some practical reasons why not to do it, since obviously you have no concerns over the health risks:
1) $
2) It makes you stink ALL over.
3) It's addicting.
4) It makes your teeth yellow.

I could go on, but...

Unless the health videos tell you that cigs make you gay or give you AIDS, then they are probably telling the truth. Pretty much every bad thing they tell you about smoking is true. I've had a lot of experience with smokers (high school and family) and have seen a lot of downsides.

Just out of curiousity, what do you think may be false that you saw in the health videos, and what reasons do you have for taking up smoking?

I don't see why anyone would want to start smoking cigarettes. I mean, cigars at least taste good, cigarettes are just nasty.

Smoking is dumb for obvious reasons. If you want to fit in, try something that won't be pretty much gauranteed to shorten your life span.

Besides, I won't date you if you smoke ;)

The consequences are that you will expend a whole lot of money for something that will interfere with your ability to enjoy many simple things in life and damage your health.


If you feel the need to take up a bad habit - save the money for beer. You'll get far more out of it.
And in moderate qualities good beer is good for your health!

And in moderate qualities good beer is good for your health!
Ja, I read a study on that!
Isn't that great?
:D

Lately, I've been considering taking up smoking (cigarettes for now). I want to, but I'm not sure of the repercussions. The only sources of information I have are Health class videos which are so unbelieveable that I find it hard to trust anything they say. So I was wondering if I could get some opinions from real people. What are the real consequences of smoking?


Acid reflux. Smoking relaxes a valve in your esophagus designed to keep acid in your stomach. When acid is churned up into your esophagus, it causes what it is commonly called heartburn or acid reflux. This may sound minor, but it can be excruciatingly painful. I smoked for 10 years and suffered with acid reflux two to three times a week. Once I quit smoking, the problem went away...as did my chronic cough and fatigue.

Smoking is one of the worst things you can do to your body. Ulitmately, it is YOU that will have to make choices of what YOU believe is best for YOUR life. Personally, I'm not a fan of the propaganda that is spouted in TV ads and videos. But, the truth is if you start smoking, you will most likely become addicted. If you become addicted, the chances that you will ever quit smoking decrease. The chances that your life will be signicicantly shortened increase.

Ja, I read a study on that!
Isn't that great?
:D
It is wunderbar!

Just about everything they say is true. I know that I won't take up cigarettes, cause 1. the risks, and 2. my mom would HATE me. My mom is against, and helps people quit, smoking. I've seen results. I've seen what an actual lung looks like of a smoker. It's not pretty nor is it healthy. Invest more in a tad bit of alcohol. They say 1-2 drinks (one beer, one glass of wine, or one shot) is healthy.

And in moderate qualities good beer is good for your health!

Who can afford good bear anyway. I drink Sasky, the cheapest stuff around!

Who can afford good bear anyway. I drink Sasky, the cheapest stuff around!
I don't know why you'd want a bear, even a cheap one... :)

If you're gonna smoke, smoke something worthwhile. I'll leave that up to your imagination.

A pack a day habit in California, where I live, will cost you close to $150 a month.

Save your money for good hand rolled cigars.

Smoking cigarettes is revolting and filthy.


Do what I do and enjoy a fine cigar now and again.

There is a reason why ex-smokers are the most vehement anti-smokers, it's because they know, like I do, that once you have become addicted and then quit YOU WILL NEVER BE HAPPY EVER AGAIN!!!You may live longer, but you probably won't want to. Everytime you see someone light up you'll want a cigarette, you'll have nothing to do with your hands, you'l itch, but if you're good it will pass, then it will come again in 5 minutes. I still want a damn ciggy and I haven't smoked in 3 years and I only smoked for about 2 years.

Yes, smoking does cause a number of bad things. One thing that people often neglect, however is that there actually are a few positive repercussions of nicotine use.

The most well noted are: improved memory and concentration, relaxation and stress relief, higher blood pressure (there is a such thing as low blood pressure, people in my family suffer from it), reduced clotting (good only if you have a problem with over clotting of the blood), second hand smoke (a SMALL amount) has been found to strengthen the lungs of children 8-12 and prevent asthma (as it helps build up a tolerance to irritants, once again in SMALL AMOUNTS), reduced risk of a weird uteran cancer in menopausal women, lowers the risk of some bizarre rare skin cancer that occurs mainly in Medditerranian men. Keep in mind, all of these (except the irritant tolerance) are NICOTINE, not SMOKE. The irritant tolerance is also found in children who live in cities such as New York, Pittsburgh, Philidelphia, LA, etc. That's not to say go and smoke, that's always up to you. I'm just a firm believer that everyone should weigh the pros and cons of any action, and not just get the cons shoved down their throat. Almost everything has both good and bad points, smoking included.

My personal opinion is to smoke if you enjoy it. Life is too short to spend it torturing yourself to stay fit. I have to die someday, I'd rather die doing something I like that harms no one but myself than struggling to stave off death for one more year/month/week/day. I enjoy smoking, so I smoke. I enjoy drinking coffee, so I drink coffee. I enjoy taking care of my Demonic Tokay Gecko From Hell, so I take care of my Demonic Tokay Gecko From Hell.

In closing, If it Feels Good, Do it.

(Don't snap my undies)

Yeah, if you absolutely have to smoke for some reason, at least use something... that has positive effects as well as negative ones.

relaxation and stress relief

I think this is more because you take a break from work/physical activity to smoke rather than the effect of smoking because (as I understand it anyway, but I could be wrong) nicotine is a stimulant (hense the better concentration).

Yeah, if you absolutely have to smoke for some reason, at least use something... that has positive effects as well as negative ones.

:D

actually, it is an effect of nicotine. nicotine is a weird little drug. it's a muscle relaxant, a nervous and vascular stimulant, an appitite supressant, and a metabloism booster. it's really really weird how it works in seemingly contradictory ways.

You mean besides bad breath, discolored teeth, smelling awful, an increased likelihood of cancer, an increased likelihood of various other diseases, addiction, and freezing your butt off while going out for a smoke?

Not much.

Liar. If those were the only consequences of smoking no one would do it. You only listed the negative ones, because of course you are totally biased against smoking and want to present a one-sided argument so people don't have to THINK to agree with your personal preferences!

1) $
2) It makes you stink ALL over.
3) It's addicting.
4) It makes your teeth yellow.

1 - Sex costs money too
2 - So does sex
3 - So is sex
4 - Okay, sex doesn't do this, but are we really such a superficial culture that how yellow one's teeth are in comparison to the national average is such a big deal?

trust me, don't start. I don't smoke, but my parent's have for 30 years and counting, and even though they want to quit, they've having the worst time with it, just b/c it's so addicting.

Lately, I've been considering taking up smoking (cigarettes for now). I want to, but I'm not sure of the repercussions. The only sources of information I have are Health class videos which are so unbelieveable that I find it hard to trust anything they say. So I was wondering if I could get some opinions from real people. What are the real consequences of smoking?
DON'T START SMOKING ... it's pure hell trying to quit! :(

If you gota smoke...smoke cigars!
#1 Their alot better tasting and smelling
#2 Their so expesive you'll only be able to afford one a week, one a month for really fine brands

"The positive effects of smoking" is pretty nearly an oxymoron. The pleasure you get from it only lasts so long. Pretty soon the bad effects everyone's been mentioning make all that negligible. And quitting is pretty nearly impossible. I've seen Grandparents and parents of myself die from cigarette smoking (lung cancer, emphesema) and seen friends waste money and time smoking, lose their fitness and have horrible stress from attempts to quit. Don't start, it's not worth it :(

it gives your wife reason to nag you. its what my mum does to my dad. all the fuckin time, whenever she feels like she needs to get the upper hand of a situation.

actually, it is an effect of nicotine. nicotine is a weird little drug. it's a muscle relaxant, a nervous and vascular stimulant, an appitite supressant, and a metabloism booster. it's really really weird how it works in seemingly contradictory ways.
It's also one of the first insecticides...

And quitting is pretty nearly impossible.

You know, when you and everyone else overplays how addictive they are, that really doesn't make it better.

In fact, psychologically speaking, the more you emphasize how addictive it is, the more when you start smoking, you'll say "Oh I can't quit, I'm addicted." By giving it the OMG ADDICTIVE label, you create a self fulfilling prophecy and leave smokers to give up trying to quit, since they have to "fight cravings" and other liberal removal-of-human-responsibility cop-outs.

Physically, cigarettes aren't that addictive. I know I'm "only" speaking from firsthand personal experience, but it is my firm belief they are no more addictive than anything else people do. Withdrawals? Please, don't make me laugh. Ask a heroin addict which is tougher, nicotine or heroin withdrawals. Many don't get withdrawals whatsoever.

And then you talk about "psychological" addiction. Ugh. Cop-out after cop-out. Then we're right up there with people who are "internet addicts" or "chocoholics." For any human behavior, there are now people who insist on calling it an ADDICTION. I think that belittles what addiction (as in physical dependence) actually is and the seriousness of it.

I mean, imagine! Guy goes into a bar. He wants a drink and is having a tough day. You ask whats up. He says he's having HEROIN WITHDRAWALS. You nod your head sagely, and say "I was addicted to chocolate," as if its anything like the same fucking thing. Or cigarettes, or work, or sex, or anything else people get "addicted" to.

You can stop smoking if you want to. But if you're just trying to quit because people tell you to, because people tell you your teeth are discolored, you stink and you're wasting your money; if you just try to quit because that's the "thing to do" with cigarette smokers; if you just buy into this concept that anyone who buys a pack of cigarettes is a choiceless, helpless, raving addict who is either ADDICTED or ADDICTED AND TRYING TO QUIT; if you see everyone as slaves to their own petty wants then guess what? You don't really want to quit, and you probably won't.

Lately, I've been considering taking up smoking (cigarettes for now). I want to, but I'm not sure of the repercussions. The only sources of information I have are Health class videos which are so unbelieveable that I find it hard to trust anything they say. So I was wondering if I could get some opinions from real people. What are the real consequences of smoking?

Smoking causes a chemical reaction that results in high amounts of active elastase in your lungs. (There are usually silencers for elastase, but reaction with smoke destroys them). Because there are high amounts of elastase, they break down the elastin in your lungs. Over time, this leads to less and less viable lung area and results in a condition known as emphysema. I watched my grandmother die of it, it isn't pretty. In the end, you die because your body cannot expel the CO2 buildup, even though the machines are pumping huge amounts of O2 into your body, and you die.

Note: This will not be evident immediately, but occurs over time.

Other problems: Bad breath. Kissing a smoker is like licking the inside of an ashtray. It costs a *lot* of money. It is *highly* addictive, both physically and psychologically. In this respect, it is much worse than alcohol, or marijuana. Probably only caffeine is really on par with it, but a caffeine dependence is much easier to do away with than a nicotine addiction.