Do You Smoke?

[ols386]

Most smokers don't necessarily die of anything that's smoking related. Still, it's not exactly great for one's health or quality of life when older.

My dad died of emphysema, and it was extremely unpleasant for him, to say the least. I watched him take his last breath. He smoked for 50 years. My mom was a heavy smoker too. I've never smoked.

 

[dotfurio]

No. I quit cold turkey when we decide to start a family.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

No. I'm always kind of shocked when I find out someone does smoke. Its jusy not something I think is the norm anymore.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

My dad died of emphysema, and it was extremely unpleasant for him, to say the least. I watched him take his last breath. He smoked for 50 years. My mom was a heavy smoker too. I've never smoked.

As did my mother, and much of her family. It is genetic.

MG

 

[Jennasis]

My dad died of emphysema, and it was extremely unpleasant for him, to say the least. I watched him take his last breath. He smoked for 50 years. My mom was a heavy smoker too. I've never smoked.

My grandmother did as well. Just an unimaginably horrible way to die. She smoked even when she had an oxygen machine in the house until my mother finally screamed some sense into her.

 

[Jennasis]

As did my mother, and much of her family. It is genetic.

MG

There is a rare form of emphysema that is genetic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/emphysema/basics/causes/con-20014218

"Rarely, emphysema is caused by an inherited deficiency of a protein that protects the elastic structures in the lungs. It's called alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency emphysema."

 

[Maistre Gracey]

There is a rare form of emphysema that is genetic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/emphysema/basics/causes/con-20014218

"Rarely, emphysema is caused by an inherited deficiency of a protein that protects the elastic structures in the lungs. It's called alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency emphysema."

I'm not sure if that was it... certainly could be. It has run rampant in my mothers side.. but they also all smoked heavily.

MG

 

[bcla]

There is a rare form of emphysema that is genetic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/emphysema/basics/causes/con-20014218

"Rarely, emphysema is caused by an inherited deficiency of a protein that protects the elastic structures in the lungs. It's called alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency emphysema."

There are always lots of ways certain generically described diseases can happen. A lot of the cause can be cumulative from several factors. Breathing in any smoke on a regular basis is a bad idea. Some people get lung cancer even without smoking or a lot of exposure to environmental toxins.

I never said smoking is a good idea, but some people manage to get lucky even when they smoke 5 packs a day like Bette Davis, who died at 81. Of course she looked horrible well before that.

 

[Meshell2002]

My father died of lung cancer. He never smoked...but second hand smoke causes cancer in children and both his parents chainsmoked around him.
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/health_effects/

 

[Dan Murphy]

So...I guess that's a no for you?

Haha, correct, that is a no for me. I did smoke, started at age 13 until age 27. At that time, 2 packs a day. Over my lifetime I have seen many friends, relatives and clients die from smoking induced diseases. And most did not have a death that I would wish on anyone. It really is a scourge.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Nope. I don't smoke.

 

[Domo]

Nope, nada, nothing. Can't stand smoke of any description.

 

[goofyernmost]

By this do you mean like dying in a cigarette induced fire?

Or dying from maybe lung cancer, COPD, heart disease, mouth cancer, throat cancer, esophageal cancer. Maybe stroke, asthma, colon, cervix, pancreatic, liver, stomach, or maybe just about any kind of cancer? Maybe leukemia, or the lifetime of problems inflicted on babies where the mother smokes? Or stillbirths? Or even the occasional smoking in bed fire death?

Now come on Dan, don't hold back. Are you implying that you don't smoke? I started smoking when I was 10 years old and quit just before my 50th birthday. I'm 68 now. I have had some bad things from smoking, chronic Bronchitis (COPD, minor), but other then that I've been lucky. My lungs are still good and I was, at one point, a three pack a day smoker. Like I said, lucky. When COPD started to bother me I didn't even know what it was, but, I would have these really awful coughing spells. So severe that they caused me to have abdominal muscle spasm and even a dislocated rib. That was after I had quit, in fact, a good 10 years after I had quit before the COPD was diagnosed. I was given an inhaler about 5 years ago and use it as a maintenance tool since that time. I have not had one bad coughing session since then and to the point that I hardly ever cough anymore. At my last physical I was pulling a 98% on my oxygen/lung function.

It is a good thing that people have quit smoking, but, in all fairness, when I was a kid everyone smoked. Pregnant mothers smoked and, honestly, there was no a huge number of babies with problems that came from that scenario. I'm sure it existed, but, it wasn't a huge problem. People still get lung cancer, mouth cancer, throat cancer, esophageal cancer, strokes, more asthma then their was back then, colon, cervix, pancreatic, liver, stomach, leukemia, life time child deformities and stillbirths with people who have never had a cigarette. Although all of that has decreased, a great deal of the situation is directly connected with ones gene pool.

 

[E&Cmom]

No never and never had the desire to. Never lived in a smoking household.

 

[goofyernmost]

Nope hate smokers.
I know this will offend many but to me in this day and age it is a sign of poor judgment/intelligence.
I understand why people in my grandparents generation smoked, even my parents generation to a certain extent but anyone my age (early 30s) who does is an idiot.

As far as plant material, don't see this as different than having a couple of drinks although illegal here, don't think people should smoke and drive though

So it can be said that it is a sign of poor judgment/intelligence when someone does something that you don't do for whatever reasons you have for not doing them, however, it is OK as long as pulling burnt plant matter into your lungs is OK as long as you do it yourself. Funny, I would have thought that smoking burnt tobacco leaves might be plant matter as well. Silly me. All that good judgment/intelligence should be able to figure out that ingesting via one's lungs or via ones stomach anything that is not part of a basic human need and alters ones thought patterns in such a way that people are prone to doing irresponsible, heady things, might just be a bit of a problem as well. But, you're to smart to smoke cigarettes.

 

[mummabear]

So it can be said that it is a sign of poor judgment/intelligence when someone does something that you don't do for whatever reasons you have for not doing them, however, it is OK as long as pulling burnt plant matter into your lungs is OK as long as you do it yourself. Funny, I would have thought that smoking burnt tobacco leaves might be plant matter as well. Silly me. All that good judgment/intelligence should be able to figure out that ingesting via one's lungs or via ones stomach anything that is not part of a basic human need and alters ones thought patterns in such a way that people are prone to doing irresponsible, heady things, might just be a bit of a problem as well. But, you're to smart to smoke cigarettes.

I never said I smoked pot, have a re read, I said I didn't see it as any different than having some drinks, both pot and alcohol can "alter ones thought patterns" both can have detrimental health effects particularly if used heavily.
However there is a massive difference between smoking tobacco which has been clearly and repeatedly shown to have huge negative health effects as a direct result of one smoke with no positive at all and smoking pit which has been shown to have positive health benefits and has been cleared in many places for medicinal use.
So basically have you ever heard of a dr prescribing smoking tobacco(in this century)?
There is a significant amount of information widely available and advertised to both adults and children about the dangers of smoking tobacco.
If you choose to still light up then I remain in my position that you (the general you) are in fact a moron.

 

[JPPT1974]

No as I do not drink, smoke, or do drugs. Not to gloat but proud of it. As really allergic to smoking!

 

[karen1987]

No, not tobacco or anything else.

Tried a cigarette a few times in my teens, but I always ended up coughing my lungs out!

 

[mom2rtk]

Now come on Dan, don't hold back. Are you implying that you don't smoke? I started smoking when I was 10 years old and quit just before my 50th birthday. I'm 68 now. I have had some bad things from smoking, chronic Bronchitis (COPD, minor), but other then that I've been lucky. My lungs are still good and I was, at one point, a three pack a day smoker. Like I said, lucky. When COPD started to bother me I didn't even know what it was, but, I would have these really awful coughing spells. So severe that they caused me to have abdominal muscle spasm and even a dislocated rib. That was after I had quit, in fact, a good 10 years after I had quit before the COPD was diagnosed. I was given an inhaler about 5 years ago and use it as a maintenance tool since that time. I have not had one bad coughing session since then and to the point that I hardly ever cough anymore. At my last physical I was pulling a 98% on my oxygen/lung function.

It is a good thing that people have quit smoking, but, in all fairness, when I was a kid everyone smoked. Pregnant mothers smoked and, honestly, there was no a huge number of babies with problems that came from that scenario. I'm sure it existed, but, it wasn't a huge problem. People still get lung cancer, mouth cancer, throat cancer, esophageal cancer, strokes, more asthma then their was back then, colon, cervix, pancreatic, liver, stomach, leukemia, life time child deformities and stillbirths with people who have never had a cigarette. Although all of that has decreased, a great deal of the situation is directly connected with ones gene pool.

Sounds like you have some great genes.

So can I assume you are recommending smoking to your grandkids?

Why not start again yourself?

 

[bcla]

It is a good thing that people have quit smoking, but, in all fairness, when I was a kid everyone smoked. Pregnant mothers smoked and, honestly, there was no a huge number of babies with problems that came from that scenario. I'm sure it existed, but, it wasn't a huge problem. People still get lung cancer, mouth cancer, throat cancer, esophageal cancer, strokes, more asthma then their was back then, colon, cervix, pancreatic, liver, stomach, leukemia, life time child deformities and stillbirths with people who have never had a cigarette. Although all of that has decreased, a great deal of the situation is directly connected with ones gene pool.

Some smokers get lucky. Lung cancer is certain one disease that smokers get at a greater (by far) rate than nonsmokers. Even then, a lot of nonsmokers who get lung cancer might have been exposed to environmental toxins like asbestos, wood smoke, or coal dust.

The rate of cancer is going down, at least adjusted for age. There's a definite correlation of reduction of smoking with lower rates of certain cancers. But overall rates of certain cancers haven't declined as people live longer and have more time to get cancer.