Have the tobacco police gone too far?

[BoMac]

My grandfather died at the age of 87.

His twin brother died at the age of 107.


Both of them used tobacco in moderation.


What I am trying to say here is that whatever we do, we should do in moderation.

Apparently, your family is genetically predisposed to resisting addictive compounds like nicotine.

This does not mean that others are quite so lucky. And the addictive nature of nicotine means that many people are unable to quit and/or smoke in moderation.

 

[financeguy]

My grandfather died at the age of 87.

His twin brother died at the age of 107.


Both of them used tobacco in moderation.


What I am trying to say here is that whatever we do, we should do in moderation.

And my father passed away in his early seventies of a cancer that was nothing to do with tobacco and I've known of a few people who never smoked that died quite young and my uncle-in-law has smoked (quite heavily, not moderately) all his life and is still in pretty good health in his mid-70s.

But none of this anecdotal stuff changes the fact that the evidence that smoking is very harmful to health is well-backed, well-researched and proven beyond reasonable doubt.

 

[Liesje]

People can use whatever they want in moderation outside of my personal space.

 

[PhilsFan]

My grandfather died at the age of 87.

His twin brother died at the age of 107.


Both of them used tobacco in moderation.


What I am trying to say here is that whatever we do, we should do in moderation.

There's people out there who have been shot multiple times and survived.

People should be shot, just in moderation.

 

[the iron horse]

There's people out there who have been shot multiple times and survived.

People should be shot, just in moderation.

Your comment reminds me of song.

press>>>play

Yeah, come on all of you, big strong men,
Uncle Sam needs your help again.
He's got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Vietnam
So put down your books and pick up a gun,
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.


~Country Joe & the Fish

 

[BVS]

My rant is about this nonsense propaganda that nicotine is as addictive as heroin and helpless addicts need to spend $$$$ to break the addiction or they need to be helpless in their habit.

Do you not believe in capitalism?

I have friends who fought against heroin and crack cocaine addiction.

So do I, but I also have known some that used both of these in moderation, should I disagree with science then?

I disagree. By what science? Have read this in a paper or something?

Comments like this scare me on so many levels...

Do you think the anti-tobacco advocates spew propaganda?

And what exactly are they propaganding for?

They existed before nicorette.

My grandfather died at the age of 87.

His twin brother died at the age of 107.

Two men with almost the exact same DNA didn't become addicted? Well that proves everything.

Why the 20 year gap, that's unusual for twins if they lived the same lifestyles?

 

[Jive Turkey]

any girls/women here smoked a cigar or a pipe?

Keep your fetishes to yourself, Maddy

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Yeah, there are some things that just can't be done in moderation. Smoking is bad for you whether you do it once in a while or have two packs a day. And of course the tobacco companies put out propaganda. They're trying to sell a product. They want to make a profit (something that you can't argue when it comes to anti-smoking "propaganda", 'cause they're not selling anything. They're just asking people to not smoke, they're not suggesting anything to replace smoking. The only benefit they'll see from their ads are less people smoking). It's what companies do. And I think the means they've used are stupid at best, disgusting at worst.

All that being said, however, if someone decides to smoke because some poster said they'd look "cool" doing it, then that person is an idiot. The tobacco companies may have promoted the product, but the public still has the choice whether or not to buy it, nobody forced them into a store and made them buy a pack of cigarettes. My dad grew up in the era of the Marlboro Man. His entire family were smokers. He had numerous friends that smoked. Smoking was common on TV shows, in movies, everywhere. All the big influences were around him. And yet, he never, ever touched a cigarette in his life. Some people are just more susceptible to advertising than others. But so long as the product is legal, the company is allowed to sell it. You can think it's a horrible thing to sell (and I would be among the first to agree with you-non-smoker and perfectly happy being one), but unfortunately, they're still allowed to do it. Same goes with fast food and alcohol (even though alcohol can actually have the occasional health benefits, some people still find that a bad thing to sell, too). You just have to decide for yourself whether you want to buy what they're pushing.

Angela

 

[Jive Turkey]

alcohol (even though alcohol can actually have the occasional health benefits, some people still find that a bad thing to sell, too).

I dont know if it's been posted, but there is a new study out that found the people with the highest mortality rates are those who abstained from alcohol. The lowest rates were of moderate drinkers (1-3 drinks a day), but shockingly, even the heavy drinkers out performed the non drinkers

 

[Liesje]

3 drinks a day is moderate??

 

[Jive Turkey]

According to the study

 

[Jive Turkey]

Here's the article

Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers, Study Finds - TIME

 

[BoMac]

I think that for once Russia has it right.

Patriotic Russians urged to drink, smoke - thestar.com

Spoiler

 

[PhilsFan]

Your comment reminds me of song.

press>>>play

Yeah, come on all of you, big strong men,
Uncle Sam needs your help again.
He's got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Vietnam
So put down your books and pick up a gun,
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.


~Country Joe & the Fish

I don't think you understand things. Not just like existentialist stuff, I mean like basic everyday things.

 

[financeguy]

3 drinks a day is moderate??

I know what you mean, it doesn't sound moderate even to me. I'm not sure what measure they're using. I don't drink much more that 3 drinks a day and I consider myself as someone that has an alcohol problem. Personally I would define moderate drinking as no more than 1 a day on average.

 

[Jive Turkey]

I guess they mean people who drink, but dont get drunk

 

[the iron horse]

I guess they mean people who drink, but dont get drunk

Yes, some people can be moderate drinkers.

 

[BVS]

That's the post you respond to?

Everyone knows that.

 

[the iron horse]

That's the post you respond to?

Everyone knows that.

Sorry, just an American idiot

 

[BVS]

That's not what I'm saying, I'm just curious as to why you ignore all the evidence and questions asked of you about smoking, but then tell us something that no one was implying?

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

New York City Council Bans Smoking In Public Parks, Stretches Of BeachCBS New York

NEW YORK (CBS NewYork) — Smokers have just one message for Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council members: butt out of our business.

“We’re outside. We should have freedom to smoke,” City Hall Park smoker Harvey Forbes told CBS 2’s Magee Hickey.

By a vote of 36 to 11 on Wednesday the City Council approved a bill to ban smoking in all city parks, beaches and pedestrian plazas.

“People who have made the decision not to smoke have civil liberties too and their health and their lives should not be negatively impacted because other people have decided to smoke,” Council Speaker Christine Quinn said.

Council members who voted against the ban said they see it as an invasion of individual rights.

“We have this crazy idea that we can change the way people behave. You can’t have salt, you can’t have sugar. Hop on a bicycle because it’s bad to drive your car. It’s ridiculous. What’s next?” said minority whip Eric Ulrich, adding when asked if New York City is becoming a police state, “I think so. It’s a slippery slope.”

The law takes effect 90 days after Mayor Bloomberg signs it. Quinn said she was “very glad” that New York was becoming “a public health city.”

The smoking ban will cover some 1,700 parks and 14 miles of public beaches plus boardwalks, marinas and pedestrian plazas.

Quinn said in addition to beaches and parks becoming free of secondhand smoke, there would also be less cigarette butts littering beaches.

 

[PhilsFan]

Does this mean more New York people on Jersey beaches? GODDAMMIT.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

“We have this crazy idea that we can change the way people behave. You can’t have salt, you can’t have sugar. Hop on a bicycle because it’s bad to drive your car. It’s ridiculous. What’s next?” said minority whip Eric Ulrich, adding when asked if New York City is becoming a police state, “I think so. It’s a slippery slope."

omfg, talk about an overreaction.

 

[yolland]

...when asked if New York City is becoming a police state, “I think so. It’s a slippery slope.”

Talk about bad timing.

 

[Canadiens1131]

The ill effects of tobacco/nicotine are largely an invention of Al Gore, liberal scientists, and the MSM.

Elevation

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

They're not going to be able to enforce this ban very well. I doubt it will cut down on smoking in these places all that much.

Forgive me, I've never spent a great deal of time in New York City, but Central Park is fucking huge, correct? People are still going to be able to get their smoke on. What, are they going to have some sort of "Cigarette Watchman" hiding on every corner and behind every bush at these parks, waiting to tell somebody to put out their smoke, or give them a ticket? This won't phase the cigarette smokers of New York. At least the ones that are smart.

 

[Sicy]

There's an outside smoking ban in a couple of cities near me, which frankly I think is pretty ridiculous. It means you cant even stand outside your house on the sidewalk and smoke a cigarette. I'm sure the cops have better things to do than to cite people for smoking a cigarette.. OUTSIDE. I can understand a smoking ban in small parks for kids (there are signs at all my local parks that say no smoking and that's fine with me) or heavy populated public areas, but a huge park like Central Park or say Golden Gate park in San Fran, that's a little extreme.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Yeah, agreed, not sure how that's going to work.

I do like how the smokers are freaking out, though. I mean, if you want to smoke in a public place, whatever, I won't stop you, but honestly, oh, my god, so you can't light up for a few minutes. YOU'LL LIVE (literally and figuratively). Sheesh, people.

Angela

 

[anitram]

Well it largely has to do with self-policing. There aren't scores of city/municipal workers sitting around in parks ticketing people who don't pick up their dog's shit but generally in a civilized world, most people who are responsible dog owners will just comply. There is also an element of shame involved from the public who sees you walking away having left a deposit.

 

[Jive Turkey]

There is also an element of shame involved from the public who sees you walking away having left a deposit.

Less so when your dog leaves it