with all due respect to those wishing hard he'll quit, my goodness..."someday he'll have a heart attack and seeing the look on...etc etc...will scare him into quiting"? what unpleasant thoughts! When folks are talking about his family history, do they mean his mum? I thought I knew a little about health issues...wasn't aware of say stroke risk being that genetically based.
As someone who has struggled with smoking myself (currently not doing it) I often believe that people who've never had the 'habit' or really enjoyed it ever have a very different perspective on it.
The shitty thing is having the monkey on your back. I think you gotta want it off yourself, and also realize that fucking up with your quitting isn't the end of the world. There are many things people do that aren't so hot for their health, many ways people could try to ensure longer lives for themselves. There is considerable evidence that diet is as likely to affect cancer rates as smoking behavior. I wouldn't argue that smoking is not bad for you (though there are studies indicating that very light smoking isn't so bad...although a recent one also indicated that it is not any less bad than moderate smoking in terms of upping the cardiac and cancer risks. and there is evidence that it protects against things like alzheimer's and colitis...researchers are trying to figure out what about nicotine might be useful there), but so is stress.
I myself always feel that when others get involved in my management of my relationship with the ciggies, it's a hindrance rather than a help. If I had people holding signs at a gig, my reaction might very well be 'fuck off', lol! It would be like someone nagging you about your diet...hey, we love you, lose those 20 pounds so you won't get diabetes or have a heart attack. Sure nicotine is terribly addictive, and for many smoking is truly pleasurable... the cravings for it are real and a person who wants to quit might really benefit from someone who can help with the 'be free of it' vibe...but it's just not the same as heroin or coke. Despite the controls being placed on it for public health, it's a drug that actually enhances function in a number of ways, so one's
"problems" from the use of it are not at all comparable. It's more like caffeine really, 'cept even more of a bitch to quit. It helps the quitter to focus on the pleasure-giving, rather than the guilt-trip or fear-based, reasons for quitting...
like being able to smell and taste so much better, being more fit lung-wise, not having smelly fingertips and clothes, not having to clear your throat every 10 minutes etc...
anyway, cheers to all!
oh, and on adam's habit, I thought it was in a recent interview or story that it said his only 'vices' now are coffee and ciggies...
I never knew Edge smoked past the 90s and didn't know larry ever smoked...I thought the health-consciousness was rather absolute!