Is smoking bad for your health?

[glohworm]

Fingers,

Your thread was right on the money!!! My best friend has been struggling with phase IIIB inoperable lung cancer. The non-small cell variety. He's gone through 52 sessions of radiation and the chemo as well. He's been a real trooper about the whole thing. He's only 50 years old! He's got a wife and two kids and he's beside himself with the knowledge that they're going to be screwed when he's gone! I just took him to the VA this morning and he had another cat-scan. In the last 15 months, he's had pneumonia twice, a collapsed lung, and now a fluid buildup with cancer cells! He's literally f__ked! That's what he gets for smoking two packs a day, all his life! I've been smoking longer than my friend. I even had a pulminary function test done at VA and they said my lungs were clean as a whistle! Go figure. I really do think it's genetic! I do take vitamins religiously, especially Selenium, C, E, B complex, folic acid, and potassium! I hope this helps.

P.s. I get my cartons from overseas! www.yesmoke.com. Check out the website. For those of us who can't quit, getting a carton of cigs for 1/3 the price is doeable!

I really am naive about smoking and it's true health effects and addictiveness. None of my family smoke, nor do any of my current friends, except for some of those who also happen to be co-workers. One of these people quit several months ago, and he's commented several times about how much better he feels in general now. He's not sick nearly as much as he was before, and to me, that's just common sense. Not even considering the ingredients (some of which I believe are even considered poisons), inhaling all that smoke simply can't be good for the body.... right? My question really isn't even about cancer, because although there are exceptions, smokers obviously have a higher occurrence of this affliction, I want to know about any other health problems such as a higher susceptibility to colds, achy joints, fatigue, blood pressure, etc.

I definitely agree that reducing the number of cigarettes per day is a good thing, and I don't want to take anything away from those that have cut back, but even if it's only 5-10 a day, isn't that still enough to be considered harmful, even dangerous?

[cowboybooter]

I went for number one.

Yes, I'm an addict,

Involved in Surgery / Anaesthesia as an occupation, so I have seen many many lungs damaged and diseased by smoking,

But, as an addict, I can find many reasons to justify continuing,

Until New Year, as I have added my name to the list of people in here quitting!

Peer pressure, and all that, BTW I smoke the most when sitting at the computer!!

( Stubs ciggy out )


CBB

Smoking a few a day isn't that harmful is what I voted - based on my personal experience.

Let me explain.

A few/couple of cigarettes means (to me) less than five. I smoke only in the night between 7pm-11pm, mostly after a drink and in bed while reading. Nothing in office or day time.

In my view, this relaxes me and makes me feel good after a day's work. Probably, it does have some harmful effect on health, but it's probably minor. It's not like I chain-smoke or anything. Anything in moderation, well almost anything, is OK. Eating a nice medium-rare steak is harmful too. But not if you have one a week.

Point is there is always a balance between what is good for you and what feels good. Everyone has to decide their own bounderies.

I think Knot's advice above has some inherent contradiction. Problem is I can't figure it out.

Yet.

[daveleau]

I don't think ANY amount will shortne your life, but I do know that it causes increases in the probability of many different diseases.

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Complicated, If smoking a few reduces your stress level then isn't it good for you? since stress is more of an instant reaction. Also with all the polutants in the air is a couple a day really as bad as living in downtown (insert big city here).

No to defend smoking, Because it's not good for you, my question would be is it as bad as some other things it reduces Such as stress

Edit:

Sorry was reading some other posts and came across this from Zenyo.

The way I see it, if cancer is gonna get you, then it's gonna get you somker or not

Unfortunately I smoke about a pack a day. I have (Or had I find out on the 27th after ctscan) Lymph node cancer stage 3b. This was not caused by smoking, there are many cancers out there that do not require an outside stimulant to start. There are many things in this world that can get you, but smoking and living in civilisation don't help.

[samwichse]

My grandfather was a smoker and healthy as a bull right up till the day he died of lung cancer that spread all over his body in 3 months and killed him at the age of 57.

My other grandfather also developed severe breathing problems that limited his motility all through his latter years from smoking.

With examples like that, funny the thought of smoking a cigarette is about as attractive as taking a big whiff of my exhaust pipe.

Here's a link which talks about health effects of smoking other than cancers, chronic obstructive airway diseases and cardiovascular diseases (the big three killers).

It discusses:
- diabetes and smoking
- Peptic ulcers
- malignant hypertension
- metabolic effects
- immunological effects
- smoking and surgery
- wound healing
- Chrohn's disease
- nicotene poisoning
- eyesight
- sense of smell
- back pain
- facial appearance
- snoring

There are no laboratory based studies which look at what effect smoking has on ppl, as it would be unethical to subject even volunteers to know carcinogens. But epidemiological evidence supports even low tar cigs causing significant health effects.

Cheers
Mick

[glohworm]

Wizzard,

Did you say stage IIIB? Please respond....this is really important! Thanks.

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Glohworm, you have pm.