I smoke because I want to

originally posted by: BrianFlanders
Here is the way I see it. 100% of the people who complain about having been exposed to a few seconds of secondhand smoke are still alive (as evidenced by the fact that they never shut up about it)

How can anyone argue with this flawless logic!?

originally posted by: TonyS
a reply to: N3k9Ni

I understand how you feel; I'm an ex-smoker and gave it up by choice.

Here's why I gave it up. Lung Cancer? We're all dying of cancer of one form or another and Lung Cancer? Its a relatively quick death. So fear of lung cancer wasn't it.

What got me to quit was the sight of so many old people in wheel chairs with oxygen tanks. I want to be able to walk to my funeral; I don't want to spend years in a wheel chair. The biggest damage smoking does is to the cardio-pulmonary function.

Want to save your legs? Quit smoking cigarettes and go to e-smoke.

There are studies saying E smoke might be just as bad..

a reply to: N3k9Ni

I haven't read the responses yet, but just a quickie before I do: I hear you OP! It's not like I'm running around telling people, "Hey, you should smoke! It's really good!"

I can understand some people not liking smoke. But let's face it, smoking has become the world's BIGGEST scapegoat. It's at the point where everyone feels this self-righteous RIGHT to be able to ban it everywhere, 24/7. And they moan about "It's my health, it's your smoke" blah blah blah. If people really cared about their health, I would point out the biggest elephant in the room: cars. Not a very promulgated fact, but car exhaust in most cities accounts for about as many deaths yearly as does tobacco. In my city of Toronto, 1020 people roughly, die every year due to tobacco, while 980 die due to smog, mostly emitted by cars. Guess what happens if you lock a garage and turn on a car? Guess what wouldn't happen if you locked that same garage and stayed there for 24 hours smoking? The absolute hypocrisy is infuriating. I don't drive. I hate cars. I ride a bike everywhere and walk everywhere. Where are my "no driving" streets? Nowhere!

People's Wifi - oh, it's in my apartment, it's all over the city and it's supposed to be VERY bad for you, as are cell signals. Can I do anything about that? Nooooooo....... And the crap and garbage in the food people eat, in the creams and shampoos they use - all over the place!

Oh, and by the way, that study that started all this? The one that said second hand smoke was proven to be bad for non-smokers? Debunked COMPLETELY a few years ago. So oh okay, second hand smoke is NOT harmful to anyone. Will that matter? No. Of course not.

Again, the absolute hypocrisy is blatant.

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
a reply to: Avtur

Therefore as a country we are slowly legislating cigarettes out of existence, and it seems to be working. Anyway, thats just my 20cents worth.

A pack of cigarettes doesn't cost $35 in the US... yet they have a lower rate of smokers per capita and their rate of smoking is falling at about the same rate as Australia.

There's no evidence whatsoever that putting draconian taxes on cigarettes has made a single difference... yet, every few months I seem to be paying more for a pack!

I may be able to afford it, but there's plenty of poor people out there who have kids and very little luxuries in life, but cigarette's... the Government needs to back off exploiting poor people, by using methods to claim taxes that amount to straight out extortion!!!

Anti-smoking policies have gone from just petty to out right harassment.

the pressure through legislation doesnt just involve being beaten with the 'exorbitant price' stick but has legislated barriers such as plain paper packaging, tobacco advertising bans, age restriction on tobacco sales, gross photos via media campaigns, and even an age related ban on sales in the state of Tasmania that bumps up the age minimum every year. As for my comment that the collective 'we' doesnt want to be lumbered with avoidable public health costs... did you actually understand that bit? yes its the Govt beating people with a stick, but its not exploitation. You actually provide the answers to your own questions re: smokers with kids - the cycle needs to be broken, kids need to grow up without thinking that smoking is normal. Australia is a welfare society, everyone has access to funds for basic living expenses, the US is not a welfare society and this might explain why fewer of the lower socio-economic demographics cant afford cigarettes.... perhaps?

originally posted by: dukeofjive696969
I smoke and i love it, when in public i try not to smoke or move away from others not to bother people with the smell, but people tend to have to share how they feel about it.
# off and leave me alone.

Yes, they do have to share it, for no reason many times other than to be dicks. I was walking down the street, in the winter, a windy day, passing another person, at least 5 feet away from me. Like I always do, I moved my cigarette to my other hand so it would be even farther away from him, and as he passed, he had to cover his face. It was comical and ridiculous.

originally posted by: Metallicus
a reply to: N3k9Ni

I am a Libertarian and support your right to smoke or pretty much anything else you want to do. I think the root problem you have is your smoking often affects others. I find tobacco smoke to be very unpleasant so my question is don't you think other people have a right to not inhale your potentially unhealthy choices?

don't you also think people have a right not to inhale or be affected by your unhealthy choices? Do you own a car? I don't, yet I'm subjected to them all the time short of running out to the country into some deep forest, there's nothing I can do but inhale car exhaust every single day.

originally posted by: NateTheAnimator
a reply to: N3k9Ni

I am angry with the government. What have I ever done to any of them that led them to believe it's ok to treat me like a criminal? I have never done anything illegal in all my years. I have always worked hard and paid my taxes and I know damn well that I have never harmed anyone else as long as I have lived.

I could be wrong but I don't think the government has too much to do with keeping business owner's from allowing their clientele to smoke on private property...If a private restaurant/bar owner has a 'no-smoking' policy,you have to respect that policy. Your the only one being selfish by demanding private business owner's change their policy's to suit your preference.

Also your not a criminal...Last time I checked smoking tobacco for the most part is completely legal.

I don't know how it works elsewhere, but here in Canada, it's the government that made these laws. Some business owners don't like it because it cuts back in customers. These businesses are forced to.

originally posted by: 3danimator2014

originally posted by: BrianFlanders
Here is the way I see it. 100% of the people who complain about having been exposed to a few seconds of secondhand smoke are still alive (as evidenced by the fact that they never shut up about it)

How can anyone argue with this flawless logic!?

1. Nothing is flawless.

2. "That stinks!" is more flawed than "You'll live"

a reply to: N3k9Ni

A coworker had the same attitude as you. She smoked because she didn't care what others thought or what it did to the people around her. Well, she went to the doctors office and was told she had cancer. She started the meds and chemo, and within the week, she was dead.
I felt like an ash-hole because my only thought was with her attitude of her not giving a crap, she put her coworkers in a bind by having to cover for her at work, and her family through hell since they lost a loved family member. All because of her choice to smoke.

a reply to: thebtheb

It's not that ridiculous. I get migraines just from smelling it on people's breath.
I can smell it when people are smoking in their car, on a windy day. Just because it doesn't bother you, doesn't mean it's ok. That's the selfish attitude of an addict.

originally posted by: Agit8dChop

Why should people who looked after themselves have to wait in line for medical help - behind someone like you who doesnt give a damn and destroys their body?

Let's see if I have this right...

1. People are bad if they don't pay taxes to prop up the welfare system.

2. People are still bad if they pay taxes to prop up the welfare system if they take advantage of the benefits they helped pay for in a way that you disapprove of.

3. People who live their lives according to your wishes and values deserve preferential treatment from a system that you claim exists to do away with such.

4. People who don't take care of themselves should not use the public health system because that costs money and resources that would be better spent on people you like better.

What was the point of a public health system again? Oh yes. To make things fair! Well, I guess now we see that "fair" is a very subjective term. Which is what it was all along. The world is just as "fair" without public healthcare as it is with it. Some people just didn't like that definition of "fair".

a reply to: BrianFlanders

You're totally missing the point and are letting the emotions of an addict cloud you.

With your logic, if a person spends his whole life learning a skill, going to school to become a master, and he is passed up for someone who knows nothing about that field, all out of fairness? Sounds fair.

a reply to: N3k9Ni

I smoke because I want to, I enjoy it, it’s as simple as that. If I ever give up it will be if and when I want to.

BS. You choked the first time you inhaled, had to practice the 'craft' in stages, getting all dizzy and rasping your throat over and over to appear 'mature', acceptable, cool, "in". You worked hard to 'develop' a 'habit'. C'mon, admit it.

Now you're hooked and couldn't quit if you tried. They got you, your gonna be sickly, enjoy the slow death you have committed yourself to.

It is a death wish your realize, slow suicide…

…each cigarette another nail in your coffin.

Further: The sooner you stop smoking the easier it will be to quit, the longer you smoke the harder it becomes.

a reply to: intrptr

But think of the Marlboro miles...

a reply to: Lysergic

That camel swag was hip back in the day.

originally posted by: Lysergic
a reply to: intrptr

But think of the Marlboro miles…

Or the Camel "Coupons", lol.

Best advised to take the quarter per cigarette and put it in a slot machine. You might not win any 'jackpots' but at least you won't die when you run out of quarters.

originally posted by: HawkeyeNation
I believe you're just in denial. No offense, but I use this excuse all the time as well. Why would any sane person want to put cancer causing chemicals into their body? I use chewing tobacco and I really do enjoy it myself, well at least the nicotine kick I get from it.

You realize Chewing tobacco causes mouth cancer right?

a reply to: chuck258

Unless he's spitting in people's mouths, it's only affecting him/her.

a reply to: N3k9Ni

No you smoke because you are addicted to smoking... Wanting to infers a choice. You no longer have that choice..

a reply to: N3k9Ni

I have never smoked and thankfully so, it obviously causes serious harm. That is however, your choice to do yourself harm. Sadly for you however and your hobby, that smoke can be inhaled by those around you and therefore is not a choice by others.

I am greatful that this ban has been put in place as I know I spent alot of my younger years in places where smoking was ok indoors and I must have caused myself serious health problems due to this, I was a child so I had no choice in that matter of where I stood when being took places by parents or others.

This ban is an impressive one considering the money from taxes the government makes from cigarettes.

I think personally you should stop relying on smoking to get through life and being sociable. Life is much sweeter then a stick filled with jet fuel & rat poisen