My Smokers' Rights: Plus a few questions for my fellow addicts.

Heres a new conspiracy-theory for you:

Vampires find it difficult to take over the human race because their blood is contaminated with nicotine. So they have started a campaign to ban smoking - our only protection - from the world.

1st off, i no longer smoke tobacco, mostly because i wanted to reduce the stresses i put my body through...
not because of cost or moral viewpoint etc




but here's a new finding about tobacco smokers...
the title: "Cigarette habit may leave a molecular mark"

www.nature.com...


now, if one reads the article with a open mind, you'll see it is biased
against the cigarette habit...
the study assumes that once one triggers the molecular and gene switches
(in lung tissues and such) by inhaling tobacco smoke,
that even cessation of smoking a person is just as susceptable to cancers
& emphezemas as a current, pack-a-day smoker is.
They effectively demonize tobacco use as a 'one-way-street',
as in, once one starts down that path-
-there's no 'redemption' or 'recovery'...or so they imply & infer...
(as i understand the article)

What the study does not take into account are all
the other carcinogens any test subject comsumes or is in contact with,
be they smokers or former smokers.



>>>>>PS;
i still own tobacco stock, but once the price of a carton of smokes
got to be par with the cost of 1 share of stock (paying dividends of $4 yr)
i seriously reappraised my situation with smokers products

thanks,

yeah I can see what you're saying..
And they are way too expensive.
You know how cheap they are in some asian countries?

I think I may start buying rollies too.

$22 in australia????? i've never seen anything like that. Was it in a club or something?

And yes, the legislation and paranoia over it is getting abit silly..
Lets work on getting cars with less emissions first.

I'm a smoker, and have been for 20 years. I lack the drive to quit, I have tried a few times. That being said,I would like to throw this out there:

Smoking would be much less harmful and addictive if they stopped putting addictive chemicals into the tobacco. Cigarette companies want to keep people smoking no matter what, so they add more nicotine,amonia(sp) and god knows what else into the smokes to keep us hooked. It is a sad thing.

Here in MN smokes go for around $4 a pack, which is not bad, but in Alaska the go for anywhere from 5 to $7 a pack,more in some places I'm sure.
I rolled my own for about 3 months last year and saved a lot of money buying it by the pound and investing in tubes and a roller, I think I will go back to this when I go back to AK. But I noticed that bags of tobacco seem to not kill the urge like buying a pack does, which makes me wonder what the big cig companies put in their packs

As for smokers rights, I can understand smoking being banned indoors in public places. I can deal with that, but no law will ever stop me from smoking in my own home or car. Thats a red flag on my constitutional right to privacy and my personal freedom of choice.
Part of me wishes they would just make it entirely illegal so I would have no choice but to quit, but instead they slowly choke the smokers rights and drain their pocketbooks.

Almost like trying to blackmail and bully people into quitting. It is not fair at all. Who knows some day I might buy the patch and quit that way, nothing else seems to work. And I suspect its the tobacco companies and added chemicals that have made it so hard to stop. People say willpower, I say check into what we are putting into our lungs, I suspect it is not just the nicotine that has me hooked.

reply to post by ~Vixen~

While I agree that smoking is bad for ones health, just because the government says something doesn't mean that it's true...

The State of California has declared after lengthy scientific investigations that second hand smoke is indeed "a toxic pollutant and no form of it is safe".

Please understand that not all smokers ignore the law. Such sweeping generalizations reek of prejudice.

I said MOST (not ALL) smokers ignore the law, other people and the environment. Fully 80% of the smokers I encounter fit this category.

Many times I have sat down in a park or on the beach only to have an inconsiderate smoker park his butt right next to me and light up. So I am forced to move because of his inconsideration for others. And what do they do with that butt when their finished? Trash it carelessly of course. How many drivers actually use their ashtrays? Chrysler stop putting ashtrays in their vehicles because for the most part they were unused and therefore deemed unnecessary. Of course, you can still order them if you so wish. Try counting the cigarette butts littering the street and wonder who is responsible.

I have one friend who is a smoker and who really does care about others. He goes to extremes so as not to infringe upon non-smokers rights. He will only light up if he can get at least 50-100 feet downwind from any passers-by. And furthermore he carries a little leather pouch to discard his butts rather than throwing them on the street. He discards them in a trash recepticle when he gets home. You don't see a lot of caring smokers like that.

Semper Fidelis
FREEDOM also means respecting the rights of others.

MOST (notice I did not say ALL) smokers could care less about others when they light up. How come most smokers never seem to take the initiative and protect others from their toxic pollutants? Don't they care? Or do they think it is still socially acceptable to blow their poisons and filth at other people.

If I sprayed toxic pollutants (and the military has plenty of them) in public places, I would likely be arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Shooting a bullet in the air is no different. Smoking a cigarette is no different, in my opinion.

I am totally for smoker's rights as long as smokers don't abuse the rights of others.

I also believe the sin tax is a good thing in this case, as long as it does not exceed 100% of the market value of the product. The money is funnelled into research that actually benefits smokers and their particular ailments. Someone has to pay for their stupidity; why not the smokers themselves?

Originally posted by Darkblade71
Smoking would be much less harmful and addictive if they stopped putting addictive chemicals into the tobacco. Cigarette companies want to keep people smoking no matter what, so they add more nicotine,amonia(sp) and god knows what else into the smokes to keep us hooked. It is a sad thing.

when I went to additive free tobacco, I noticed a couple of things. first, I noticed I started smoking a LOT less (from a pack and a half to two packs a day, to about 10 cigarettes). I quit coughing up crap every morning (probably from smoking so much less). I also noticed I can go much longer without needing a cigarette. I recently went almost a week without smoking while traveling, and did just fine (but alas, I enjoy smoking, so I lit up as soon as I got back).

There's over 600 additives in national brands. Examining the list in detail will blow your mind, and turn your stomach. By the way, I made the switch to all natural RYO's when I learned that Urea is one of the additives, and it's purpose is "flavoring".

also, on the insurance side. i was born with a degenerative condition. a condition i obviously had no control over...i have had surgery but need another and the insurance won't cover it...part of the reason at least for me, where i place the blame are on smokers....hundreds of millions of dollars a year are paid out in medical care to smokers from illnesses directly related to their smoking....
i think it cuases insurance rates to go up and becuase of things like that being covered, my surgery is not...
you put that crap n your body then i think you should deal with the possible consequences.
-----

=============================

before you place the blame for the high cost of healthcare in this country on the smoker's habit...you had better make danged sure that that smoker isn't one of the many, many, many smokers who are unable to gain access to the healthcare system!
and, ummm...can you prove that the illness was directly related to the smoking and not to inhaling the wife's perfume, or you car emissions....HOW?

all I know is this, when I was a kid, everyone around me smoke, there's alot less smokers out there now...so why is it, us kids back then could breath, and yet so many nurse's offices today have medicine cabinets filled with asthma medications?? our eating habits we just a tad bit worse back then, I mean food was fried in lard, we didn't know any better than to eat the whole egg, and....god forbid!! we ate real butter!!! we didn't have all these fancy substitutes to replace all these bad things, and we didn't know we should be....and yet, obesity is an epidemic now!!
someone mentioned the idea that tobacco causes reproduction problems....
well, go tell the little boy fishes swimming in the river that they are laying eggs because they smoke too much!!

when it comes to pollutants, there are way too many other big fishes running in the sea, to say that anything is directly related to tobacco without considering the affects all this other crap is causing in insane!

reply to post by SimiusDei


This is freakin' great! I've been urging my smokin' friends (i'm a non-cigarette-smoker...hint, hint) for eons to switch to roll your own! Ya'll DO have a right to smoke, it IS comparable to anything else one could consider a vice AND you deserve to not get screwed in the process. Besides the monetary cost though my strongest argument for roll your own (and others have hit on this in this thread) is the serious lack of effed-up chemicals & additives! Manufactured cigarettes are the TRUE culprit (2nd hand smoke etc), not because of tobacco but because of the pages and pages of other "ingredients"! Anything manufactured in massive quantities should be scrutinized and questioned, i.e. soda, beer, ANYTHING from China...you get my drift.

anyhoo, hope we can convert some folks here. if you gotsta puff...roll 'em up!

I just want to say that I've been quit ten years, now.
I used to smoke three packs a day of Marlboro Reds.
My lungs were changing shape at the bottom, and the doctor told me I was getting some sort of disease. (I can't remember what)
But I still couldn't quit!!!

As a christian, I struggled with excuses., I finally prayed for the truth that would set me free.
but the bottom line is that our bodies are temples for whatever we worship and the God of the bible says not to hurt our bodies or he would destroy us.

reply to post by Clearskies


^ That's all well and good...about not hurting your bodies...I'm going a bit off topic here, but it just bothers me...
What if god did say to hurt your bodies...would you do it?
To me, hurting your body has nothing to do with god...it has to do with what's smarter choice...for your own sake...not god's or anyone else's.

And as for the crap they DO put in ciggies for whatever sick reason...
The people who allow that crao to be put into it should be pumped 10 fold with all that crap!

reply to post by Clearskies


My body is a temple also - I decorate it and burn incense in ritual fashion.



Cigarettes are bad for people who smoke them, in a variety of ways, that's been clear for some time. The notion of inhaling hot smoke..it doesn't take studies to tell us that's got the potential to cause harm.

I get very upset though, when cigarettes become the focus of attention above and beyond other poisons, simply because the cigarette lobby is nowhere near as large as the chemical, petroleum, pharmaceutical lobbies (a hydra if ever I saw one) that stretches into every corner of Washington. These cartels have enormous power on their own..when they act together they are monstrous - no other lobby, no other special interest, no other political party can stand up to the beast.

Cigarettes are bad for you - along with everything else in our toxic, insane society.

reply to post by SimiusDei


Ime a non smoker who is sick of seeing good honest smokers getting it in the rump. I respect the rights of somebody to choose to smoke. I really respect those that will also choose to keep it away from non smokers. I wish all decent smokers luck in this battle and I will continue to support your fight.

Cigs aren't that expensive around here, I can get a pack of Basic Menthols for about $2.75.

I really want to quit, I'm only 18 and have been smoking for almost 3 years, I recently quit smoking pot and since I have quit pot I've been smoking almost 2 packs a day, it's so hard to quit, I've tried the patches, gum, and pills. nothing works, and I can just feel myself dying over it, chest pains, wheenzing for an hour after I wake up, coughing up flem. It really sucks, I've been trying to quit for the past 3 months, but I keep telling myself "well maybe I'll quit tomorrow" and then I light one up again. It's really sad, but maybe I will quit someday.

Originally posted by Skyfloating
In ancient times the native americans claimed that smoking keeps away and cleanses evil spirits and entities.

I doubt those natives were smoking a pack-a-day of commercial, chemically altered, synthetically fertilized, clorine paper wrapped marlboro's; burdening their tribal society with health problems and a polluting manufacturing industry, running back and forth to the corner store like junkies several times a week in their gas guzzling cars and flicking their butts and plastic pack wrappers out in the street.

If you want to be a shaman and break out a peace pipe to cleanse evil spirts from your tribe... more power to you.. Say a blessing and call an associate to the campfire for a ritual.

But I have little respect for the pack-a-day corner store junky or their litter trail.

It's a selfish, orally fixated, bad habit which burdens society, and although in person I usually bite my tongue; smokers stink and the chemically clouded nicotine scent that emanates from them gives some of us cluster headaches.

You owe it to yourself and humanity to replace such with a better habit. Try spending your 15 minutes and $5 planting flowers instead. You'd be amazed at the positive change life can bring when you displace a bad habit with a good one.

Enjoying my wood stove cooked barley and mung beans with a pinch of salt...

Native I am,

Sri Oracle

Originally posted by Uniceft17It really sucks, I've been trying to quit for the past 3 months, but I keep telling myself "well maybe I'll quit tomorrow" and then I light one up again. It's really sad, but maybe I will quit someday.

You are filling yourself with false prophecy.

No sh!t you light one up when you plan on quitting tomorrow.

"Well maybe I'll quit tomorrow" is BS; weak willpower

Think to yourself:

"I AM NOT A SMOKER"

"I DO NOT DO THAT TO MYSELF BECAUSE I KNOW IT IS WRONG AND I AM A SEEKER OF LIGHT"

"I WILL NOT SMOKE A CIGARETTED EVER AGAIN."

The power of NOW.

I AM

I DO

I WILL,

Sri Oracle

Originally posted by Skyfloating
Heres a new conspiracy-theory for you:

Vampires find it difficult to take over the human race because their blood is contaminated with nicotine. So they have started a campaign to ban smoking - our only protection - from the world.

Dude - I was thinking it might be a Anunnaki decsendant or Reptillian trait to smoke (threby lowering the lungs ability to breathe in too much oxygen, and maybe a metabolism regulation through the carbon monoxide in each drag.)

I read that their metabolisms are different.

Maybe smokers are just the victim of alien/hybrid metabolism discrimination?

reply to post by Sri Oracle



In that case, I guess I would have to say that I have little respect for a pompous "my way or the highway" type who is bold enough to assume they have the right to tell others what they SHOULD do.

You are filling yourself with false prophecy.

No sh!t you light one up when you plan on quitting tomorrow.

"Well maybe I'll quit tomorrow" is BS; weak willpower

Think to yourself:

"I AM NOT A SMOKER"

"I DO NOT DO THAT TO MYSELF BECAUSE I KNOW IT IS WRONG AND I AM A SEEKER OF LIGHT"

"I WILL NOT SMOKE A CIGARETTED EVER AGAIN."

The power of NOW.

I AM

I DO

I WILL,

Sri Oracle

I tell myself that everyday, I live in the house with 3 smokers, and it just makes it that much more harder. I will eventually have to isolate myself from them.

Laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing............. Dang. Bad genes cause lung cancer. Bad genes cause most all cancers. There are triggers that make it more likely and smoking seems to be one of them.

This just makes me laugh. Native Americans have been using tobacco for thousands of years now and I guess we have done a shakedown to get rid of those genes. My great grand mother smoked till she died at the age of 93. It wasn't the tobacco that killed her (I think it was the lonely of being in the home).......

But my point is that avoiding the trigger does nothing to remedy the fault in the gene. It is like people who are allergic to peanut butter. Is that really what we want for the future? Are these valid, strong genetic lines that we want to replicate? (Sorry peanut butter people, just an example......)

I am a smoker who takes care not to expose others. I also don't smear random people with peanut butter.