Smoking bans worldwide are they related to this coming Pandemic

I have to say I do have Multiple Sclerosis but I have never had any type of respiratory illness and rarely even catch a cold. I smoke a pk a day and have smoked for approx 20 years. I do however spend a lot of time waving the cig around while talking and not actually smoking it.

Oh and I too have had a recent physical complete with lung xray which surprised the doc who had been giving me the guilt trip about smoking. My xray was clean as a whistle!

[edit on 30-4-2009 by Bachrk]

I recall reading a story a few years ago about a doctor in the 50's or 60's who was doing research on cancer. The doctor claimed that he couldn't get lab rats to get cancer from cigarettes no matter how hard he tried. He also ran into research from someone else having to do with nutrition and made a discovery of certain tribes of people who eat only natural foods, nothing processed, and had little to no cancer. It seemed that processing destroys vitamin k and this led to an increase to the risk of cancer.

Based off of his and others research he came to the conclusion that the large increase in cancer was due to the many nuclear tests that governments were doing. These tests throw large amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere which is then dispersed all around the world. The government couldn't admit this so used smoking as a scapegoat.

Also, like some here have claimed. Smoking can actually, in some cases, prevent you from getting sick. The theory behind this is that when you smoke you build up a thin layer of mucous in your lungs. When a virus or other pathogen gets in there it gets trapped in the mucous and isn't able to infect you as easily.

I can't remember the Dr's name but that was the basic gist of it all. If I remember it I will edit this post to include it.

[edit on 1-5-2009 by Primordial]

Here's a related topic on ATS...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by Simplynoone


I really LOVE hearing all this good news about smoking!

I have smoked for 20 some years (started very young) and I now roll my own also. In fact purchased 40 pds of it pre April 1st. I have no plans on stopping and as I see it - if all the stuff is suppose to happen in 2012 well damn - I sure in the H--- aint stoppin now!!

So, when people constantly get on my butt about it (my whole family) I can now tell them - I might now get this virus due to my smoking.

In all seriousness - I have not been sick for a couple of years now. But I also drink Kombucha tea every day and eat garlic like there is no tomorrow and use hot sauce on everything I eat. I figured all those things combined kill anything.

Look, I'm not gonna jump on the "see, smoking is good for you!" bandwagon, but I have been noticing my local sports radio station really pushing commercials for a smoke-free Texas, like the whole freakin' state!!!! It's a little strange/overboard IMO.

Peace

reply to post by Dr Love


Yes, I had mentioned before - my local news station had a big 10 minute thing on smoking yesterday morning. Saying people "Had to quit" and basically saying, if people still smoke then they are "not good people". Seems the news is working on making people who smoke even more of pirahais than they were before.

That just makes me think "screw you" I will do what I want. I am a rebel at heart and have been my whole life!

I knew it!!!!

I have always wondered why, in a family of five, I am the only one that never gets sick. My husband doesn’t smoke and I often joke with him saying that its ‘my ciggies’ that keep me healthy … now I have proof!!

Honestly, I have smoked for over 23 years and I could probably count on one hand the amount of times I have had to see a doctor for my health – none of which had anything to do with my respiratory organs.

The only thing that gets me about smoking is my addiction to it.

Had a great grandmother who lived very well until the age of 96. Her heart finally went out on her. But she smoked, drank half a bottle of CC a day, cheated at cards and cussed like a marine.

Can't think of a better way to live.

Oh, I only smoke because it makes me look so damn cool.

Originally posted by Cyprex
I hope something like this happens. It will save me about $2600 a year.

I already feel like an outcast when I smoke in public. People shooting dirty looks, others covering their face and walking far around.

I could really care less what those that do not smoke think of my public smoking!! Doesn't make me feel like an outcast & they can kiss my butt anyway. I would just like most people to keep their distance from me anyway. They don't want my smoke - I don't want their germs & stupidity.






[edit on 5/1/2009 by Champagne]

When people come up with revelations like this, then take it the extra mile and find out the smoking history of those first 100 people or so in Mexico City, where it is claimed this all started. Seems to me that Mexico City would be a least likely place to find a marked decrease in tobacco consumption, especially since they have legal and ready access to Cuban tobacco which is prima fina by any standard. If this thing started in Salt Lake City, UT. or Scottsdale, AZ. then you may have a starting point that makes sense from your perspective.... IMHO at best.

Nobody is claiming that smoking is a silver bullet that will keep you safe. However, the evidence thus far (at least before the virtual media blackout) suggested that cytokine storms might be a major factor in the lethality of this disease.

If this is true, then smoking would increase the ODDS of not experiencing a storm. However, we are speaking in probabilities. In Mexico there are a lot of other factors to consider. The underreported numbers, for one. Poor infrastructure, for another. If we had access to all of the numbers it is entirely possible that smokers have a lower fatality than non-smokers, however all we can do at this point is speculate.

Do you have any real intellectual contribution to this discussion, or would you rather reiterate everything we have already heard. Again.

?

It's funny. My grandma smoked for 60 years, and it wasn't until she gave up smoking that her health went to hell in a handbasket and she died quickly.

Interesting information. I've always wondered about the smoking ban, as anyone who believes that any government or health agency really give a rats butt about your health and well being are smoking...something.

Thanks for addressing this topic and all the information that has been generated as a result. I've just started doing some research on Hugo Weidel's studies and also the connection between nicotine and NAD+/CYP450. I couldn't say wether or not the smoking ban is related to the "upcoming pandemic". However, I can say that it's benefitted Philip Morris and the pharmaceutical industry tremendously! It's also having a pretty devastating impact on Indonesia as a result of the inclusion of "clove cigarettes", which are more appropriately known as kreteks. The Tobacco bill is also referred to by some as the Marlboro Monopoly Act and the passage of this legislation has all-but-insured that Philip Morris stands to profit in every way imaginable! While they are supporting "scientific" research that supports the myth that the use of tobacco products is harmful in the U.S. (the chemical treatments are problematic... not the tobacco or other natural ingredients such as cloves), they are also supporting the more problematic anti-smoking pharmaceuticals that are now ending up in the water supply.

www.chicagotribune.com...

That source of that nicotine is NOT cigarettes, but rather anti-smoking pharmaceuticals... among all the other pharmaceutical goodies that are also ending up in the water supply. The fact that Philip Morris was opposed to smokeless electronic cigarettes should have been a dead give away that they were NOT pushing this legislation because of their interest in anybody's health, but rather were more interested in maintaining their position as the #1 tobacco company and maximizing profits.

The pharmaceutical industry is also quite busy conducting research for new drugs that are based on nicotine and range from anything to drugs for treating Alzheimer's Disease, "Schizophrenia" (which is a misdiagnosis... supported by the pseudoscience of psychiatry along with the pharmaceutical industry), weight loss, etc., etc.... and in the meantime that are flooding the international market with inferior tobacco products... including the introduction of more dangerous kreteks in Indonesia because they are no longer made in the traditional natural way.

There may be a connection with the "Pandemic"... although my sense is that this is more of a scare tactic than anything else. For example... the cases of Swine Flu have some very interesting geographical demographic stats. Likewise... the death rates should also be compared to the number of deaths from any other flu.

Although... if you keep scaring the bejesus out of everyone the stress alone will lower their immunity. Your best bet is to remain calm and enjoy life as much as possible! On that note...

www.sciencedaily.com...

And if you want to avoid the "stink" that so many people find offensive... the best alternative is kreteks with a much more pleasant fragrance as well as additional medicinal properties... provided that they are all-natural. You can now locate a recipe for kreteks on the Djarum website...

www.djarum.com...

Fire it up!

Good find. I have smoked for twenty some years and if I could quit, I probably would, well, maybe if I wanted to bad enough. I enjoy it though. I seldom get sick, but this year I ended up with what I thought was allergies and after not being able to shake it, and actually I don't think it was a sinus infection either. The dr. gave me 3500mg amoxicillin per day, which I had a reaction to, so I was told to cut the dose in half because - get this - so many things were immune to the anitbiotics they are having to prescribe such high doses. Anyway, this was the first time I have had to have any in 7 years, which was for strep and pretty good considering that at both my jobs - one being a grocery store (very germy situation) I handle money and interact with people all day long and honestly I believe it was because i let myself get run down.

I too eat a healthy diet and exercise for the most part and I feel healthy and can hike and do whatever. I have known too many old timers that died in their late 90's - they smoked like chimneys - unfiltereds mostly and drank like fish and half the diet was fried (of course people like this eat alot of fresh veggies and fruit as well, they grow it). And what killed them, seemingly healthy people that got up and worked or did something every day? They weren't sick, they just up and died one day.

And for those of you who knew people who started having problems after they quit, my dad was the same way, only with beer. Once he quit he honestly went down hill, mentally and physically.

So, I won't condone it and tell everyone to go out and start smoking, but this is definitly food for thought.

So glad you brought this up for two reasons--
1) I've read about the protective aspects of nicotine and nicotinic acid, and;
2) when people are in and out of hot bars and clubs- in the winter- to smoke- they are MORE unwell than if they smoked indoors. In Chicago, the rates of pneumonia nearly tripled over the winter, because hot, swetay club-goers were popping outside for 5 minutes, then back in a crowd.

It's one of the reasons there's a big lobby to overturn the ban here.

Of course second-hand smoke is unsafe, but I spent a lot of time in Japan on business, where nearly everyone smokes, and every restaurant, bar, etc., has high-end exhaust fans- one wouldn't KNOW there was smoking in the place when arriving. If the West employed that technology the bartenders would stay well, pople who smoke wouldn't have to face Chicago winters (-20F on a good night) and nicotinic acid could play its protective role.

Great topic- regardless of how one feels about smoking. One of my old friends is an ER doc- rides a Ducati and smoke all the time, but is fit as a fiddle, due to work-outs and good diet.

Mac n Cheese from a box will kill you a lot faster than smoking if you sit on your rump

reply to post by downinafrica


LOL-
My husband and I smoke, as well, and with the exception of the flu I caught in early spring, neither of us had been sick in many, many years- but we eat organic fod- and good food- and are highly active!

reply to post by Primordial


Nuclear tests is right on- a Chest CT scan is worse for you than a year in full sun---and if you commute to work in a car, in a major city- you're smoking a pack a day anyway.....

It's puritanism and ignorance. Plain and simple.

On that note, think I'll have one...

I've been smoking for for about 20 yrs., I rarely get sick or catch a cold. I do get out of breath much more easily than I used to and have no doubt that is smoking related.

I purchesed an e-cigarette a couple of months ago, it does seem to curb the craving but I really have to be aware and talk myself into smoking the E instead of the anolog smoke. It gets real hard when it's 5 oclock somewhere and also that cup o joe in the a.m.

I can't remember seeing one movie from the future, the people still smoke.

I was gonna quit, but I may as well keep huffin on them Salems. Ill take Cancer in 20 years over pig flu now.