How many of us smoke?

DonDaddyD

rjsterry wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

A person could still become afflicted with the symptoms you've mentioned above and have had never smoked a cigarette a day in their life.

Of course there is no point helping you're health along the aforementioned route but at the same time we can't wrap ourselves in cotton wool, never living or experiencing on the basis of fear.

I guess it's just that my generation 'have now save later' lives within the ethos of "only live once" and you can never be too sure if x was going to be your way out anyway.

They could, but the increase in odds if they do smoke is so significant. I think the combined effects of the addictiveness of nicotine - all that 'bliss' you were on about - and the human capacity for denial are very powerful

I was just giving the counter argument. Time was that all the people who didn't smoke, did smoke because of the toxicity of secondary smoke in the air in enclosed spaces - not really a point, just a comment.

I just don't think we are going to see the real effects on humans collectively until our kids grow up. By then they won't have been exposed to any of it. But their generation is likely to have a life expectancy of 90-100yrs if health awareness keeps on the path it is.

SimonAH

90 to 100 years.....not actually sure if this is overall a good thing y'know.

With very few freakisk examples people go downhill physically fairly fast in their later years. Imagine if every one of us gets to spend twenty years hobbling around on a zimmer or sitting in a floral chair being lightly dusted every now and then. Yurgh. Plus who pays for it?

Nope, free fags, gin and heroin available to anyone over retirement age I reckon.

MonkeyMonster

DonDaddyD wrote:

Taste - It's been a while but personally some food/alcohol tastes better with a cigarette. Don't know why, probably just subjective.

Now this doesn't make sense and its well known that it affects taste receptors and lowers your overall capacity to "taste" foods. Probably something biochemical in essense in that your dopamine receptors are less happy with the food than you should be (due to smoking reducing taste - so you smoke to get the normal high that food brings.

DonDaddyD

SimonAH wrote:

90 to 100 years.....not actually sure if this is overall a good thing y'know.

Aging population. I.e. People live longer. The counter point to that is that people take longer to fully mature and stay in their prime - adulthood for longer.

I'd argue that in general 65yr olds today are in general healthier and more physically able than 65yr olds 20+ yrs ago.

Society isn't prepared for this though.

MonkeyMonster

DonDaddyD wrote:

I smoked on and off from my teens until the Ms DDD fell pregnant.

Interesting my drinking has reduced massively with the decision to stop smoking.

These two statements are linked as to why you drink less... That you stopped smoking is coincidental, not causastive.

DonDaddyD

MonkeyMonster wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

Taste - It's been a while but personally some food/alcohol tastes better with a cigarette. Don't know why, probably just subjective.

Now this doesn't make sense and its well known that it affects taste receptors and lowers your overall capacity to "taste" foods. Probably something biochemical in essense in that your dopamine receptors are less happy with the food than you should be (due to smoking reducing taste - so you smoke to get the normal high that food brings.

Point well made.

But that's why I said my comment was probably just subjective.

veronese68

SimonAH wrote:

Nope, free fags, gin and heroin available to anyone over retirement age I reckon.

That's a fine idea. Just so long as you don't try to prolong things when we're on our way out. I have no desire to continue ad infinitum. My gran just existed for the last 10 years of her life, wouldn't even read anything. That's not living, that's just being. She was tired of life but scared to die.
When I was having chemo there were several people in their 60s and 70s that were very pragmatic about life and death. They generally thought they'd had a good life and they were happy to go. Obviously their families were not so pragmatic, which is understanable.

DonDaddyD

MonkeyMonster wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I smoked on and off from my teens until the Ms DDD fell pregnant.

Interesting my drinking has reduced massively with the decision to stop smoking.

These two statements are linked as to why you drink less... That you stopped smoking is coincidental, not causastive.

What was it about nit-picking that Clever Pun said again...

Gussio

Article on the BBC today about shifting attitiudes towards smoking. Seems that 50yrs ago 70% of men smoked in the UK, compared with c20% today. Will smoking be one of those things that we look back on with disbelief? Suspect that sunbeds will also fall into that category within our lifetimes.

MonkeyMonster

DonDaddyD wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I smoked on and off from my teens until the Ms DDD fell pregnant.

Interesting my drinking has reduced massively with the decision to stop smoking.

These two statements are linked as to why you drink less... That you stopped smoking is coincidental, not causastive.

What was it about nit-picking that Clever Pun said again...

You seemed puzzled as to why you were drinking less - now you know Not nit picking at all, merely being helpful. Plus if done entertainingly rather than me putting for example- you fucking idiot, its fucking obvious why - might be the sort of comment he was implying is bringing this area into disrepute

As for the reason why food tastes better with a fag, I'd never really pondered it before but your question made me, and so I've now learned more so thank you for raising it dude. A day when you don't learn is a day lost.

EKE_38BPM

There is talk amongst health care professionals that this may be the first generation with a lower life expectancy than their parents, mainly due to crap food and a more sedentary lifestyle of the kids compared to their parents.
I've heard it in a few places, but here is a link.

rick_chasey

EKE_38BPM wrote:

There is talk amongst health care professionals that this may be the first generation with a lower life expectancy than their parents, mainly due to crap food and a more sedentary lifestyle of the kids compared to their parents.
I've heard it in a few places, but here is a link.

Yeah, I watched super-size me the other day.

A day will come where talking about people being fat is as taboo as talking about their smoking.

People will say to smokers "can you think of the damage you're doing" and that will be broadly socially acceptable, but say the same when a fatty is piling into a super-sized McDonalds with XL Milkshare, washed down with a jam doughnut and it won't be.

Yet.

Gussio

Jam donut.....mmmmmmm.......

MonkeyMonster

Gussio wrote:

Jam donut.....mmmmmmm.......

anyone who has been to edinburgh before been to the italian family doughtnut place on melville drive near the meadows... they cooked mahoosive 4-5 inch diameter monstrosities filled with creme patissiere.

Now they were YUM

rjsterry

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Gussio wrote:

Jam donut.....mmmmmmm.......

anyone who has been to edinburgh before been to the italian family doughtnut place on melville drive near the meadows... they cooked mahoosive 4-5 inch diameter monstrosities filled with creme patissiere.

Now they were YUM

<visualises for a moment> yeah that's a good size.

gtvlusso

Once a smoker, always a smoker. I still get a craving when whiffing the puffers at the back door of our office building.....

Although I don't really smoke very often. The odd tab satisfies the soul with a beer while out with mates,but with kids, this is rare.

Cigars were the way I got myself off cigarettes - Good quality Cuban and Honduran cigars. They are expensive, so, I have to be careful about purchasing which cuts my habit back quite significantly.

My favourite smokes:

Cohiba Robusto
Trinidad Rayes
Montechristo No 2
Romeo y Julietta Short Churchill
Don Ramos Churchill

I still have a box of Montechristo Lonsdales - they are massive and taste very strong.

I am cutting back very gradually - 1 a month now!

bonkstrong

I used to smoke, then whilst visiting my gandfather in the local hospice I saw what a cancer patient was putting his family through. He'd just turned 35 and died holding his newborn baby with his 4 year old daughter holding his hand, harrowing stuff!! After arriving home to my 5 year old running through the door all happy and smiley I threw out all cigarettes and quit there and then, easiest thing I've ever done - it was like a switch just went off in my head and that was it!! Quitting coffee was much harder.

leodis75

Yeah smoke jailhouse cigs about 15ish a day since HID kicked me outside when she stopped.

The worst thing about the smoking ban was all the high and mighty non-smokers who vowed to return to the UK pubs once the smoking ban came into force, I am still waiting for them now, we only seem to get more screaming uncontrolled kids in pubs these days and less drinkers.

cyclingprop

rjsterry wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

4-5 inch diameter monstrosities

yeah that's a good size.

Oh really?.

mouth

BONKSTRONG wrote:

it was like a switch just went off in my head and that was it!!

Yep. That's the one. 'Dry' for five years almost to the minute now, and every now and then I feel the urge when I pass a smoker in the street etc but the closest I ever came to having a smoke was when I crashed my bus a few months ago. Managed to stay in control though.

DonDaddyD

EKE_38BPM wrote:

There is talk amongst health care professionals that this may be the first generation with a lower life expectancy than their parents, mainly due to crap food and a more sedentary lifestyle of the kids compared to their parents.
I've heard it in a few places, but here is a link.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4512934.stm

The number of over 65s in the UK is expected to rise by 53% between 2001 and 2031 to over 14m, with little change in the younger population.

Interestingly it would seem that older people are living longer and there are deminishing amount of young people forming a percentage of the population.

cyclingprop

Something to do with the baby boomer generation getting approaching 65 during that period perhaps?

rick_chasey

cyclingprop wrote:

Something to do with the baby boomer generation getting approaching 65 during that period perhaps?

Oui.

Tony-J

I managed to quit last September. I can honestly say I never crave them. If I knew how I succeeded I'd bottle it and sell it. I didn't realize how constantly ill I felt, how debilitating it is until my body started to clear the residue. With the tab money I've bought a Cannondale. :!: