Smoking

[PrideofSA]

I was just reading about the Adelaide City Council looking at banning smoking in Rundle Mall.
This lead to me think. Why do people take up smoking in the first place? With all we know about the obvious health problems associated with smoking, the massive amounts of tax, the terrible smell that gets in your clothes and hair and the general feeling that it is unfashionable why do people even start?

I have not met a single smoker that hasn't wanted to quit or has tried quitting at some stage. So why even bother taking it up in the first place? It's not something like food or drink which is needed for survival.

It just seems like one of the stupidist and most expensive things you can do for not really gaining much.

What are other peoples thoughts?
Smokers, why did you take it up in the first place?

 

[acker]

What are other peoples thoughts?
Smokers, why did you take it up in the first place?

Because it was a cool thing to do in the late 70's early 80's.

I wish I didn't, it's highly addictive. You can quit but there is still a lingering underlying urge.

Before you quit you hardly notice any other smokers, when you quit you cant help but notice other smokers.

The 70's advertising strongly targeted adolecents, chick's in bikini's, chick's in tight jeans, Malboro men and to top things off Hoge's.
And they all had a smoke in their mouth.

 

[KevinCat07]

Up untill the late sixites people didn't even know smoking was harmful.

Obviously teens do it to "be cool and part of the crowd" and my aunt has told me it's because it relaxes them (older adults).

And I suppose it's one of those things people get addicted too and like it too much to change.

A close friend of mine coughed up a piece of his lung from lung cancer as a result of smoking, and has since passed on.

What was that Morgan Freeman movie where he says something along the lines of "You may as well jump off a tall building, either way you are killing yourself, but at least one way get's it over with quickly".

 

[PrideofSA]

I'm 24. And my whole life I've been told that it's bad. I'ts never been cool in my lifetime that I can remember.

Most of the people I know that took up smoking were either eaily influenced or pretty dumb people. I can understand older generations smoking, but when you see teenagers smoking you have got to wonder why? Is it becoming only a bogan thing only now?

 

[acker]

I'm 24. And my whole life I've been told that it's bad. I'ts never been cool in my lifetime that I can remember.

Most of the people I know that took up smoking were either eaily influenced or pretty dumb people. I can understand older generations smoking, but when you see teenagers smoking you have got to wonder why? Is it becoming only a bogan thing only now?

Probably

I can remember when I was a fairly young lad (under 10) in Ballarat in the early 70's going to the shop and getting dad smokes.

And having no problems getting served.

 

[PrideofSA]

Probably

I can remember when I was a fairly young lad (under 10) in Ballarat in the early 70's going to the shop and getting dad smokes.

And having no problems getting served.

lol how times change.

The worst image is when you see people smoking in their cars. Again, usually bogans in beat up commodores.

 

[acker]

No Benson & Hedges ad's plastered all over the cricket anymore either.

I just happen to have a copy of the September 7/8 1985 VFL Football Record sitting next to me here (Footscray v Hawthorn Qualifying final)

Page 2 ....Full page Fosters Lager ad
Page 23...John Annear Richmond was that weeks Jack Daniels (Tennesee Whiskey) Man
Page 29...Full page Seppelt Great Western Brut Reserve ad
Page 36...Full page Peter Jackson 30's ad girl smoking 2 guys trying to chat her up
Page 45...Full page Winfield 25's ad "5 smokes ahead of the rest" obviously they didn't see the Peter Jackson 30's coming.
Page 50...Full page Alpine ad girl smoking in the snow
Page 52...Full page Guinness ad, early days in the foriegn beer invasion

Football like cricket and other sports has made some good money out of cigarette and alcohol advertising.

Just like they are out of healthy foods like Hungry Jacks and McDonalds these days.

 

[evo]

i gave up a few months ago after 20 years chain smoking.

It's bloody enjoyable.Life is better as a smoker,in my view.Unfortunately it's also shorter.

 

[Z_K]

Tastes like steak and potatoes. I'm currently going through 2 lighters a day.

 

[cancat]

Smoking should be banned. If cigarettes didn't exist and someone invernted them there's not a cat in hell's chance that they would be allowed to be sold.

I'm sick of breathing cigarette smoke every time I leave a building or a train station or airport. And most smokers seem to think it's ok just to throw their butts onto the footpath. Disgusting.

 

[fairdinkum]

Smokers are jokers.

 

[Dry Rot]

lol how times change.

They sure do.

Aside from acker's good posts about ciggie advertising, you're too young to know smoking in shopping centres and shops, workplaces, passenger planes etc

 

[mantis]

I was just reading about the Adelaide City Council looking at banning smoking in Rundle Mall.
This lead to me think. Why do people take up smoking in the first place? With all we know about the obvious health problems associated with smoking, the massive amounts of tax, the terrible smell that gets in your clothes and hair and the general feeling that it is unfashionable why do people even start?

I have not met a single smoker that hasn't wanted to quit or has tried quitting at some stage. So why even bother taking it up in the first place? It's not something like food or drink which is needed for survival.

It just seems like one of the stupidist and most expensive things you can do for not really gaining much.

What are other peoples thoughts?
Smokers, why did you take it up in the first place?

Because over 30 years ago it was thr norm, we didn't know the health risks, or the addictive nature of it, pretty much everyone smoked. Which is the one thing that puzzles me about the so called claims of passive smoking. If that is true, then there wouldn;t be many people alive today, because we were all brought up breathing smoke pretty much all day.

 

[King_Mallee]

I will never understand why people smoke. Paying money to kill yourself slowly and making your self stink and unfit. Seems stupid when it is said like that

 

[acker]

Smoking should be banned. If cigarettes didn't exist and someone invernted them there's not a cat in hell's chance that they would be allowed to be sold.

I'm sick of breathing cigarette smoke every time I leave a building or a train station or airport. And most smokers seem to think it's ok just to throw their butts onto the footpath. Disgusting.

You obviously dont give a flying f___ about the diesel, petrol and other types of smoke you are breathing in at these joints.

Sir Walter Raliegh was the guy who realy took tobacco to the masses in the 16th century, and surprisingly we have another thread going on this forum at the moment "Australia fattest nation on earth" where Sir Walter has a central role to play as well, because along with tobacco he bought back the potato to Britain fom his exploration to the America's as well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/raleigh_walter.shtml

I will never understand why people smoke. Paying money to kill yourself slowly and making your self stink and unfit. Seems stupid when it is said like that

Same reasons I dont understand people taking ecstacy.

 

[bit_pattern]

Same reasons I dont understand people taking ecstacy.

dude, comparig mdma with smoking is like comparing fairy floss with cyanide (shit, you even get a good hit of cyanide with each ciggie). And that's coming from a smoker. The shit is evil and deadly. MDMA is as close to physiologically harmless as a drug can get (just look at the chemical similarity between MDMA and the neurotransmittor serotonin).

 

[acker]

dude, comparig mdma with smoking is like comparing fairy floss with cyanide (shit, you even get a good hit of cyanide with each ciggie). And that's coming from a smoker. The shit is evil and deadly. MDMA is as close to physiologically harmless as a drug can get (just look at the chemical similarity between MDMA and the neurotransmittor serotonin).

Why is it illegal ?

To high in sugar ?

 

[Freo Big Fella]

dude, comparig mdma with smoking is like comparing fairy floss with cyanide (shit, you even get a good hit of cyanide with each ciggie). And that's coming from a smoker. The shit is evil and deadly. MDMA is as close to physiologically harmless as a drug can get (just look at the chemical similarity between MDMA and the neurotransmittor serotonin).

Forgive me if I've got my facts wrong, but doesn't each pill-triggered serotonin dump melt a shitload of braincells?

As far as smoking goes, anyone who's taken it up in the last 10 or so years does so with full knowledge of the risks of health and addiction, so patronising or lecturing them is simply idiotic.

Either ban them, or don't ban them. None of these ridiculous nanny-state measures that result in people being treated like lepers for what is an ultimately legal activity. Tax them to account for the damage they do? Fine, but if you want to be consistent you should be calling for jacked up taxes on alcohol, fast food, cars, not to mention the legalisation and taxation of a load of drugs.

Personally, I prefer to let people make their own decisions and be responsible for the consequences.

and no, I don't smoke.

 

[Mr Q]

Why is it illegal ?

Simple: it's not traditional enough. Tobacco and alcohol have been around too long to ban. If invented today, sure, they'd be banned outright as too dangerous.

One of the other problems with things like MDMA is that you can't be sure you're getting what you asked for, or what it's been mixed with it in the pill. This perhaps creates a scenario where they appear more dangerous than they really are, and as such get banned. Still, there's no doubt that, like any drug, it's not 100% safe.

Same reasons I dont understand people taking ecstacy.

Taking a pill doesn't make you stink the way a ciggie does. In fact few things make you stink like cigarette smoke does. It's pretty much up there with extreme BO.

 

[acker]

Taking a pill doesn't make you stink the way a ciggie does. In fact few things make you stink like cigarette smoke does. It's pretty much up there with extreme BO.

Does if they sh__ themselves.

 

[Mr Q]

Does if they sh__ themselves.

Well if anyone shits themselves they'll smell. Not as guaranteed to happen as the stink after spending time smoking - or even spending time around others smoking.

Someone drinks too much and throws up on themselves they'll probably stink as well (and indeed if they drink that much they'll probably reek of alcohol anyway). Not unheard of for people to shit themselves there either.

 

[Fuzzy Wuzzy Bear]

Smokers are scum.

 

[CrazyQ]

I'm gonna light one up now.

 

[bit_pattern]

Why is it illegal ?

Because the US FDA has a pathological hatred of the idea of people having fun...

 

[Copernicus]

Because it's relaxing. Screw the nannies who are desperate to ban everything that might in some way be marginally harmful.

And yes, I realise smoking is more harmful than most activities. Let me choose it all the same.

Tired of ____ing nannies everywhere.