Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Health and Wellness
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 05-15-2018, 03:06 PM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
30,286 posts, read 51,759,953 times
Reputation: 23658

Advertisements

Btw, don't we have enough threads on this topic? We get it - you all hate smokers. Enough already!

And I hope everyone sitting on their high horses isn't at all overweight, never drinks, doesn't take any psychotropic or (Rx) pain-killing meds, always eats healthy and exercises daily, doesn't waste money on unnecessary things, etc, etc. Because you'd better be darned perfect if you want to judge others for their flaws! I don't really mind being asked WHY, as the OP did, but attacking people's character is another story.

Last edited by gizmo980; 05-15-2018 at 03:28 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 05-15-2018, 03:39 PM
 
13,259 posts, read 8,346,577 times
Reputation: 31427
It's okay to observe my flaws. And it's okay to share your concern on the un healthy results most will endure. I'm sure the intentions are well meant. Where I draw the line as I did with my boss is when he said one day : Nov3, statistically smokers call in sick more, have health issue and increase our business health insurance plan. Technically that's not an asset. I then said boss, not once have I called in sick or have I incured medical claims under the policy. Matter of fact ...I suffer from ptsd which has yet to be a direct result from smoking. But please do tell the last time you were out sick with asthma or your bronchitis.?Then you can lay down these stats.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2018, 03:42 PM
 
Location: on the wind
22,912 posts, read 18,220,032 times
Reputation: 74187
If someone grew up around smokers they might view it as just something people do as part of "normal life" compared to someone who doesn't grow up around it. This would be before a kid is old enough to start hearing all the messages about how bad it is healthwise.

Really I don't know myself. I only had one relative who smoked and they visited rarely. Even when a few of my friends started smoking, whether to fit in, be cool, experiment, use it as a learned relaxation thing, or whatever, I was never curious enough to try. The whole idea just repelled me even at a very young age. The smell alone was enough.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2018, 03:53 PM
 
Location: on the wind
22,912 posts, read 18,220,032 times
Reputation: 74187
Quote:
Originally Posted by gizmo980 View Post
You clearly don't understand how addiction works... and we ALL do something that's knowingly bad for us, and/or costly, but for some reason smokers are always targeted as "weak." We're an easy scapegoat, I guess. But if you'd think I am weak and lazy just for being a smoker, how do you explain that I lost 60lbs through diet/exercise, and have kept most of it off for over a decade? Or my two (BA and Masters) degrees? Struggling with an addiction or behavior doesn't necessarily speak for one's overall character, ya know.

As for WHY people start smoking, most begin when they are adolescents or teens - when neurologically speaking, the frontal cortex hasn't yet developed the ability to reason and fully consider consequences. This isn't just an opinion, it's (I thought) a well-known fact:

https://harvardmagazine.com/2008/09/the-teen-brain.html

I started smoking when I was 15 because it was "cool" at the time, and thought "I'll just quit when I need to." That was over 25 years ago, and I'm still struggling to manage that. I know it's bad, not to mention expensive, but it's also one of the most addictive substances that exists. So yeah, it's easier said than done.
LOL; "weak minded". Last time I heard that particular compliment was while watching a rerun of Doctor Zhivago.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2018, 03:58 PM
 
Location: on the wind
22,912 posts, read 18,220,032 times
Reputation: 74187
Quote:
Originally Posted by gizmo980 View Post
Btw, don't we have enough threads on this topic? We get it - you all hate smokers. Enough already!

And I hope everyone sitting on their high horses isn't at all overweight, never drinks, doesn't take any psychotropic or (Rx) pain-killing meds, always eats healthy and exercises daily, doesn't waste money on unnecessary things, etc, etc. Because you'd better be darned perfect if you want to judge others for their flaws! I don't really mind being asked WHY, as the OP did, but attacking people's character is another story.
What "health forum" doesn't have it's share of pedantic perfect preachers gloating about their life choices? After all, isn't the web's appeal it's anonymity?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2018, 04:04 PM
 
133 posts, read 86,864 times
Reputation: 713
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cape Cod Todd View Post
I think smoking is stupid and the people that do it are weak minded and too lazy to do the hard work it takes to quit. They all know that it is costing them a fortune and costing them years off their lives but they keep doing it.

I know several people that are now facing terrible health battles with cancer due to decades of smoking.
I caught a relative the other day sneaking a smoke. She has already had cancer not to mention all kinds of other health issues over the years yet she can't kick the butts and she has lied that she has. It is very frustrating.


It is crazy to see teens and young people smoking today with everything we know about the deadly effects of smoking.
I would say it is peer pressure that gets them going or growing up seeing their parents smoking.

What starts kids smoking? We could ask the same question of what gets them started on taking hard core drugs.
I don't smoke, but when I hear comments like this I can't help but think about all the unhealthy things people do themselves, but point out the flaws of others. If you're more than 10 pounds overweight, drink any type of sodas, don't exercise at least 5 days a week, eat a cheeseburger, drink more than one beer on the weekend, take an elevator instead of the stairs, etc then you must be weak minded too because all of those things are known to be 'bad' for you....Yes smoking isn't good, but don't be so self righteous and judgmental. It doesn't prove your point as much as you think.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2018, 04:12 PM
 
17,485 posts, read 17,338,523 times
Reputation: 25473
Quote:
Originally Posted by gizmo980 View Post
Btw, don't we have enough threads on this topic? We get it - you all hate smokers. Enough already!

And I hope everyone sitting on their high horses isn't at all overweight, never drinks, doesn't take any psychotropic or (Rx) pain-killing meds, always eats healthy and exercises daily, doesn't waste money on unnecessary things, etc, etc. Because you'd better be darned perfect if you want to judge others for their flaws! I don't really mind being asked WHY, as the OP did, but attacking people's character is another story.
Not my intention when I started this topic. It was about why people start smoking in this day and age when they know it to be extremely addictive and unhealthy. I had an uncle who was on many different drug addictions. He managed to quit the drugs and alcohol but couldn’t quit cigarettes. For those who’ve never tried tobacco or vaping nicotine, don’t try it and you won’t get addicted.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2018, 04:18 PM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
30,286 posts, read 51,759,953 times
Reputation: 23658
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nov3 View Post
It's okay to observe my flaws. And it's okay to share your concern on the un healthy results most will endure. I'm sure the intentions are well meant. Where I draw the line as I did with my boss is when he said one day : Nov3, statistically smokers call in sick more, have health issue and increase our business health insurance plan. Technically that's not an asset. I then said boss, not once have I called in sick or have I incured medical claims under the policy. Matter of fact ...I suffer from ptsd which has yet to be a direct result from smoking. But please do tell the last time you were out sick with asthma or your bronchitis.?Then you can lay down these stats.
Yeah, that one bothers me too! Maybe it can be proven statistically, but using that against individuals becomes almost a form of discrimination - like dog breed bans, where they say "statistically this breed is dangerous so they should ALL be banned/euthanized." I can't say the smoking hasn't affected my long-term health, but for now I actually take way LESS sick leave than most! I currently have about 320 sick hours banked, while colleagues who've been here longer have practically none (at any given time). So it isn't really fair to assume these things.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2018, 04:22 PM
 
Location: on the wind
22,912 posts, read 18,220,032 times
Reputation: 74187
Quote:
Originally Posted by scottgekko View Post
If you're:

more than 10 pounds overweight,
drink any type of sodas,
don't exercise at least 5 days a week,
eat a cheeseburger,
drink more than one beer on the weekend,
take an elevator instead of the stairs,

then you must be weak minded too because all of those things are known to be 'bad' for you.
Based on your checklist scottgekko I outrank an amoeba; well, maybe an earthworm, though you'd be surprised at how determined and single-minded earthworms are. I used to culture them to feed a frog colony. If an earthworm decides it wants to get someplace else almost NOTHING will stop it!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2018, 04:23 PM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
30,286 posts, read 51,759,953 times
Reputation: 23658
Quote:
Originally Posted by victimofGM View Post
Not my intention when I started this topic. It was about why people start smoking in this day and age when they know it to be extremely addictive and unhealthy. I had an uncle who was on many different drug addictions. He managed to quit the drugs and alcohol but couldn’t quit cigarettes. For those who’ve never tried tobacco or vaping nicotine, don’t try it and you won’t get addicted.
As I said, I'm less annoyed or offended by how you presented the question - more as a matter of curiosity, and just wondering WHY. I did offer an answer to that question, but it only really applies to adolescents/teens. As for why an adult these days would start, I guess the only answer is because they can and it feels good? Same reason people drink alcohol, or eat unhealthy foods, smoke weed, or do anything else they know isn't 100% healthy. Smoking just happens to be among the most addictive "feel-good" activities, making it nearly impossible to do within moderation... but we all think it won't happen to us, and we'll be the ONE person who can stop when they want. Human nature, I suppose.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Health and Wellness

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top