Chadillac

For some people, smoking has little to no effect on them. Some people are just blessed with better genetics than others. I'm glad that it seems second-hand smoke has had no effect on you. But that still doesn't mean that there's not billions of dollars spent every year treating diseases caused by smoking.

I know that smoking will never be banned in this country. That law will never be passed. I was just giving my opinion.

And banning alcohol... I'd be all for it. I've never drank in my life. Thousands of people die every year from drunk drivers and I believe there are more E.R. visits from alcohol than any other drug. Of course, we both know that alcohol will never be banned in this country (again) either.

FijiBlueFG2HT

Well yes, you need proper lighting and nutrients to make a 20lb pumpkin grow, but other than that, there is little work involved. It is mostly to make sure that pests don't eat the leaves of your 20lb pumpkin.

Unlike with tobacco which requires an extensive amount of work, and special soil, etc.

Similar to alcohol, tobacco is an extensive process to grow properly, and to grow so that it tastes good. 20lb pumpkins are much easier to grow and make pumpkin pie that tastes good, out of.

Si87

Not correct. Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle, but will not correct lung disease. The Alveoli in your lungs are like brain cells, once they are gone, they are gone. Smoking damages and kills these. Look up smoking and restrictive lung disease, you'll understand why exercise is useless.

The nose is the primary filter for air, the bronchioles do assist with the cleaning process (mucous). Smoking ANYTHING causes inflammation of the airways and excess mucous secretion. This makes breathing a lot more difficult.

It can cause the ejection of mucous from the airways, but the primary problem with smoking is the carcinogenic compounds associated with it. These enter the blood stream in a matter of seconds, gas exchange is the primary purpose of our lungs and they are very efficient at it. Lets not forget the primary irreversible damage caused to the lungs by smoking.

Smoking is a social activity that is detrimental to the body, don't think exercise can protect you. The only thing that can protect you is freakishly lucky genetics, if you have them.

Just wanted to correct some of the false facts being presented here

cdc3rd

Here's an interesting article: This Doctor says that second hand smoke does not kill, complete with references.
The Myth of Second Hand Smoke

Pen and Teller even did an episode on second hand smoke:


"Not one study, anywhere, offers conclusive proof that breathing in second hand smoke causes cancer. Not one."
(Link to the EPA study claiming that second hand smoke is a carcinogen that was debunked: http://www.tobaccocontrol.neu.edu/TC...a_nutshell.htm)

Here's a WebMD article:
Secondhand Smoke Study Raises Ire

Here's a study from 1998:
http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/r...90/19/1440.pdf

Here's someone's analysis of many articles: Secondhand Smoke Studies: The Hype and The Deceit


I've never smoked in my life and I never will. I do not like the smell of smoke. I do not like being around smoke.
Still, I have no right to tell people they can not smoke. If I do not like the smoke in a place, I will not go there.

We have no right to stick a gun in a bar owner's face and tell them that they are not allowed to have people smoke in their business.

Just be honest. If you do not like second hand smoke, just say so. You do not have to blindly believe that it is giving you cancer so you get to tell other people what to do. I'd rather that no one smoked, but it's not up to me. We live in a free country and I do not have the right to demand other people stop doing something just because I do not like it, and neither do you.

Ayodog

Ban fast food before you ban cigarettes. Until my knee injury that stopped me from playing bball i never smoked cigarettes. Now, i do them on a regular basis. Probably because almost everyone of my friends ( 80-90% or so ) smokes cigarettes and i'm ALWAYS around it. I have quite on several occasions and once i'm up playing ball again i'm sure i can quit again.

So i'm obviously not against smoking cigarettes, but i am against obesity. I'm sorry but while second hand smoke isn't that pleasant if you arnt a smoker, ( or even if you are which is where i fall into ) i feel sick when i see anyone obese.

So if fat people can still eat their mcdonalds, then let people smoke. Fat People dont even have to pay extra taxes which smokers do!

B MAN

watch thank you for smoking

soxfan143

Great post man. I've been a smoker on and off for almost 20 years now and I have no right to tell someone else what to do. Neither does anyone else. Why not ban alcohol. Alcohol is worse than pot all day and it's legal for consumption. When have you ever heard of a guy smoking a joint then beating his wife because the meatloaf was cold? Booze has been at the forefront of domestic abuse and drunk driving deaths and other serious medical conditions. It hurts more innocent non users than smoking tobacco or pot ever has. I'm not for banning any of these substances but if they were to make any of them illegal, booze should be at the top of the list. At least smokers only harm themselves.

pprancer

why is it legal? just because almost everyone from govt smokes cigarette.

B MAN

doesnt obama smoke?

Chadillac

This is a Doctor's blog. His website is nor peer reviewed and he's not even an expert in the subject. He's a surgeon.

Pen and Teller... Seriously?

I can't find that quote in your reference. And this reference even seems to go against your argument. This talks about a judge's ruling that second hand smoke be declassified of a (Group A) Carconigen because she felt that the EPA was cherry-picking data. But the lawyer that wrote this article explains exactly why the EPA chose the studies it did.

And this still doesn't effect the results from the EPA that show that second hand smoke helps cause:

acute respiratory illnesses in children
acute and chronic middle ear diseases
cough, phlegm and wheezing
asthma
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
lung function in children
respiratory symptoms and lung function in adults

Are you even reading your own references? All this says is that a controversial study came out that says there is no link between second hand smoke and heart disease or lung cancer. But then it says the American Cancer Society "blasted the study" saying it misused data and the Surgeon General even called the study bogus.

This study is actually worth something. However, they do find a correlation between workplace and spousal exposure to an increase in lung cancer. This goes against your argument. They however did not find a correlation between childhood exposure and lung cancer.

I didn't even bother reading this article. It's put together by a group with a pro-smoking agenda.

If their smoking is having an effect on your children's health and your health, you have every right to tell them you can't smoke. If they want to smoke in their own home where they will not effect anyone else, then that's fine. But as soon as they step onto a public place they need to realize they're not only effecting their health but ours as well.

Who's talking about sticking guns in people's faces?

I do tell people.

Blindly? I do not even believe that you read your own references and you're calling us blind?

The EPA has concluded from peer-reviewed studies (not blogs and TV shows) that second hand smoke does cause lung cancer (Health Effects | Smoke-free Homes Program | US EPA) among several other diseases.

If their actions are effecting our health and lives, then yes, we do have every right to tell them to stop smoking.

cdc3rd

Did I claim all I posted was accurate? Did I miss something?
I'm just saying that there are two sides to the argument, and it's a damn shame if smoking is banned in places because of side effects it does not cause.

That's from the episode, watch it.

So you should only read things that are put together by the side that already supports your conclusion? Awesome.

That is what you are doing every time a new law is passed.

How many of those use the study that was thrown out as a reference?

You driving puts me at risk. I demand you stop driving.

Do you really need a nanny to watch out for you and control other people? If you do not like the smoke somewhere, leave.
If it really was that dangerous, then you would run from anyone with a cigarette. If you don't, then you don't believe what you say.

Oje

Where do you tell people to stop? Im just curious where you feel you own the air. Say youre at a park pushing your kid on the swing. Another guy comes up and pushes his kid on the swing next to you and lights up. Are you asking him to put it out? If so, and he says no, whats your next move? Do you actually become confrontational with smokers?

And if you walk by a car in a parking lot blowing awful smoke out do you go over and tell them to get their car fixed? That air is also harmful, if not worse.

cdc3rd

You leave.

What if he was cursing? Do you have a right to tell him to stop? No. You would leave.
What if he smells bad? Do you have a right to tell him to take a shower? No. You would leave.

You do not have a right to not be offended.

That's different. His car will not pass inspection, so it should not be on the road.

Willie Mack

Smoking is legal because there's money in it. The same can be said for coffee, energy drinks and soda. All have shown to have some adverse effect on the body. While not to a degree of smoking, it still does damage. A real question is why is mixing red bull with vodka still legal. That kills your heart but they charg 4 bucks a cup, so i guess that makes it all good.

Oje

Oh i totally agree. I was trying to find out how the anti-smokers go about telling people not to smoke around them.

Like i said i dont smoke, but im all for people doing it wherever they feel like. I couldnt imagine standing in a public place and having someone tell me to stop doing a totally legal activity just because they dont like it. Id probably light 3 more and just let them burn. Thats why im curious how he goes about telling them. And if he tries to tell them and they dont comply does he get angry?

cdc3rd

Why is mixing bleach and liquid plumber as an awesome drink still legal? That will kill you real fast.

Do we need a nanny watching our every move so we don't kill ourselves?

Willie Mack

+1.

Oje

I dont think so. The warning on the box should be enough. It tells you right on there it can cause cancer. If after reading that you decide you still want to smoke them i say go nuts.

I have to say most smokers i know are always trying to quit, or they plan to quit. However not my mom. Shes smoked my entire life, loves it, has no intentions of stopping and doesnt care if it kills her. She says she'll die doing something she enjoys.

Guess im alot like that with diet. I eat awful, i mean bad, but everything i eat tastes amazing lol As long as im thin im going to keep eating that way. I see no point in eating salad and whole grain bars that will taste like crap so i can prolong my life to continue eating crap. If i have to do things i dont want to do to live longer i dont want to keep living to just do things i dont like lol

Chadillac

Yeah, your side of the argument comes from TV shows and blogs. And then you tell the people that believe second hand smoke causes cancer that they're blind. Nice.

I can't watch youtube at work.

No. I read all of your other "sources" didn't I? But that group is obviously biased and therefore can't be trusted to present the facts accurately and fairly. They're going to present all of the conclusions that support their side as fact and leave out anything that contradicts them.

Everytime a law is passed I'm pointing a gun at their head? You're not even making sense here.

The EPA looks at all of the peer-reviewed studies on second hand smoking to come up with their conclusions. Sorry, they don't bother with TV shows and internet blogs.

You can't compare driving with smoking. Do I really have to explain to you why?

Yes, that's why we have a Government. If we didn't we'd be living in what would be called complete anarchy.

Actually, quite often I do. Or I at least move upwind of the person smoking so I don't have to breathe their smoke.

But unlike driving, they're smoking by habit, not by need. It's not fair that my insurance premiums are higher because of other people's habits. And it's not fair that they're able to smoke in public places where they're causing physical harm to other people. A "free" country doesn't mean you get to go around and do whatever you want. If doing something merely by habit is causing harm to other people, then no, I don't believe you should be able to go around and smoke in public places.

It really is that dangerous. If you want to believe TV shows and internet blogs over peer-reviewed studies, go right ahead. But don't expect anyone else to take you seriously.

Chadillac

When they're in a public place and obviously being inconsiderate of the people around them, I tell them to stop.

I never said I "own" the air around me. But people need to be considerate about the people around them in a public place.

Yes, I'd ask him kindly to please stop smoking and explain that I do not like breathing in his smoke. If he refuses, I leave.

Yes, that would be the proper thing to do. If their car is blowing out a lot of smoke it's probably not passing emissions and is therefore illegal to drive.