Do you think the risks of smoking are overstated?

Question

For example, antismoking organizations make it sound as though anyone who smokes will get lung cancer and they use scary sounding statistics like "smokers have a 10 times greater chance of dying of lung cancer," when the truth is that only 1% of nonsmokers die of lung cancer (meaning that 10% of smokers die of it -- not something like 90% which is what they make it seem).

And yes, I know smoking's not good for me, but I'm 24 and have smoked for 10 years and yet I don't have any of the horrible consequences that they threaten you with as a kid -- I don't have yellow fingers, skin and teeth, I don't get out of breath easily, I'm not out of shape etc etc. I want to quit, but I still question a lot of the antismoking propaganda.

And a link if you're interested: http://www.journaloftheoretics.com/Editorials/Vol-1/e1-4.htm

Answer 1

Dude, I'm older than you, so I've seen what 20 or 30 years of smoking does to people. My father used to cough at night - so hard he'd throw up. Then the coughing started again. As a kid I'd lie awake at night wondering if he was dying. He was, but it took many years of misery, and I was in college when I finally lost him to the smokes. I would never date a man who smoked because I didn't want to have to go through that horror again, but I did meet many smokers that I really enojoyed knowing. Most have died long before their times of lung cancer, emphysema, or early-onset heart attacks. I have been to a lot of funerals of men and women who should still be in the prime of life.

One of my pals finally quit, but his lungs were so scarred that he wheezes when he talks and can't walk across the room without being tired. Another is in remission from a second bout of lung cancer. Still another got cancer of the mouth - that's really nasty. I honestly do not know a smoker over 40 who is in any reasonable state of health.

At 24 you can still overcome the effects because of your youth. By 34 you'll start to look and feel old - and it's all downhill from there.

In a way it would be better if it killed you more quickly. What my Dad suffered for the last 10-15 years of his life should not happen to anyone. He was a good man, but I never knew him when he could go for walks or play ball or do much of anything else at all active. Do you want your children to remember you, sadly, as someone who wasn't able to live life to the fullest? Do you want them lying awake at night listening to you cough - vomit - cough?

Answer 2

You have convinced yourself that you are ok, but over a long period of time, smoking is slowly destroying your lungs. Mostly you will notice as you get older, things begin to catch up with you. Again some people show signs ealier and others later for whatever reason. Give it up, look up on the internet what smoking does to you, the effects on your unborn child,long before your partner gets pregnant, theres a lot at stake just to puff your money away. You only have one life, why do you want to ruin it and whether you believe it or not, you are ruining it. Go somewhere all the smokers congragate and watch them. They all have their little routines, how they hold it, how many puffs to a smoke, how they flick the ash off, brush at their clothes just after they light up. They do the same with every smoke and its just a bad habit. At the end of the day, its your life and when you are in your later years and have to go to bed with an oxygen bottle and tubes up your nose or you may suffocate if you dont., that reminds me of why I gave it up after 20 years of smoking. Yes I am healthy and show no signs and for that I am grateful

Answer 3

I am also a smoker. And I used to ahve the same outlook as you, I started younger and smoked until I was 25. Slowly the skin yellowed, due to my good health, exercise and smoking less than a pack a day it just took longer to feel the effects. I say its a scared straight style ad campain, but there fact is it is not healthy and will catch up with you. Dont be pressured by the busybody ladies who stuff their nose up in the air at you 'nags'. However, the earlier we quite the longer life we will enjoy.

Answer 4

Forgetting the effects of cancer-causing chemicals for a second, there is a strictly mechanical reason smoking can cause a dry socket. The blood clot needs to stay in place. Anything that can pull it off the extraction site can lead to a dry socket - not just smoking, but also drinking through a straw, vigorous rinsing/spitting - even blowing your nose with your mouth closed can do it. That "sucking" motion can set you up for a dry soclet. I know someone who got a dry socket after blowing up a balloon at her kid's birthday party. Below is a link which explains a bit more about dry sockets and how to avoid them. Check it out. ***Hope this helps!

Answer 5

Very simply put, Smoking is harmful. Its the long range affects. Only God know what you die of, but I know the longer you smoke the harder it is to quit. I have smoked for 40 years, I fight the battle every day to try and quit. I was like you, young and unstop-able. Today, I see where walking up stairs take my breath away. It affects my diabetes and keep my sugar from staying at normal, after a cig. Any thing you put in your body will work against you. Take and really think about quitting for your futur if you want it. I think smoking is hyped up, but I know I have the yellow nails, the old lines in my face. and I feel terrible waking up the coughing and flem in my throat. If you want the regret of yesterday, keep smoking. KA

Answer 6

I don't think the risks of smoking are overstated. I think that smoking is disgusting and really bad for people and even if you don't die of lung cancer think of all the harmful things that are in cigarettes things like Carbon monoxide(Exposure to CO reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen), Ammonia (can be very irritating to the skin, eyes, nose, throat, and lungs) and worst of all Hydrogen cyanide (It rapidly becomes a gas that can produce death in minutes if breathed.)

Answer 7

Yep, back when I was a kid probably 50% or more adults smoked, there was ashtrays at the ends of the isles in grocery stores, and just about everywhere you went. Both my parents smoked. In the car, in the home, heck everywhere. If what they say about 2nd hand smoke was true, half the population in the world would have asthma or cancer right now.

Answer 8

OK, to answer your question with a question- how many wild animals do you see with burning fire coming out of their mouths?

I've had too many friends die of cancer to discount it like you have. Lung cancer is almost always fatal, because by the time the symptoms show up, the cancers metatastized throughout the whole system

Answer 9

They are not overstated. Why don't you go visit your local cancer ward and see what the end of your route is. Talk to the people there and see if they wished they had not started.

If you want to quit, contact your local county health department for programs to help you quit.

Answer 10

Mate...us "smokers" know what we r doing! But 4 u to say u have no symptons...is fine! but u have only been smoking for 10 yrs....Symptons will probably come maybe not 4 another 10 - 15 yrs...but they will come. I smoke because I enjoy it! But I know it WILL kill me eventually! But until that day comes...Good luck! ( to both of us).