Which to you think is worse smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol and why?

Question

It seems like more laws are being made about smoking then drinking. My opinion is smoking cigarettes is the lesser of the two evils because you can smoke a whole pack of cigarettes and still drive your car. however, drinking tampers with you ability to drive and you are risking everyone's you come in contact with. Agree or disagree.

Answer 1

I totally agree that it seems like more laws are being made about smoking than drinking. And maybe it's because we're used to laws being in place regarding drinking (public intoxication, drinking in public, etc...). However, we are also seeing promotion of drinking alcohol being good for you, yet we know that abusive drinking causes health problems, not to mention the immediate affects on our ability to function (drunk).

Smoking a pack of cigarettes, unlike alcohol, doesn't impair our senses to where we cause auto accidents, start fights, abuse our spouse and children, and the list could go on and on.

My brother died of lung cancer - never smoked and was rarely around someone who did.

A local attorney died of throat cancer (normally associated with tobacco use)- was not a tobacco user.

A local physicians assistant had tongue/jaw cancer (normally associated with tobacco use) - not a tobacco user.

We are persuaded to believe that tobacco smoke causes cancer. Could the actual causes be more related to the environment? Maybe it's the diesel truck, the microwave oven, the chlorine in the water, the factory in the neighboring town. We wouldn't want to admit that or we can't do anything about that, so we'll blame it on the smoker, because, well, we don't like to smell that smoke anyway. A little intolerant of others - I think.

I don't really think cigarettes or alcohol, either one, are bad for you. Moderation is the key. Too much of them will cause health problems. Too much food will too. Too much water will too. So do we regulate how and when we eat and drink water - I don't think so...lol! We back off the laws and regulations and let people make their own choices.

Oh, and for those of you who don't want your children to be exposed to cigarette smoke, then you better make them wear a respirator because the fumes they inhale from the traffic on the street is far worse than the "smoker" walking pass you.

Don't worry - be happy!

Answer 2

I don't know. That's too deep for me. I don't smoke but I am a 51 year old alcoholic who has been drinking since about age 23 and still drinks several times a week even though it's ruining my health. I can't help it. When I get the urge it just takes over. I have heard that it's harder to stop smoking than to stop drinking but I don't know about that either. I just know how hard it is to quit drinking. I haven't had more than two or three weeks sobriety in over seven years. I do know that the vast majority of people in AA smoke and drink coffee, which I don't do either. The health risks from smoking are obvious. It does cause cancer and chronic bronchitis and emphysema and COPD and heart disease. The health risks from drinking are more subtle but no less deadly. Also both have serious collateral damages. Second hand smoke causes serious health risks and drinking and driving causes injuries and death and destruction. So again, I can't say, but darn good question. The debate will probably never be settled on that in my lifetime and probably not yours either.

Answer 3

I have a couple problems if I do not smoke. Hyperactivity and a hieghtened sense of smell. I use cigarettes and cigars like someone uses medicine. Even those medicines have side effects that can be worse than the problem they are treating.
As for my sense of smell, I do not think anyone would want to shower or bathe every 20 minutes or so to wash off that blood smell to appease me. No amount of cologne or perfume can cover it up, for my nose. Both men and women carry that smell on a monthly basis. The combination of my sense of smell and hyperactivity turns me into something like, imagine if you will, Robin Williams on amphetamines.

Answer 4

When one smokes at home, work or in the vicinity of others, he spreads second-hand smoke to everyone. Lung cancer results. The health deteriorates over time and one's life span is shortened. Many fights, injuries and deaths have been caused at home, while driving or at the pubs, due to drunken persons. There were many big hotel fires caused by drunk persons who smoke in bed, causing many deaths, as the fire spread from floor to floor. Many divorces happened as a result of violence and physical abuse in the home. I would consider alcohol drinking the worse evil as it can cause greater tragedies in a shorter time than cigarette smoking. More males than females are drunk. And the saddest thing is many mothers and wives pray that their heavy-drinking sons or husbands return home safely during the period friday to sunday nights. The week-ends tend to have more serious road accidents.

Answer 5

I disagree - smoking cigarettes is far worse than drinking alcohol.

It is a valid point that you can still drive your car after smoking a cigarette and that alcohol prohibits you from safely driving. But I feel that you need to consider a lot more factors to determine which is worse, for example (and there are plenty more):

- one glass of wine is unlikely to do any permanent damage whereas even just one cigarette can do damage
- alcohol can be taken in moderation
- both are not recommended when pregnant
- breathing problems
- the smell

Answer 6

Either one will kill you. Drinking will kill you faster if you consume alot on a daily basis than a pack of smokes. Never smoked in my life but I've been drinking heavy for 6 years and I'm just 23 and have serious alcohol related health problems.

Answer 7

well you made a valid point about the whole driving and drinking problem.. but cigarettes are worse because you get second hand smoke and it ruins your lungs and causes cancer... makes your fingers turn yellow.. ruins taste buds... makes you smell like cigarettes.. I just think smoking is dirty

Answer 8

smoking is worse in my book. Not only can you the smoker get cancer, but you can also make me the non-smoker get cancer. and cancer far out weighs the drinking driving thing. I can call a cab or be designated driver for somebody. MY friends can call me any time, day or night and I will pick them up, no questions asked.

Answer 9

In the short term, alcohol has more of an effect.
Over the long term, cigarettes cause more harm to your body.

Answer 10

I do them both...I am still alive after 43 years.