Moderate Smoking
 

I think that there are a lot of people out there who are like me and often have cigarettes when they drink. I personally cant stand the taste or feeling of smoking at all when I have not had a few drinks, however, once I have had a couple...it is like a switch is turned on inside my head and I want a cigarette. I have never smoked cigarettes religiously, and I never could.

That being said, I don't really enjoy the habit and I am concerned about the health risks, however, I have heard that smoking in moderation is just like anything else...that is, in moderation it is relatively safe.

I took a look around on the internet to see if there was any information out there as far as studies on moderate smoking/health risks associated with moderate smoking, however, there was nothing really informative available...

I have heard that, if you smoke less than 10 ciggies/week, your body can handle the toxins and remove them from your system. (This is hearsay, however, from a good source who asked his family doctor.) Anyway, I am interested to know if anyone out there has any evidence (anecdotal or otherwise) as to the risks of moderate smoking?

Also, if you have quit your moderate smoking habit, how did you do it!? :D

i have had like 1 cigarette in the past year... i was really drunk and a friend of mine left his smokes at the bar....


i bet i looked really retarded sucking one down

There's absolutely nothing remotely "safe" about even a single cigarette.

Now, is one smoke going to give you cancer? Probably not. But I still wouldn't call it safe.

I'm a former 10-year pack-a-day smoker. I've been clean just over a year and a half, and I KNOW that the first cigarette I touch, I'll be right back in it a pack a day. So I don't even go there casually.

I feel ya on that one.

My dad passed away from lung cancer that he got from "moderate smoking".

I never got hooked on the "cool to smoke" fad as a teenager, and have smoked about 3 cigarettes in my life, all whilst drunk.

So no i don't really smoke, i am too health conscious to even consider going near them. The pros (if any?) are vastly outweighed by the cons.

Even one cigarette will cause vasoconstriction. This raises BP. You also could get Lung Cancer still from cigarettes because it is an average sort of thing. I bet if you kept this up and you are a male, you will have a heart attack some time. Females could prpbably get away with smoking occ., but not males.

My state is on its way to public smoking bans. I can't wait until I can go to a club to see a band, and be able to breathe.

i gave up smoking about 3 months ago and i can already tell the difference in my breathing and general health etc. I was only smoking about 3 in the evenings each day, so i dread to think how much it would effect 20 a day people

My home town (Ottawa) did that a couple of years ago (Public Smoking Ban) and hitting the bars was finally enjoyable for me - I've never been a smoker. My school city (Montreal) does not have such a ban and I forgot how bad it is. Nasty.

don't smoke. I don't have the money to support it and my family has a history of getting lung disease early in our smokers.

It's the best thing in the world to go out to a bar or club and come home not smelling like an ash tray.


Ahhhh clean air!

Wow! I am impressed (and I must say, a bit downtrodden as well) that so few people indulge.

I think it is harder living in mainland Europe as well...since everyone here seems to smoke. I look forward to the restrictions in clubs in California if/when I make it out there....

Anyway...does anyone have the same affliction as me?!

I used to have the same condition ("social smoking"), except instead of being alcohol-related, it was when I was in town with a certain group of friends. They ALL smoke, and it'd get reaaaally tempting.

How'd I solve it? I became a pack a day smoker...dammit.

god cigarettes are so worthless. i havent heard one good reason to do them yet, except for a quick road to death. i hate people who say well im gonna die anyways, and use that bs line for an excuse, no shit your going to die, so in the time you have you dont want to live healthy? GOD i seriously HATE cigerettes and the smokers themselves

Don't hate me ghezzo...I didn't even do anyhthing to you!! ;)

Ditto! :)

Put this in your pipe and errr...smoke it:

http://www.reuters.co.uk//newsArticl...7&section=news

I could never understand social smokers... personally I can't smoke socially, I tried, I go right back to addiction.
I have some respect for you.

And I remember reading somewhere (on a pro-smoking site) that moderate smoking actually reduced your risk for several diseases because your lungs and heart were more resilient.

Personally I still wouldn't do it though, if only because it saves on money and you don't smell so incredibly bad.

I've quit, but gotten a permission from my bf to smoke for one weekend in situation that it would just have been
passive smoking all 3 days anyways.. I am not addicted to nicotine and it was just easy as that to quit totally after those 3 days. Actually, the sore throat and burning eyes and smelly clothes helped to get 98% conviction that I am not starting to smoke again.

Maybe it is better that I decide to quit...

122 doesnt seem bad, but damn, I want my eyeballs!!
http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com...a346100572.jpg

;)

I smoked for awhile but nothing ever serious and then I gave it up and hit the weights but now I started smoking again when I drink because that is what I always did and it sucks I am trying really hard but as soon as I have a beer I wanna light up!! Oh well it's a process and I'm sure I'll get there soon enough!!

I was a pack a day smoker when the Public Smoking Ban came into effect in Ottawa. I was upset at first, but I found I smoked a lot less whenever I went to a bar and had a lot easier time seeing and breathing, and stepping outside wasn't that big of a deal if I really wanted to smoke. Whenever I'm in Montreal I notice the difference too.

Nowadays, I smoke maybe 5-6 cigarettes a day, less if I'm not at work. It wasn't even a conscious decision, I won't call it healthy, but I definitely feel better than I did at a pack a day.

i have to give up the fucking fags (err ciggarettes for the Yanks ;))!!!! argh!

man it's hard.

i have had a months success chewing the gum, the patches just didnt work for me. i found it better to chew a gum when i had a craving instead of get a constant supply of nicotine. i crave at different times of the day and found that even with a patch i would still crave as if i had no nicotine at all! the gum was the way forward.

but alas, i am smoking again.

reading this thread has given me inspiration to try again tomorrow.

wish all of you wanna-be-non-smokers all the best! :)