I've decided to take up smoking.

There he goes again.....

 

What is the extent and
impact of tobacco use?
According to the 1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, an estimated 62 million Americans were current smokers in 1996, and another 6.8 million used smokeless tobacco, which means that nicotine is one of the most widely abused substances. In addition, it is estimated that each day in the United States, nearly 3,000 people under the age of 18 will start smoking. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of cigarette smoking among U.S. high school students increased from 27.5 percent in 1991 to 36.4 percent in 1997. NIDA's own Monitoring the Future Study, which annually surveys drug use and related attitudes of America's adolescents, also found the prevalence rates for smoking among youth remained high. Since 1975, nicotine in the form of cigarettes has consistently been the substance the greatest number of high school students use daily.
The impact of nicotine addiction in terms of morbidity, mortality, and economic costs to society is staggering. Tobacco kills more than 430,000 U.S. citizens each year - more than alcohol, cocaine, heroin, homicide, suicide, car accidents, fire, and AIDS combined. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.
Economically, smoking is responsible for approximately 7 percent of total U.S. health care costs, an estimated $50 billion each year. However, this cost is well below the total cost to society because it does not include burn care from smoking-related fires, perinatal care for low-birth-weight infants of mothers who smoke, and medical care costs associated with disease caused by secondhand smoke. Taken together, the direct and indirect costs of smoking are estimated at more than $100 billion per year.
How does nicotine
deliver its effect?
Nicotine can act as both a stimulant and a sedative. Immediately after exposure to nicotine, there is a "kick" caused in part by the drug's stimulation of the adrenal glands and resulting discharge of epinephrine (adrenaline). The rush of adrenaline stimulates the body and causes a sudden release of glucose as well as an increase in blood pressure, respiration, and heart rate. Nicotine also suppresses insulin output from the pancreas, which means that smokers are always slightly hyperglycemic. In addition, nicotine indirectly causes a release of dopamine in the brain regions that control pleasure and motivation. This reaction is similar to that seen with other drugs of abuse - such as cocaine and heroin - and it is thought to underlie the pleasurable sensations experienced by many smokers. In contrast, nicotine can also exert a sedative effect, depending on the level of the smoker's nervous system arousal and the dose of nicotine taken.

 

How do we know which chemicals
are carcinogenic?
Researchers can assess the cancer-causing
properties of chemicals in several ways. In
some cases, it has been possible to survey
groups of people who have been exposed to
certain carcinogens over a long period of
time. An 18th century study of chimney
sweeps with scrotal cancer caused by long-
term exposure to soot was the first to
establish a link between cancer and
chemicals in the environment. More
recently, scientists have studied the roles of
cigarette smoke and asbestos in the
development of cancer.
Unfortunately, it has not been possible to
conduct such a study for all chemicals. It is
especially difficult to study the effects of
substances on people when the exposed
population is continually changing due to
individuals moving into and out of the group.
If the risk is low, it is nearly impossible to
decide what risk is due to the chemical and
what risk is due to other factors.

 

The Hell With Cigarettes, Pot Is Better, Much Better...Pot And Beer...

-Yoda

 

What happens when nicotine
is taken for long periods
of time?
Chronic exposure to nicotine results in addiction. Research is just beginning to document all of the neurological changes that accompany the development and maintenance of nicotine addiction. The behavioral consequences of these changes are well documented, however. Greater than 90 percent of those smokers who try to quit without seeking treatment fail, with most relapsing within a week.
Repeated exposure to nicotine results in the development of tolerance, the condition in which higher doses of a drug are required to produce the same initial stimulation. Nicotine is metabolized fairly rapidly, disappearing from the body in a few hours. Therefore some tolerance is lost overnight, and smokers often report that the first cigarettes of the day are the strongest and/or the "best." As the day progresses, acute tolerance develops, and later cigarettes have less effect.
Cessation of nicotine use is followed by a withdrawal syndrome that may last a month or more; it includes symptoms that can quickly drive people back to tobacco use. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms include irritability, craving, cognitive and attentional deficits, sleep disturbances, and increased appetite and may begin within a few hours after the last cigarette. Symptoms peak within the first few days and may subside within a few weeks. For some people, however, symptoms may persist for months or longer.
An important but poorly understood component of the nicotine withdrawal syndrome is craving, an urge for nicotine that has been described as a major obstacle to successful abstinence. High levels of craving for tobacco may persist for 6 months or longer. While the withdrawal syndrome is related to the pharmacological effects of nicotine, many behavioral factors also can affect the severity of withdrawal symptoms. For some people, the feel, smell, and sight of a cigarette and the ritual of obtaining, handling, lighting, and smoking the cigarette are all associated with the pleasurable effects of smoking and can make withdrawal or craving worse. While nicotine gum and patches may alleviate the pharmacological aspects of withdrawal, cravings often persist.
What are the medical
consequences of nicotine use?
The medical consequences of nicotine exposure result from effects of both the nicotine itself and how it is taken. The most deleterious effects of nicotine addiction are the result of tobacco use, which accounts for one-third of all cancers. Foremost among the cancers caused by tobacco is lung cancer - the number one cancer killer of both men and women. Cigarette smoking has been linked to about 90 percent of all lung cancer cases.
In addition to lung cancer, smoking also causes lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and it has been found to exacerbate asthma symptoms in adults and children. Smoking is also associated with cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, cervix, kidney, ureter, and bladder. The overall rates of death from cancer are twice as high among smokers as among nonsmokers, with heavy smokers having rates that are four times greater than those of nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of cancer in the United States.
In addition to its ability to cause cancer, a relationship between cigarette smoking and coronary heart disease was first reported in the 1940s. Since that time, it has been well documented that smoking substantially increases the risk of heart disease, including stroke, heart attack, vascular disease, and aneurysm. It is estimated that nearly one-fifth of deaths from heart disease are attributable to smoking.
While we often think of medical consequences that result from direct use of tobacco products, passive or secondary smoke also increases the risk for many diseases. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a major source of indoor air contaminants; secondhand smoke is estimated to cause approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths per year among nonsmokers and contributes to as many as 40,000 d

 

If he continues, it will become more dangerous to his (JCF) health than smoking itself.

 

Yikes! In the 4000 chemicals in cigarette tobacco, there are 43 known carcinogens. One is too many for me, much less 43 of them! Look what we've been smoking all these years!
Acetanisole, Acetic Acid, Acetoin, Acetophenone, 6-Acetoxydihydrotheaspirane, 2-Acetyl-3- Ethylpyrazine, 2-Acetyl-5-Methylfuran, Acetylpyrazine, 2-Acetylpyridine, 3-Acetylpyridine, 2-Acetylthiazole, Aconitic Acid, dl-Alanine, Alfalfa Extract, Allspice Extract, Oleoresin, And Oil, Allyl Hexanoate, Allyl Ionone, Almond Bitter Oil, Ambergris Tincture, Ammonia, Ammonium Bicarbonate, Ammonium Hydroxide, Ammonium Phosphate Dibasic, Ammonium Sulfide, Amyl Alcohol, Amyl Butyrate, Amyl Formate, Amyl Octanoate, alpha-Amylcinnamaldehyde, Amyris Oil, trans-Anethole, Angelica Root Extract, Oil and Seed Oil, Anise, Anise Star, Extract and Oils, Anisyl Acetate, Anisyl Alcohol, Anisyl Formate, Anisyl Phenylacetate, Apple Juice Concentrate, Extract, and Skins, Apricot Extract and Juice Concentrate, 1-Arginine, Asafetida Fluid Extract And Oil, Ascorbic Acid, 1-Asparagine Monohydrate, 1-Aspartic Acid, Balsam Peru and Oil, Basil Oil, Bay Leaf, Oil and Sweet Oil, Beeswax White, Beet Juice Concentrate, Benzaldehyde,Benzaldehyde Glyceryl Acetal, Benzoic Acid, Benzoin, Benzoin Resin, Benzophenone, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Butyrate, Benzyl Cinnamate, Benzyl Propionate, Benzyl Salicylate, Bergamot Oil, Bisabolene, Black Currant Buds Absolute, Borneol, Bornyl Acetate, Buchu Leaf Oil, 1,3-Butanediol, 2,3-Butanedione, 1-Butanol, 2-Butanone, 4(2-Butenylidene)-3,5,5-Trimethyl-2-Cyclohexen-1-One, Butter, Butter Esters, and Butter Oil, Butyl Acetate, Butyl Butyrate, Butyl Butyryl Lactate, Butyl Isovalerate, Butyl Phenylacetate, Butyl Undecylenate, 3-Butylidenephthalide, Butyric Acid, Cadinene, Caffeine, Calcium Carbonate, Camphene, Cananga Oil, Capsicum Oleoresin, Caramel Color, Caraway Oil, Carbon Dioxide, Cardamom Oleoresin, Extract, Seed Oil, and Powder, Carob Bean and Extract, beta-Carotene, Carrot Oil, Carvacrol, 4-Carvomenthenol, 1-Carvone, beta-Caryophyllene, beta-Caryophyllene Oxide, Cascarilla Oil and Bark Extract, Cassia Bark Oil, Cassie Absolute and Oil, Castoreum Extract,Tincture and Absolute,Cedar Leaf Oil, Cedarwood Oil Terpenes and Virginiana, Cedrol, Celery Seed Extract, Solid, Oil, And Oleoresin, Cellulose Fiber, Chamomile Flower Oil And Extract, Chicory Extract, Chocolate, Cinnamaldehyde, Cinnamic Acid, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Bark Oil, and Extract, Cinnamyl Acetate, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Cinnamyl Cinnamate, Cinnamyl Isovalerate, Cinnamyl Propionate, Citral, Citric Acid, Citronella Oil, dl-Citronellol, Citronellyl Butyrate, Citronellyl Isobutyrate, Civet Absolute, Clary Oil, Clover Tops, Red Solid Extract, Cocoa, Cocoa Shells, Extract, Distillate And Powder, Coconut Oil, Coffee, Cognac White and Green Oil, Copaiba Oil, Coriander Extract and Oil, Corn Oil, Corn Silk, Costus Root Oil, Cubeb Oil, Cuminaldehyde, para-Cymene, 1-Cysteine, Dandelion Root Solid Extract, Davana Oil, 2-trans, 4-trans-Decadienal, delta-Decalactone, gamma-Decalactone, Decanal, Decanoic Acid, 1-Decanol, 2-Decenal, Dehydromenthofurolactone, Diethyl Malonate, Diethyl Sebacate, 2,3-Diethylpyrazine,Dihydro Anethole, 5,7-Dihydro-2-Methylthieno(3,4-D) Pyrimidine, Dill Seed Oil and Extract, meta-Dimethoxybenzene, para-Dimethoxybenzene, 2,6-Dimethoxyphenol, Dimethyl Succinate, 3,4-Dimethyl-1,2-Cyclopentanedione, 3,5- Dimethyl-1,2-Cyclopentanedione, 3,7-Dimethyl-1,3,6-Octatriene, 4,5-Dimethyl-3-Hydroxy-2,5-Dihydrofuran-2-One, 6,10-Dimethyl-5,9-Undecadien-2-One, 3,7-Dimethyl-6-Octenoic Acid, 2,4-Dimethylacetophenone, alpha,para-Dimethylbenzyl Alcohol, alpha,alpha-Dimethylphenethyl Acetate, alpha,alpha Dimethylphenethyl Butyrate, 2,3-Dimethylpyrazine,2,5-Dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-Dimethylpyrazine, Dimethyltetrahydrobenzofuranone, delta-Dodecalactone, gamma-Dodecalactone, para-Ethoxybenzaldehyde, Ethyl 10-Undecenoate, Ethyl 2-Methylbutyrate, Ethyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetoacetate, Ethyl Alcohol, Ethyl Benzoate, Ethyl Butyrate, Ethyl Cinnamate, Ethyl Decanoate, Ethyl Fenchol, Ethyl Furoate, Ethyl Hepta

 

[image=http://www.thefox.com/timages/page/def-leppard.jpg]

Talk about smokin'!

 

Smoking's not that bad if you only do it occasionally. In my case, I only smoke once I've had enought to drink that I can't really taste how bad they are.
I'm not condoning constant smoking in public places, I'm just saying if you're at a party and you're bored, why not?

 

this is really going overboard

 

Cardiovascular System
Inhaling tobacco smoke causes several immediate responses in the heart and its blood vessels.

Within one minute of starting to smoke, the heart rate begins to rise; increasing by as much as 30% during the first 10 minutes. Blood pressure is also raised by smoking: vessels constrict, which forces the heart to work harder to deliver oxygen to the rest of the body. These responses are caused by nicotine.

In the meantime, carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke exerts a negative effect on the heart by reducing the blood's ability to carry oxygen. Cigarette smoking, raised blood cholesterol, and high blood pressure are the most firmly established non-hereditary risk factors leading to coronary heart disease (CHD) with cigarette smoking being the most important of them.

Respiratory Tract
Smoking causes several lung diseases that can be just as dangerous as cancer. Chronic bronchitis is one, where airways produce excess mucus causing a severe cough. Emphysema is another that slowly destroys the ability to breathe.

Chronic obstructive lung disease (including bronchitis and emphysema) is a progressively disabling condition, of which smoking is the main cause. It can cause prolonged illness due to difficulty in breathing because of the obstruction or narrowing of small airways.

For oxygen to reach the blood it must move across large surfaces in the lungs. Normally, thousands of tiny sacs make up about 100 square yards of surface area. When emphysema occurs, the walls between the sacs break down and create larger but fewer sacs, significantly decreasing the amount of oxygen reaching the blood. These are essential for the exchange of oxygen in the blood: when they break down, the lung loses its elasticity and there is less surface in the lung to absorb oxygen.

The onset of the disease is gradual and breathlessness only becomes troublesome when about half the lung has been destroyed.

Eventually, the lung surface area can become so small that a person with emphysema has to spend most of the time gasping for breath, with an oxygen bottle near by or with oxygen tubes inserted into the nasal cavity. The disease is rarely reversible once established.

Cigarette smoke contains chemicals that irritate the air passages and lungs. These substances are inhaled, and the body - in an attempt to protect itself - coughs to expel them.

The cough experienced in the mornings happens for different reasons. Normally, cilia (tiny hair-like formations lining airways) beat outward and sweep harmful material out of the lungs. Cigarette smoke, however, decreases the sweeping action, so some of the poisons in the smoke remain.

During sleep, some cilia recover and begin working again. After waking up, coughing occurs because the lungs are trying to clear away the poisons that built up the previous day. Unfortunately, prolonged exposure to smoke completely destroys the cilia's ability to function. The lungs are even more exposed and susceptible than before, especially to bacteria and viruses in the air.

Skin
Skin damaged by smoke has a grey, wasted appearance. Tobacco smoking affects skin in two ways.

Firstly, smoke released into the environment has a drying effect on the skin's surface. Secondly, because smoking restricts blood vessels, it reduces the amount of blood flowing to the skin. This depletes it of oxygen and essential nutrients.

Smoking reduces the protein elastin which is necessary for suppleness. Research suggests smoking causes a reduction in the body's store of vitamin A, which provides protection against some skin-damaging agents produced by smoking.

Wrinkling around the eyes and mouth are attributed to squinting to avoid smoke in the eyes and pursing the mouth when drawing on a cigarette. This drawing on the cigarette is also thought to be the reason that some smokers develop hollow cheeks: this is particularly noticeable in under-weight smokers, giving them a gaunt appearance.

Prolonged smoking also causes discolouration of the fingers and nails on the hand used to hol

 

and as for a brand, I usually just take whatever I can bum off someone.

 

You have to admire his tenacity. It's almost autistic in a way.

 

Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Each year, more than 400,000 Americans die from cigarette smoking. In fact, one in every five deaths in the United States is smoking related. Every year, smoking kills more than 276,000 men and 142,000 women.1

Between 1960 and 1990, deaths from lung cancer among women have increased by more than 400%?exceeding breast cancer deaths in the mid-1980s.2 The American Cancer Society estimated that in 1994, 64,300 women died from lung cancer and 44,300 died from breast cancer.3

Men who smoke increase their risk of death from lung cancer by more than 22 times and from bronchitis and emphysema by nearly 10 times. Women who smoke increase their risk of dying from lung cancer by nearly 12 times and the risk of dying from bronchitis and emphysema by more than 10 times. Smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease among middle-aged men and women.1

Every year in the United States, premature deaths from smoking rob more than five million years from the potential lifespan of those who have died.1

Annually, exposure to secondhand smoke (or environmental tobacco smoke) causes an estimated 3,000 deaths from lung cancer among American adults.4 Scientific studies also link secondhand smoke with heart disease.


Disease
Men
Women
Overall


Cancers
Lung 81,179
35,741
116,920

Lung from ETS 1,055
1,945 3,000
Other
21,659 9,743 31,402
Total 103,893 47,429 151,322

Cardiovascular Diseases
Hypertension 3,233 2,151 5,450
Heart Disease 88,644 45,591 134,235
Stroke 14,978 8,303 23,281
Other 11,682 5,172 16,854
Total 118,603 61,117 179,820

Respiratory Diseases
Pneumonia 11,292 7,881 19,173
Bronchitis/ Emphysema 9,234 5,541 14,865
Chronic Airway Obstruction 30,385 18,579 48,982
Other 787 668 1,455
Total 51,788 32,689 84,475

Diseases Among Infants 1,006 705 1,711
Burn Deaths 863 499 1,362
All Causes 276,153 142,537 418,690

 

Elephantiasis:
Chronic, often extreme enlargement and hardening of cutaneous and subcutaneous tissue, especially of the legs and external genitals, resulting from lymphatic obstruction and usually caused by infestation of the lymph glands and vessels with a filarial worm.

 

I need some chron...

-Yoda

 

Autism n. A psychiatric disorder of childhood characterized by marked deficits in communication and social interaction, preoccupation with fantasy, language impairment, and abnormal behavior, such as repetitive acts and excessive attachment to certain objects. It is usually associated with intellectual impairment.

 

Myth #1: It won't happen to me.
"It's not how I visualize myself dying."
"I can't get lung cancer. I'm only 24."
·Why do some young women start to smoke even though they know that smoking can damage their health?
·Why do you think people like Pam Laffin keep smoking even after smoking has begun to destroy their health?

Myth #2: It's not like I'm hurting anyone but myself.
"Smoking is a civil right worth fighting for."
"Secondhand smoke causes at least 35,000 deaths a year in nonsmokers."

·Should all Americans have the right to smoke wherever they wish, or should the public be protected from cigarette smoke?
·Do you know anyone who has been harmed by secondhand smoke?

Myth #3: I'm not hooked.
"It's not that hard to stop."
"I won't be smoking 5 years from now."

·Do you agree that most young smokers start out thinking they can quit whenever they want to? Why?
·Do you know any smokers who thought that they could stop but couldn't? Why?

Myth #4: Sure I smoke, but at least I don't do drugs, have unsafe sex, or get drunk.
"Cigarettes cause more deaths than AIDS, illegal drugs, car crashes, homicides, and suicides combined."

·Why do you think many people believe that cigarette smoking is safer than other risky types of behavior?

Myth #5: It's better to smoke; if I quit, I'll get fat.
"What's a few pounds compared with bad breath, smelly clothes, yellow teeth and nails, brittle skin, wasted money, and bad health?"

·Do you think quitting smoking is worthwhile even if it means gaining a few pounds? Why?
·Can you think of examples of how cigarette companies have promoted cigarette smoking as a glamorous symbol of freedom and independence and thinness for women? Do you think this strategy has been effective? Why?

Myth #6: I smoke light cigarettes, so I won't get hurt as much.
"Light cigarettes are safer."
"I switched to light cigarettes, but I just smoked more because there was less nicotine."

·Why do you think tobacco companies developed light cigarettes? Why do people buy them?
·Do you think light cigarettes help people cut down on the amount of nicotine they're getting? Do you think that they are safer? Why?

Myth #7: I've tried to quit, but I can't.
"When you quit smoking, you take control, not the cigarette."
"It's your body and your life. Don't give up giving up."

·Why do you think many people are reluctant to try to quit smoking even though they want to stop?
·Many people who quit say that it's both the best and the hardest thing they've ever done. Do you think that quitting is worth the pain? Why?

I must go now, otherwise I'll miss my sword-fighting class, but you people are the most cynical society-and-self-destroyers I've ever seen and I pray and pity for you all and for the planet as a whole.

 

I never thought I'd ever like sword fighting as much as I do now.

Be careful, don't get hurt...I hear it's quite dangerous.

 

400,000 people die each year for tobacco
0 people for pot....

which should be legal, and which not?

you decide

 

myth #8: "people like me because i post useless info."

 

The Surgeon General has determined that laboratory mice cause cancer.

 

Do you think he'd notice if we all stopped posting and went to another thread?

 

I smoked once when I was drunk. I found it was revolting and had to chug down another beer to take away the taste. Pot is much better to smoke. The side effects are alot more fun. Pot isn't physicaly addictive. People say that pot is more damaging then tabacco but people dont smoke 20 joints a day. I smoke maybe 1 joint a month. Cigarettes smell icky, pot smells good. Anyway I don't see pot becoming descriminlised in the US any time soon, so may as well come to Canada.

 

...sneaks out of thread