Smoking

[UltraViolence83]

Moral: People who do things due to peer pressure are idiots.

I.E. most teenagers.

Since smoking is highly addictive, there needs to be something more to deter kids from doing it. And it isn't just peer pressure. A lot of smoking kids pick up the habit from their parents.

[heartless bastard mode]Nah...They're stupid, let 'em die.[/heartless bastard mode]

[Darth Wong]

[heartless bastard mode]Nah...They're stupid, let 'em die.[/heartless bastard mode]

Every dead person tends to leave loved ones behind. It's not that simple.

[HemlockGrey]

Incidentally, I think smoking will eventually die out. After this(my) generation, when all the kids who started in middle/high school are hacking their lungs out, and all the jocks and varsity atheletes who smoked can't run ten feet without getting winded, I'm certain it will eventually fade away, as all self-destructive habits eventually do, given time.

[Darth Wong]

Incidentally, I think smoking will eventually die out. After this(my) generation, when all the kids who started in middle/high school are hacking their lungs out, and all the jocks and varsity atheletes who smoked can't run ten feet without getting winded, I'm certain it will eventually fade away, as all self-destructive habits eventually do, given time.

Like alcoholism?

The fact that it's stupid and self-destructive doesn't mean it will die out.

[HemlockGrey]

If not die out completely, it will eventually decrease; as more and more people do it, the risks and dangers will become more and more apparent. Smoking is far more destructive as alchohal, since it is almost impossible to smoke responsibly.

[UltraViolence83]

Good point, DW. Still, it should be a painful reminder to NOT smoke.

Hemlock: I can smoke responsibly. I'll smoke a cigarette maybe once a month. It just...feels right sometimes.

[Baron Mordo]

Who knows? It might just go out of style, like opium did.

[UltraViolence83]

It ain't too out of style. Not around here, anyway (Ohio). Thing is there's a season for it, so most of my friends tend to smoke it around fall/spring...I can't remember which...

[RedImperator]

Smoking isn't going to go away because it feels good. People who've never smoked don't understand this part. Anything that's easy to do that produces physical pleasure is going to stay around basically forever, no matter what kind of long-term damage it does to people.

[Darth Wong]

Smoking isn't going to go away because it feels good. People who've never smoked don't understand this part. Anything that's easy to do that produces physical pleasure is going to stay around basically forever, no matter what kind of long-term damage it does to people.

It only feels good because you've built up a psychological and physical addiction to it. No one enjoys their first cigarette. If I want to feel good, there's lots of ways to achieve that without pumping shit into my lungs.

[TrailerParkJawa]

Incidentally, I think smoking will eventually die out. After this(my) generation, when all the kids who started in middle/high school are hacking their lungs out, and all the jocks and varsity atheletes who smoked can't run ten feet without getting winded, I'm certain it will eventually fade away, as all self-destructive habits eventually do, given time.

Like alcoholism?

The fact that it's stupid and self-destructive doesn't mean it will die out.

I think smoking has a chance to die out, but not alcohol. There is a genetic disposition to prefer alcohol. Is there one for nicotine?

Did anyone see a show this weekend about some monkeys in the Caribbean. They steal drinks from the tourists and what is interesting is that the percentage of monkeys that drink too much, drink moderately, and those that avoid drinking is identical to humans.

[UltraViolence83]

Hmm...In my family there are only three people I know of that drink even a little bit: my parents and myself. I'm very certain my other relatives tried it, but they obvisously didn't like it or they would drink. Now many of my relatives smoke, on the other hand.

Edit: Cleaned up post.

[Raoul Duke, Jr.]

I hope this isn't redundant in light of the thread I started on this subject, but let me see if I can list the reasons why I smoke:

I started smoking to fit in. Pathetic, sure, but who doesn't try to fit in with the crowd at least once in their life? I discovered, when I first tried it, that getting the hang of it would be a challenge. I overcame the challenge, which brought me to the next part...

I kept smoking because it felt good. Beyond the physical pleasure and sense of satisfaction, there's a sense of camraderie to be found in a group of smokers all standing out in front of the office taking that 10 o' clock morning break.

I still smoke because of all the pressure I get to quit. It's antithetical to my character to be told what to do. In fact, I have devised the following plan: I will quit 7 days from today, unless someone tells me to. If that happens, the 7 day period starts over. That may be stupid, but I can't help it -- I tend to defy authority, and I absolutely rail against people who try to exercise authority over me they simply do not have.

[Darth Servo]

I started smoking to fit in. Pathetic, sure, but who doesn't try to fit in with the crowd at least once in their life?

Not just pathetic. Its stupid. There are lots of other ways to fit in besides filling your body with toxins.

I discovered, when I first tried it, that getting the hang of it would be a challenge. I overcame the challenge, which brought me to the next part...

You're actually proud of this?

I kept smoking because it felt good. Beyond the physical pleasure and sense of satisfaction, there's a sense of camraderie to be found in a group of smokers all standing out in front of the office taking that 10 o' clock morning break.

I guess being in a crowd makes stupid things OK. I'm sure all the crack heads feel the same way.

I still smoke because of all the pressure I get to quit. It's antithetical to my character to be told what to do. In fact, I have devised the following plan: I will quit 7 days from today, unless someone tells me to. If that happens, the 7 day period starts over. That may be stupid, but I can't help it -- I tend to defy authority, and I absolutely rail against people who try to exercise authority over me they simply do not have.

So when someone tells you to get exercise do you refuse to do that as well? When someone tells you that you shouldn't put a loaded gun to your head would you do that as well?

There are only two possible reasons you keep smoking and its either because you don't want to quit or you can't because you're addicted.

[Darth Wong]

I still smoke because of all the pressure I get to quit. It's antithetical to my character to be told what to do. In fact, I have devised the following plan: I will quit 7 days from today, unless someone tells me to. If that happens, the 7 day period starts over. That may be stupid, but I can't help it -- I tend to defy authority, and I absolutely rail against people who try to exercise authority over me they simply do not have.

I think that is the reason you give yourself because it sounds better than admitting that you can't muster the willpower to stop.

[Raoul Duke, Jr.]

Darth Servo:

Don't mean to be harsh here, but that struck me as a rather simplistic analysis. No, I don't do the opposite of whatever someone tells me to do; I just don't give what other people say more weight than my own judgement. If I feel like smoking, I'll smoke, and that is that. Regarding doing stupid and pathetic things to fit in, must I invoke the Mullet?

Darth Wong: you pose a good point, and I can't offer anytihng to disprove it, except to say that you're just going to have to take my word for it. Well, or not. But that's all I can offer.