Cigarettes - How damaging?

Karl

Karl

Karl

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I know the basics about cigarettes causing cancer and so on.

The question is: If I smoke socially (4 or 5 in an evening) once a fortnight, how detrimental do you think this could be to the health of a 24 year old male who is otherwise fit and athletic?
 
Very.

I doubt very much that anyone smokes regularly "socially" for a long period of time, you're likely to become addicted and become just a smoker.

Smoking doesn't make you cool, how do you not yet know that at 24?
 
Karl said:
The question is: If I smoke socially (4 or 5 in an evening) once a fortnight, how detrimental do you think this could be to the health of a 24 year old male who is otherwise fit and athletic?
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I doubt it would make any difference at that level but occasional smoking leads to regular smoking and then it all starts to go a bit pete tong. The vast majority of smokers get caught this way - just a few then suddenly you're under.

I smoked for 16 years or so 12 a day, gave up a year ago and I'm only annoyed it took me so long to stop the habit.

Now I look at smokers and I feel a bit sorry for them.

Don't go there.
 
Depends on the person, some people smoke for 20 years and get lung cancer, some smoke all their lives and are fine.

Realistically though 10 a month isn't going to harm you too much, expecially if you have a healthy diet and excercise. The damaging effects of tobacco are linked to the amount you consume and 10 cigarettes is about 10 - 15 grams i.e. not much.

My advice if it bothers you that badly stop, but its not going to do much with amounts like that.

(For the record i smoke 20-25 a day.)
 
Karl said:
I know the basics about cigarettes causing cancer and so on.

The question is: If I smoke socially (4 or 5 in an evening) once a fortnight, how detrimental do you think this could be to the health of a 24 year old male who is otherwise fit and athletic?
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Not at all, smoking is good for you.
 
I know what you're saying but I tryed my first ciggerette at 15 and loved them (no not because it's cool, I like the rush from them), however I do smoke occassionally with friends I probably smoke less than 40 in an entire year. I don't think this is particularly damaging compared to say a regular smoker who smokes 20 a day...

Knubje said:
Not at all, smoking is good for you.
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ROFL
 
Knubje said:
Not at all, smoking is good for you.
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I actually started this thread waiting for a reply like that, because that's *exactly* what I wanted to hear. We can close the thread now. Ace. Cheers.

Anyway.

http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/ohe/library/drugs/smoking/social-smoking.htm - I guess this confirms the theory that provided that you're not hooked into regular smoking, something else will most likely kill you before smoking does.

Ben M said:
How do you not know that at 24?
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I don't smoke to look cool. :)
 
It isn't a good habit to get into, even though the odd 1 may not be damaging. If you find yourself in a situation where you wish you could have one, you may find that because you do smoke occasionally, it's okay just to have 1 more. Then it'll be 2 more, then a couple a day, then quickly you'll find that it's got too much, and you can't break out of it.
 
aproctor said:
Depends on the person, some people smoke for 20 years and get lung cancer, some smoke all their lives and are fine.
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Well 'fine' if you define that as not getting cancer...
But people I know who are smokers still get:

- Spots/Blemishes (more so than non-smokers)
- Breathlessness and emphysema.
- Damaged skin (look around a regular smokers lips)
- Easier to pickup illnesses - I notice that the smokers I work with tend to get ill more often, then have really bad coughs when they do.

You are always going to be damaging yourself. :(
 
There is no such thing as "Social Smoking".
Certainly not in these days where thankfully you're not allowed to smoke inside anywhere "social".

There is simply no plus side to smoking however much/little you do.
Health, money, smell - there is not a single redeeming factor to it.
 
I have heard people say that each cigarette reduces your lifespan by 5 minutes - I'd love to know how such a thing could be calculated, I might go in for spread betting on the deaths of a variety of smoking celebrities.

If you're only smoking one night a week and having a few cigarettes then the chances are that physically it won't be doing you a huge deal of harm but the problem of having half a pack left over and the temptation to smoke another in the morning is likely to get to you over time if the experiences of my mates is anything to go by. It's up to you of course but I'd question why you want to smoke on an evening out and why you think you won't be tempted at any other time?
 
Nexus said:
Well 'fine' if you define that as not getting cancer...
But people I know who are smokers still get:

- Spots/Blemishes (more so than non-smokers)
- Breathlessness and emphysema.
- Damaged skin (look around a regular smokers lips)
- Easier to pickup illnesses - I notice that the smokers I work with tend to get ill more often, then have really bad coughs when they do.

You are always going to be damaging yourself. :(
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- Spots/Blemishes (more so than non-smokers)
I cannot say i have ever come across that, i would say that diet has much more to do with spots and what not, please find some data and i will give it a read
- Breathlessness and emphysema.
Emphyesema is a disease in its own right and you do not have to smoke to get it (although it helps) the chances of getting it when young is very slight and is probably due to bad luck and other factors if you get it so young. Breathlessness is something i don't have although i the more you smoke the more you are gunking up your lungs so it does make sense (regular excercise does eliminate this to a degree though)
- Damaged skin (look around a regular smokers lips)
That isn't the "smoking" but the physical act of taking a drag.
- Easier to pickup illnesses - I notice that the smokers I work with tend to get ill more often, then have really bad coughs when they do.
I have heard this but i have never experienced it, i dont think it holds much water, but if you can find me an article i would be more than happy to give it a read

You are always going to be damaging yourself.
Not always, but i see where your coming from and agree to a certain extent
 
Karl said:
I know the basics about cigarettes causing cancer and so on.

The question is: If I smoke socially (4 or 5 in an evening) once a fortnight, how detrimental do you think this could be to the health of a 24 year old male who is otherwise fit and athletic?
Click to expand...

The fact that you are asking the question makes me believe that you are already concenred about it.
 
semi-pro waster said:
I have heard people say that each cigarette reduces your lifespan by 5 minutes - I'd love to know how such a thing could be calculated.
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They got a group of non smokers and smokers who died and calculated the average smokers short fall in age and divided it into a nice bite size headline.

i.e. 20 a day over 50 years = 365K cigarettes, divide by the number of years lost (5), then by the years (50), then by 365 = 4 (mins).

Obviously the way the worked it out was by averages and sample groups so, not ery scientific.
 
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semi-pro waster said:
It's up to you of course but I'd question why you want to smoke on an evening out and why you think you won't be tempted at any other time?
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The infrequency of my smoking is based on only one group of friends smoking on nights out that I only really go out with once a fortnight to once a month, and me never having to pay for a pack myself, due to always stealing theirs. The majority of the time I'm sharing one as opposed to having a whole one myself as well.

None of my family smoke, and nobody has a smoking break at work.
 
Karl said:
The infrequency of my smoking is based on only one group of friends smoking on nights out that I only really go out with once a fortnight to once a month, and me never having to pay for a pack myself, due to always stealing theirs. The majority of the time I'm sharing one as opposed to having a whole one myself as well.

None of my family smoke, and nobody has a smoking break at work.
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Merlin put it best, its a slipperly slope and if you are thinking of stopping do it sooner rather than later.
 
Swordfish said:
The fact that you are asking the question makes me believe that you are already concenred about it.
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I am yeah. If I was told that smoking in the way I am isn't likely to kill me faster than something else (As some articles I've had a brief flick through have suggested), it wouldn't stop me from keeping on the same line, but not increasing.
 
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