Smokers often die prematurely: study

Reuters Health ^ | Mon Mar 20, 2006 | Megan Rauscher

[Labyrinthos]

LOL. You're an insurers' wet dream.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Moonman62]

This is "news"?????

You haven't seen too many screeds of denial from smokers have you?

[najida]

They do tend to set themselves on fire more often.

But that is just from observation >:>

[tiki]

Well, they got one thing right, smokers are gonna die. :-)

[Smokin' Joe]

Yep! Life is fatal! No one gets out alive!

(8^D)

[Gondring]

Among nearly 50,000 residents of rural Norway who were followed for 25 years...

I wonder how many developed paranoia, too! ;-)

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

LOTS!!

[3catsanadog]

Every time a smoker dies, it's because he or she smoked, it seems. Never mind that, other than lung cancer of which most is attributable to smoking, smokers and non-smokers alike get heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, COPD, and so on. Just makes me wonder if and how the scientific community may skew the statistics.

[frannie]

I can beat you. I am half Norwegian, am 83, have smoked since I was 20, I live by myself, clean my own house [about 2600 sg. ft.].

May quit smoking because I have developed some asthma from something I have become allergic to, my lungs are good [just had a chest x-ray], have some osteoporosis and have always eaten the right food, especially milk, cheese, salmon, etc. Diet just doesn't stop your bones from becoming brittle.

I play golf, cut some of the grass when I want to but am somewhat slower at some things.

I live in the mountains on a golf course, have no relatives near.

I do take a lot of vitamins and have for many years.

How long would I live if I had never smoked. Neither of my sisters have smoked and I think I am healthier than either one is. My brother didn't smoke, 18 months younger than I, he died in 1996. He had diabetes and ended up with kidney problem.

Just thought some of you might like to hear from a REAL smoker. The worst part about it is the stale smoke smell!

[5Madman2]

Live hard, die young, look good in the casket

Words to live by

Sam Kinison had a good routine on this-too bad he lived it

[Hardastarboard]

Premature death is often preceded by the statement "Hold muh beer. Watch this."

[nopardons]

No they don't.

There are many factors, which go into how long anyone lives. And your neighbor is the exception, rather than the rule.

[LSAggie]

The worst part about it is the stale smoke smell!

I have started making my own cigarettes and buy a tobacco that has no additives or burning agents and the house no longer smells stale. If you're up to switching brands, American Spirit ready-made cigarettes claim to have no additives or burning agents. I started with their bulk tobacco and immediately noticed the difference. :-)

[Smokin' Joe]

Every time a smoker dies, it's because he or she smoked, it seems.

If you smoked, they check that box and ring up another one. What I do not see is any, any assessment of other environmental hazards, occupational exposures, or pathogenic involvement.

This is really sad, folks, mainly because while we all know cigarettes are stinky and obnoxious to those who do not smoke, a host of other potential causative factors are being patently and summarily ignored.

The dangers of this, not just to smokers, but to everyone should be self evident.

Suppose, for instance, that everyone quit smoking. Would cancer just go away? Not likely. Cancer was documented in the first edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica, and doubtless was recognized long before that.

Therefore, there must be other factors involved, factors which are being ignored, or at least seriously underinvestigated due to the bias against cigarettes.

After decades of dumping money down the antitobacco rathole, suppose, for instance that the culprit was the chemicals in your new carpet? the glue in plywood or oriented strand board, or some degenrative byproduct of either?

It might be something more common.

Regardless of cause, the concept of a fundamental cure, a 'magic bullet' if you will, to eliminate cancer of any stripe, is getting the short end of the funding in favor of ridiculous billboards, fancy tin signs which declare public venues "tobacco free zones" (what ever happened to $1.98 "No Smoking" signs?), and ridiculous commercials we all pay for in the increased advertising costs for the makers and marketers of products we do buy (not to mention the burden placed directly on smokers, who already are paying more for their health care, car insurance, etc.).

I know, I'm ranting, but when we train the medical profession to blame one out of volumes of known hazardous materials for a specific disease, we do us all a disservice. And this disservice is not being done by smokers, folks, but the lazy and incompetent in the medical research field.

You would think that all those labels on the sides of cans of stuff I have used to clean carburettors, kill the occasional nest of ground bees, and perform other onerous tasks would count for something. After all they say " this product known to cause cancer in California".

Maybe that is it. I live in North Dakota, so if I get cancer, it would have to be something else...

[jerry639]

My congratulations to you for living to you a long life.
My thanks to you for your post.
I have osteoporosis too. I think it is genetic as several in my family also have it.
Seems as though, from your post, that you are pretty lively for someone who is 83 and I think it is great that you get out and do the things you like to do.
My mother in law is 89 and dang if she doesn't have more energy and does more than some people in their 50's. Don't know if she ever smoked in her life but suspect she did.
You will keep you in my prayers as my wish is that you live many more useful years.

[DocRock]

[Virgil K]

I see you have been paying attention. Cancer loves sugar.

World wide study shows that smokers live 1.7 years longer than non-smokers. We will have some revenge.

[shield]

Yes...cancer loves sugar and an acidic body. Cancer grows at a rapid rate in an acidic envirnoment. Alkaline stops the growth of cancer dead it is tracks. One lemon a day in a glass of water helps to move toward an alkaline body...apples helps too. ;o) You can buy the ph stripes at a drug store ck your ph daily...should keep your body at a 7.5 ph. [Our western diets keeps us acidic...I keep my ph at 7.5...had to change my diet up to do that]