The risks of smoking are greatly exaggerated

TheRecord.com ^ | 20 November 2002 | ERIC BOYD

[Kozak]

Nobody called you a boob. Is it bad to be fat, sure. Is it bad to drink too much of course. Is it bad to not exercise absolutely. Is it a bad idea to drive without your seat belt, yup.

Hey I'm a doctor, not your mommy. I'm just stating a few facts, do with them what you will. You are right, we all die, and much of what ails us is beyond our control, but some things we can have some impact on. Make your choices, and take your chances. Just don't come crying about the injustice of it all when the bets are called.....

[azhenfud]

It's reasonable that mistakes are made. The point I had intended to make was if there were notices posted and observed before entering an establishment, a choice could be made - whether to enter either being non-smoking or designated smoking.
There is no difference to me for a non-smoker to enter a designated smoking area and complain than for a smoker to enter a non-smoking environment and complain.
Do you see this as silliness????

[SheLion]

I don't think that link fittingly supports your statement....

What link is that?

[SheLion]

Inhilation v Injestion... apples and oranges.

Why do I have to go through this again? We all know smoking like a thousand other things in life, is not good for us. And tobacco is legal.

[netmilsmom]

More power to you! Being a social smoker (I will bum a cig from someone when I drink-which is next to never with a 2 and 5 year old) and loving many smokers, I wish America would go to that level of tolerance. It cramps my style when we have to find a restauant that will seat my whole extended family in a smoking section. Most times, half of the family is taking puff breaks outside. Besides, smokers are happier than non-smokers in my realm of reality. Most non-smokers pinch their faces and bellow when things don't go their way. Hard drinking, hard smoking Irish/Poles make for a good party. And there is nothing funnier than a smoker coughing up a rum and coke through his nose on a holiday. (I HAVE done that too!)

[Great Dane]

All of you smokers that are arguing for your nicotine sticks could use the same arguments for legalizing marijuana."

If I smoked pot I would fight, I have enough on my plate fighting fanatic ANTI smokers.

[SheLion]

Just don't come crying about the injustice of it all when the bets are called.....

Kozak, I've lived THIS long! I've served my time. Any day from this day forward is gravy and a blessing. How's that.

[Kozak]

Yeah. So what. There are tons of good solid studies and epidemiologic data that shows the absolute correlation between smoking and increased risk of lung cancer, throat cancer, heart disease and emphysema. The numbers are huge, they can correct for diet, exercise, cholesterol, occupation etc etc etc.

Then there is the simple clinical evidence that ANY doctor sees. The vast majority lung cancer patients are smokers. Ditto emphysema patients. Much higher risk of heart disease in same. WE SEE IT EVERY DAY.
Still I believe it's ultimately your choice.

[SheLion]

No. Did you? :)

Did I what?

[Great Dane]

Absolutely. And I tend to exercise it. Like I said, I have no problem with people smoking and drinking whatever they want and as much as they want (natural selection?) for as long as I am not 'forced' to share the experience.

Then we agree, thank you.

I do find it strange that with a lot fewer smokers, the effects of shs seems to increase........ strange indeed.

[beachn4fun]

You are so right! It is all about money. All one has to do is ask themselves this, "If the government were so concerned that cigs would kill you, why don't they make cig makers stop putting those chemicals in the cigs or make safer cigs?" Why is everyone suing the big cig companies but not making them stop producing cigs? Another question is this, "How many deaths per year are caused by alcohol?" I bet there are more alcohol-related deaths per year than there are related to cigs. Yet, does anyone see the government taxing the big alcohol-producers out of existance? Does anyone see people suing the them? And, guess what I believe? I believe that more people will die of cancer that is NOT related to cigs, but related to nuclear waste (athough they don't realize it) from all those years of testing.... even non-smokers!

Keep up the good work!

[azhenfud]

"In fact, he (Bush, sic) has EASED retrictions on GORE'S clean air act."

LOL!. Hence this discussion.

"Eric Boyd of Waterloo has management experience across a wide range of sectors."

"MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE"??

[blackdog]

Do you mean "bioaccumulation" suits? Yesterday Kemper Insurance announced it was dropping municipal liability coverages.The reason they were doing so was because of asbestos, dioxin, PVC, treated wood, and future such claims. Litigants now not even need to show any damage, just exposure. This lets them sue now since it is inevitable they will die and someone needs to pay!

The lawyers, stupid juries, and advocacy groups will have left this country nothing but a dead, unquivering, pile of picked clean bones. Once they pick the country clean, they will become Warlords with their own turf just like Afghanistan.

[netmilsmom]

"Then there is the simple clinical evidence that ANY doctor sees. The vast majority lung cancer patients are smokers. Ditto emphysema patients. Much higher risk of heart disease in same. WE SEE IT EVERY DAY."

If the vast majority of those patients roller skated, would you blame that as well? The majority of the WWII generation smoked. It's hard to find one who didn't. As long as the anti-smokers continue to lay the misconceptions on the younger generations, kids will start smoking and IMO these are the people we should be targeting to never start.

[Jim Noble]

>>If we continue down this dangerous path of control and prohibition based on an unreliable or remote chance of harm, how many personal freedoms will remain seven generations from now? <<

The self-evident truth of this proposition has nothing-nothing to do with the dangers of smoking tobacco which are real and if anything are understated.

If you smoke, and you are a freeper-I hope you quit.

[netmilsmom]

After the lawyers get to the fast food industry, Booze is next

[SheLion]

Then there is the simple clinical evidence that ANY doctor sees. The vast majority lung cancer patients are smokers. Ditto emphysema patients. Much higher risk of heart disease in same. WE SEE IT EVERY DAY.
Still I believe it's ultimately your choice.

Ok Doc. I've got a few for you:

The Death of Medicine

Doctors Are The Third Leading Cause of Death in the US, Causing 250,000 Deaths Every Year

Doctors Are The Third Leading Cause of Death in the US, Causing 250,000 Deaths Every Year

This article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is the best article I have ever seen written in the published literature documenting the tragedy of the traditional medical paradigm.

Medical Liars

The American Heart Association Admits It Deliberately Lied To The American Public
Don't Trust Your Doctor!

[azhenfud]

http://www.geocities.com/shelioness/ncarolina.html

NORTH CAROLINA SMOKERS' CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE ECONOMY - 2001

North Carolina smokers comprise only 26.1% of the adult population in the state. Here is what they already pay because they choose to buy a legal product:

Smokers Pay Excise Taxes $ 39,682,700
Smokers Pay Sales Taxes $ 95,238,480
Smokers Pay Tobacco Settlement Payments $138,700,000
$273,621,180

Unless you were referring to the contribution of individual smokers, I don't see how the info reinforces your arguement that their contributions are petty, but I don't wish to get into trivial sparrings....

[netmilsmom]

Again, did you read the article???