Thread: Do you smoke?

This is an older article, but probably still pretty relevant:

American Smokers and Income, Charted - NYTimes.com

You are probably right in your observation about more successful people being less likely to be smokers. But if there are any smokers on the forum, they probably needn't worry... I'd be willing to bet that there isn't a casual relationship between those two factors (i.e. not smoking doesn't lead to a higher probability of success and deciding to smoke won't hinder your probabilities of success.).

I don't have time to smoke. I don't have a desire to smell. And frankly, it's an extremely stupid life choice, but so is the occasional donut and Red Bull that I consume.

I actually used to like smoking. I will still have an occasional cigar, cigarette, and even own a pipe. However, I have never been addicted to tobacco and can go for months (or years) without.

Smoking seems to be a diversion for some from their slow lane lives. Every day at my office building (near Minneapolis) you can see several workers gathered at various times of the day, smoking. I calculated once for my old assistant what it was costing her annually to smoke... it was a startling figure but she smokes to this very day.

Minnesota in the winter is comical. It can be 20 degrees below zero (F) with snow falling and wind whipping, and you will still see the smokers huddled together outside, stamping their feet to keep warm, inhaling their carcinogens. For some, tobacco addition is severe and leads to what looks to others to be dementia.

That being said, I believe restaurants and bars should be free to allow smokers if they want. America is supposed to be the land of the free. You already see the anti-smoking hysteria spilling over into other freedoms, with the mayor of NYC even proposing a restriction on soda pop consumption.

I don't have time to smoke.

I don't.

My father smoked all the time. A pack or two a day.

I hate it.

I hated it even more when they found he had cancer and had to go through surgery and chemo.

He was one of the lucky ones and he is still around, with good health.

But anyway... to each its own.

I do know something...

At work, you will see the smokers gathering together. This is a very interesting, strong networking opportunity for them.

I've seen amazing deals and a lot of office politics taking place at these gatherings.

Still, not strong enough reason for me to do it, but it was something interesting I noticed.

Nope, my dad died of lung cancer at 53.

Please excuse my mistakes, Im using tapatalk and a mobile device.

Reasons to smoke: ?????????????

Reasons not to smoke:

- It causes cancer
- It can possible cause cancer to people around you, especially people who live with you
- It smells terrible
- It makes your house smell terrible
- It makes your breath smell terrible
- It turns your teeth yellow
- It gives you a raspy voice
- It turns your walls and furniture yellow
- You waste a ton of money
- You waste your bosses money by taking breaks every 15 minutes
- It's one of the leading causes of fires
- It's a major inconvenience to anyone who doesn't smoke
- You usually have to go outside in freezing weather in the middle of the winter just to smoke
- It has 0 health benefits
- It's a sign of weakness

Originally Posted by Likwid24

It causes cancer
- It can possible cause cancer to people around you, especially people who live with you
- It smells terrible
- It makes your house smell terrible
- It makes your breath smell terrible
- It turns your teeth yellow
- It gives you a raspy voice
- It turns your walls and furniture yellow
- You waste a ton of money
- You waste your bosses money by taking breaks every 15 minutes
- It's one of the leading causes of fires
- It's a major inconvenience to anyone who doesn't smoke
- You usually have to go outside in freezing weather in the middle of the winter just to smoke
- It has 0 health benefits
- It's a sign of weakness

Definitely not a good habit to develop

At work, you will see the smokers gathering together. This is a very interesting, strong networking opportunity for them.

Same thing where I work. I'm also starting to notice that these people gather at least 4-5 times per day. They will go out in the rain, cold, heat, nothing bothers them. I noticed the same thing in college.

That being said, I believe restaurants and bars should be free to allow smokers if they want. America is supposed to be the land of the free. You already see the anti-smoking hysteria spilling over into other freedoms, with the mayor of NYC even proposing a restriction on soda pop consumption.

I agree with you. If someone wants to smoke then they should be allowed to. The big problem that I have with it is that it puts someone's health at risk. It kind of pisses me off at times. Sitting around with people who smoke was one of the things that made me quit gambling. Whenever I would sit at the table someone would come up and start blowing smoke in my face. Clearly it's one of those situations where I need to move myself from the situation, but 9/10 times they are turning towards me and blowing it directly in my face. When I walk into work in the morning someone is always standing there at the only entrance blowing smoke. It's one thing to smoke in public and it's another thing to disrespectfully smoke in public.

Anyway - back on topic. I personally don't know any fastlaners who smoke. But I'm sure there are a ton of them.

Originally Posted by Vigilante

That being said, I believe restaurants and bars should be free to allow smokers if they want. America is supposed to be the land of the free. You already see the anti-smoking hysteria spilling over into other freedoms, with the mayor of NYC even proposing a restriction on soda pop consumption.

If every bar and restaurant had a separate enclosed room that people could smoke in then that would be fine. For Non-smokers though, it's disgusting when I'm trying to enjoy myself and someone is blowing smoke in my face. Most smokers are very rude and have no respect for non-smokers. One thing that bothers me more than anything is inhaling smoke from someone else's cigarette. Why should I have to pay good money to go to a nice restaurant, with nice clothes on, after a nice clean shower, and inhale smoke while I'm eating, then come home smelling like an ash tray?

Originally Posted by Likwid24

Why should I have to pay good money to go to a nice restaurant, with nice clothes on, after a nice clean shower, and inhale smoke while I'm eating, then come home smelling like an ash tray?

If you read Vigilante's comment, he said restaurants and bars should be free to allow smokers if they want.

He did not say anybody can smoke anywhere.

If I read his comment correctly, I get that some restaurants would target smokers and others would target non-smokers.

If I had the choice, I would not go to a restaurant that targets smokers. I don't like it.

But others like it, or don't care.

That is the freedom mentioned here.

I confess though, since the ban, I feel better going out and enjoying a smoke free environment.

You're correct in your interpretation, Andviv. Let the market decide. Give bar owners the freedom to decide. You would have some bars that allowed smokers, and others that banned it. In the case of bars, guess what? The ones that allowed smoke would prosper.

While I agree that I don't want to sit at a restaurant that has a smoker next to me, give me the freedom to choose restaurants. I would chose one that didn't allow smokers. Someone else would chose one that did. Point being since cigarettes are a legal product, business owners should be able to decide whom they want to cater to.

The outdoor ballpark that taxpayers just paid for in Minnesota... just banned smoking anywhere on the property. So now, you're a taxpayer in Minnesota... forced to pay for this facility, and you can't use it. Outdoors. No smoking areas. Even as a non-smoker, I prefer freedom.

I recognize that if we allow the people to burn SOME books at the library, some day they might decide to burn the bible and the Millionaire Fastlane... and then we'd have a big problem. Freedom is worth preserving.

stopped 1,5 weeks ago cold-turkey when I started a diet and working out, smoked 1-1,5 packs a day and enjoyed it. but I feel much better now, each day I feel my tastes and stamina increasing. startet smoking occasionally when I was 15 and increased it in the following years. had a few breaks in between where I didnt smoke at all for months. now I intend to keep it that way, but might include a cigarette in my diet "cheat days" because I still enjoy the taste of it.

Sorry Vig- I misinterpreted that. I agree with what you said. That's a fair way to do it. The only problem I see with that is, how many times do you go out with a few people and some smoke and some don't. The pro smoke restaurants might have a tough time staying open because most of the time the non-smokers will get their way since they have many more arguments against being around smokers than smokers do of being around non smokers.

I think that's completely wrong with the ballpark. Even though I'm strongly opposed to smoking, how can you not even have 1 designated smoking area in an outdoor stadium? That's not the right thing to do and it's bad business. I'm sure that lots of smoking fans are going to think twice about going to the game now. That's actually a long time for most smokers to go without a cigarette, especially when their drinking.

As for restaurants and bars - they all have a designated smoking spot or you can just walk outside.

If you let the government be allowed into or responsible for your healthcare, you are going to get legislation on what you can put in your body and where all in the name of reducing costs.

@ KaK - I'm sorry to hear that!



I suspected that most people here did not value smoking. And rightly so, imo!



My own opinion is.

When I see people smoking I just think they look like lost soles. They often seem to be living from one cigarette to the next, is that what life is worth? They don't even realise it themselves but to everybody else it is clear they are owned by the cigarette which does nothing but damage to their body. They are addicts that keep the cigarette companies alive. Its amazing that in the year 2012 cigarettes are not totally illegal.

So what I said there is how I feel about it but it is also extremely hippocritical because when I was in my teens and up til about 20 years old I used to smoke. WTF!! I suddenly grew a massive dislike to it and stopped completely by my own free will.

I am the same as some others on here for example Vigilante in that, I will STILL despite my dislike of seeing others smoking, smoke occasionally at social events but I am in NO way addicted to tobacco and I can go weeks or months without ever smoking. If cigarettes did not exist I would not start craving for them and I would not lose any sleep at all.

My partner still smokes, outside the house, and I have been able to get her to whittle down to only a few a day. But I always try to do what I can to get her to stop entirely, but..... Its not that easy is it!

My question is - How is pot considered an illegal drug when cigarettes do far more harm to the people that smoke them and even the people that don't. I hate pot too, but I don't see how one is illegal and one isn't.

I'm sure it is related to tax.

I read somewhere that a rope company lobbied to have cannabis and all its derivatives banned in the USA to defeat a competitor that was making ropes out of hemp. Don't know if it's true but I thought it was funny... and logical.

My uncle died of lung cancer from smoking, I think smoking is a completely ridiculous thing to do habitually, however I don't see a huge problem with an adult smoking a cigar or hookah with friends every once in a while. As far as kids smoking, I thinks its completely stupid and there are lots of kids at my high school who spend lunch smoking their lungs out (pot and cigarette), I think it is stupid now but I didn't think it was so stupid freshman year so I have been on both sides of the fence. Luckily, I decided to put more value on my health and have basically flipped my life around (haha sounds so dumb coming from someone whose only 16). Its also sad to see people addicted to the nicotine, my dad smokes even though he denies it to me haha, and when he can't go out for a smoke he is always chewing on nicotine gum, its sad but he can't escape the buzz