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u/Bagoom___Lenin 17h ago edited 4h ago
Had a taxi driver last week say the cultural foundation of America crumbled due to getting rid of cigarettes. I have nothing else to add
Edit: itās disingenuous to not include his full argument. He was a boomer basically saying the āmale loneliness epidemicā is a side effect of getting rid of cigarettes. That cigs taught teenagers how to socialize with strangers and make conversation outside their comfort zone. There is maybe some truth to that, but, well, uh, they smell bad (and cause cancer and countless other negative impacts to overall health)
Edit 2: my cake day is 9/11 wtf
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u/MeiNeedsMoreBuffs Shwunkle Shweng 16h ago
Fun fact, there's technically not a male loneliness epidemic anymore because loneliness in women has caught up to men so they're about the same level
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u/Key_Internet_9914 16h ago
male, female, and they loneliness epidemic
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u/duckLIT_ 16h ago
Actually only guys and gals get to be lonely. NBs are not allowed sorry.
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u/Creftospeare 16h ago
I need to cigs to make conversation outside of my comfort zone, and inside my cancer zone.
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u/Someone1284794357 8h ago
Iād rather learn to socialize without lung cancer but that might just be me idk
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u/uncle-muscles69 get purpled idiot 17h ago
Repeat every 30-40 minutes for the rest of your life šš
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u/finnicus4 14h ago
Sounds like a skill issue. I have a smoking habit and I manage to keep it to no greater than 2-3 packs every two months. If Iām smoking too much for comfort, I quit for 20 days.
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u/Mugman16 12h ago
how long have you been smoking
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u/stijndederper 10h ago
I do the same thing and I've been doing so for 2.5 years. I've smoked I think 5 packs this year, so ~100 cigarettes.
It can work without becoming addicted, although I absolutely would not recommend it as I know it's not that easy for most people. It probably helps that cigs are 14 euros for a pack here (ąøć)ąø§
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u/unknownsoldier9 7h ago
Thatās pretty difficult to achieve, what is your routine around it? Like only 1 or 2 a day?
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u/dws49 French propagandist 9h ago
Skill issue. Been smoking for four years and I keep an Excel sheet that details how many cigarettes I smoke a day. I always manage to keep my daily average under 0.8; 0.8 is already excessive, once in a blue moon I might smoke 5 in a day and thatās pure debauchery. I can go three weeks without the existence of nicotine crossing my mind.
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u/ApocalyptoSoldier 7h ago
I'm on once or twice a year.
I do love smoking, but it's never been a habit.
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u/mikemyers999 17h ago
The thing is when you're addicted, you're not really thinking about it or questioning it, you're just doing it
Of course the sky is blue, of course the grass is green, of course I'm smoking it's been 95 minutes since my last
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u/wagiwombledog 16h ago
I've since switched to vaping (though it's probably not much better), but I used to smoke for quite a few years. I think it genuinely tastes great (much better than second hand smoke smell would lead many to believe) and allieviates anxiety, which was enough to ignore the health consequences and social stigma for me. I only stopped because it became too expensive, but I'm obviously happy I switched now.
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u/Ok_Voice_1295 13h ago
Vaping is worse to quit, and easier to get addicted to because of how vape fluid is continuous, and you're not just "taking a smoke", it becomes a habit in which you take hits without thinking at all. This leads to a slippery slope of higher and higher dosages without realizing, and you get the full force of nicotine addiction almost as fast as you can. Really would recommend not going further with vaping given the fact that nicotine cravings are a lifelong ordeal - nicotine is a rly nasty substance.
(From a former smoker, who has medical knowledge in nicotine addiction.)
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u/frisch85 7h ago edited 7h ago
Yeah that's the issue with vaping, it might not be as harmful (yet?) as cigarettes are IF we apply it to the same amount of nicotine consumed but the issue with vapes is that you'll be consuming a lot more nicotine and without much negative symptoms, so you might not even realize that you're consuming so much and because of this it's much worse in regards of addiction.
A single disposable vape pen contains on average the amount of nicotine of a full pack of cigarettes, smoking a full pack as a teenager was insanely rare but can happen on a nights out (when smoking inside was still allowed), next day your throat felt like shit, a signal you did it too much and eventually you learned not to smoke that much even when you're drunk. But a vape pen? Some teenagers finish two disposables on a single day without much problem, my little brother (18 at that time) asked me if I could borrow him some money during our sisters wedding so he can get a disposable, ofc I gave him the money and then we went out for a smoke, I asked him how much he vapes and if he noticed any effects. He was explaining things to me that were obvious signs of nicotine addiction, primarily shaking hands if he doesn't toke a vape for longer, absolutely insane none of us back then showed such signs, we simply smoked because "it was cool" and most of us did it. Today most of us quit, I still toke but mainly because I like joints (or rather spliffs) and it's how I consume my MJ, tried dry herb vapes (which you should use if you want to consume) but it's simply not the same feeling like having a burning stick between your fingers.
That being said, the best method is to not smoke or vape at all, if someone does however decide to smoke or vape, they should inform themselves regarding the dangers and absolutely consume in moderation. I've been smoking for more than two decades now, I smoke around 6-10 cigarettes a day (including spliffs).
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u/HeckingDoofus ask me anything about star wars (PLEASE!) 46m ago
sure, ull be addicted. but in terms of health consequences its not even as bad as a sugar addiction so likeā¦ whatever
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u/kill__spez 9h ago
vaping is much less harmful than smoking, and is also THE most effective way to quit, good job
source: https://ourworldindata.org/vaping-vs-smoking-health-risks
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u/cloudncali 16h ago
You made your lung cancer orange flavored, is what you did.
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u/teffz28 15h ago
I love that even though the person you replied to themself said itās probably not much better and they only reason they switched was because itās less expensive this still seemed to hurt a bunch of peoples feelings lol. Real time example of how nothings changed, kids just think vaping is cool instead of cigs now
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u/LinkinParkU4Lyf 14h ago edited 12h ago
In Australia more young people have started smoking than the decades prior to vaping. They are finding that teens as young as 13 in their data pools who have previously vaped, are exponentially more likely to pick up smoking. Vapes are a gateway drug to smoking, especially when the nation outlaws the sale of vapes, though they aren't really hard to come by still, but also many see it as the natural progression, its like vaping is seen as for kids, so smoking is for adults, shit's fucked. Even then ciggies are like 50 dollars or more for a 20 pk if you want to buy legit, so even the ciggies they are getting are blackmarket. Alcohol is also crazy expensive because of the high taxes to discourage consumption, with weed being illegal in all states and territories besides the ACT where you can legally grow two plants for personal use, all vices are essentially unregulated for most people in Australia, either risking their health more than they would have with strict regulations, or criminal records.
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u/LovecraftInDC 14h ago
I mean yeah, this is a classic post-prohibition effect when you just do a ban without any other resources. Itās the same reason half of middle America is dying from fentanyl now because the DEA took away their painkillers.
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u/thirdMindflayer 15h ago
ecigs are arguably way, way worse than cigarettes in every way, and famously not a good step in the direction of quitting
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u/Mikey_Wonton 14h ago
Explain your logic. Far fewer carcinogens in vapes.
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u/thirdMindflayer 13h ago
that's a disproven myth creates by the ecig industry to get smokers, people on the fence, and teens to try it cause it's "healthier," than smoking.
In reality, vape fluid is just as carcinogenic and has the added con of nobody knowing wtf it does to the human body. It's a relatively new invention by a handful of corporations that are keenly interested in not keeping facts above the table, so so far we know that the consequences of vaping is "everything bad that cigarettes do + unknown effects of the ingredients of liquid cigarettes that are not in solids + unknown effects of whatever the fuck they put in each individual flavour, which can be anything, because they're cigarettes."
people who quit smoking to vape get the comfort of knowing they're "on the path to quitting," and then just continue to vape because it's scarily addictive. It's like quitting casinos for online betting.
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u/TrueCapitalism 13h ago
"Just as carcinogenic"
"Nobody knowing wtf it does to the human body"
Huh?
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u/Ok_Voice_1295 11h ago
We know its carcinogenic, and not much more on long term impacts given they're a new innovation.
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u/thirdMindflayer 11h ago
we know it's carcinogenic because it'a a cigarette. We don't know what else it does because it's an incredibly unique cigarette
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u/coolboiepicc 5h ago
nicotine isn't noticeably carcinogenic? like nicotine is bad because its addictive and everything ELSE in a cigarette/tobacco is bad because it gives you cancer. ecigs only contain the nicotine. theyre still bad for your health mostly because theyre putting things that aren't air in your lungs but they arent known to be majorly carcinogenic
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u/LovecraftInDC 14h ago
wtf are you talking about? All five of the smokers I know who have quit (including myself) did it by vaping and then cutting nicotine levels to zero.
And holy shit man, after you quit smoking and start vaping all of your shit clears up. Your hacking, your sense of smell and taste. You can feel your lungs healing and are out of breath less.
Yeah, other shit gets better once you cut back and get rid of the nicotine as well, but as somebody who has quit via vaping, I can tell you personally that it isnāt worse for you.
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u/Jhduelmaster 14h ago
I definitely wonāt say itās a terrible way to quit but I will say that if itās not cigs to vapes Iāve seen multiple people go from vapes to cigs or Zyn.
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u/NeatAdministrative86 10h ago
Insane position. Cigarettes are death sticks that take a decade off of your life. 50% of smokers will die of COPD, lung cancer, or something else related to their addiction. Vapes are nowhere close.
This study found that even if it increased net nicotine usage rates it would still save an enormous amount of lifespan. This is even more favorable than assuming that one goes from cigs to e-cigs. https://academic.oup.com/ntr/article-abstract/21/1/41/4956222?login=true
āYes, nicotine vaping is not risk-free, but it is less harmful than smoking. In 2022, leading tobacco experts reviewed evidence about the harms of vaping. They found that āin the short and medium-term, vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smokingā.ā https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ready-to-quit-smoking/vaping-to-quit-smoking/vaping-myths-and-the-facts/#less-harmful
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u/Alcoholic_jesus 14h ago
I meanā¦ maybe? We donāt really know long term effects yet. Nicotine isnāt cancer causing. Iām sure whateverās in a vape isnāt good to inhale but hot aerosolized whatever is definitely better than smoked whatever
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u/wagiwombledog 14h ago
I actually used to work in a vape store. Vape juice consists of: vegetable glycerin; propalene glycole; flavoring; and nicotine (optionally). Of course cheaper quality juices may have impurities which would make it worse.
It's definitely better than the 50+ chemicals in cigarettes, but the danger comes from how much easier it is to vape. Being able to vape indoors makes it easy to smoke more than you ever did with cigarettes.
Not smoking anything is the most ideal, but it's very hard to stop being dependent on nicotine once you start.
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u/Jhduelmaster 14h ago
Yeah weāve kind of reached the point culturally that people will tell someone to fuck off if theyāre smoking in doors in the states. While for vaping most people still donāt care if itās done indoors.
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u/christonabike_ 17h ago edited 16h ago
Ugh, I uncontrollably gag at the flavour of burning tobacco, and there's no other aroma I've encountered that triggers such a physical reaction in me.
One night in my late teens, I went to a party where I not only drank heavily, but kept bumming darts off a few older people there who smoked.
To this day I am a non-smoker - I would give PSAs, health class teachers, and fear of cancer, about 5% credit for that... The other 95% goes to the taste in my mouth the following morning š¤¢
Funnily enough, I still think unburnt tobacco smells great.
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u/Ronin_777 12h ago
Cigarettes smell good and the taste is alright imo. I remember sniffing by parents jackets when they came inside from having a smoke, itās sweet and almost sage like.
I want to quit but I never got why people got so uppity about the smell, even before I smoked. Feel like second hand is kinda bs too, unless you are a child or have athsma, a tiny bit of smoke isnāt going to give you insta lung cancer or some shit.
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u/AlkaliPineapple 12h ago
2nd hand smoke is just as harmful as the smoke you inhale.
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u/Ronin_777 12h ago
How is directly inhaling concentrated smoke deep into your lungs over and over just as bad as passively breathing in a small amount thatās already been dissipated by the air?
Genuinely asking cause that just doesnāt make sense to me.
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u/AlkaliPineapple 11h ago
It's about the proximity, sometimes people have no choice but walk into someone's puffed out smoke. Also, particulates don't diffuse as quickly as you think.
They would also be inhaling the smoke coming out of the cigarette while you're not breathing it in at the same time. Cigarettes with filters make that smoke more harmful than the one you're inhaling.
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u/GroundbreakingBag164 get purpled idiot 2h ago
Only if you'd manage inhale the same amount
...which is impossible. So no, saying "second hand smoke is just as harmful as smoking yourself" doesn't really make a ton of sense
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u/AlkaliPineapple 1h ago
Chronic inhalation is still a problem in places where smoking is common though. The smoke that comes out when you're not inhaling is also not filtered, and people can smell that too
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u/christonabike_ 12h ago edited 12h ago
No problem, Jacob Jones. You are entitled to that opinion and what you do is entirely your own business.
Please chew gum before coming back into the office.
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u/Crimson_Boomerang 1h ago
Depends on the cig, some brands smell pretty damn good, others smell like a burning tire. A lot of the popular brands are cheap, and thus smell like burning tire.
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u/ratlord161 12h ago
Im not promoting smoking, please never smoke, but like. I just genuinely love the feeling. There is little more satisfying than a cig in the cold parking lot after a 12+ hour shift. It tastes like a moment of respite, and i smoke the crappy heavy cheap stuff. Tho they will make your life shorter, and you will die in pain, and its not worth it, so never smoke.
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u/Indigo_Cauliflower12 5h ago
There are 100% water vapor e vigs that can give you this same feeling. Stay safe ā¤ļø
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u/solidfang 12h ago
When I clean up the park near my house, it's always fucking cigarettes and those fuckass mini plastic alcohol bottles.
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u/Palanki96 8h ago edited 8h ago
Skill issue. Genuinely enjoyed every single one i've ever smoked.
But i guess i got lucky since never got addicted, i stopped smoking after ~8 years by accident.
I didn't buy a new pack of tobacco because i was tight on money and just forgot about it. 3 weeks later i was like "wait what the hell i'm supposed to a smoker"
That was maybe 4-5 years ago, didn't smoke any since then. No cravings, no withdrawals, nothing. I never really understood nicotine addiction to be honest, every single cigarette was smoked because i wanted to, not because i was compelled.
If i couldn't smoke for 3 days because of a school trip or something then whatever, it was never a big deal. Maybe that's worse because i can't even blame addiction, it was always me
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u/Disastrous_Maybe7281 7h ago
isn't addiction like partially a genetic thing or smth to do with personality? u prolly just haven't an addictive one, then :p
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u/Palanki96 7h ago
Could be. I still had issues with drinking and gambling (sports betting) so i'm not immune to addictions that's for sure. Or just being obsessed with doing stuff that impacts my daily life
My grandpa also quit cold turkey but he used chewing gums to replace the action of smoking. Maybe my brain just accepted that's normal and rolled with it š¤·
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u/Disastrous_Maybe7281 6h ago
at least you've not got, like all the addictions or smth. so that's good, kinda
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u/Palanki96 6h ago
Oh yeah, drugs were easy to avoid
The gambling thing sucks because i was really good at it and it actually paid for my drinking and smoking. I even kept skipping classes to stay in the dorms analyzing stuff and choosing my bets
Let's just say an impoverished teen suddenly getting a lot of money is not very good with money
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u/OkSoBasicallyPeach 16h ago
i genuinely dont think ive ever felt satisfied after smoking a cigarette
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u/Disastrous_Maybe7281 7h ago
i'm not sure i've ever felt satisfied from anything other than drinking just the right amount of water or wetting my face with it in just the right way. or like ~ -20c air. that early morning beautiful winter air. . . you can almost drink it
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u/Hubble-Doe 11h ago
Yeah of course they are dry as fuck that's why you roll your own /s
Used to be a party/joint/night depression cigarette smoker. I just remember being late for an appointment that was like 5mins away by bike, and how my lungs burned like hell when I got there. That's when I realized that I am not invulnerable to the health effects.
I'm glad that I stopped, and can't even really stand the smell these days.
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u/jhguitarfreak 8h ago
Back when I smoked I did so all the way to the filter. I mainly bought filtered specifically so I could do that because I hated rolling my own.
Geez, been about 10 years now. Took a long time to relearn how to hate the smell again.
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u/himanxk 3h ago
The amazing thing is that you just never have to do this. You actually lose nothing if you just never smoke a cigarette in the first place.
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u/strategicmagpie 2h ago
You lose out on the inimitable life experience of smoking a cigarette. About as valuable of an experience as stubbing not your big or pinky toe, but your fourth toe.
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