Smoking and Anti Smoking Thread

**JOE2210** · Joined: 19 Apr 2009 Posts: 2480 Location: In the Gagasphere

Well, we will just carry this on from the Rant Thread.

I agree, they are just excuses Alex, but I live off of excuses.
Yes, it's expensive but to be honest, it's not the worst thing I waste my money on. A packet of cigarettes is £3.50 for 10, which is about the same as a venti hazelnut latte from Starbucks. Both do the same function of allowing me to excuse myself from the house and have some alone time, but the pack of cigarettes lasts me a week and a bit.

Looking at my usage, I've realised I have peaks and troughs in how much I smoke. Obviously being at home is a big factor, because I get endless shit for asking to go out and have some time on my own (which as a 19 year old man, I find ridiculous) and I do tend to smoke in times of stress (exams, at work etc.). In fact, almost everyone I know who smokes, started because of stress.
The culture of smoking is a lot different here too, I read on Reddit that in the US, the CDC found that more teenagers smoke weed than tobacco. Over here, weed barely exists without tobacco because you usually mix it in a joint. Then there's the social aspect, a lot of people here consider themselves "social smokers" where you'll be at a club, and you need to get some breathing room and a bit of space, so people will go out to the terrace or the garden or what have you. Problem is, you never get fresh air at those places because that's where people smoke, so the thing that happens is you bum a cigarette from a friend who smokes and you pass the time with it while you get rid of your headache from listening to Sandstorm Extended Club Mix for the 8th time.

I can see myself quitting after the exams, yes, but not eliminating the social smoking aspect of it because it is SO ingrained in UK culture. I'd like to know about what the culture around smoking is in other countries because from what I'm inferring that despite the laxer laws on where you can smoke in the US, it's more culturally rejected.
_________________

Eastwinn wrote:

I honestly don't get it. What is the point of riding someone's ass. What benefit does it bring you?

**bclare** · Joined: 21 Jun 2008 Posts: 6048 Location: Boston

**alexhaz64** · Joined: 01 Mar 2008 Posts: 4480 Location: Long Beach, CA

Smoking in the US these days is actually a lot more taboo than it used to be. Sure you can smoke just about anywhere except inside public buildings, but it really isn't socially acceptable most of the time. It sounds like in the UK smoking is no different than drinking, but here in the US it's really something people tend to be ashamed of. For good reason too, imo.

Anyone think that a ban on cigarettes would ever work? I mean I know economically it wouldn't be the best move, but in the long run it would probably save the country a lot of money in medical expenses.
_________________

2:59 alexhaz64: I'm like 6th place on that song
2:59 alexhaz64: pretty neat
2:59 alexhaz64: :p
2:59 JohnnyGrey: No Alex, I don't care how good your score is
2:59 JohnnyGrey: DAMMIT
2:59 alexhaz64: XD
alexhaz64 flexes
2:59 psxfreak101: too slow on the trigger there, boyo
2:59 alexhaz64: that seems to be the case all night
2:59 JohnnyGrey: I've been too slow a few times tonight
2:59 JohnnyGrey: GDSAKj hfask
2:59 psxfreak101: XD
2:59 alexhaz64: LMAO
2:59 alexhaz64: OMG
psxfreak101 actua-loling

**singemfrc** · Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 4407 Location: California

Wouldn't work any more than the prohibition of alcohol did.
_________________

PSN: singemfrc
Twitch: singemfrcps

**Sarg338** · Joined: 07 Feb 2008 Posts: 5143

**JOE2210** · Joined: 19 Apr 2009 Posts: 2480 Location: In the Gagasphere

**JohnnyGrey** · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 7:26 pm Post subject:

**arvain** · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 7:31 pm Post subject:

Not many people smoke around me, so I haven't looked much into how smokers were perceived... None of my friends (or their boyfriends) smoke either, so I wouldn't know about acceptable / or not.

Also, I do like the idea of a ban on cigarettes, not only because it would save a lot of medical expenses like you said Alex, but also because (at least in France), people oooooooovercomplain all the time that "bawww too expensive, bawww a new increase in the price of cigarettes baww baww" etc etc

so it would stop all that bawing...

Don't get me wrong, people would immediately something else to complain about : "bawww we're not allowed to do anything nowadays baww baww unazi, baww" and other nonsense.

Not to mention all the employment issues related to this (tobacconists, factories making cigarettes, tobacco farmers, etc) which, admittedly, we don't need here .__. in the US either I guess.

At the end of the day, on the paper it's a good idea, but too much money is involved there, and governments don't see on the long run

They base their decisions from one election to the next haha ! Kinda sucks, but I don't see it changing anytime soon...

Fun fact : my coworker (the one who started smoking) told me a few months ago how much her husband is smoking... We spent 2 minutes calculating : 3000€ / year (1€= 1,334$ iirc these days)....

a nice trip to a tropical island could've been planned with all that money !

I like to tell smokers how much money they're spending (more like wasting) on cigarettes !

Makes me so glad that I don't smoke ! But someday I will try to put like... 5€/day in a big ass jar for a year, and then do something with all that money

(kinda dumb since it's better to leave your money on your account, but you get the idea).

**NavyCherub** · Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 3396

My mother and a few of my friends smoke, and I really don't think it's a big deal. We all have vices, we all have things we probably should be doing or we spend money on things others don't think are worth spending money on. It's their choice, and I'm not one to tell people what to do with their lives. As far as social acceptance of smoking around me, my university has a rule where you can only smoke in places specifically designated for smoking, which makes it easy to avoid it if you want to, but very few people outwardly demonize those that smoke. Funny thing about that, though. I don't smoke, but the smoking huts are some of the easiest places to find people and socialize, so I'm in them all the time. I guess it's just like any other activity a lot of people do.

**Ontwikseltsaar** · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 8:01 pm Post subject:

**blingdomepiece** · Joined: 03 Aug 2007 Posts: 4358 Location: Ottawa ON Canada

**ThunderAlex** · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:48 pm Post subject:

I believe that Iceland made cigarettes prescription-only last year... so that could be similar to completely banning them? However, I find that idea ridiculous. Smoking isn't the same as alcohol or drugs - it doesn't alter your thought process. It's okay that smoking is forbidden in closed public places, but banning it entirely would just be stupid. It can't harm anyone except the smoker himself.

As for how smoking is viewed in my country (Bosnia), we have A LOT of smokers. And cigarettes are relatively cheap, you don't have to be 18 to buy them (Yes, even a 7 year old kid can just freely go into a store and buy a pack of cigarettes) and it's not banned in closed public places. Also, I don't really understand why anyone would be ashamed because they smoke... Anyone care to explain?
_________________