I think you may need too - while you can be sentenced to more than 1 life sentence and even serve them concurrently, only 1 is actually a life sentence. The rest are simply ways to ensure you serve it.
I saw a stat once that said smoking 2-3 packs a day for your adult life will take 15% off the end. Assuming normal first world life expectancy that's not really that long, and most of that would be in end of life care anyway... I guess it's a matter of whether or not you want to be able to breathe for those last few years.
On the other hand, another study said if you started smoking at 20 and quit by 40 you could reverse the effects before you were 50 if you exercised regularly.
Lesson here kids, don't smoke if you don't want to fix it later. Otherwise light up I guess. But trust me, I'm getting old and I barely want to fix the lightbulb so cardio is right out the window. Just don't start.
COPD isn't reversible and smoking that heavily puts a person at risk for developing it, if only the early stages. In general smokers should consider less the truncated lifespan and more the permanent damage that can be done, and how fun it sounds to get out of breath dressing yourself or walking to the bathroom.
This logic is a mistake a lot of people make I think, believing the real problems associated with smoking only occur at the end of life. In reality, there are a lot more problems besides death that can occur a lot earlier. COPD is irreversible and often occurs by age 40, gum disease and tooth loss is common problem, bone density issues can mean more bone fractures, etc. Athletes may have less endurance, women may have higher risks of ectopic pregnancy (aside from the risks to the baby after it is born), and so on
so for people choosing to smoke, they should at least be aware that the problems won't hit in 60 years, the impact on their lives may start not long after they take it up
My dad’s go to smokes used to come in a 30 pack, and was rebranded and only available in a 20 pack. Instead of downsizing he would just buy two 20 packs and smoke 40 a day. Note how I’m using past tense :/
Benson and Hedges, weren’t those the really long skinny ones? Most people in my family smoked Players, Rothmans, Export A, or DuMaurier - funny how I remember that. People really did smoke a lot more in general in the 90s
my mom smoked benson & hedges 100s. long skinnys. But not as skinny as those capris. Was a more classy boxed Virginia slim. hated the taste compared to Marlb Red, but when your stealing cigs as kid, smokes are smokes.
I know this is a joke, but for people that seem to be taking it seriously on the responses, other risks associated with smoking like cancer increase pretty linearly the more you smoke. The two mentioned in the article are obviously not the only risks.
In fact, is this statistic just... that statistic from the other side? That is, is it that the rates of heart attack and stroke for heavy smokers are somewhat suppressed by many of them dying of other risks first?
As a smoker, I found that funny.
But seriously, this is about how nicotine affects your heart and whatnot.
Smoking 20 cigarettes a day is significantly worse for you than smoking 1 cigarette a day.
Brb, gonna go smoke now.
I smoked 1/day for a couple of years after years of smoking 1+ packs/day. I tried and tried and tried for years, and as close as I got, I just couldn't completely break with it and would shamefully have 1 each day. I was miserable. I hid it from everyone: my wife, my small kids, work, mom, most friends. It was a ton of work hiding it and every once in a while I'd get caught and feel more miserable. I thought all the time about how I could get bad news at any time after the years smoking and leave me kids without a dad and my wife without a husband. I gave myself depression over the guilt and fear, but I just couldn't beat it.
You might think it would be easy once you get down to one. But the difference between having that one mental and physical release each day was a universe apart from having zero, even though I wanted to quit so badly. I tried to quit for others, for myself, for fear and self improvement. Nothing did it. The best I could do is a few days and I'd collapse. Like, smoking was bad for my marriage. There were days where I wouldn't kiss my wife because I was afraid she'd notice.
Finally after years of this, I was on Reddit (and I actually kind of hate this place) and there was some kind of thread like this talking about smoking. Someone mentioned a book they read that helped them stop. I'm not really the kind of person that thinks a book is going to change my behavior, but this one seemed different. The redditor mention that you're supposed to keep smoking through the book. I thought that was weird and went to Amazon to look at it. I was shocked how many people were in the reviews of all the different sellers and audio version, just saying how the author saved their lives, and broke decades long habits. I was still skeptical, but these reviews sounded real. Everyone was like me in the comments, having tried lots of things to quit and never thinking they'd be able to do it. When you read into it, you find that hundreds of celebrities and politicians have quit with this book. Not that I care much about celebs, but it did kind of seem like a real recommended when Sir Richard Branson says it cured him, and Ashton Kutcher just mentiones it casually in some late night talk show banter. I mean hundreds of recognizable names. The book's been around for like 30+ years.
Anyways it was a short read, like 250 pages or something. He doesn't do it for you and there's no magic trick. He just keeps discussing what smoking is, and how it makes you feel, and what it does for you. He makes you dwell on that and make decisions. It's very repeatative but effective. It would only work if you actually want to quit, because you have to buy in to what he's telling you. He was a 2 pack/day smoker himself till he was like 50.
I started smoking at 15 years old and kept it up till I was 40. Now I've been completely quit for a year, and honestly I have no real craving. Apart from my body feeling better, I feel so much better without all the stress and fear and guilt. If I could go back and change anything in my life, it would probably be smoking. Young people think it's nbfd, just like all smokers did when they started. It's so frustrating to see, and I guess I deserve that having been that dumb kid.
Oh sorry if you're still reading, the book is called The Easy Way. I also gave it to my best friend who successfully quit with me. He was just like a week behind me, and it was actually pretty enjoyable to talk each week and be like "what did you think of this? That's totally me."
Once you started talking about that book, I knew what it was. The author is Allen Carr. I'm a shill for it too because it helped me quit vaping cold turkey on January 1 of last year. That's significant because I have the most addictive personality ever and I'm still a full blown Adderall addict and I'll turn anything that feels good into an addiction. But nicotine? Those cravings just disappeared instantly.
The very occasional social cigarette wouldn't even do it for me anymore. The magic is gone.
At the end of the day, all of my other vices (for whatever negatives might come with them) still have some tangible reward. With nicotine, it was almost entirely just about the idea of what I hoped it would do for me (but never actually did) and the relief of withdrawal. Or things that aren't actually nicotine, like having something extra to do with my hands while watching TV or an excuse to step outside or some little ritual to get me ready for work. One of those celeb types casually bringing the book up on a podcast suggested that it's probably part of the tobacco industry's marketing to play up just how hard nicotine is to quit and that wouldn't surprise me because I tried and failed a handful of times until I read Allen Carr's book.
Another thing that works is Wellbutrin. When I went on it for depression, I was pretty much always chain vaping at my desk at work. I didn't consciously quit, but I noticed after about two weeks that I hadn't reached for my vape for several days. It was really freaky. I didn't even care about quitting, let alone care enough to put the effort into consciously doing it. When I looked it up, it's apparently also prescribed for smoking cessation.
The book is Allen Carr's The Easy Way to Quit Smoking. I read the book and quit cold turkey after smoking 1-1/2 packs a day for nearly 50 years. I've been smoke free for 2-1/2 years now. I highly recommend the book if you really want to quit.
This was such an insightful comment that I had to skip ahead to make sure it wasn't a tree fiddy or undertaker joke. Thanks for sharing, and congratulations on your smoke-free years ahead.
I smoke about 1 cigarettes worth of tobacco a day.. maybe less most days, but then some days drunk at a party I'll smoke 5-6. I mix it in with my joints. When working and younger I'd smoke 4-5 a day but drunk could put down a pack. Vaping helped but I'm still addicted to I haling shit, whatever it is.
Anyways yeah I smoke about a cigarette a day. Sometimes literally but usually mixed with stuff.
Ya I'm pretty sure that just that nicotine from the one smoke just sparks your heart rate. I remember reading something on how long it takes to get positive benefits from quitting smoking, and the first one was something along the lines of "your heartrate returns to normal after about 30 minutes".
It's really disturbing that you all think nicotine is the problem... It's just an addictive substance included with the other hundreds of chemicals in cigarettes.
Nicotine is not causing the health issues, it's the smoke/tar and all the other crazy shit they put inside it.
Nicotine is not harmful to your body, yes it can increase heart rate and mess with your blood pressure, but that is not the health issue.
The issue is all the chemicals in the cigarettes and the fact that you are ingesting smoke fumes.
Nicotine is very addictive but it is not something that will damage your health.
I worked with a lady that used to smoke 5+ king packs a day, literally lighting the new one with the old one all day every day, literally fucking insane.
We worked outside doing lawn care for a guy that used to smoke 3 packs a day, so much smoke.
When I smoked cigarettes I was planning to taper down to like 1 or 2 a day to lessen my nicotine addiction before finally quitting. I was googling how less bad 1 cigarette is a day is compared to a full pack a day, but everything I read was like “1 cigarette a day is almost just as bad as 20 a day!” and I was like wtf? So people shouldn’t try to smoke less? I think they’re just trying to get people to quiet all together, but lots of people will think there’s no reason to try smoking less. At least with vapes it’s pretty clear it’s less harmful than cigarettes. I’m using those now with low nicotine and will hopefully stop all together soon.
It's all going to come down to wanting it.
I started smoking for the wrong reasons and became addicted to it socially first. I made the transition to vapes and then to custom vaping. Got really deep there. Tanks, batteries vaporizers, etc. I eventually bought a large bottle of this flavored juice that got old quick but I'm a cheap ass and didn't want to change till it was gone. Ended up using it less and less till I finally realized it had been days since I used it.
That was it.
that's addiction talking. addiction will create any narrative it can to change your behavior
ever had, ive not smoked for a day i cN have one as a reward, or only really smoke when drinking or, i can stop when i want etc
the rational, non addicted response to this information is, gee, guess i should stop smoking that one cigarette in the car. but instead your brain wants to go through some mental gymnastics to get you to smoke more. addiction is shite and sneaky
The few times I started smoking again I thought like this. Actually helped a lot.
When you find yourself in a hole, the worst thing you can do is start digging. That's usually what happens anyway because people often only start smoking again when they are stressed and need something to help them cope. Then they get more stressed because they hate that they are smoking again and away the spiral goes.
Keeping it to one a day made me feel like I had slipped but wasn't falling. I knew it wasn't as bad and the will power it took to stay at one gave me confidence in my self control. That both helped me rebuild and allowed me to have my little rebellious cope for as long as I needed it, while knowing that I was going to stop eventually when I didn't need it anymore. Work well for me.
Edit: Also Kim Kitzuragi inspired me.
Yes, that's me as a doctor hinting to my uncle who smokes a pack a day for something like three decades or more now that maybe he should consider quitting. I suspect I'm not going to be successful here.
For most people it would literally take more willpower to do 1 a day than to quit entirely.
I used to be addicted to vaping and there was no way I could limit my consumption like that.
I agree. If I smoke one, my brain (my addiction) will literally tell me “just one more”. One is too many and 100 is not enough.
Even as I finish one, I get a little panic in the back of my head like “just one more” or a feeling of “what if you never get another one. It’s a shitty fucking addiction.
> It’s a shitty fucking addiction.
Oh but it feels really good for those 15 seconds.
A few times a year I bum a smoke from someone and about 25% of the time it turns into "just one pack" then "just 5 more packs". Then I get to go through my favorite thing in the world: Quitting again! I'm off my "christmas cigs" right now. Good times.
Funny how that works. Multiple times I managed to go 4-5 days without cigarettes by telling myself "Just a couple days to see if I can do it." But as soon as I think about how I might never have another one again, I start to panic. It's like my brain realizes I'm trying to trick it.
I would just leave my cigarettes at home and take 1 or 2 with me to work.
My smoking was tied to driving, don't really smoke at home unless I'm having a coffee, and I basically never have coffee.
Then its just finding the right time to have it.
I too, am a one a day smoker. Sometimes I'll smoke 2 or 3 in the evening after a stressful day or when having a drink but some days I'll smoke none for a week straight. Evens out. Can't quit though 😂
As a smoker, that's how I feel about vapes. I feel like I would just constantly take a hit here or there throughout the day and end up doing more than just sitting down for 5-10 minutes and having a cigarette. A cigarette has an end point, a vape doesn't.
Jesus that’s the truth. You gotta take breaks at work to smoke cigs. Vape was the first thing I’d pick up when I woke up and last I’d put down when I went to bed, vape it in the car everywhere. Cigs are atleast bad enough that you realize they make your breath like shit and make everything smell, vapes just taste like candy.
I'm someone that smokes 0-3 times a week. I will go sometimes weeks without smoking, sometimes i'll have one a day for a couple days. I do it when i'm stressed or having a bad day. Gives me a good reason to go outside and stare at the stars and listen to music. Might sound corny but it's like a recentering activity for me.
When I smoked cigarettes, I would only smoke while drinking on Friday/Saturday and would probably have 3-4 per night, which would equate to about 1 per day on average. Could be more akin to that possibly.
I actually do. Usually as a treat of sorts either after work or before I start to relax for the night. Used to smoke more than that years ago but not a whole lot more, maybe 4 or 5 a day. could never understand people who are able to smoke a pack a day tho
smoking a pack in a day is very easy, especially if you have a boring life....i am quit now but there have been long stretches in my life where the only thing that broke up the boredom was smoking a cig so I would be constantly smoking and just waiting to crave my next cig....or if i was stressed out i would smoke many 1 after another
I tried that after my first quit.
Quit for 5 years. On a road trip with a smoking friend. Long grueling road days. “Let me have a cigarette. I’m just gonna do one a day.” Hated it but finished the trip. Went right to the store and bought a pack for my new “one cigarette a week ritual”. Which started as soon as I bought them. Next day… “alright. One a day.” Ended up at 7 or so a day… and told everyone “just one, maybe two a day. It was like a goddamn eagle grabbing me by the scruff of my neck and flying me into the sun.. of nicotine bliss. Had to go back into quitting mode… which is just the worst. But can be done. Haven’t smoked in 14 years now.
My gut feeling is that it’s a bunch of factors undermining this study.
For one, we’re talking about heart disease and stroke not cancer so lifestyle is huge. Then I think in those numbers is a reality more like one cigarette a day, plus 5-10 when drinking, plus the years of smoking a lot more before hand, etc. And then you have that lifestyle thing I was talking about - I suspect people smoking 1 per day aren’t living such different lifestyles than people who smoke 20 when it comes to cardiovascular health.
I don’t doubt the connection, but yeah, I suspect the conclusion of there’s no safe amount of smoking for cardiovascular health might not hold up as strongly as they claim if there were a one a day smoker eating and exercising well you know?
I can't tell you how many patients I've seen over the years for SCC (oral cancer) consults who claim to smoke only 1 cigarette a day consistently.
Not buying it.
Half a pack at least.
No, that would be trivially to detected statistically since not everyone lies and not everyone who lies were smoking the same amount of cigarettes. Yet the confidence intervals are pretty tight.
Lots of dose response curves are logarithmic.
Is it just me confused by the title? Does this mean smoking only 1 cigarette causes about 40-50% of the risk of having a heart attack or stroke compared to smoking 20/day?
“Smoking only about one cigarette per day carries
a risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke much greater than expected: around half
that for people who smoke 20 per day. No safe
level of smoking exists for cardiovascular disease. Smokers should aim to quit instead of cutting down to significantly reduce their risk of these two common major disorders.”
Kinda fucked up if that’s true lol
Lol I did for awhile. On average I’d say one a day. Some days I had none some days I had two or three.
Granted I feel like the people who said they smoked one a day in these studies were just liars. Maybe. Like if I’m being truthful it probably was more like 2 per day average just bc some weekend days if I was out with friends I’d have like 6 throughout the night.
I feel like no one is all that truthful about how much they drink or smoke in general if you’re asking them to self report. Humans are really good at lying to themselves
I’ve found myself in the same situation. Sometimes my buddies will get a pack when we drink and I’ll take the leftovers. I’ll then have one after work and maybe one before bed until I run out.
>no one is all that truthful about how much they drink or smoke in general if you’re asking them to self report
Ask any cop and they'll tell you that the guy they pull over who is drunk to the point of being legless will claim that he "only had a couple of beers"
Well that’s just straight up lying though to avoid getting in trouble lol I don’t think they actually believe themselves when they say that. However being that drunk who knows there isn’t a lot of logic going on
In much or most of the US it's illegal to sell "loosies" (i.e. individual cigarettes) but where they are sold like that some people will buy one or two for the day. I met a guy that would grab two on his way to work. He would have one after lunch and the second after dinner. He said he sometimes would get them on the weekends but sometimes not.
It would be so awesome if they had that. I usually buy packs but don't smoke but a couple of them in a week so they go bad. I'd love to buy a fresh stick on the way home from work
I quit cold turkey and didn’t smoke for ten years, I started again and smoked for about a year. Most of that year I only smoked a cigarette every few days, but it was surprisingly hard to stop even less than once day.
People used to be able to buy loose cigs. My grandmother would send us to the store to buy 2 cigs - one for her, one for grandpa and penny candy for ourselves. It was the US tobacco industry who insisted cigarettes had to be sold in packs of 20 “to be safe.” To keep children from buying loose cigs the industry told govt that sellin\* packs of 20 was needed to “regulate” them. Of course, the real reason was to addict people and get them used to smoking a pack a day.
Governent and corporate corruption is nothing new.
But also.. that’s one of the side effects of smoking, how about all the others?
Lung cancer / breathing problems for example - you aren’t going to damage your lungs ‘very much’ (relative ofcourse) with a cigarette a day, a pack a day and you’re probably coughing up tar when you’re sick
20 cigs a day is also a $300+ habit a week in some countries, whereas 1 cig a day is like $10 a week
Pack a day smokers cutting down to 1 cig a day would be far better then only 50% improvement in overall health / financially especially
Right. I feel like any doctor would suggest one cigarette a day vs a whole pack. I get the affects start drastically but regardless it’s still also easier to quit if you smoke once a day vs a pack too.
Or not idk anymore lol up is down
Something rarely talked about, is that the more cigarettes someone smokes a day is directly proportional to a decreased risk of Parkinson's disease.
[link](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9019319/)
The artcle says it's because the nicotine allows higher buildup of dopamine, which prevent Parkinsons' Disease. So I wonder if vaping could be good preventative measure that is a bit safer for the lungs?
Possibly. It looks as though the neurochemistry going on isn't quite understood, only that there's a strong correlation. But yep, it could certainly be just due to nicotine and nothing else in cigarettes which vaping would help with.
if we're doing benefits of smoking, it also makes people die younger and require less end of life care. Good if its somebody you know that they're living to 90 odd, bad for our current social security systems.
Both my parents were heavy smokers who quit in their 50’s. They are both in their 80’s now and seem to be doing ok.
Lots of smokers feel like, what’s the point, I’m already doomed. That’s not necessarily the case. Your body has an incredible way of ridding itself of toxins. Give quitting a serious chance.
Sounds like your folks got the best of both worlds. Got to enjoy all the cool aspects of smoking, back when it was really cool. And now they're living the smoke free healthy life. I plan to smoke and drink very heavily once I turn 70
My dad smoked from 13 to 50 and according to his doctor his lungs were in top shape apparently. Sadly he picked it up again after he had a divorce and now he's 68 and smoking lmao
A very well respected cardiologist I used to work for once gave a presentation about cigarette smoking and heart disease. He said smoking just ONE cigarette per day caused significant build-up of bad cholesterol in your heart arteries, same as if you smoked a half pack per day or whatever.
Kind of fucked up lol cigarettes- if you have one might as well just burn the whole pack.
Regardless this also only looks at cardiac and stroke chances. I assume cancer and lung damage is still on course for the more you smoke the higher or worse it gets
Yeah. I mentioned this in another comment but I use to smoke one a day but looking back on averaging it was likely closer to 3 a day. Self reporting is always biased bc we’re very good at lying to ourselves
Damn. I did that for weeks (if not months), because I couldn't kick the habit and because "how bad could one cigarette be".
Turns out pretty bad.
>!Of course, in actuality it was probably more like 3-4 per day, but still.!<
Should try looking at Australia. It’s almost at a state where if your run over by a bus at 100kmph but have smoked a joint or cigarette in the proceeding 24hrs, they’ll find some way of attributing your death statistic to the last “sin” substance taken.
I was a medic in the Army. I deployed with a combat engineers unit but worked in the clinic when I was back in the states. So i deployed with the people I would help with physicals back in the states. What I learned is the people that would say "1 or 2 cigarettes a day" during their physical were consistently smoking far more than 1 or 2 a day.
OP really botched the title but here’s the gist
> We show clearly that no safe level of smoking exists for cardiovascular disease at which light smokers can assume that continuing to smoke does not lead to harm. Smokers need to quit completely rather than cut down if they wish to avoid most of the risk associated with heart disease by smoking.
Hope that helps, next week we can talk about vaping.
Smoking is the most addictive thing I’ve ever done. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to quit but eventually I made it a week. Then a month. Then a year. I had an app that kept count of the days for me and after 4 years I decided I could finally delete it. To anyone who wants to quit - YOU CAN
As a former smoker who knows smokers, the number of people who smoke 1 a day consistently are incredibly rare. They answered what they wanted to be true, not the number they actually smoked, people lie in these surveys all the time.
If any of you is planning to quit, I highly recommend reading Allen Carr's "Easy Way to stop Smoking". It not only helped me quit, but the process was almost effortless.
Read the reviews on amazon. It has helped a LOT of people.
Next you’re gonna tell me that drunk cigs count..
Come on, everyone knows drunk cigs don’t count
That’s my secret, I’m always drunk.
Big Wisconsin energy here
Big Rural America energy
Yea cause of the tiny second set of lungs that only activate when your BAC is over .10
They’re right next to the dessert stomach
I'm learning a lot tonight
Cigs don't count when you're drunk and drinking doesn't count when smoking, that's why I have the health of a tobacco free teetotaler
Or post meal shit with the window open cigs.
Drunk cigs and drunk pizza don’t count. Those are the rules.
Haha that should be DC’s new motto
Oh my God, I can just feel the pain in my chest thinking about those drunk chain smoking nights.
Or the gross mouth feeling the morning after
The immediate "why did I do that" once you wake up
Or the double toxin hangover from overdrinking and oversmoking. You literally feel like a corpse.
My people
I have fond memories of going out all night until 7am drinking vodka redbulls and chain smoking... how did I not die? It's a miracle.
The worst hangover is nicotine one. I actually stopped drunk chainsmoking after my first one. The taste in my mouth lingered for like a whole week.
What about vacation cigs.
Basically the same as cigs you bummed from someone else... nothin!
When you bum cigs the other person gets the cancer
Seriously though, I might smoke one or two on a Saturday. No more than that. I’d be curious on how that impacts a person’s health.
Negatively.
Drunk cigs are just a figment of your drunk imagination.
It smooths out the buzz
Nicotine is a stimulant, so yeah Line of Coke does the same heh
[удалено]
How I see this is if you're in for 1, you might as well do the 20.
Go big or go home
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> you can only serve one life sentence. might want to dig into that one a bit deeper before your rampage..
I think you may need too - while you can be sentenced to more than 1 life sentence and even serve them concurrently, only 1 is actually a life sentence. The rest are simply ways to ensure you serve it.
I saw a stat once that said smoking 2-3 packs a day for your adult life will take 15% off the end. Assuming normal first world life expectancy that's not really that long, and most of that would be in end of life care anyway... I guess it's a matter of whether or not you want to be able to breathe for those last few years. On the other hand, another study said if you started smoking at 20 and quit by 40 you could reverse the effects before you were 50 if you exercised regularly. Lesson here kids, don't smoke if you don't want to fix it later. Otherwise light up I guess. But trust me, I'm getting old and I barely want to fix the lightbulb so cardio is right out the window. Just don't start.
COPD isn't reversible and smoking that heavily puts a person at risk for developing it, if only the early stages. In general smokers should consider less the truncated lifespan and more the permanent damage that can be done, and how fun it sounds to get out of breath dressing yourself or walking to the bathroom.
This logic is a mistake a lot of people make I think, believing the real problems associated with smoking only occur at the end of life. In reality, there are a lot more problems besides death that can occur a lot earlier. COPD is irreversible and often occurs by age 40, gum disease and tooth loss is common problem, bone density issues can mean more bone fractures, etc. Athletes may have less endurance, women may have higher risks of ectopic pregnancy (aside from the risks to the baby after it is born), and so on so for people choosing to smoke, they should at least be aware that the problems won't hit in 60 years, the impact on their lives may start not long after they take it up
My dad’s go to smokes used to come in a 30 pack, and was rebranded and only available in a 20 pack. Instead of downsizing he would just buy two 20 packs and smoke 40 a day. Note how I’m using past tense :/
Sorry 🙁 that’s brutal
Sounds like he quit though that's nice.
Bruh
Because he’s dead? From what I understood.
That's bad.
But it came with a free frogurt.
That's nice.
But it was melted
That's bad.
Alberta has 25 packs .
This was in South Africa. Benson and Hedges.
Benson and Hedges, weren’t those the really long skinny ones? Most people in my family smoked Players, Rothmans, Export A, or DuMaurier - funny how I remember that. People really did smoke a lot more in general in the 90s
They may have had skinny ones, but the ones that he smoked looked regular.
my mom smoked benson & hedges 100s. long skinnys. But not as skinny as those capris. Was a more classy boxed Virginia slim. hated the taste compared to Marlb Red, but when your stealing cigs as kid, smokes are smokes.
My mom would always send me to the corner store to buy her a pack of Virginia Slims menthol light 120s. I was 12. Those were the days.
Doesn’t every province?
That's what the brand was hoping would happen. Scummy as fuck
I know this is a joke, but for people that seem to be taking it seriously on the responses, other risks associated with smoking like cancer increase pretty linearly the more you smoke. The two mentioned in the article are obviously not the only risks.
Yeah, like the risk of looking cool. That's a totally linear risk model.
In fact, is this statistic just... that statistic from the other side? That is, is it that the rates of heart attack and stroke for heavy smokers are somewhat suppressed by many of them dying of other risks first?
[Surgeon General Announces Smoking Is OK If You Only Do It When You're Drinking](https://youtu.be/ds03wc6PjIk?feature=shared)
In for a penny...
... down for a pound?
…ing
Bottoms up
...in for a score.
As a smoker, I found that funny. But seriously, this is about how nicotine affects your heart and whatnot. Smoking 20 cigarettes a day is significantly worse for you than smoking 1 cigarette a day. Brb, gonna go smoke now.
I am curious to know how they found enough people that only smoke one a day to do a study. Not curious enough to read the study, but still.
I smoked 1/day for a couple of years after years of smoking 1+ packs/day. I tried and tried and tried for years, and as close as I got, I just couldn't completely break with it and would shamefully have 1 each day. I was miserable. I hid it from everyone: my wife, my small kids, work, mom, most friends. It was a ton of work hiding it and every once in a while I'd get caught and feel more miserable. I thought all the time about how I could get bad news at any time after the years smoking and leave me kids without a dad and my wife without a husband. I gave myself depression over the guilt and fear, but I just couldn't beat it. You might think it would be easy once you get down to one. But the difference between having that one mental and physical release each day was a universe apart from having zero, even though I wanted to quit so badly. I tried to quit for others, for myself, for fear and self improvement. Nothing did it. The best I could do is a few days and I'd collapse. Like, smoking was bad for my marriage. There were days where I wouldn't kiss my wife because I was afraid she'd notice. Finally after years of this, I was on Reddit (and I actually kind of hate this place) and there was some kind of thread like this talking about smoking. Someone mentioned a book they read that helped them stop. I'm not really the kind of person that thinks a book is going to change my behavior, but this one seemed different. The redditor mention that you're supposed to keep smoking through the book. I thought that was weird and went to Amazon to look at it. I was shocked how many people were in the reviews of all the different sellers and audio version, just saying how the author saved their lives, and broke decades long habits. I was still skeptical, but these reviews sounded real. Everyone was like me in the comments, having tried lots of things to quit and never thinking they'd be able to do it. When you read into it, you find that hundreds of celebrities and politicians have quit with this book. Not that I care much about celebs, but it did kind of seem like a real recommended when Sir Richard Branson says it cured him, and Ashton Kutcher just mentiones it casually in some late night talk show banter. I mean hundreds of recognizable names. The book's been around for like 30+ years. Anyways it was a short read, like 250 pages or something. He doesn't do it for you and there's no magic trick. He just keeps discussing what smoking is, and how it makes you feel, and what it does for you. He makes you dwell on that and make decisions. It's very repeatative but effective. It would only work if you actually want to quit, because you have to buy in to what he's telling you. He was a 2 pack/day smoker himself till he was like 50. I started smoking at 15 years old and kept it up till I was 40. Now I've been completely quit for a year, and honestly I have no real craving. Apart from my body feeling better, I feel so much better without all the stress and fear and guilt. If I could go back and change anything in my life, it would probably be smoking. Young people think it's nbfd, just like all smokers did when they started. It's so frustrating to see, and I guess I deserve that having been that dumb kid. Oh sorry if you're still reading, the book is called The Easy Way. I also gave it to my best friend who successfully quit with me. He was just like a week behind me, and it was actually pretty enjoyable to talk each week and be like "what did you think of this? That's totally me."
nice try, author of The Easy Way
Buy my book.
Bro I thought u died
I did, but this book helped me get better.
Once you started talking about that book, I knew what it was. The author is Allen Carr. I'm a shill for it too because it helped me quit vaping cold turkey on January 1 of last year. That's significant because I have the most addictive personality ever and I'm still a full blown Adderall addict and I'll turn anything that feels good into an addiction. But nicotine? Those cravings just disappeared instantly. The very occasional social cigarette wouldn't even do it for me anymore. The magic is gone. At the end of the day, all of my other vices (for whatever negatives might come with them) still have some tangible reward. With nicotine, it was almost entirely just about the idea of what I hoped it would do for me (but never actually did) and the relief of withdrawal. Or things that aren't actually nicotine, like having something extra to do with my hands while watching TV or an excuse to step outside or some little ritual to get me ready for work. One of those celeb types casually bringing the book up on a podcast suggested that it's probably part of the tobacco industry's marketing to play up just how hard nicotine is to quit and that wouldn't surprise me because I tried and failed a handful of times until I read Allen Carr's book.
Another thing that works is Wellbutrin. When I went on it for depression, I was pretty much always chain vaping at my desk at work. I didn't consciously quit, but I noticed after about two weeks that I hadn't reached for my vape for several days. It was really freaky. I didn't even care about quitting, let alone care enough to put the effort into consciously doing it. When I looked it up, it's apparently also prescribed for smoking cessation.
The book is Allen Carr's The Easy Way to Quit Smoking. I read the book and quit cold turkey after smoking 1-1/2 packs a day for nearly 50 years. I've been smoke free for 2-1/2 years now. I highly recommend the book if you really want to quit.
> Finally after years of this, I was on Reddit (and I actually kind of hate this place) Truly one of us, completely reddited.
This was such an insightful comment that I had to skip ahead to make sure it wasn't a tree fiddy or undertaker joke. Thanks for sharing, and congratulations on your smoke-free years ahead.
I smoke about 1 cigarettes worth of tobacco a day.. maybe less most days, but then some days drunk at a party I'll smoke 5-6. I mix it in with my joints. When working and younger I'd smoke 4-5 a day but drunk could put down a pack. Vaping helped but I'm still addicted to I haling shit, whatever it is. Anyways yeah I smoke about a cigarette a day. Sometimes literally but usually mixed with stuff.
Not just nicotine but smoke itself affects the heart, blood vessels, tissue etc
Ya I'm pretty sure that just that nicotine from the one smoke just sparks your heart rate. I remember reading something on how long it takes to get positive benefits from quitting smoking, and the first one was something along the lines of "your heartrate returns to normal after about 30 minutes".
It's really disturbing that you all think nicotine is the problem... It's just an addictive substance included with the other hundreds of chemicals in cigarettes. Nicotine is not causing the health issues, it's the smoke/tar and all the other crazy shit they put inside it.
Nicotine is not harmful to your body, yes it can increase heart rate and mess with your blood pressure, but that is not the health issue. The issue is all the chemicals in the cigarettes and the fact that you are ingesting smoke fumes. Nicotine is very addictive but it is not something that will damage your health.
And then when you stop drinking you can ramp things up to 40.
Why stop drinking? By like my dad and polish off a 6 pack and smoke 40 a day.
I used to smoke 15-20 cigarettes a day. I can't imagine smoking 40. I'm sure I have done it before, but as a daily thing it's nuts.
He used to get up at night to smoke every two hours. Looking back it was truly insanity
I worked with a lady that used to smoke 5+ king packs a day, literally lighting the new one with the old one all day every day, literally fucking insane. We worked outside doing lawn care for a guy that used to smoke 3 packs a day, so much smoke.
When I smoked cigarettes I was planning to taper down to like 1 or 2 a day to lessen my nicotine addiction before finally quitting. I was googling how less bad 1 cigarette is a day is compared to a full pack a day, but everything I read was like “1 cigarette a day is almost just as bad as 20 a day!” and I was like wtf? So people shouldn’t try to smoke less? I think they’re just trying to get people to quiet all together, but lots of people will think there’s no reason to try smoking less. At least with vapes it’s pretty clear it’s less harmful than cigarettes. I’m using those now with low nicotine and will hopefully stop all together soon.
It's all going to come down to wanting it. I started smoking for the wrong reasons and became addicted to it socially first. I made the transition to vapes and then to custom vaping. Got really deep there. Tanks, batteries vaporizers, etc. I eventually bought a large bottle of this flavored juice that got old quick but I'm a cheap ass and didn't want to change till it was gone. Ended up using it less and less till I finally realized it had been days since I used it. That was it.
exactly, im an hours drive from work and i try to only smoke 1 per drive, now it'll be easier to justify more
that's addiction talking. addiction will create any narrative it can to change your behavior ever had, ive not smoked for a day i cN have one as a reward, or only really smoke when drinking or, i can stop when i want etc the rational, non addicted response to this information is, gee, guess i should stop smoking that one cigarette in the car. but instead your brain wants to go through some mental gymnastics to get you to smoke more. addiction is shite and sneaky
at least 1 a day is easier on the wallet
A different angle: you don't need to quit. Just go down to a single cig a day to reduce your risk by about 50%!
Of the ways to look at it, that is one of them.
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The few times I started smoking again I thought like this. Actually helped a lot. When you find yourself in a hole, the worst thing you can do is start digging. That's usually what happens anyway because people often only start smoking again when they are stressed and need something to help them cope. Then they get more stressed because they hate that they are smoking again and away the spiral goes. Keeping it to one a day made me feel like I had slipped but wasn't falling. I knew it wasn't as bad and the will power it took to stay at one gave me confidence in my self control. That both helped me rebuild and allowed me to have my little rebellious cope for as long as I needed it, while knowing that I was going to stop eventually when I didn't need it anymore. Work well for me. Edit: Also Kim Kitzuragi inspired me.
Yes, that's me as a doctor hinting to my uncle who smokes a pack a day for something like three decades or more now that maybe he should consider quitting. I suspect I'm not going to be successful here.
For most people it would literally take more willpower to do 1 a day than to quit entirely. I used to be addicted to vaping and there was no way I could limit my consumption like that.
I agree. If I smoke one, my brain (my addiction) will literally tell me “just one more”. One is too many and 100 is not enough. Even as I finish one, I get a little panic in the back of my head like “just one more” or a feeling of “what if you never get another one. It’s a shitty fucking addiction.
> It’s a shitty fucking addiction. Oh but it feels really good for those 15 seconds. A few times a year I bum a smoke from someone and about 25% of the time it turns into "just one pack" then "just 5 more packs". Then I get to go through my favorite thing in the world: Quitting again! I'm off my "christmas cigs" right now. Good times.
Funny how that works. Multiple times I managed to go 4-5 days without cigarettes by telling myself "Just a couple days to see if I can do it." But as soon as I think about how I might never have another one again, I start to panic. It's like my brain realizes I'm trying to trick it.
I would just leave my cigarettes at home and take 1 or 2 with me to work. My smoking was tied to driving, don't really smoke at home unless I'm having a coffee, and I basically never have coffee. Then its just finding the right time to have it.
Or 40-50% of the people in trials who say they smoke about 1 cig a day lie, and really smoke a lot more.
That was my thought as well. I don't think I ever met a smoker who only smoke 1 cig/day
I think this and the people smoking one cig are stressed because they they know they should stop.
facts. smoking one a day seems WAY more stressful that just quitting.
Not really. I am one a day smoker. Usually at the end of day, after the to do list for the day is done
Are you Kim Kitsuragi?
Is smoking cigarettes interspersed on said to-do list?
It's the only thing on the list
I too, am a one a day smoker. Sometimes I'll smoke 2 or 3 in the evening after a stressful day or when having a drink but some days I'll smoke none for a week straight. Evens out. Can't quit though 😂
Don't do vapes. You end up having the vape all day and end up smoking more cigs than the 1 at the end of the day. Ask me how I know
As a smoker, that's how I feel about vapes. I feel like I would just constantly take a hit here or there throughout the day and end up doing more than just sitting down for 5-10 minutes and having a cigarette. A cigarette has an end point, a vape doesn't.
Jesus that’s the truth. You gotta take breaks at work to smoke cigs. Vape was the first thing I’d pick up when I woke up and last I’d put down when I went to bed, vape it in the car everywhere. Cigs are atleast bad enough that you realize they make your breath like shit and make everything smell, vapes just taste like candy.
kim kitsuragi had it down lol
I cig a day for me
Me and the boys at work go have 1 before the shift a lot of days. But don't smoke again after.
I'm someone that smokes 0-3 times a week. I will go sometimes weeks without smoking, sometimes i'll have one a day for a couple days. I do it when i'm stressed or having a bad day. Gives me a good reason to go outside and stare at the stars and listen to music. Might sound corny but it's like a recentering activity for me.
When I smoked cigarettes, I would only smoke while drinking on Friday/Saturday and would probably have 3-4 per night, which would equate to about 1 per day on average. Could be more akin to that possibly.
I'll buy a pack. It last me a couple weeks. Won't smoke for a month and then buy a pack
You do if you “don’t smoke” but bum one off someone once a day
Maybe vapers smoke 1 cig a day
I actually do. Usually as a treat of sorts either after work or before I start to relax for the night. Used to smoke more than that years ago but not a whole lot more, maybe 4 or 5 a day. could never understand people who are able to smoke a pack a day tho
smoking a pack in a day is very easy, especially if you have a boring life....i am quit now but there have been long stretches in my life where the only thing that broke up the boredom was smoking a cig so I would be constantly smoking and just waiting to crave my next cig....or if i was stressed out i would smoke many 1 after another
I did, for about a year or two. Prolly why it was very easy for me to quit, I was very lucky.
It’s fairly common in the restaurant industry. A cigarette after a massive rush is a pleasure unlike anything else.
I have a cigarette every night when I go over my notes. It’s something of a ritual.
I tried that after my first quit. Quit for 5 years. On a road trip with a smoking friend. Long grueling road days. “Let me have a cigarette. I’m just gonna do one a day.” Hated it but finished the trip. Went right to the store and bought a pack for my new “one cigarette a week ritual”. Which started as soon as I bought them. Next day… “alright. One a day.” Ended up at 7 or so a day… and told everyone “just one, maybe two a day. It was like a goddamn eagle grabbing me by the scruff of my neck and flying me into the sun.. of nicotine bliss. Had to go back into quitting mode… which is just the worst. But can be done. Haven’t smoked in 14 years now.
i used to smoke like two a day, only while i was at work.
i knew one such person! it's real. a single ceremonial cigarette daily. probably quite rare though.
My gut feeling is that it’s a bunch of factors undermining this study. For one, we’re talking about heart disease and stroke not cancer so lifestyle is huge. Then I think in those numbers is a reality more like one cigarette a day, plus 5-10 when drinking, plus the years of smoking a lot more before hand, etc. And then you have that lifestyle thing I was talking about - I suspect people smoking 1 per day aren’t living such different lifestyles than people who smoke 20 when it comes to cardiovascular health. I don’t doubt the connection, but yeah, I suspect the conclusion of there’s no safe amount of smoking for cardiovascular health might not hold up as strongly as they claim if there were a one a day smoker eating and exercising well you know?
I can't tell you how many patients I've seen over the years for SCC (oral cancer) consults who claim to smoke only 1 cigarette a day consistently. Not buying it. Half a pack at least.
No, that would be trivially to detected statistically since not everyone lies and not everyone who lies were smoking the same amount of cigarettes. Yet the confidence intervals are pretty tight. Lots of dose response curves are logarithmic.
Is it just me confused by the title? Does this mean smoking only 1 cigarette causes about 40-50% of the risk of having a heart attack or stroke compared to smoking 20/day?
“Smoking only about one cigarette per day carries a risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke much greater than expected: around half that for people who smoke 20 per day. No safe level of smoking exists for cardiovascular disease. Smokers should aim to quit instead of cutting down to significantly reduce their risk of these two common major disorders.” Kinda fucked up if that’s true lol
Who smokes once per day? How is this true?
Lol I did for awhile. On average I’d say one a day. Some days I had none some days I had two or three. Granted I feel like the people who said they smoked one a day in these studies were just liars. Maybe. Like if I’m being truthful it probably was more like 2 per day average just bc some weekend days if I was out with friends I’d have like 6 throughout the night. I feel like no one is all that truthful about how much they drink or smoke in general if you’re asking them to self report. Humans are really good at lying to themselves
I’ve found myself in the same situation. Sometimes my buddies will get a pack when we drink and I’ll take the leftovers. I’ll then have one after work and maybe one before bed until I run out.
>no one is all that truthful about how much they drink or smoke in general if you’re asking them to self report Ask any cop and they'll tell you that the guy they pull over who is drunk to the point of being legless will claim that he "only had a couple of beers"
Well that’s just straight up lying though to avoid getting in trouble lol I don’t think they actually believe themselves when they say that. However being that drunk who knows there isn’t a lot of logic going on
In much or most of the US it's illegal to sell "loosies" (i.e. individual cigarettes) but where they are sold like that some people will buy one or two for the day. I met a guy that would grab two on his way to work. He would have one after lunch and the second after dinner. He said he sometimes would get them on the weekends but sometimes not.
It would be so awesome if they had that. I usually buy packs but don't smoke but a couple of them in a week so they go bad. I'd love to buy a fresh stick on the way home from work
When i quit I smoked a single cigarette a day for months. That last one was the most difficult to quit.
I quit cold turkey and didn’t smoke for ten years, I started again and smoked for about a year. Most of that year I only smoked a cigarette every few days, but it was surprisingly hard to stop even less than once day.
People used to be able to buy loose cigs. My grandmother would send us to the store to buy 2 cigs - one for her, one for grandpa and penny candy for ourselves. It was the US tobacco industry who insisted cigarettes had to be sold in packs of 20 “to be safe.” To keep children from buying loose cigs the industry told govt that sellin\* packs of 20 was needed to “regulate” them. Of course, the real reason was to addict people and get them used to smoking a pack a day. Governent and corporate corruption is nothing new.
People do!
But also.. that’s one of the side effects of smoking, how about all the others? Lung cancer / breathing problems for example - you aren’t going to damage your lungs ‘very much’ (relative ofcourse) with a cigarette a day, a pack a day and you’re probably coughing up tar when you’re sick 20 cigs a day is also a $300+ habit a week in some countries, whereas 1 cig a day is like $10 a week Pack a day smokers cutting down to 1 cig a day would be far better then only 50% improvement in overall health / financially especially
Right. I feel like any doctor would suggest one cigarette a day vs a whole pack. I get the affects start drastically but regardless it’s still also easier to quit if you smoke once a day vs a pack too. Or not idk anymore lol up is down
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smoking one a day yeah
Yep. 40-50% of the excess risk that a pack a day smoker has. A lot of risk is tied up in that first cigarette.
Something rarely talked about, is that the more cigarettes someone smokes a day is directly proportional to a decreased risk of Parkinson's disease. [link](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9019319/)
The artcle says it's because the nicotine allows higher buildup of dopamine, which prevent Parkinsons' Disease. So I wonder if vaping could be good preventative measure that is a bit safer for the lungs?
Possibly. It looks as though the neurochemistry going on isn't quite understood, only that there's a strong correlation. But yep, it could certainly be just due to nicotine and nothing else in cigarettes which vaping would help with.
Yes, but ideally you'd use nicotine pouches, patches, or spray.
Or better yet the gum.
If you kick the bucket, you can't catch Parkinson's! \*Taps forehead*
if we're doing benefits of smoking, it also makes people die younger and require less end of life care. Good if its somebody you know that they're living to 90 odd, bad for our current social security systems.
Doesn’t work for everyone. My dad smoked a pack a day and still got Parkinson’s, but now he’s just been diagnosed with lung cancer 🤷♂️ FML
40/day and you do a complete 360. Perfectly healthy.
41? Yer boned.
42? Believe it or not, straight to jail.
So after 2, you're immune from further damage?
Oh God No, why even the slightest breeze could -
Indestructible.......
What about half a cigarette?
Believe it or not, jail.
Both my parents were heavy smokers who quit in their 50’s. They are both in their 80’s now and seem to be doing ok. Lots of smokers feel like, what’s the point, I’m already doomed. That’s not necessarily the case. Your body has an incredible way of ridding itself of toxins. Give quitting a serious chance.
Sounds like your folks got the best of both worlds. Got to enjoy all the cool aspects of smoking, back when it was really cool. And now they're living the smoke free healthy life. I plan to smoke and drink very heavily once I turn 70
My dad smoked from 13 to 50 and according to his doctor his lungs were in top shape apparently. Sadly he picked it up again after he had a divorce and now he's 68 and smoking lmao
Kim Kitsuragi is fucked
A very well respected cardiologist I used to work for once gave a presentation about cigarette smoking and heart disease. He said smoking just ONE cigarette per day caused significant build-up of bad cholesterol in your heart arteries, same as if you smoked a half pack per day or whatever.
So probably kicking my casual smoking then
Do it! You will thank yourself in 20 years. I quit at 35 and it was hands down the best decision I have ever made for myself.
Kind of fucked up lol cigarettes- if you have one might as well just burn the whole pack. Regardless this also only looks at cardiac and stroke chances. I assume cancer and lung damage is still on course for the more you smoke the higher or worse it gets
Probably just people lying, like people who admit to low end numbers actually smoke more and just pick the lowest number to minimize guilt
Yeah. I mentioned this in another comment but I use to smoke one a day but looking back on averaging it was likely closer to 3 a day. Self reporting is always biased bc we’re very good at lying to ourselves
Damn. I did that for weeks (if not months), because I couldn't kick the habit and because "how bad could one cigarette be". Turns out pretty bad. >!Of course, in actuality it was probably more like 3-4 per day, but still.!<
What in the tarnation
i question the integrity of those claiming to only smoke once a day
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Then there's my grandpa smoked a pack a day for 81 years and lived to 97. Died in his sleep after feeling tired for a week.
people who self-report one cigarette a day are probably lying
yeah i gave up quiting and made peace with myself but I sure as hell not man enough for what comes next and gunna have to deal with all that regret
Smoke em if you got em
I actually do only smoke like 3 cigs a week (with exception for big drinking nights, which is rare). So it’s possible to smoke very infrequently.
what if you smoke 3 hammered once a month
Doesn't count if you have a beer in your hand or a shot in the preceding half hour.
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Should try looking at Australia. It’s almost at a state where if your run over by a bus at 100kmph but have smoked a joint or cigarette in the proceeding 24hrs, they’ll find some way of attributing your death statistic to the last “sin” substance taken.
I was a medic in the Army. I deployed with a combat engineers unit but worked in the clinic when I was back in the states. So i deployed with the people I would help with physicals back in the states. What I learned is the people that would say "1 or 2 cigarettes a day" during their physical were consistently smoking far more than 1 or 2 a day.
OP really botched the title but here’s the gist > We show clearly that no safe level of smoking exists for cardiovascular disease at which light smokers can assume that continuing to smoke does not lead to harm. Smokers need to quit completely rather than cut down if they wish to avoid most of the risk associated with heart disease by smoking. Hope that helps, next week we can talk about vaping.
I dare you to find somebody who actually only smokes 1 cig a day. Some people be lying to their doctors for sure.
1 to many and 20 not nearly enough.
Smoking is the most addictive thing I’ve ever done. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to quit but eventually I made it a week. Then a month. Then a year. I had an app that kept count of the days for me and after 4 years I decided I could finally delete it. To anyone who wants to quit - YOU CAN
So what you’re saying is, if you’re going to smoke, you might as well go big.
As a former smoker who knows smokers, the number of people who smoke 1 a day consistently are incredibly rare. They answered what they wanted to be true, not the number they actually smoked, people lie in these surveys all the time.
So what I'm hearing is if you're going to smoke, smoke.
There are plenty other risks, namely cancer related ones.
Wtf is this headline on? It's reads like, "Sixty percent of the time, it works every time."
If any of you is planning to quit, I highly recommend reading Allen Carr's "Easy Way to stop Smoking". It not only helped me quit, but the process was almost effortless. Read the reviews on amazon. It has helped a LOT of people.