Why do people feel it's okay to bash smokers, but not others with unhealthy habits?
I know smokers & non-smokers. I have people in my family that smoke & some that do not. I find it appaling that some noramally polite people will make very unkind & downright mean comments to/about these people without even knowing them simply because they smoke. We're talking about good, give-you-the-shirt-off-my-back kind of people. No one would DARE say ' God, you're so fat, why don't you lay off the food for awhile?' Or geez, 'do you really need to drink every time you go to a baseball game?' Or how about ' you sit at a computer all day on your a**, why don't you go & get some exercise?' Why do people think it is ever okay to insult someone without provication. There are so many smoking bans & almost all the smokers I know follow them & ask those around them for ' permission ' to smoke before they light up even if it's leagal. There are worse people in this world. Can't you cut them a break?
Is smoking weed worth the risk of getting caught?
Get new friends then...is your health and that risk worth a group of friends who don't like you if you don't smoke? Also it is always possible to make new friends, who won't be such a bad influence on you. When I moved recently across the US, I was so surprised there were people out there who didn't judge me based on my ethnicity and constantly abused my trust. Just know there are people out there who are just like the person you want to become, people who will actually be your friends. Weed can actually help you spiral into your depression. I have a friend who started smoking after his brother was killed and he was just a wreck. But when he quit, he started to turn his life around. Got help in school, found a part time job and all. It wasn't easy for him, but nothing worth while ever is. You could ask your parents what you should do, about falling into depression. Also, start looking for a job or maybe a way to get back into school. Or find a local group or community center, perhaps they can help you there. Find a hobby you really enjoy like painting or roller-blading, writing, it could be anything. Take lots of walks too, that always soothes me. I'm glad you realized you don't want to live like this and you want to turn your life around. That is the first step, and I'm quite sure you'll find yourself in a better place. It may not be now, or a month from now, or even a year; but I promise it will be worth it and it WILL get better :)
What do non-smokers think of smokers?
Right now I think a lot about smokers because I just quit! I wonder if they realize that that $100 perfume they just sprayed is useless because all we smell is smoke on them? I wonder if they are smoking because they are bored, or had some bad news- or did they have good news and are celebrating with a cigarette! I wonder if they have children who smoke- or babies at home who's blankets also smell like an ashtray? Yes, I am thinking a lot about smokers. I wonder if they have ever tried to quit? Why they started- if they like smoking? Do they know how bad it is for them and others around them? Wait- are they going to throw that cigarette butt twords my dogs?! I wonder why they light up before they get outside the door and bottle neck the exit for a few extra minutes. I think about my children smoking because I did- and once again wonder if their children smoke?
Are marijuana smokers pathetic or what?
Well, I suppose we all have our own opinions. I could give you all of mine, but I won't; drug use is a controversial topic that I don't often like to discuss unless I'm with people I know well. Suffice to say that I have never smoked marijuana, and I don't plan to do so. I don't believe it's something I need in my life in order to be happy (or to relax). However, I do not have angry feelings towards pot smokers, nor do I believe they should be "thrown under the prison". I think each person makes his own decisions in life, and those that smoke know the legal risks they are taking. A lot of those that smoke end up "growing out" of it; others continue to smoke throughout adulthood. You might be surprised at how many pot smokers there really are, and even more surprised to know that some do contribute to society. I suppose it depends on the individual in question.
What is the big deal if I enjoy smoking and I am willing to accept the health risks? Is it really anyone's business when I go to a quiet place and enjoy a cigarette without bothering anyone?
So you’re saying that you’re “willing to accept” lung cancer. Really?What about COPD or having your legs amputated?If you really think that those things are worth an illusory pleasure (see below).then you have my pity and a recommendation that you seek professional psychiatric help.As I’ve said many times to other people, you’re not really enjoying smoking: you’re just feeding your addiction/habit.What actually happens when you smoke a cigarette is that you feel normal, like the rest of us feel all the time. When you’re not smoking, you feel the need for a cigarette and the “pleasure” that you feel when you smoke is just the feeding of the addiction: the same way that any other drug addict feels when they take a hit.How do I know? See my bio: I’ve seen smoking from all sides & I’m aware of all the delusions & deceptions that the habituated & addicted human brain will go through to avoid having to stop feeding the habit.Unless you have severe psychiatric issues, you don’t really “accept the health risks” at all, you just do what all other smokers do: you ignore them or pretend that they won’t happen to you.Another aspect is the distress that it causes to other people when they find out that you’ve contracted a severe or fatal disease.Is there no-one who cares about you? How will they feel?
I only smoke one-two cigars once a month, am I in any actual danger?
I didn't find exact data for risks smoking 2 cigars a month, but did find some limited info on casual cigar smoking. Cancer risks increase with the number of cigars smoked per day. Smoking three to four cigars per day increases the risk of oral cancers to 8.5 times the risk for nonsmokers; the risk for esophageal cancer is nearly four times as great as nonsmokers. There are differences in the patterns of cigar and cigarette use. Most cigarette smokers smoke every day and inhale. In contrast, as many as three-quarters of cigar smokers smoke only occasionally, and some may smoke only a few cigars per year. (The health risks of occasional cigar smokers less than daily are not known.) The majority of cigar smokers do not inhale. In spite of these differences, daily cigar smokers and cigarette smokers have similar levels of risk for oral (including throat), larynx, and esophageal cancers. Even among daily cigar smokers (smoking one or more cigars per day) who do not inhale, the risk of oral cancers is seven times greater than for nonsmokers and the risk for larynx cancer is more than 10 times greater than for nonsmokers. The smoke released from cigars and cigarettes contain many of the same toxic agents (carbon monoxide, nicotine, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia and volatile aldehydes) and human carcinogens (benzene, vinyl chloride, ethylene oxide, arsenic, cadmium, nitrosamines, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons). One scary fact to take into consideration is that the amounts of these toxic substances present in cigar smoke are different than in cigarette smoke. For example, compared to a cigarette, a large cigar emits up to 20 times more ammonia, five to 10 times more cadmium (a cancer-causing metal) and methylethylnitrosamine (a cancer-causing agent), and up to 80 to 90 times as much of the highly carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamines. With that last fact, I would think twice about cigars. The other stat I noticed that was significant was that there seemed to be a higher risk of Cancer of the Lip or Oral Cancer with Jaw involvement. This is a very disfiguring cancer to have to live through. It is a personal decision & risk you have to weigh.
Should I smoke because my girlfriend smokes?
No. Your girlfriend wants you to risk your health and shorten your like span? Smoking is not worth it, all of those risks plus the cost of keeping up with addiction? Don't do it, man.
Is it wrong to say that I enjoy smoking cigarettes so much that if I get cancer someday I don't mind because at least I die doing something I love?
No, I do not think it’s “wrong” so to speak. I have recently quit smoking and I miss them sometimes. It is your life and you can feel any way you want about smoking. I do think that if you ever actually get cancer, you would probably end up feeling a bit different about the entire situation. Sort of like you won’t really know how you feel about it until it happens to you. I think most people actually end up with more heart issues than cancer but the odds are probably pretty close for either. As much as I miss smoking, I am enjoying being a non smoker. My mile time just improved by almost a minute and a half so every time I want a cigarette, I ask myself if I want to be a smoker or a runner? I recently lost a good amount of weight and began exercising. It became much more difficult for me to be living a super healthy lifestyle whilst smoking. I could not rationalize it and felt incredibly guilty with each puff. I am using the “JUUL” but due to a recent increase in heart rate, I’ve began cessation again. I feel really dumb because I quit smoking with the beliefs that I could vape and not damage my body. I will be able to get a better reading on heart rate next week but I am 99% certain the increase I have seen is due to the nicotine in the JUUL pods. I have my first 5K coming up and I’m going to try to quit before then. Life is too short for not enjoying it, so just do what makes you happy! If smoking is what makes you happy, puff away my friend.
Is it worth trying weed?
Smoking weed gives you sort of a dizzy unfocused feeling and makes you crave food. As long as it is in moderation, it's not going to hurt you. The problem starts when you start doing it all the time or trying the next bigger thing. In high school my friends and I would smoke on the weekends or after school sometimes and all of us turned out fine, BUT, there was also people we knew that didn't understand that it probably shouldn't be a daily habit and those people haven't got too far in life.