Cigarettes

smoking looks cool, and gives me a dizzying buzz. but it's pretty unhealthy, and my wife hates it when i smell like smoke, so i don't do it. that said, my favorites are (used to be) nat sherman Mints.

If you don't do it that often, why smoke Parliaments? I go to my local tobaccy shop and pick out the most exotic brand I can find. Or I just smoke Camel Non-Filtereds so I look like a hardass.

Well, smoking kills. And, nicotine is as addictive as heroin. Then there's this famous one-liner: "Kissing a person who smokes is like licking an ash tray."

Smoking is cool. I do it occasionally when I drink. When I'm smoking a cigarette, I feel like I'm on top of the world.

not exactly. in fact it's probably easier to get hooked on cigs than on heroin, at least statistically (but that's probably partly due to the fact that cigs are milder with their effects). however nicotine is only addictive in some people, some of the time. it depends on individual body reactions. a fifth of all smokers don't smoke every day, and don't suffer withdrawal symptoms when they abstain. i'm not sure how that compares with heroin (i have a feeling it's less discriminating about whom it addicts), but studies have shown that there's a vast difference between those who experiment with heroin and coke and those who go on to be hardcore users. that part is similar with cigarettes. but it isn't the healthiest habit to form.

fb: From what I've seen and read about cigs, it appears they are addictive to MOST people. Not just some. Or at least a large number. I don't know how many times I've talked to smokers who say it is extremely hard to kick them. And, there is a whole line of products to help people quit. And, I got my comparison from Koop. Please stop. It is NOT classy to have emphysema. Cancer is NOT classy. Nothing about cigs is classy. Absolutely nothing.

RamNYC: Too bad. You start a thread extolling the virtues of a deadly substance and don't want people to bash it. Then go to a smoking forum. Keep smoking. Kill yourself. Don't care about how your loved ones feel. And, don't care about the health costs of taking care of your sick dying body. Just keep thinking you're invulnerable.

you know what, i don't smoke, so don't tell me to stop. and if you're telling the smokers to stop, it ain't going to help. besides, smoking does look cool, no matter how many times you say it doesn't. that's why kids do it. that, and because everyone is telling them not to. people do dangerous things, especially when they're kids, simply because it's dangerous. --- it's a fact, though, that different people have different reactions to nicotine, and these reactions are in large part contributory to whether they go on to become addicts. in other words, nicotine does not enslave everyone who comes in contact with it. some have no tolerance for it at all and stop after the first cigarette. some have tolerance (and enjoyment), but not for large doses. and some (most, i suppose) have tolerance for large doses and are at risk for becoming addicted. addiction is developmental. all smokers start out in control of their habit - the so-called "chippers". in time - it takes years - the future heavy smokers escalate their habit, while some of the chippers remain in control, the equivalent of social drinkers. they truly can stop whenever they want. it could be genetic, who knows. (i'm getting my info from 'the tipping point' (yes, by now i am demonstrating undue influence by this book) - gladwell cites the studies involved, but it's too tedious to type all that out here.)

Smoking undeniably has glamour about it. Besides, the accessories one can acquire for smoking are very beautiful, and sometimes fun. Carat gold lighters, cigarette cases in enamel, gemstones, etc, cigarette holders, and all that.

The various diseases associated with smoking are also genetic, I believe. There was a woman in Japan who lived to about 100, and she smoked every day.