Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: medhavika on 10/03/2004 15:27:01
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i want my husband to quit smoking but he says that he is not a regular smoker and 2-3 cigarattes in a day doesnt do harm .
he leave smoking for few weeks and then start again.
Is he right.Is there any need to quit if he smokes only 2-3 cigarattes.
can anyone help me plz.
medha
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I'm no expert but if smoking lots of cigarettes harms you then the two or three a day will.[:(]
Every time he has a cigarette he's adding to any possible harm they could do to him, lung damage, heart attacks blocked arteries etc.
sorry to be a bringer of bad news but he should stop!
I Love Caesium!!!
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Welcome Medhavika, I think it depends. If smoking 2-3 butts a day alleviates stress or affords him pleasure, the benefits may outweigh the detrimental effects. Personally I think cigarettes stink and dislike the way the smell lingers.
How long have you been married? I recommend stating your opinion and concerns (which it seems you have done) and then being happy whatever he chooses. Trying to change someone else usually just creates hostility.
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The following press-release was issued today about the proposed 'gateway drug' aspect of cannabis (marijuana).
The use of cannabis by teenagers can act as a trigger to smoking cigarettes, or can reinforce the habit in those who already smoke, a study at the University of Edinburgh had found. Although it was previously known that most cannabis users also smoke tobacco, this new study of 59 young people aged 13-15 from the east of Scotland shows that the reverse can also be true, with cannabis introducing young people to smoking cigarettes. Some began smoking cigarettes when cannabis was not available, or to conserve their supplies of the drug.
The study also found that, according to young cannabis users, although some parents will ‘ground’ their children for using the drug, other parents may turn a blind eye and only punish if they catch them using cannabis. Older brothers and sisters will sometimes encourage their younger siblings to try cannabis, the study found, by giving them their first joint or lending them money to buy cannabis. By contrast, however, older siblings can also discourage their younger brothers and sisters from using cannabis.
Research Fellow Dr Gill Highet of the University’s Research Unit in Health, Behaviour and Change said: “Boys in particular seem to gain some positive things from their cannabis use — for example, it gives them something to do, helps them to feel part of the crowd and sometimes makes them feel good about themselves. This is especially true for boys who spend a lot of their leisure time hanging out on the streets.”
She added: “ Many young people also think that the laws relating to cannabis are too strict. They think it is unfair to ‘criminalise’ young people for smoking cannabis when, in their opinion, misuse of alcohol causes much more harm. We recommend that services which tackle risk-taking behaviour in teenagers should be more co-ordinated, with closer links between smoking cessation services and drugs education programmes. These initiatives should include a family focus, and should support and advise parents without judging them, as well as trying to reduce the influence of older brothers and sisters who may be supporting the teenager’s cannabis use.”
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I'll second that...I quit smoking cigarettes a while back, but sometimes being high makes me want a cigarette. I don't know if it's an association (I started cigarettes and pot about the same time) or if I just like smoking things.
As for the benefits, high levels of stress probably do about the same damage to your body as smoking in moderation. Might as well pick the route that makes you happy.
I'm amazed that he can smoke only 2-3 cigarettes a day consistently. Unlike cannabis, they're physically addictive and tolerance for nicotine coms quickly. Usually a smoker needs to smoke more than a couple a day as they become more acclimated to the cigarettes. I started as a social smoker, bumming them off of friends while partying. Then I broke down and bought a pack because people got sick of me constantly asking for one. That first pack lasted me a week. At one point during a turbulent time of my life, I was puffing down up to 2 packs a day. This is why I quit.
I'll definately agree with the statement that laws against cannabis are too strict. For something that is essentially harmless (except for the lung damage from smoking, but that's not the reason its illegal) it makes no sense to have such harsh (if any) punishment. In the US, an 18 year old college kid can get busted for drinking illegally, driving while intoxicated, and vandalism, and see very little repercussions. He might pay some fines and lose his license for a year, but hey, at least he's still in school. Another kid gets caught with a small bag of pot while doing nothing else wrong and now in addition to any legal consequences he's banned from receiving federal financial aid. (and as such probably not be able to afford school) Possession punishments are starting to decrease since our jails are already overcrowded thanks the the iron fist of our criminal justice system, but in all fairness, there's no good reason to keep the stuff illegal.
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Press release that naked posted seemd to jump around a lot and I didnt really see what point they were trying to make, but it did bring up one issue that always gets me fired up. There's nothing more annoying than medical, and psychological researchers always claiming that they've found evidence that canabis (or anything else for that matter) is a "gateway drug" to (enter name of drug here....I don't care if you want to say cigaretts or crack, it doesn't matter). These studies are all purely correlational with NO biochemical evidence. YES, POT IS A GATEWAY DRUG!!! Any drug is a gateway drug for that matter, people just typically start with pot. HOWEVER this is not a biological phenomenon, nor is it a physchological phenomenon. It is a SOCIOLOGICAL phenomeonon. People who use drugs, hang out with people who use drugs. Many people who already use one drug also use other drugs. When person A who hangs out with person B sees them use drug C... the chances of them trying drug C increase by a factor of X. Its not that difficult (yet how many NIH dollars go to the qwacks that research this every year??) Makes me want to vomit!
How did we get from is 3 cigarets a day bad (which yes, for the most part, it is) to this??
Crazy
Yar, the flies be everywhere!!!
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I have been smoking pot on and off for......errr...hang on !!!..what was I going to say ?[:D]....ahh yes...I've been smoking pot for a good number of years and have never smoked cigarettes at all, although, I admit to having the rare occasional one when with friends, but I have never succumbed to the addiction. With regard to smoking pot, it's probably worth noting that in my case I only have half a joint, (if that) a day..and I don't mean half a big roll-up, I mean half a small cigarette paper from a rolling machine.
I completey agree with Justin as in my capaciy of smoking pot and the people I know who have , it has never even come into the equation that I should want to try something else......Surely the 'gateway' excuse could be used just as easily for tobbacco and alcohol, they're drugs are they not ? I suppose some people are predisposed to addiction......I often, just don't bother having a joint, and I certainly don't wake up thinking that I must plan to have some 'pot time'.
Medhavika, 2-3 cigarettes a day sounds pretty regular to me. If he does smoke so little then why does he bother at all ?....unless, like Donnah suggested it's for stress etc...do you have children? emotional pleas from your own children worked wonders with my colleague who gave up 40 a day just like that.
'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'
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Interesting Neil - you say you agree with Justin's comment corroborating that cannabis is a gateway drug...and then you say that it has never entered the equation to try something else...I'm confused - did you forget what he'd actually written...perhaps that's the effect of hash on long term memory ? [;)]
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
- Groucho Marx
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Chris...(hee hee) maybe you and I ought to share a spliff !!![;)]..I do agree that cannabis is a gateway drug, but does that mean then Chris that labelling a drug a 'gateway' drug, means that it's inevitable that a user will then progress onto stronger drugs ? If so then my understanding of 'gateway' is incorrect......in MY experience using this 'gateway' drug I categorically affirm that I have never wished to try anything else. I see what you mean though and understand the confusion, which I hope I have now elaborated even further.......
Chris, it's definitely not drug induced lack of ....err...thingy....err....MEMORY[:D]...in my case it's wake induced !!!...I just spend far too much time awake !!!....incidentally,I don't drink either.....the only real vice I have is myself !![}:)]
'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'
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YAY....Happy 200 posts to me, Happy 200 posts to me...Happy 200 posts to me..ee, Happy 200 posts tooooooo meeeeeee !!!
Uh oh, this makes it 201....DOH !!!!!
'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'
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JAY, referring to part of your post on the 19th. If you had not had protestations from your friends, would you have just carried on puffing just the few you bummed ad infinitum ?....so, it was only after you had to buy your own that the addiction got hold yes ? because you then had access to constant supply without obstacle.
Do you think it was inevitable that you were to become a habitual smoker ?...or was it because you had to purchase your own that led to the habit.................................and is this a stupid point for me to raise at this stupid hour [?][:D]
'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'
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happy 200 neil!! I'd HTML you up a cake with candles, but I'm not a computer person
Yar, the flies be everywhere maty....save yerselves!!!
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oooh... speaking of accomplishments I'm the most recent poster in all categories right now! [:D] BOOYAH to alls of yas!! (sorry, ignore me I'm new) [:I]
Yar, the flies be everywhere maty....save yerselves!!!
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How can we ignore you ?....your flies are buzzing us !!!!
'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'
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ugh, don't talk to me about flies buzzing you. I come home from work and shake my hair and have flies (dead and alive) fall out [:p]
Yar, the flies be everywhere maty....save yerselves!!!
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Justin, what do you do, raise maggots?
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well, yeah, I guess technically I do. but I'm in research (drosophila, genetics etc.) I don't use them for fishing bait or anything (at least i haven't yet)
Cut me some slack I'm new around here!
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Can I just ask how on earth you guys got from smoking to raising maggots?
I Love Caesium!!!
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What's that CsM??? you smoke maggots??? I think this is an issue that would be best suited for a site that has a psychology thread! [8D]
When 900 years you reach look as good you will not, hmm??
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Thankfully their not addictive so i've no worries there...
I Love Caesium!!!