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by Phil Williams
on Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:27 pm |
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I smoke anything that burns, cigarettes, cigars and my small collection of pipes. On top of which I drink beer by the bucket, guzzle wine and anything else alcoholic, eat junk and sleep odd hours. I do everything my government says is bad for me and lo and behold, I'm fit as a fiddle and still have my hair at two months short of forty two.
I must be one of those damn paradox's the antis hate so much.  |
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Phil Williams
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Joined: Jun 16, 2008
Posts: 11
Location: Norfolk, England
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by runamok
on Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:31 pm |
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Phil Williams wrote: .....The truth is slowly spreading, the more they lie, the more people wake up to their lies.
They are slowly backing themselves into a corner because each lie has to be followed up with a slightly more, shall we say, creative lie to either back up the previous lie or divert attention away from it. Each scare has to be a little scarier than the last one. Each law has to be a little more intrusive than the last one. This will inevitably lead to more and more outrageaous claims (we're seeing this ramp up now) that will, eventually, severely test the common sense of all but the most placid of sheep.
It will take some time yet for them to self-destruct (they will consume themselves), but the wanton damage they are doing along the way is so wasteful and some will be irreversible.
It will leave a permanent scar with a small pocket of infection that, someday (in the very distant future I hope) will begin to fester and grow again. |
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runamok
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Joined: Dec 20, 2004
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by Phil Williams
on Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:59 pm |
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As runamok said...
Quote: It will leave a permanent scar with a small pocket of infection that, someday (in the very distant future I hope) will begin to fester and grow again.
This is why we must utterly destroy the myth of passive smoke. It's not enough to break the bans on freedom of choice grounds and then sit back and revel in our victory. Even if every smoking ban in the world is overturned, we must carry on the fight. Battle our way to the very heart of the antis corrupt little hive and expose the passive smoking argument for the utter tosh it is. Only then will we be safe from their campaign of hate.
I long for the day when to be an anti smoker is to be a creature of ridicule, mocked and laughed at everytime they open their stupid mouths. That day will come, and the antis know it, that is why they are panicing and making their ever rediculous claims. They will stoop to any level to cling to their ill-gotten power, but it is these new lows that will lead to their downfall.  |
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Phil Williams
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Location: Norfolk, England
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by SmTeo
on Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:34 pm |
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Perique07 wrote: Hey all,
New here, figured I would make this post.
I could be called a smoker but I don't smoke that much. I usually smoke American Spirit Perique (Hence my name ). I usually smoke maybe once a day but it's definitely something I enjoy.
However, I find myself running into a wall. I enjoy smoking, it's relaxing, entertaining, and culturally important to the USA. However, I find myself wanting to stop. Not because I'm tired of it or it's too expensive but because I'm fatigued. I'm fatigued from so many of these anti-smoking commercials, signs, health warnings, bad looks, and stereotypes. Every time I light up I find myself immediately thinking of how bad smoking is portrayed. I enjoyed it at first but I don't any more. I'm always reminded, with each puff, every warning I've been told. Now, I'm 19, been smoking since for about 6 months (Only recently moving to smoking daily). I've only been smoking a short period of time and I'm already demoralized by media.
How do you guys do it? A lot of you have been smoking for 10+ years and you're still going strong. How? What do you do that makes you forget about all that? I've read on these forums how you call the health warnings "government-spun" lies but what makes you think they are? Do you guys know something I don't? I can appreciate conspiracy theories as much as the next guy but I just can't figure out what research you guys have seen that I haven't. Or are you guys just going off of your gut?
I, personally, believe that sure smoking is dangerous. Sure it could kill me but a lot things could kill me. Every time I eat I'm at risk of choking, every time I drive on the highway I'm at risk of getting killed. Hell, I've lost more people to cars/accidents than cancer...and even the people I've known who've been hit by cancer, NONE of them were smokers. All of them were "Never smoked a day in their life" people. Even though I know that's how I feel, I still can't enjoy my occasional cigarette. I'm confused!!
Please don't take this as an attempt to bash anybody here. I am just curious how you guys deal with it.
-Perique.
P.S. Completely agree smokers are treated badly in this country. There is no reason for them to be treated as badly as they are.
-SmTeo
Congratulations my friend. I fully agree with your opinions. |
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SmTeo
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by pziemna
on Fri Aug 29, 2008 12:31 am |
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You know, I read through all of this, and I have a few thoughts to share.
First of all, Perique, I understand your dilemma. I started smoking cigarettes about 6 months ago. Before that, I smoked the finest cigars I could afford and a couple of pipes which have become much like old friends to me.
I started smoking out of curiosity. Curiosity! Not peer pressure, like they ranted on and on about during grade school, not trying to look cool, because that's hard to do when you smoke alone in the dark in your room, but simple curiosity. And the fact that I adored the artwork on the unfiltered Camels pack.
Well, needless to say, I really enjoyed smoking cigarettes--I really do, still. They replaced cigars and my old pipes--not entirely, but as a mainstay.
I was once like you, I smoked one or two a day, mostly out of a nagging fear of all the propaganda I'd been spoonfed. But eventually I couldn't take it anymore, doing something and feeling guilty. So I started smoking more, never more than a pack a day, usually around 5 or 6.
And I have two theories about smokers.
There are smokers who consciously smoke, regardless the amount, because they enjoy it, are happy doing it, do not feel guilty about it, are conscious of who it effects, etc. I would call these people "active smokers."
Then there are smokers who do it because they are very addicted, get irritable if they don't, do it out of habit rather than the aesthetic choice, and are always thinking about quitting. I would call these people "passive smokers."
And this isn't black and white. Some people, I'm sure, blend into both areas. But this theory can be applied to so many things in life--listening to music, walking, eating, conversing with people you often converse with--some people do it actively, engaging in it in the moment, but most people are passive about it.
My point here is that the positive choice between these two things is rather obvious. Being a zen buddhist, I very much support people being in the moment with whatever they are doing, actively participating in it, simply because it enriches life to its fullest if you're not walking around asleep.
So don't smoke asleep either! (Or literally, you might burn yourself, haha).
Not saying you do--just my first thought.
How do people keep smoking without guilt? There are probably two reasons. Lynda and Phil have described good reasons, but the negative side to the duality is, obviously, because cigarettes are an addictive product.
You could use either side of the coin to justify continuing to smoke--and possibly both, in a cycle. "I like to do it; (I'm addicted but) I like to do it; I like to do it (because I'm addicted)," etc.
The answer here again is simply to watch yourself, be active, in the activity. If you feel you're just doing it habitually with no joy, cut down, wait 12/24/48 hours until you're really needing one and can appreciate it again.
Your path seems ideal, though, if you maintain doing it because you like it and not because you need it; my simple advice to everyone here. If you're only smoking one a day or so, that's showing much more control than a lot of smokers, such as my father who habitually goes through packs and cartons of Marlboro reds during almost any activity, never seeming to actually enjoy the cigarettes themselves. Observing his habit is what alerted me to this line of thought in the first place.
I suppose I'm simply giving you a heads up if you end up smoking more than you are, to be in control of the habit, like with anything else.
Hm. I suppose some of this post may be taken a little negatively, but I'm simply trying to present both sides of the argument. Not everything the health boards are saying is bullshit; it isn't right and it isn't wrong, in a way. But it's a human choice, a personal choice; decide if your guilt comes from within or without.
My last point is that if you're going to do something, don't do it halfway wishing you weren't. Go in headlong. Learn all you can, and relish the experience. That's what time has taught me.
Sorry if that got a little preachy--I had originally planned to keep it short, I swear! Just my 2,000 cents on the whole smoking/anti-smoking situation. No one has any right to regulate your ability to smoke but you.
Also, this article may be useful: http://smokingsides.com/docs/whysmoke.html
I always liked it. Hope I helped some, or maybe I'll just spark some interesting debate. |
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pziemna
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by Perique07
on Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:53 pm |
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Pziemna,
Thanks for your well thought out response to my thread. 
I started this thread because I really was curious about how people continue to smoke when I started this thread. However, I have stopped smoking cigarettes as of a month ago. It wasn't because these antis got to me, just that I discovered a new way to truly enjoy the wonders of Tobacco--Hookah.
So I've began doing that every other day.
However, thanks for your input. It is much appreciated. |
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Perique07
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by okiesmoker
on Sun Oct 12, 2008 11:23 pm |
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| I KNOW THAT SMOKING IS BAD FOR MY HEALTH, BUT I REALLY ENJOY IT. THEY COULD CURE CANCER IF THEY WANTED TO, BUT LOOK AT ALL OF THE MONEY THEY WOULD LOSE. NOT TO MENTION POPULATION CONTROL |
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okiesmoker
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