Not another survey about smoking?

[10ClarionSt]

This week-end, there was a survey published that said smoking mothers can harm their children because of the deposits that smoke puts on the mothers' clothes.

All this hysteria about smoking is being perpetuated by anti-smoking groups and the government. AND IT'S ALL LIES!

How do I know? Look at your history. In the 1940's and 50's approx. 80% of the population were smokers. My mother was a heavy smoker, so was my dad. As a baby, a young child, a teenager and young adult, I constantly lived in a smoking environment. So did millions of others, so I'm not making myself out to be a special case. When I went visiting relatives, they were smokers. We travelled upstairs on the bus, so mum and dad could have a smoke.

Where is the legacy of this heavy smoking that millions of children like me were brought up with? Where is it?

The government say that we have an ageing population, and that people are living much longer than they used to.
But hang on! How can that be when we were brought up amongst smoking families? Where all the houses had coal fires that emitted masses of smog. Where, as children, our parents were under food rationing for 10 years after WW2. Surely we wouldn't be able to live amongst all this could we?

And yet here we are, living longer, no worse in health terms than anyone else.

You've all been had by the anti-smoking groups and the government, simply because they don't like the smell of it.

If the causes of it are as bad as they say, why have we got the 'Baby Boomer' generation going along very nicely? They, like me, came through the heyday of smoking, none the worse for it.

We are here. Doing very nicely thank you. Passive smoking my4rse!

[johnizere]

couldn't agree more. I'm a smoker, but I respect others when I'm in their company...eg I never smoke in restaurants, and coincidentally I don't like others smoking there either...
It's always the same when a pressure group starts throwing their toys out of the pram, and especially when those that are able to make laws and decisions haven't the guts to stand up and say NO.
p.s. the house of commons will retain it's smoking rooms when the ban comes in. (for security purposes, no doubt!

[boobesque]

Giving up smoking was the best thing i ever did, cos yes i do feel so much better. And i dont care what you say, i would have given up for the sake of my unborn child as i did with my son.

[joko]

another pointless rant that fools no-one with these "facts"


if you think this is going to change anything and everyone will suddely take up smoking, you are sadly mistaken

[bobtheturkey]

so because you are healthy smoking is harmless?

[bednobs]

Anyway, why does this bother you so much? surely as you say, smokers wont be fooled by this propaganda, and non smokers dont need to be encouraged to smoke, so even if i believe you (which i dont incidentally) this so called propaganda isnt harming anybody at all!
its great you think you are doing nicely, but maybe some people dont like somke/smoking simply because they dont like it, rather than because theyve been forcef ed lies

[Carakeel]

Well, my son would now haul you over the coals for this fighting talk. He would tell you that every time you inhale smoke from a cigarette, you kill off brain cells that cannot ever regenerate! He would tell you that smoking does damage your lungs. He would tell you that in many cases the damage smoking does to the body does not appear until in later life. He would tell you that brain cells that have been killed off by smoking are clearly visible on brain scans. He would tell you that smoking sparks cancer cells that are dormant into becoming active and attacking weakened areas within the body. He would tell you that you are being ignorant and blind and are choosing to take the easy route of continuing smoking because you haven't got the strong will and guts it takes to quit. He would tell you, but he can't. Kevin died three days before his 21st birthday of a brain tumour that took over 3/4 of this brain. It was proven to have been sparked off by his smoking and that, even though he was never a heavy smoker.

[bednobs]

i dont really understand your arguement here it seems a bit of a mix and muddle.

I cant help but not believe you, as i am a macmillan nurse and see the results of smoking everysingle day in heartbreaking ways

[RATTER15]

10ClarionSt, do you ever research anything before you go sprouting off this absolute nonsense, you were totally wrong on the Shingles and totally wrong on the cigarettes.

Why don't you pick a subject you know something about, mind you that's probably a bit limiting.

[bednobs]

lol ratter, if we were all limited to talking about things we knew about, there would be no questions and replies on here!
anyway, i would imagine that most people have a modicum of common sense, and are able to discern between what is right or not

[Carakeel]

bednobs, may I just say that you macmillan nurses are worth your weight in gold!!! You were such a help to me when my son was so desperately ill. Years ago, just before Kevin became ill I had bone cancer which spread to other organs. I was never a smoker myself, but grew up with both parents smoking and at the age of about ten had a mole removed. But in those days people didn't know how dangerous passive smoking is. At that time my doctor was going on research that had only begun which was later to show the link between moles and cancer. I cannot praise people like you enough! You are a tower of strength to people like me and my family. I've been cancer free for 17 years now, but I desperately miss my son every day.

[RATTER15]

bednobs, yes but if you don't know what you are talking about, you ask a question, if you do know what you are talking about you answer one, not the other way around. and you don't go around spouting off such nonsense about cigarettes not being harmful when the facts are clear for everybody to see. I expect most of us on here has lost someone very dear to us as a direct result of smoking.

OK, the soap box is now vacant!!

[RATTER15]

So the fact you are still here means you know what you are talking about, how intelligent are you!! don't bother answering that one, I give up!!!!

[Carakeel]

Hey RATTER, didn't I read in some other thread that you were a smoker but quit? If I am right, I applaud you!!! That takes will power and guts! Well done!

[campbellking]

I'm not a member of any anti-smoking group, and here's my boring facts.
My Great Granny - never smoked, lived at her own home until the age of 98 and a half, and finally passed away at the age of 100.
My Granny - Smoked like a chimney, died at the age of 70 from lung cancer.
I work in a hospital, much of my work is with amputees. Over 80% of amputations are caused by peripheral vascular disease. Principal cause of vascular disease is smoking. If you ever want to be put off smoking, come to our surgical ward and smell the stench of putrid, rotting gangrenous flesh, and look at the agony on the faces of people with ischaemic limbs.
Just a little thought.

[RATTER15]

Campbellking, I wish I had visited that ward many years ago when I smoked up to 40 a day. I always said that was what I needed to make me give up. Well I have given up now and just hope bits not to late, thanks to the support of a great partner.

[Carakeel]

campbellking, thank you for your eloquence and truly saddening information. It cannot be easy working in this environment. This takes real dedication! It is sad that we may never convince the adamant smokers, who will not take responsibility for the damage they cause to themselves, much less to others. If we did ever convince smokers of the damage they cause and they did cease smoking - think of how much more money the NHS could be put towards diseases that are NOT self-inflicted! I think the government isn't harder on smokers as it can't afford to lose the taxes it gets from each packet of cigarettes and the 'suckers' who buy them!