Smoking and Diving?

[300bar]

but..but; I LIKE smoking
have to admit that i consume my air bottle sooner than non-smokers; but that may be a speculation

1st Smoking is NOT a good habbit.But there is IMO NO proven relation between smoking and air consumption.
My wife and I use the same size tank(10L/200bar) and my wife has just a little more air left after a 75/85min.dive.Girls are are alway's a little less on air consumtion,so my smoking has no real infuance on my air consumption.
As for the smoking it selff.The Netherlands had a state medical examinar,who claimed that in his whole career he has had never seen a death that could be proven to be related to smoking.He died of cancer,but no lungcancer.He smoked a box of cigars and 2 packs of cigarets a day.:11:

 

[ucfdiver]

I don't have any other manuals in electronic format, so I'll just copy the GUE one.

8.9.4 Smoking
The wide range of negative impacts on individual health and vitality should be encouragement enough
to avoid smoking, yet nicotine addiction remains. With approximately 500 chemicals and a host of
negative symptoms present, giving up smoking could be the best choice any individual could make. This
should be obvious from the fact that approximately 420,000 people die each year in smoking-related
deaths, and 300,000 cases of second-hand smoke-related illnesses are reported.
With respect to a number of factors, smokers increase their risk of ascent-related pulmonary barotrauma
such as AGE. First, nicotine increases blood pressure, one’s heart rate and coronary vasoconstriction.
Second, smoking introduces tar and nicotine, which cause increased bronchospasm, depressed cilial
activity, and increased mucus production. These factors may lead to intrapulmonary air trapping and
increased pulmonary infection.
Carboxyhaemoglonin levels in smokers range from 5% to 9%, with significant psychomotor effects
being reported from exposure to this level of carbon monoxide (Diving and Subaquatic Medicine,
1992). Furthermore, with smoking, one’s general fitness capacity declines. Increased heart rate, and
decreased stroke volume (the opposite effect of aerobic training), is commonplace. Reduced blood
volume also results from prolonged smoking, which undermines the hydration attempts of responsible
divers. Lastly, increased congestion from smoking is also likely to predispose individuals to sinus and
middle ear barotrauma.
Approximately 15% of a smoker’s hemoglobin is bound to carbon monoxide, thereby reducing
circulatory efficiency. When called upon to transport required oxygen to tissues and to remove carbon
dioxide, bound hemoglobin are helpless to assist, reducing oxygenation and increasing CO2 levels. In
addition to its potential for increasing DCI risk, smoking place the diver in serious peril by limiting
oxygen intake precisely when it is needed most. Furthermore, there are many indications that CO2 plays
a prominent role in a host of physiological problems, and is likely a key component in episodes of
oxygen toxicity. In general, there are likely few things that rank as highly for general physical
degradation as does smoking.

Source- "Getting Clear on the Basics- Fundamentals of Tech Diving"

 

[BKP]

Ex smoker but quit several years before even contemplated diving. Got tired of the coughing, stench, and shortness of breath. I am hyper sensitive to it now. I can smell the person smoking in the car in front of me. I will not patronize establishments that allow it if I can avoid it.

I agree in a big way...

I smoked for years, and finally quit for good almost five years ago... Reformed smokers are probably more sensitive to it, and more apt to be the podium pounders.

I don't think any good can come of it, but don't personally care if anyone else wants to smoke... as long as it's NOT next to me -- especially during an SI...

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

Get medical help, or do whatever is necessary to quit. Don't worry about how it affects your diving, worry about how it effects your life expectancy and the kind of death it brings you. My ex-wife learned to smoke from her father. He died of lung cancer. My ex watched her older sister(heavy smoker) die a very unpleasant death at 64. My kids just buried their mother (my ex) a month ago. Believe what the medical community tells you about smoking. I was lucky enough to quit many years ago, so trust me I know just how difficult it can be, but it is worth it!!

 

[maged_mmh]

Get medical help, or do whatever is necessary to quit. Don't worry about how it affects your diving, worry about how it effects your life expectancy and the kind of death it brings you. My ex-wife learned to smoke from her father. He died of lung cancer. My ex watched her older sister(heavy smoker) die a very unpleasant death at 64. My kids just buried their mother (my ex) a month ago. Believe what the medical community tells you about smoking. I was lucky enough to quit many years ago, so trust me I know just how difficult it can be, but it is worth it!!

That is sad. Sorry you had to recall it

 

[alchemist117]

Smoking's never good for you. diving or not. In the long term (I'm getting older), it's got to impact on your diving as well as the rest of your life.

 

[Oxy]

I watched a friend die who WOULD NOT QUIT!. Cigarette in on hand, inhaler in the other, and beet red from coughing and trying to breath. My mother also died from emphysema even tho she had quit.
ANYONE who says smoking is not bad is SOS.

 

[Tigerman]

Someone mentioned risk vs. reward earlier..
What is the actual REWARDS of smoking, since we so far has looked at the negatives...
Personally I cant see any actual rewards from smoking that cant easilly, cheaper and much more healthy be replaced by other things.
To a large extent I can say the same for alcohol, before you mention it but alcohol is a mind-altering substance for good and bad, which I cant say tobacco in any form is (unless its mixed with some whacky)

 

[Oxy]

I guess the only reward is to the PUSHERS I mean dealers

 

[maged_mmh]

i, smoker, just like what it tastes; maybe then the reward is just satisfaction?