The "Smoking" Diver

[boulderjohn]

I. But it just boils my blood when total strangers walk by and make fake caughing noises, cringe or even be audacious enough to walk up to me and let me know that smoking will kill me. I don't walk up to random obese people and let them know that the third wopper, and king size fries will be the end of them, so why should smokers be targeted? I already know it can kill me, has toxins, and I'll probably get lung cancer...blah blah blah blah.....if I wanted your opinion, I would've asked for it...... Let me live my way.

One point you seem to be missing....

If you eat three whoppers, you are choosing to kill yourself. Fine. Go ahead. Do what you want.

When you smoke next to me, you are choosing to take me with you. There I draw the line.

Go ahead and kill yourself. It's your right. But you have no right to kill me, too.

 

[Footslogger]

Well ...at the risk of repeating myself, I submit to SB at large that even at my age (57) I have more stamina and endurance than someone my age who smokes on a regular basis. You can attribute that to C0 ...CO2 ...whatever.

The effects of smoking on the lungs is profound, regardless of the amount of exercise a smoker may get (or think they are getting). Age plays a roll in this, of course. I smoked years ago when I was in the service (paratrooper) and I could get up in the morning and do PT with the best of them. But that was THEN !!

'Slogger

 

[ams511]

I quit 3 weeks ago after 30 years of smoking and can already feel the difference. I'd tried quiting unsuccessfuly twice before. I tried the gum(which tastes like @#&%) about 10 yrs ago and the patch about 6 years ago. This time it was SOOOOO much easier.
If anyone out there is realy interested in quiting, talk to your doctor about a new drug called Chantix. It works GREAT ! You start taking the pills a week before you actualy quit smoking. It blocks the nicotine from attaching to brain cells, so your brain looses most of its dependency on nicotine before you actualy quit smoking. After the first week, nicotine cravings are almost non-existant! If someone realy wants to quit, this is the way to do it!
After 30 years of 1to2 packs a day, if I can do it, anybody can!

Thanks for the tip, I did not know there was anything else out there besides Zyban.

 

[ams511]

One point you seem to be missing....

If you eat three whoppers, you are choosing to kill yourself. Fine. Go ahead. Do what you want. When you smoke next to me, you are choosing to take me with you. There I draw the line. Go ahead and kill yourself. It's your right. But you have no right to kill me, too.

Actually the second hand smoke danger is overblown. If I smoke next to you outside there is no proven risk. The smoke is so diluted that it poses no risk. Even in a bar or restaurant there is very little risk. Where the risk comes from is if you live with a smoker and constantly inhale the second hand smoke over a long period of time. I have been both a smoker and a non-smoker and I agree smoke is annoying when trying to eat. It is a shame that bars and restaurants never installed decent filtration systems that would extract the smoke and purify the air.

 

[aznlmpulse]

One point you seem to be missing....

If you eat three whoppers, you are choosing to kill yourself. Fine. Go ahead. Do what you want.

When you smoke next to me, you are choosing to take me with you. There I draw the line.

Go ahead and kill yourself. It's your right. But you have no right to kill me, too.

You seem to have conveniently left out the part where I said I'm considerate enough to not smoke on boat dives or in crowded areas. I actually make a consciencious effort to step away from people if I need a smoke....not 3-5 ft...about 20-30 feet away. I realize that a lot of people have concerns about their health and well being about second hand smoke, and also that the smell might bother them.

 

[boulderjohn]

Actually the second hand smoke danger is overblown. If I smoke next to you outside there is no proven risk. The smoke is so diluted that it poses no risk. Even in a bar or restaurant there is very little risk. Where the risk comes from is if you live with a smoker and constantly inhale the second hand smoke over a long period of time. I have been both a smoker and a non-smoker and I agree smoke is annoying when trying to eat. It is a shame that bars and restaurants never installed decent filtration systems that would extract the smoke and purify the air.

So all the research that was just published a few months ago saying that second hand smoke is more dangerous than was originaly thought is all wrong? Can you describe what was wrong with their methodolgies and conclusions? do you have access to studies that contradict those?

Or is this just your gut feeling?

 

[BrianO]

Seems like the tobacco debate will be talked about for quite a while to come. The original inquiry was about smoking being beneficial to air consumption.
It seems as though, whether a person chooses to smoke or not, their experience level and technique are what dictate who calls the dive based on remaining air.

 

[boulderjohn]

Actually the second hand smoke danger is overblown. If I smoke next to you outside there is no proven risk. The smoke is so diluted that it poses no risk. Even in a bar or restaurant there is very little risk. Where the risk comes from is if you live with a smoker and constantly inhale the second hand smoke over a long period of time. I have been both a smoker and a non-smoker and I agree smoke is annoying when trying to eat. It is a shame that bars and restaurants never installed decent filtration systems that would extract the smoke and purify the air.

Here are some links you may wish to peruse. They don't seem to agree with you.

http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35422

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/ets.htm

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_2X_Secondhand_Smoke-Clean_Indoor_Air.asp

 

[boulderjohn]

I realize I have come across pretty strongly in my last posts, much more so than is my normal wont. I apologize for that.

My problem is that I am pretty passionate about the topic.

As a child, I was plagued by chronic childhood bronchitis. In elementary school, some of my classmates called me "coughdrop" because of my the deep, raspy, painful coughs that persisted whenever my bronchitis would flare up. It was with me through high school, and my scarred lungs did not recover until I was an adult.

I have not had a single bout of bronchitis in the last 30 years.

Research indicates that chronic childhood bronchitis is almost always found in children who live with a smoker, and almost never with a child who grows up in a smoke-free environment. My parents both smoked when I was very young, although my father quit while I was still in elementary school.

I therefore tend to get emotional when I sense that smokers are asserting their rights to smoke and minimizing the damage it does to others.

I am sorry if I went too far here.

 

[scubadobadoo]

No correlation in my opinion. Air consumption depends on factors such as physical condition, size, and most importantly, comfort in the water. A smoker who is comfortable will use less air than a non-smoker who is not. All factors being equal it only makes sense that the non-smoker will use air more efficiently.

I do smoke, my current SAC rate is around .5 I agree though that smoking is a nasty foolish habit with zero redeeming benefits.

Tom

I agree Tom and applaud your thoughts on smoking. I am a non-smoker and have difficulty breathing when others smoke around me. That said, when a smoker asks if I mind if they smoke, I say go right ahead and have a cig because that small affort they make to ask is worth breathing the horrible smoke for a few moments. Good luck with your plans to quit. I am behind you!

As a side note, I hate it when I see dying smokers sueing for injuries due to smoking. NO REFUNDS! I just don't see how anyone can claim that smoking isn't bad for you or that they didn't know any better. How many people run into a burning building for fresh air? As for second smoke, how many people like to stand next to a burning building for fresh air?

The silly arguments from smokers sound a lot like the one I am going to give you all now....If someone can smoke around me then I should be able to pee on them. The urine is clean and doesn't cause cancer and best of all, it doesn't go INTO your body like the smoke! I may start to carry a can of fart spray and hit anyone smoking around me with it. If they don't ask if it's ok to stink me out, then why should I ask? Hey, it's just fart spray, you can't smell it from there!

My Dad is currently dying and smoking played a MAJOR role in his soon demise. He regrets smoking and so will most smokers wether they die from it or not. Heck most smokers probably don't wan't to smoke. I wish you all good luck quiting!