Smoking addiction-

[DannyD]

I have a Q. Asking because I don't know the A. Here's the scenario.

An otherwise intelligent guy went to the hospital w/ a heart attack. Add to that while he was in the hospital it was found out that he's got emphasima (sp??) & also pnemonia (sp??).

He's in the hospital for 3 days. When he gets out, the first thing he does is grab a smoke.

My Q here is why? I'm not looking for the "cuz he's stupid" responses. I get that it's not the smartest choice. I mean is there a more specific reason for this action?

 

[paullud]

You kind of answered your own question in the heading "Smoking addiction", when you are dealing with any sort of addiction there are the physical and habit factors that tell them when to use but there are also emotional factors as well. There is no answer we can give to explain the poor choices of some but hopefully that person can decide to stop making that choice on their own especially given the current health status and with the knowledge that it is a poor choice.

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[EnglishLady]

Same as any addiction really - why some have more will power than others to never start or to quit is a mystery even to the Scientists.

Alcoholics are another good example - they are hospitilised for whatever reason and the first thing they do when they get out is find a drink.

A famous example of this is George Best (N Ireland and Man U Soccer Player back in the 60's -70's I think)

He supposedly gave up drinking long enough to get a liver transplant ........ but died a few short years later.
He never gave up the bottle.

Even at the time ppl were outraged that he got the transplant at all and obviously afterward that he squandered it.

 

[chefdennis]

my wifes uncle smoked cigs all his adult life until he died in his mid 70's, even while for the last 5 yrs he was hooked to an oxygen bottle 24 hours a day...it went where ever he went....

 

[paullud]

my wifes uncle smoked cigs all his adult life until he died in his mid 70's, even while for the last 5 yrs he was hooked to an oxygen bottle 24 hours a day...it went where ever he went....

There is a guy back where I am from that smoked while he was on an oxygen tank, he thought it was fine until his face and neck bursted into flames, he lived but has some serious scarring, not sure if he still smokes or not.

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[Dakota]

I used to smoke and quit 15 years ago. I loved to smoke, I quit for my health, but if that wasn't a factor I would smoke again.
It was something I enjoyed. Addiction is one thing, but will power is what is lacking in this case. After three days I believe the nicotine is out of your system, so really the craving is all about habit.
One of the hardest things for me when I quit was, If I had a drink I really wanted a cigarette. They just go so well together, but then again it was the habit. You order a beer and light up the cigarette.
I think the habit of smoking is probably more addictive than the nicotine, just my opinion!!! I quit cold turkey and it worked for me.
I should note that alcoholics wun on both sides of my family including my dad. So I have that additive gene.

 

[cheri1122]

Danny: same reason we [that's the generic 'we', not we personally] do things that are illegal, immoral, or unhealthy: because we want to.
If research found a way to eliminate it, we'd be even worse off than we are now - think of all the jobs that depend on illegal and/or illogical behavior.
It's our patriotic duty to keep those jobs right here where they're needed.

 

[paullud]

Danny: same reason we [that's the generic 'we', not we personally] do things that are illegal, immoral, or unhealthy: because we want to.
If research found a way to eliminate it, we'd be even worse off than we are now - think of all the jobs that depend on illegal and/or illogical behavior.
It's our patriotic duty to keep those jobs right here where they're needed.

USA! USA! USA!

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[DannyD]

Thanx for the responses. This guy is the father of one of my friends. She's also a smoker, as is her mom. None of them intend to quit, though the mom said she'd quit if the dad wanted too. He didn't.

 

[Turtle]

I get a real kick out of those holier-than-thou folks who say, "Smoking will kill you!" Yeah, well, not smoking will also kill you. Whether you smoke or don't smoke, you're gonna die. Get over it. Learn to enjoy life while you can, because if smoking doesn't kill you, something else will.

 

[Dakota]

I get a real kick out of those holier-than-thou folks who say, "Smoking will kill you!" Yeah, well, not smoking will also kill you. Whether you smoke or don't smoke, you're gonna die. Get over it. Learn to enjoy life while you can, because if smoking doesn't kill you, something else will.

With that way of thinking we might as well all drive off a cliff

Yes, we are all dying, once we hit puberty
Doesn't mean we should help make the dying go faster!!!

 

[paullud]

I get a real kick out of those holier-than-thou folks who say, "Smoking will kill you!" Yeah, well, not smoking will also kill you. Whether you smoke or don't smoke, you're gonna die. Get over it. Learn to enjoy life while you can, because if smoking doesn't kill you, something else will.

You can't get out alive. I think some of what we have heard about smoking is blown out of proportion and just a bunch of BS.

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[Dakota]

You can't get out alive. I think some of what we have heard about smoking is blown out of proportion and just a bunch of BS.

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I think, family gene's have more to do with how long we will live. I have family members that smoked and drank and lived into their high 80's. They lived a full fairly healthy life.
Then you have someone who eats tofu and works out etc and they die at 50,go figure!!!
I try to live the happy medium, I enjoy life but don't go overboard, and eat what I want, just in smaller portions!!!

 

[purgoose10]

I have a neighbor who is a Nurse in a heart surgery ward. Smokes what can I say?

Also have another friend in his 60's who doesn't believe all the hype about smoking and cancer. I just laugh when he says something like that. What else can you do?

Nicotine is like co-cane once your hooked, your hooked.

 

[Turtle]

With that way of thinking we might as well all drive off a cliff

Bill Murray did that, with a groundhog sitting in his lap. He had a blast.

Really ticked off the groundhog, tho.

 

[Dakota]

That was a movie and wasn't real turtle

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[Turtle]

Uhm, yeah, I know, but my point was, "Learn to enjoy life while you can." I'm not sure how that translates to any kind of thinking that would indicate we might as well drive off a cliff, unless it's in a movie and not real.

 

[Dakota]

Glad you clarified that for us

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