[docbnj]

One case does not prove a general rule. Perhaps you have not died yet, but your brain does not seem to be working at optimum level. How do you know how healthy you would be if you had NOT been smoking?

Have you ever, ever had a doctor tell you that your smoking was a good idea?

Old smokers are just the left overs of the smoking population. You are ignoring and discounting the victims. It would be as if a veteran said, “The war wasn’t really so bad, because I lived through it, and it didn’t kill me.” You are looking at only the surviving part of the sample.

But if this is the way you think, try to be happy about it, because we all die sometime, and even a fool can make it a few years longer.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

I've seen a lot of tragedy related to smoking, including my father dying of lung cancer. It was his choice, and I am not in favor of taking that choice away from others. That said, anyone who thinks smoking is not a profound health hazard is delusional. It's not just about the smoke in your lungs. It promotes systemic inflammation. It promotes vasoconstriction and is thrombogenic. That's just for starters. It causes emphysema in part because it causes activation of elastases (enzymes that degrade elastin - a very vital component of the elasticity of lungs, skin, and blood vessels). That same elastase activity contributes to premature aging of appearance. I very seldom see a patient with severe peripheral arterial disease that wasn't/isn't a smoker, and too many of them wind up with amputations.

In short, there are lots of ways to assert your independence and not be dictated to by others. Smoking is a very bad choice.

[lodi90]

My grandmother died in her 80’s last month after battling smoking induced COPD for more than a decade. She quit smoking 30 years ago and it didn’t help in the end. That’s not the way I want to check out, that’s for sure.

[Mears]

“How do you know how healthy you would be if you had NOT been smoking?”

—

I would be running Marathons as 2 of my kids and a granddaughter do.

My brain has NEVER worked at optimal level-——but I’ll strive to improve. Thanks for reminding me.

.