[Movember]

first off i would like to say i am not referring to people who have the odd smoke on nights out or at parties. they do it for social reasons and the odd cigarette on a night out is going to cause minimal harm and besides, it doesnt cost most people (they usually get offered one).

i am referring to people who smoke lots, during the day and even chain smoke. why do they do it?

first of all, its bad for their own health. you slowly but surely digging your own grave, so to speak. not to mention short term apparent side effects such as breathlessness and tiredness.

second, even if they dont care about their own health, its so selfish to be slowly killing yourself (and eventually dying), letting your kids suffer without a parent, letting your partner suffer, letting your parents lose a kid etc. if anything, heavy smokers shouldnt be so selfish to their loved ones.

third, it costs so much to smoke. i dont know the exact figures but i do know many smokers who are financially struggling a lot because they insist on smoking so many cigarettes each day. why dont they get their priorities in order? that money could be better spent on a gym membership, or on your kids/saving up for when/if you have kids or something more useful than a bit of tobacco.

fourth, it costs the taxpayer so much. sure, if we were to ban smoking it would go underground/into the black market which isnt a good idea. and i know people only care about themselves so they couldnt care less if someone has to pay for their actions. but its still sickening to see so much money wasted each year on smoking related incidents in the NHS.

there are so many bad points to smoking. its not even like smoking is like alcohol. at least with alcohol there are some health benefits if you drink moderately and people have a fun time drinking and socialising in the process. smoking is all bad. why do people do it?

[ArcadiaHouse]

(Original post by Movember)
first off i would like to say i am not referring to people who have the odd smoke on nights out or at parties. they do it for social reasons and the odd cigarette on a night out is going to cause minimal harm and besides, it doesnt cost most people (they usually get offered one).

= they give in to peer pressure.

[Martyn*]

Smoking is addictive; but the first impulses to smoke probably came from peer pressure, and to a lesser extent to seeing one's parents do it. Smoking is indeed bad for your health.

I've tried it and didn't like it at all. If other people want to smoke and poison their bodies then that is their choice alone. If children see adults do it, and try to emulate them then we can only hope that, as they get older and see that it is better to be healthy, they will think about what they are doing to their bodies.

[fruit_n_veg]

Price I paid for a pack of cigs the other night is probably the biggest motivator ever to give up - £7.50 for a pack of 20! I'm not really against high tobacco prices though.

[J.Star]

(Original post by Movember)
first off i would like to say i am not referring to people who have the odd smoke on nights out or at parties. they do it for social reasons and the odd cigarette on a night out is going to cause minimal harm and besides, it doesnt cost most people (they usually get offered one).

i am referring to people who smoke lots, during the day and even chain smoke. why do they do it?

first of all, its bad for their own health. you slowly but surely digging your own grave, so to speak. not to mention short term apparent side effects such as breathlessness and tiredness.

second, even if they dont care about their own health, its so selfish to be slowly killing yourself (and eventually dying), letting your kids suffer without a parent, letting your partner suffer, letting your parents lose a kid etc. if anything, heavy smokers shouldnt be so selfish to their loved ones.

third, it costs so much to smoke. i dont know the exact figures but i do know many smokers who are financially struggling a lot because they insist on smoking so many cigarettes each day. why dont they get their priorities in order? that money could be better spent on a gym membership, or on your kids/saving up for when/if you have kids or something more useful than a bit of tobacco.

fourth, it costs the taxpayer so much. sure, if we were to ban smoking it would go underground/into the black market which isnt a good idea. and i know people only care about themselves so they couldnt care less if someone has to pay for their actions. but its still sickening to see so much money wasted each year on smoking related incidents in the NHS.

there are so many bad points to smoking. its not even like smoking is like alcohol. at least with alcohol there are some health benefits if you drink moderately and people have a fun time drinking and socialising in the process. smoking is all bad. why do people do it?

Ex smoker here. Smokers smoke because it's a habit that it is part of your daily routine and of course the nicotine hit is nice. When you are a smoker you become accustomed to the fact that it is harmful and tend to not think about it.

But btw, the goverment makes much more from the taxation of cigarettes than money spent on treating smoker via the NHS.

[geetar]

Start off with youthful curiosity and peer pressure, and then get addicted.

[nickss]

Peer pressure leads to addiction, the addiction it triggers (similar to many other addictions such as gambling - all associated with dopamine) overpowers the negatives, so the smoker won't even think about the costs.

[Danny.]

Becomes habit for them. The majority of the population are also too lazy to make changes the their lives, e.g. smokers, overweight people, some people on benefits etc.

[charlie9872]

Because people are addicted and it becomes habitual, its pretty obvious.

I don't understand how they get 'addicted' though, from personal experience. Last summer I smoked half a pack a day for two weeks while on was on holiday and had no cravings at all after it, maybe its just me or maybe I didn't smoke enough, but I don't get the whole addiction thing.

[Darth Stewie]

Lets see, well first i pay more in tax on my cigarettes than any of the illnesses it could cause in the future will likely cost the NHS which means i am actively helping to put more money into the economy.

Smokers die younger, that's a fact. By dying younger I'll be a burden of the state for a lot less time than your average health nut so again saving future generations money.

5,000 people are employed by tobacco companies in Britain, while 80,000 jobs depend on tobacco, eg. wholesalers and retailers. Also if everyone stopped smoking the NHS would suffer because it would lose all that extra money smokers provide and would probably have to fire medical personnel causing the whole system to become even more strained than it is now.

So by smoking you are not only actively helping to support the NHS and a large number of jobs you are ensuring that future generations wont be stuck with you as a horrible burden on their welfare state.

Do the right thing for a better future, light that cigarette today!

[KingBear]

(Original post by Darth Stewie)
Lets see, well first i pay more in tax on my cigarettes than any of the illnesses it could cause in the future will likely cost the NHS which means i am actively helping to put more money into the economy.

Smokers die younger, that's a fact. By dying younger I'll be a burden of the state for a lot less time than your average health nut so again saving future generations money.

5,000 people are employed by tobacco companies in Britain, while 80,000 jobs depend on tobacco, eg. wholesalers and retailers. Also if everyone stopped smoking the NHS would suffer because it would lose all that extra money smokers provide and would probably have to fire medical personnel causing the whole system to become even more strained than it is now.

So by smoking you are not only actively helping to support the NHS and a large number of jobs you are ensuring that future generations wont be stuck with you as a horrible burden on their welfare state.

Do the right thing for a better future, light that cigarette today!

Yes, and you're also killing others around you by passive smoking.

If the NHS was so dependent on smokers as you make them out to be, I wonder why there has been a huge rise in the number of smoking cessation programmes over the past few years. Surely if that's one of their biggest incomes, they wouldn't bother.

[Altruistic1]

I started smoking this year as it's my final year of university and I've had a hell of a lot of work to do. Though I started off on 1 every few days, I'm up to about 10 or so a day now. It's partly due to the addiction, and partly a reward allowing me to take a break from work (which quite probably improves my motivation to continue).

[Foghorn Leghorn]

The same reason people still eat cream cakes, because it's enjoyable.

I don't personally smoke, but I do love me a good creampie.

[Darth Stewie]

(Original post by KingBear)
Yes, and you're also killing others around you by passive smoking.

The evidence second hand smoking kills is at best shaky and at worst completely fabricated, in the UK you can't smoke in public places anymore which is fine. If people go outside to smoke whats the problem? Doesn't effect you in the slightest.

The government takes more money in tax from smokers than it costs to treat them, helping people to stop smoking is a service available to those who need help just as the programs to stop people drinking or gambling. Not everything is about money. If it was they probably would not run those programs.

[Altruistic1]

(Original post by KingBear)
Yes, and you're also killing others around you by passive smoking.

If the NHS was so dependent on smokers as you make them out to be, I wonder why there has been a huge rise in the number of smoking cessation programmes over the past few years. Surely if that's one of their biggest incomes, they wouldn't bother.

You inhale more of the ingredients comprising "passive smoke" by BBQing a sausage than you're likely to in your entire life just by being around smokers.

[KingBear]

(Original post by Darth Stewie)
The evidence second hand smoking kills is at best shaky and at worst completely fabricated, in the UK you can't smoke in public places anymore which is fine. If people go outside to smoke whats the problem? Doesn't effect you in the slightest.

It does affect me, as a non-smoker, if I have to walk through your smoke.

[KingBear]

(Original post by Altruistic1)
You inhale more of the ingredients comprising "passive smoke" by BBQing a sausage than you're likely to in your entire life just by being around smokers.

I don't think you can inhale nicotine via BBQ sausages.

[platty1907]

(Original post by Movember)
first off i would like to say i am not referring to people who have the odd smoke on nights out or at parties. they do it for social reasons and the odd cigarette on a night out is going to cause minimal harm and besides, it doesnt cost most people (they usually get offered one).

I can't even understand why people smoke socially... I mean do they really need an excuse of that nature just to socialise? If so, they really need to learn how to just have a chat. I'll often head outside with the social smokers and chat with them, but I don't have to smoke to do so.

[jacketpotato]

The same reasons people binge drink, drive over the speed limit and eat fatty foods. Its fun. Plus, its addictive.

(Original post by Movember)
fourth, it costs the taxpayer so much. sure, if we were to ban smoking it would go underground/into the black market which isnt a good idea. and i know people only care about themselves so they couldnt care less if someone has to pay for their actions. but its still sickening to see so much money wasted each year on smoking related incidents in the NHS.

Dude, something like 80% of the price of cigarettes is tax. Smokers pay huge amounts in tax and pay for their own care easily. Plus, reduced life expectancy of heavy smokers will save the NHS loads.

[rugbyladosc]

Because its cool and i want to be cool