Smoking..Healthy or Not?

gerripho

No, it is not healthy. It's not a habit, either. It's an addiction. I was pack-a-day for 45 years until August 29, 2012. Yes, just a few days ago. Got off the things with the help of a book called Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr. He was a five-pack a day smoker and knows his stuff. So I'm now a cold turkey quitter and have no desire to ever smoke again. I can be at the gas station, with the things on sale right in front of me and have no desire to have even one. None of the little triggers that used to get me to light up have any effect on me anymore. I'm FREE! And I owe it all to another MFP person who was kind enough to tell me about the book.

But if you don't want to quit, don't quit. Keep right on smoking to your heart's content.

joejccva71

Hey...newflash kiddies.

Smoking isn't just one of the causes of CVD and CHD....it's the LEADING cause of it.

It doesn't matter if you smoked a few weeks, a few years, or 20 years....it's probably the unhealthiest thing you can do.

Romans624

I get what you are saying about trading herion for something less serious. It can be really hard to let go of absolutely every addiction (or behaviors tendencies) that lead to going back to an addiction.

If you think cigarettes keep you from going back to heroin, I'd try to work on it because although yes its better than a heroin addiction in some ways for sure, you are still doing yourself damage. I don't want to take away from your progress because beating (and staying away from) heroin is a big deal, its just if you are able to continue and at some point soon cut that habit as well it would be worth your while, I think.

I wouldn't put yourself in a difficult situation or without "outlets" so you feel like you have to go to cigarettes or heroin. But hey, a lot of us are here from food addictions. Its hard. Do the best you can and be aware that lighting up is really bad for you, like obesity is really bad.


Good job on everything you've accomplished and I hope you are alive and kickin for a long time

76tech

Well let's see. OP turned his life completely around by kicking not even five months ago. And plans on quitting smoking next year.

I'd say healthy, and will be healthier when he quits cigarettes too. Let's look at the big picture, and realize he's made changes to his life that not many of us here can even come close to understanding.

Health is not a binary metric. Very few things can be measured as healthy/not healthy. It's always a probability game. In this case, there is room for improvement (we *all* have it) but it's definitely trending on the healthy side of things.

BreakingUpWith75lbs_Cass

Sadly I have seen up-close and personal the deadly affects cigarette smoking can do,. My neighbor who was my best friend growing up as a teen her mom died of lung cancer due to her smoking. I remember asking her after she already knew she had terminal cancer *why are you still smoking?* And she bluntly said to me..*Why bother stopping now* those words still haunt me and she did indeed smoke until her dying day (in which I seen her being carted out of her home on a stretcher dead in her 40's) I can sit here and point out all the obvious reasons why ppl shouldn't smoke.. but I won't.. because unless the person who is smoking feels the same way any words of wisdom (shall I say) will lay on deaf ears. I pray you find what is right for you.

gdortiz

no ...if you said 1/2 a pack, or 5-10 a day, I would say yeah, but a pack. no way.

schicksa

I bet if you quit you could run 20 miles instead of 10.....

RainHoward

I'd spend your money on something else, cigarettes are too expensive and they just keep going up. Everyone else has brought up the health reasons why they're bad, so I am sure you get it by now

I got curious once what I had spent on smoking over 20 years, let me tell you, it's a BIG number. And I averaged the price per pack since when I started they cost around a dollar and when I quit they where almost 5.

lilmisfit

Smoking..Healthy or Not?

Is this a trick question?:huh:

mccbabe1

Smoking is responsible for several diseases, such as cancer, long-term (chronic) respiratory diseases, and heart disease, as well as premature death. Over 440,000 people in the USA and 100,000 in the UK die because of smoking each year. According the US CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), $92 billion are lost each year from lost productivity resulting from smoking-related deaths.

Of the more than 2.4 million deaths in the USA annually, over 440,000 are caused by smoking.

Smoking is the largest cause of preventable death in the world. Recent studies have found that smokers can undermine the health of non-smokers in some environments.
Smoking causes cancer


no brainer that smoking is bad for you.. and yes you seem healthy now.. w/working out and loosing wt and doing gr8 and biiiiiig time awesome job quitting heroin !! but any addiction of ANY kind really is bad.. and smoking (see above) is a no brainer bad for you /unhealthy habit...

bcattoes

So what do you think? Am I healthy or not?

It's not possible to tell if you are healthy based on your OP. No matter how physically fit you appear, there could be any number of health problems lurking in your system. Smoking raises your risk of many diseases and ailments. Exercise, good nutrition and a healthy weight lowers your risk for many of those same diseases and ailments. But the only way to know if you are healthy is through medical examinations.

Kellylicious01

For the record, I do plan on quitting smoking once I reach one year of sobriety. So I will smoke my last cigarette (hopefully) 4/21/2013.

Congrats on your success with sobriety so far! You are accomplishing an extremely difficult thing to do. And kudos to you for turning to exercise and healthy eating to see you through this difficult phase in your life. I 100% agree with you that you should not attempt to quit smoking until you are on more stable ground with your sobriety.

Although I have not personally dealt with addictions to drugs or alcohol, I AM a smoker. And I am currently in the process of trying to kick that habit now. I made several failed attempts using a variety of different methods. It's not easy. AT ALL. I was smoking about 3/4 a pack a day. Then over the summer I dealt with some difficulties at home and my stress level and anxiety was through the roof. I soon realized that my smoking habits drastically increased...I was smoking a pack and a half a day. So I decided to cut back. My first step was only allowing myself to smoke once an hour. Then every week I pushed it 15 minutes further. Right now, I smoke once every two hours and 15 minutes, or about 7 cigarettes a day. Next week it will be 6 cigarettes a day, etc. It certainly help kick the "habit" cigarettes...on the way to work, after dinner, etc.

Take one addiction at a time, baby steps. With proper motivation, you can succeed. Best of luck to you! :flowerforyou:

WendyTerry420

Yeah, I smoke about a pack a day, but I won't kid myself and think that it's ok just because I go to the gym. I know that I need to quit because it isn't healthy at all.

senyosmom

First - kuddos on kicking heroin. NOT an easy thing to do!!

I smoked for 12 long years - and I LOVED every drag off every Newport I took. Ohh, so good!

Sounds to me like you are a pretty healthy guy ---> But I think even you would admit you would healthIER if you quit. Smoking is not good for you and that is simply a fact. Plus, you will save tons of money! Plus, you will not be annoyed when you realize someone jacked your lighter! Plus, you wont have small burn holes in your car (come on, you know you have them). Plus, you won't have to walk 25 feet away from all governent buildings, schools, etc to have a smoke.

TheRealParisLove

I think the science is pretty much settled on this question. Smoking is not healthy. The end.

Since I started my new weight lifting routine, I have seen changes in muscle size, strength and stamina. So today, I decided to put myself to a test. After my 90 lifting workout (upper body), I got on a treadmill at the gym and started running at a moderate (6 mph) pace. I told myself I would keep going until I could not go anymore or when I got to 60 minutes. When I got to 60 minutes, I still felt pretty good so I kept going until I got to 10 miles (1:28:53).

Try another test. Do that workout, then before you have a cigarette, check your heart rate and blood pressure and record the results. Then smoke your cig, and test your heart rate and blood pressure again immediately after you put out your smoke.

If those results don't freak you out, then you are a braver soul than me!

MTBrob

Well it sounds like you can run faster than me... But at least I wont stink ..

TavistockToad

You'd be healthier if you stopped smoking!

This!!!

OK_Girl

part of me wants to focus on the efforts you have made so far and congratulate all you have accomplished so far- but I cannot at the same token say that you are healthy if you are smoking a pack a day.

I am also confused by the liver comment.

Looking in on the outside- you have some addictions you still need to beat. A person who has addictions to substances, be it food or drugs- no matter how far they have come- which is to be commended- don't get me wrong. But I firmly believe if you can quit heroin, you can stop smoking. Given what we know about tobacco today I can't see how any one in their right minds would CHOOSE to do this to their body, so I am assuming the addiction is powerful and one you must beat. But I also understand pacing yourself and not setting yourself up for failure by attempting to do too much at once.

so, my short answer is no- not healthy at a pack a day.

Long answer- not yet but def on the way.

leafstucker16

No your not. If your smoking then there is a whole host of things that can come from it, for all you know something could be happening in your body now. Smoking can lead to cancer, I work in a cancer center and see it everyday its absolutely horrible. My gramma quit smoking before I was born, she just died of brain and lung cancer.

silvergurl518

there's no doubt that you accomplished something that many aren't able to do--you kicked a heroin habit and turned your life around. you should be applauded for that. and maybe some will argue that caffeine is an addiction too. however, nicotine is proven to be a killer and it's highly addictive. there is nothing healthy about it, plain and simple.

oOMusicBabii

Well let's see. OP turned his life completely around by kicking not even five months ago. And plans on quitting smoking next year.

I'd say healthy, and will be healthier when he quits cigarettes too. Let's look at the big picture, and realize he's made changes to his life that not many of us here can even come close to understanding.

THIS.

Normally I'd get on my anti-smoking soapbox (because it's terrible and vile) but you are making progress in the right direction and the big picture is in the right place so I can't. Best wishes on staying sober and eventually quitting smoking (as soon as possible please) so you can be very healthy because smoking is not healthy.

BondBomb

I watched my dad die from arterial disease due to smoking. And a close friend die of lung cancer. I think I would rather drown, be burned to death, crushed by runaway horses than to suffer they way they did.

wareagle8706

For me it's not a question of how I look, how fast I run, or anything of that nature. It's about whether or not the things you do for your body are good or bad. Smoking is bad for your body period. I smoked for several years, never worked out, and ate whatever I wanted. I was skinny, tan, and pretty but nothing close to healthy. The fact that you work out and eat well means that you are doing healthy things for your body but you are also doing unhealthy things for your body. I don't want to do anything that could possibly lead to me leaving this Earth, my daughter, or future grand children any sooner than I have to. That's why I don't smoke. It depends on what your goals are, everyone is different. If you think it's okay for you to smoke and you believe that you feel as good as you can then go for it, it's your life.

Love this.

julimonster

Good for you, one step at a time - after what you went through, I agree the cigarettes are the lesser of the evils (but try to quit! You'll feel even better!)
Best of luck to you!

1Kristine1

At least you'll look swole when you die of cancer

eh, i plan on dying of liver failure, not cancer.

Both aren't pretty...I wouldn't wish for that if I were you.

holly1283

You've seen pictures of a smoker's lungs, haven't you? Now are pockets of tar and nicotine healthy? I may die of lung cancer but it won't be because I caused it smoking.

MissyMissy18

In great shape? Most definitely. Healthy? Debatable.

I was at a plateau in my workout regimen... 2 months ago I quit smoking, and about 1 month ago BLASTED through that plateau and was easily able to intensify my work outs. I thought I was healthy before, but now I truly FEEL it.

I still miss it sometimes, but it has been SO worth it.

HauteP1nk

Kudos to you for kicking a heroin habit. I come from a family of addicts and I understand that those who are more susceptible to habits choose smoking as their crutch as it can be the lesser of the evils.... That being said, I think you should read up on what smoking is really doing to your body, and what you are putting your body through by lighting up after a work out. You are making your heart/lungs work harder than they have to...and you are undoing a lot of benefits gained from exercising.
Working out is not just about looking good, running 10km or being able to lift 300lbs....it is about building a strong heart and a pair of strong lungs that will be strong even as you age.

SmexAppeal

Since I started my new weight lifting routine, I have seen changes in muscle size, strength and stamina. So today, I decided to put myself to a test. After my 90 lifting workout (upper body), I got on a treadmill at the gym and started running at a moderate (6 mph) pace. I told myself I would keep going until I could not go anymore or when I got to 60 minutes. When I got to 60 minutes, I still felt pretty good so I kept going until I got to 10 miles (1:28:53).

Not sure how running at 6MPH you managed 10 miles in 1:29?? If running at 6MPH that would have you run 8.88 miles not 10. You would have had to run at 6.75MPH to hit 10 miles in 1:29.

He said he got on and started at 6MPH. Thanks for the math lesson though! I'm sure he upped the speed though!

genefabes

well one thing I think we can agree on: if you live off of protein shakes and newports you can't be smelling your finest from either end :x