Tobacco smoking
From RationalWiki
Tobacco smoking, most often associated with "coffin nails", or cigarettes, is a foul, disgusting habit that stains your fingers and teeth, costs a fortune, and eventually tends to cause nasty lung diseases.
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[edit] Who wins and who loses?
Smoking not only fills the coffers of the death industry but also those of the government through high tobacco taxation. At the same time it is also profitable to the pension providers because they don't have to pay out so much to those who die before their time, and also the health insurance companies who can charge higher premiums for smokers.
It is also immensely irritating to non-smokers who may be in the vicinity.[1]
[edit] What's in it for the smoker?
Unsurprisingly, users rationalize it as a relaxing and deliciously addictive pastime. Most nicotine addicts claim to be aware of the health risks posed by smoking, but aren't really worried until they approach 50, or until they get cancer[2] - whichever comes first.
While it has been alleged that cigarette smoking makes one look sexy and glamorous, in truth only people who are already sexy and glamorous look this way when smoking. No separate findings have been made on smoking's effect on how fabulously sexy one is.
Tobacco is one of the very rare occurrences of a situation (perhaps the only thing similar is the advertising for marmite) in which the producers of a product are paying[3] for advertisements attempting to get people to stop using the product.[4]
For those[5] who absolutely must fill their lungs with gook, pot smoking is much more fun but, according to some, more dangerous.[6] Marijuana is, however, not correlated with lung cancer like tobacco smoking is.[7][8][9] The possession of marijuana is also illegal in many countries, with punishments ranging from a small fine to execution.
[edit] See also
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ Especially those with pre-existing attitude or lung problems
- ↑ Or emphysema, heart disease, chronic hacking coughs, etc.
- ↑ Mostly involuntarily, due to legislation or court rulings.
- ↑ Yes, they are daring you not to buy cigarettes!
- ↑ User:Ace McWicked, User:Human, etc.
- ↑ Lung damage from pot
- ↑ Study finds no cancer-marijuana connection
- ↑ Cannabis 'safer than alcohol and tobacco'
- ↑ Cannabis smoke less carcinogenic than tobacco smoke

