Any smokers out there(?)

[huZZah]

The problem with smoking was and is that you aren’t making the decision for yourself. The rest of us have to breathe it. And then the rest of us have to pay for your mistake any time you use your healthcare that “you’re paying for.” I smoked for several years before turning 18 and losing interest since I was no longer being rebellious. But I shudder at my own stupidity then.  
 

I had 2 grandparents that nearly bankrupted my mom due to their healthcare that they absolutely didn’t give a crap she had to cover. Used her retirement, savings, loans, etc. Thankfully they both died in their 70s from cancer due to smoking.  My mom loved her parents, but that is simply some selfish BS right there. We are intended to leave our kids inheritance, not burdens.  That has always ticked me off that they did that to their daughter with a total lack of understanding or remorse about it. 

 

Health insurance is the biggest legal Ponzi scheme ever. You’re not paying for all that extra care yourself.  You would never agree to pay for damage to my house if I just decided to burn part of it multiple times a day at great expense to myself simply because “I can.”  That is the most selfish part of smoking: the delusion that it’s all about you. 

[MN Fisher]

37 minutes ago, huZZah said:

And then the rest of us have to pay for your mistake any time some people use their healthcare that “they’re paying for.”

 

Almost 62 years old, smoking for 52 of that...never had a health issue related to smoking.

 

My grand-uncle Nils smoked from the time he was 8 until he died at 94....of complications from ALS. Healthy as a horse until the ALS kicked in when he was 76
My grand-father Wallace smoked from the age of 11 until he died in a plane crash...at 84...also healthy as a horse.

I could quote more examples from my genetic line...some families are seemingly immune to the harmful effects.

 

Don't paint a broad brush...not everyone is the same.

[deaknh03]

5 hours ago, huZZah said:

The problem with smoking was and is that you aren’t making the decision for yourself. The rest of us have to breathe it. And then the rest of us have to pay for your mistake any time you use your healthcare that “you’re paying for.” I smoked for several years before turning 18 and losing interest since I was no longer being rebellious. But I shudder at my own stupidity then.  
 

I had 2 grandparents that nearly bankrupted my mom due to their healthcare that they absolutely didn’t give a crap she had to cover. Used her retirement, savings, loans, etc. Thankfully they both died in their 70s from cancer due to smoking.  My mom loved her parents, but that is simply some selfish BS right there. We are intended to leave our kids inheritance, not burdens.  That has always ticked me off that they did that to their daughter with a total lack of understanding or remorse about it. 

 

Health insurance is the biggest legal Ponzi scheme ever. You’re not paying for all that extra care yourself.  You would never agree to pay for damage to my house if I just decided to burn part of it multiple times a day at great expense to myself simply because “I can.”  That is the most selfish part of smoking: the delusion that it’s all about you. 

So I'm assuming you eat 100% organic, exercise daily, don't drink alcohol and live like the Amish?

[CrankFate]

6 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

 

Almost 62 years old, smoking for 52 of that...never had a health issue related to smoking.

 

My grand-uncle Nils smoked from the time he was 8 until he died at 94....of complications from ALS. Healthy as a horse until the ALS kicked in when he was 76
My grand-father Wallace smoked from the age of 11 until he died in a plane crash...at 84...also healthy as a horse.

I could quote more examples from my genetic line...some families are seemingly immune to the harmful effects.

 

Don't paint a broad brush...not everyone is the same.

I can think of a few people I’ve known over the years that were  old, lifelong, healthy, smokers that insisted being forced to quit while in a hospital or rehab facility after getting injured from their active lifestyle insist that not being able to smoke slowed down their recovery.

[Black Hawk Basser]

On 8/15/2021 at 10:23 AM, scaleface said:

One day , while landing a bass , my smokes fell out of my shirt pocket in the water . I needed my  smokes more than fishing so left .

I've left the ramp, leaving my cigs in my truck on accident several times.  Most times, I have turned around and gone back for them.  I hate myself for that kind of stuff.

 

Believe me, non-smokers, you don't need to give us any s**t for it.  We give ourselves a hard enough time.  I'm pretty sure no one who's smoked for years still wants to do it and "chooses" to keep smoking.

[MN Fisher]

Just now, Black Hawk Basser said:

I'm pretty sure no one who's smoked for years still wants to do it and "chooses" to keep smoking.

Yep - last time I tried to quit on the suggestion of the wife (who's an ex-smoker) it wasn't 24 hours later she told me to go out and buy more...I'd turn into a right b-tard.

[Black Hawk Basser]

On 8/15/2021 at 11:34 AM, huZZah said:

Health insurance is the biggest legal Ponzi scheme ever. You’re not paying for all that extra care yourself.  You would never agree to pay for damage to my house if I just decided to burn part of it multiple times a day at great expense to myself simply because “I can.”  That is the most selfish part of smoking: the delusion that it’s all about you. 

That's what insurance is.  A pool of money for everyone to use when they have a claim.  Technically, everybody pays more for home insurance because idiots insist on building houses in extremely high risk areas, just like smokers and cheeseburger addicts cause health insurance to be higher.  Loss trends throughout the nation affect everyone, even people in the low-risk areas, because insurance companies have to buy reinsurance for themselves, which dramatically rises when there have been catastrophic loss events like wildfires, hurricanes, derechos, tornadoes, etc.

2 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Yep - last time I tried to quit on the suggestion of the wife (who's an ex-smoker) it wasn't 24 hours later she told me to go out and buy more...I'd turn into a right b-tard.

I'm pretty sure my wife would have to take a vaca from me if I tried cold turkey.  I am afraid I'd be an ass, myself.

[Choporoz]

Parents both smoked a lot when I was growing up...in the house, car, restaurants.... Dad quit in around 50...Mom probably closer to 60.  Neither had related health issues.  While trying to quit, Dad tried smoking cigars and figured it'd be a safe transition, but he started inhaling cigars, so...not so much.  

   I chewed Red Man and dipped Skoal for 15 years in the Navy....quit cold turkey.  Started smoking occasional cigar several years later, while still in the Service....probably about 16 years ago.  Now, I average 2 cigars on a workday...up to 6, maybe 7 on a fishing day.  

[Boomstick]

I smoked from the point I was a teenager and I believe I was 29 when I quit if memory serves me right. My girlfriend needed a car and at the time we didn't have much extra income at all, so after years of trying to quit and failing I quit cold turkey then and there. After going a few years, I have smoked a few quality cigars here and there since, but that's it.

[Boomstick]

On 8/19/2021 at 11:49 AM, Black Hawk Basser said:

I'm pretty sure my wife would have to take a vaca from me if I tried cold turkey.  I am afraid I'd be an ass, myself.

Funny, when I quit I locked myself in a room. The first day I was in a horrible mood, the next day was a little better. The day after I worked, went and bought my weekly supply of 4 packs, smoked half of them between that Monday and Tuesday morning, didn't smoke another on Tuesday, came home, broke up the remaining cigarettes I had and threw them in the dumpster. Quit coffee for a couple of weeks and after that it was quite easy. I did notice that I would feel jittery after just a little coffee and drink about half the caffeine I used to ever since I quit.

[gim]

Lately there has been a person begging outside the public library near my work for spare change and holding up a sign that says "homeless."  Yesterday when I walked past, he fired up a smoke.  Somehow this guy has conned enough people into feeling sorry for him as a homeless bum, but he is most likely using these donations for cigarettes.  Unreal.

[12poundbass]

3 hours ago, gimruis said:

Lately there has been a person begging outside the public library near my work for spare change and holding up a sign that says "homeless."  Yesterday when I walked past, he fired up a smoke.  Somehow this guy has conned enough people into feeling sorry for him as a homeless bum, but he is most likely using these donations for cigarettes.  Unreal.

I saw a pan handler last week holding a sign that said “just looking for weed”. At least he was honest! ?

[swhit140]

I've never smoked and I don't understand why anybody would want to try it. My brother smoked for probably 25+ years and died at the early age of 53 this year.

 

If people would of smartly invest their hard earned money for working over the years they would realize how much cigarettes/alcohol, etc they wasted away throughout their life.