Smoking in Australia (graphic, not for the faint hearted)

[Kross]

I don't smoke but I can relate to smokers...

Nicotine is a very addictive substance, and your body goes into withdrawals when it lacks Nicotine (duh we all knew that). It's not so much a psychological thing, I mean yeah they want to quit but if your brain says "Me want Nicotine" it's really hard to say no...

Also, when you're brain is hooked on Nicotine, it pleases your craving when you consume the Nicotine, thus it releases stress in a sense..

For example, if you're presenting in front of a lot of ppl, or if your nervous about something, or your at war... Cigs help you escape for a brief moment and helps to cope.

All in all, smoking is bad but we are the very cancer of this planet(random quote), so we're doing mother earth a favor.

Oh yeah I almost forgot, want to quit smoking cigs?

SMOKE WEED!

[Surealistic]

in my life, ive been addicted to smoking cigarettes, crystal meth, cocaine, weed(if you can be addicted to weed, which i say no, but still)

i quit everything cold turkey, with no problems, except for cigarettes, those things are terrible, id quit for about 12 hours before i had another pack in my hand, im on the patch now, so far ive had 1 cigarette in the past month and a half, im done with them finally, i feel so much better already

[Elcura]

I remember one of my projects at college was to create an anti smoking campaign that was effective and had NO NEGATIVE WORDS/IMAGES. I had to give smokers a way to quit that sounded positive.

Worst project ever, should've asked me to squeeze water from a rock, that would've been easy. For a project it wasn't hard, but in real life no one would even take a second look at an anti smoking postcard or advert unless is had someone coughing their black charred lungs out.

[Sonomaa]

my grandfather smoked hard back in his day, when the military encouraged it and such, so he got addicted. fast forward a while and he is working at Eckerd corp as a real estate agent with his partner jack eckerd (ceo of the company). jack says to my grandfather "Don, you need to quit smoking, Im willing to bet you cant, so Ill give you 100 shares of eckerd stock if you can quit for a year"
my grandfather takes his 2 packs (he was 2-3 a day guy) and hands them to jack and says "make sure they spell my name right"
fast forward one year, jack eckerd comes in my grandfathers office again with papers for 100 shares of eckerd stock (at that time worth a significant amount of money) and a carton of my grandfathers prefered brand and says "ok Don, you won, you can start smoking again, the stocks are yours"

he doesnt start again thankfully, but the damage had sadly already been done, he had parts of his lungs removed about 10 years later and died at age 73 to a swift acting cancer eating the rest of his lungs, traveling up his spine and shutting his brain off. once it caught up with him it took 2 weeks

the funny thing was, at age 65 his doctor told him he had cancer and only had 6 weeks to live, my grandfather told him to fuck off, did chemo, didnt lose his hair, didnt lose his outlook on life, took care of his family, ran a very successful bussiness after retiring from eckerd as VP of real estate as the youngest ever retiree (10 years before the normal status)

when I had mono for two years he took care of me during that time, both my parents had to work full time after my brother had a tumor in his ear and our insurance company went belly up right after his first surgury
the man was amazing, hell, even how he got his job is amazing (Ill save that story though, its funny and badass at the same time)

[Haelian]

Smoking doesn't bother me much. I see it just as another hobby really, just like how I play video games on a regular basis. Video games might not physically harm me (usually) but they can be very addictive and I often find myself buying more. Alright so I guess my example sucked.

[Elcura]

Video games might not physically harm me

Wait until the Wii comes out. I garuntee multiplayer Wii will be painful.

[SephYuyX]

Video games might not physically harm me

Wait until the Wii comes out. I garuntee multiplayer Wii will be painful.

Somehow Ill end up punching myself in the balls..

[Sonomaa]

the fact that the controller with the one dpad hooked up to it is called a nunchuck, yes, I do believe the wii might be painful with drunk friends and super smash brothers brawl (but itll be the good kind of pain) ((NOT YOUR GOOD KIND OF PAIN SEPTIMUS, GO AWAY)) (((NOT YOURS EITHER TONK)))

[Ksandra]

Smoking doesn't bother me much. I see it just as another hobby really, just like how I play video games on a regular basis. Video games might not physically harm me (usually) but they can be very addictive and I often find myself buying more. Alright so I guess my example sucked.

major difference is if you don't enjoy video games and happen to be in the vicinity of one it's not going to effect you much (maybe just bore or annoy you).

However you can still get cancer from cigarette smoke even if you've never smoked one.

[DragonCloud64]

I don't smoke but I can relate to smokers...

Nicotine is a very addictive substance, and your body goes into withdrawals when it lacks Nicotine (duh we all knew that). It's not so much a psychological thing, I mean yeah they want to quit but if your brain says "Me want Nicotine" it's really hard to say no...

Also, when you're brain is hooked on Nicotine, it pleases your craving when you consume the Nicotine, thus it releases stress in a sense..

For example, if you're presenting in front of a lot of ppl, or if your nervous about something, or your at war... Cigs help you escape for a brief moment and helps to cope.

All in all, smoking is bad but we are the very cancer of this planet(random quote), so we're doing mother earth a favor.

Oh yeah I almost forgot, want to quit smoking cigs?

SMOKE WEED!

FFXI is my Anti-Drug!

[Sirenia]

I wish our country did that.

[Jotaru]

Ever seen drunk driving ads from New Zealand? (I imagine they're somewhat the same in Aussie Wafik?)

They'd show a car at night, cruisin along, attractive parents in the front, three little girls in the back. They'd also show a huge semi driving the opposite direction, with the guy drinkin while driving. They'd show the collision, show the car careening off a cliff, the people inside getting beat to hell; it'd show blood, guts, gore, all that. The 'best' part was the commentary at the end though... Things like "If people didnt drink and drive... little Kim's last sound she ever heard wouldn't be her own neck breaking... Jen's last sight wouldn't be her sisters eyes gouged from her cocket... Jim's last sound would be his wife gurgling as her neck broke and lungs filled with blood"... that sort of stuff.

Made you look at the TV and go O_O!

And not drink and drive.


Edit:

However you can still get cancer from cigarette smoke even if you've never smoked one.

Most of the time, you can move away from the smoker just as easily as they can move away from you. Yes, its rude for a smoker to assume YOU should have to move to get away from THEM, but its like that in many things in life. That being said, I'm a smoker. I will not smoke in the immediate vicinity of someone who doesn't want to be near it; I'm very considerate. However, something that irks me to no end are people, whether I know them or not, who try to get me to quit.. by forceful means. I've had someone take my cigarettes, and my lighter, and refuse to give them back, with the excuse that I was killing myself, and them. Haggling smokers is just not cool; trying to convince them its bad for them, and they should stop, sits on the side of 'helping someone out', but forcefully taking their junk and trying to PHYSICALLY stop someone else's PERSONAL decision is no gewd. /sonic

Kinda like in that documentary, Super Size Me.... People give smokers a hard time ALL the time... wonder when the last time is any of them stopped a fat person and told them to cut the shit out.

[Ksandra]

Edit:

However you can still get cancer from cigarette smoke even if you've never smoked one.

Most of the time, you can move away from the smoker just as easily as they can move away from you. Yes, its rude for a smoker to assume YOU should have to move to get away from THEM, but its like that in many things in life.

smoke doesn't always follow the "non smoking area" I've had to walk by smokers on the street as they puff away or have to deal with my brother-in-law lighting a pack a day. Should I no longer go buy my own food because half the time there's workers standing close to the grocery store entrance smoking on their break? I'm not saying this is 24/7 but I think a lot of smokers don't notice how much smoke floats around outside at some pretty common places.

[deakka]

To quote dennis leary, it's a drug. Doesn't matter what size the warning is, hell you could make the whole pack the warning, smokers will still buy them. You could make cigarettes that come in a black pack, with a skull and crossbones on the front and call them "Tumors", and smokers would be lined up around the block for them.

Raising the price on tobacco will only increase panhandling outside your local 7-11, and instead of saving up for that bottle of colt 45, they'll be saving up for a pack of newports or marlboro menthol 100's.

someone needs to post a link to that south park episode on anti smoking groups >.>

[Lordwafik]

Ever seen drunk driving ads from New Zealand? (I imagine they're somewhat the same in Aussie Wafik?)

They'd show a car at night, cruisin along, attractive parents in the front, three little girls in the back. They'd also show a huge semi driving the opposite direction, with the guy drinkin while driving. They'd show the collision, show the car careening off a cliff, the people inside getting beat to hell; it'd show blood, guts, gore, all that. The 'best' part was the commentary at the end though... Things like "If people didnt drink and drive... little Kim's last sound she ever heard wouldn't be her own neck breaking... Jen's last sight wouldn't be her sisters eyes gouged from her cocket... Jim's last sound would be his wife gurgling as her neck broke and lungs filled with blood"... that sort of stuff.

Made you look at the TV and go O_O!

And not drink and drive.

Ooo we dont have graphic drink-driving campaigns, just the usual "car crash" scene with people crying and someone with blood on their face.

That's why I love these graphic ads, it really puts fear into people and you know, makes them wake the fuck up about what they're doing to themselves.

Most of the time, you can move away from the smoker just as easily as they can move away from you. Yes, its rude for a smoker to assume YOU should have to move to get away from THEM, but its like that in many things in life. That being said, I'm a smoker. I will not smoke in the immediate vicinity of someone who doesn't want to be near it; I'm very considerate. However, something that irks me to no end are people, whether I know them or not, who try to get me to quit.. by forceful means. I've had someone take my cigarettes, and my lighter, and refuse to give them back, with the excuse that I was killing myself, and them. Haggling smokers is just not cool; trying to convince them its bad for them, and they should stop, sits on the side of 'helping someone out', but forcefully taking their junk and trying to PHYSICALLY stop someone else's PERSONAL decision is no gewd. /sonic

I kinda disagree. Smoking has caused me to sever my relationship with my family basically, they constantly chainsmoke, and I refuse to be in the same area as smoke, so I stopped talking to them outside the normal hi/bye/how's your day, despite the fact we live in the same house.

Both my parents had started chain smoking a few years ago, about the same time I stopped going near them. I do not like smoke, I have a heart condition now because of their smoking, and they still refuse to quit, even when the doctor brought both of them into the room and told them that they are killing their son.

So it's not as easy as you say, when you tell someone else to move, when they chainsmoke nonstop in your house. I dont want this heart condition that I now have from 2nd hand smoking, I wish they had it to teach them a fucking lesson.

[Haelian]

I kinda disagree. Smoking has caused me to sever my relationship with my family basically, they constantly chainsmoke, and I refuse to be in the same area as smoke, so I stopped talking to them outside the normal hi/bye/how's your day, despite the fact we live in the same house.

Both my parents had started chain smoking a few years ago, about the same time I stopped going near them. I do not like smoke, I have a heart condition now because of their smoking, and they still refuse to quit, even when the doctor brought both of them into the room and told them that they are killing their son.

So it's not as easy as you say, when you tell someone else to move, when they chainsmoke nonstop in your house. I dont want this heart condition that I now have from 2nd hand smoking, I wish they had it to teach them a fucking lesson.

Both of my parents smoke, and my two brothers, and my little 16 year old sister, and a few of my friends. Obviously you're a unique case, but to me, smoke doesn't bother me 90% of the time. Only specific situation I can think of is in the car and they say it's "too cold" or "the AC's on" and won't roll down their window.

I don't understand how so many people feel the need to prevent any sort of smoke in their direction at all (again, obviously a different case for you). I do believe that second hand smoke can cause cancer and all that jazz, but it must take a whole HELL of a lot of smoke. Like, being exposed to it in an enclosed area for several hours each day.

Still is pretty grimey that your parents wouldn't quit after that.

[Elcura]

Wow Wafik that sucks, If my Dad gave me a heart/lung condition because of smoking I would never forgive him, but that hasn't happened and I'm pretty good at guilt tripping, the other day I saw a book about quitting smoking. It was a good day for me.

[Demetrius*]

someone needs to post a link to that south park episode on anti smoking groups >.>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKTfJgTTSG0
that clip is all i could find

[Taylah]

I kinda disagree. Smoking has caused me to sever my relationship with my family basically, they constantly chainsmoke, and I refuse to be in the same area as smoke, so I stopped talking to them outside the normal hi/bye/how's your day, despite the fact we live in the same house.

Both my parents had started chain smoking a few years ago, about the same time I stopped going near them. I do not like smoke, I have a heart condition now because of their smoking, and they still refuse to quit, even when the doctor brought both of them into the room and told them that they are killing their son.

So it's not as easy as you say, when you tell someone else to move, when they chainsmoke nonstop in your house. I dont want this heart condition that I now have from 2nd hand smoking, I wish they had it to teach them a fucking lesson.

MOVE OUT .. Melbourne is good :D

Cant live with me tho cause I smoke, not in my house tho, I always go outside but none the less. Oh and those packets havent fazed meh yet, mind you I still haven't got some of them, like the baby one would kill me to be carrying around ><

For the record, quitting is not an easy thing either, but I am always careful on where I smoke as I dont feel it is fair for other's to be breathing my smoke in when they are a non-smoker. This was my choice to smoke and making other's breath it in is cruel. I don't smoke in public places, only at home outside, in my car unless I have a non smoker with me and at work in the outside smoking area that is only inhabited by smokers, I try to be considerate, my lung's so my choice, but I cannot make that choice for other people's lungs and nor will I subject them to the second hand smoke.

Some smokers can actually be considerate, most are not tho and I am truely sorry for you Wafik and the situation you are in with your family ~

[Shaede]

I've always had a bias against smokers, though it defies logic and reason. I just can't help but lose a ton of respect for someone who I find out smokes. Respect that never can be repaired.

It's probably because my mom almost died when I was little. I wasn't even told she was in the hospital when it happened because I was so young, I just thought I was visiting my aunt and uncle for an extended period of time. After a week or so I got to visit her in the hospital. I never even knew her life was in danger until years later when she told me what had happened.

She had developed a very serious tumor. The doctors had told her that she was not going to survive it because it had progressed too far too fast. When my mom asked how it could have happened in the first place, the doctor told her that her smoking definatly did it. Well, my mom didn't smoke. She told the doctor that it was impossible. He asked if her co-workers smoked. She said yes. His reply was, "Then you smoke."

But against what the doctors believed, she survived the operation. It would have been horrible if a single mom with a 5 year old son had died because her co-workers were addicted to tobacco. But it could have happened.

Since then I can't really help but look down on smokers. After all, their inconsideration for the others around them almost cost me my mom.