to think smoking when you need an inhaler is a tad stupid?

[Northernlebkuchen]

Car next to us in car park today - two people get in. One uses a blue ventolin inhaler - dh has one and we recognise it. It's for symptomatic relief when you're short of breath. So the woman uses it and then both her and her partner light up a fag. AIBU to think you have to be very, very dim to use a device designed to relieve your compromised breathing and then straight after smoke?

Err, extraordinarily dim I'd think.

I dunno, some people think smoking is bad for everyone.

well i thinking smoking itself is stupid regardless of whether you have any other conditions.

I think smoking is stupid too - but even more so when you know you have compromised breathing. Being short of breath is horrible - I just can't see why you would smoke when you're already suffering. I know it's hard to quit - but really harder than not being able to breathe?

Well obviously it is but then we all do things that are stupid.

I bet you've done a few stupid things in life OP haven't you?

yes. it is very stupid.

Surely smoking is bad even if you don't have an underlying health condition?

I know plenty of bright people who smoke. It isn't about intelligence it is about addiction.

Very stupid and also a bit sad.

was on a coach once and a passenger got on avec nebulizer, announced she had emphysema therefor the nebulizer required a seat then got off the coach for a fag. some folk just cant be helped.

I think smoking is a tad stupid full stop.

I work in a hospital which has a no smoking on site policy.
Patients can be seen in pjs and slippers huddled on the street for a smoke. I have even seen them dragging a drip trolley.
This just illustrates how bad the addiction is.
IMO they should allocate a room or even a shelter in a courtyard for smokers.
(I don't smoke but I used to many years ago).

in the sticks if they allocated a room, teh staff employed to clean it and maintain it would be forced to inhale teh smoke and taht is illegal.

Well yes it's silly but that's dependence for you. An addiction is a nasty thing.

Inthesticks
our local hospital has same policy it is not unforced you. Go out te main entreance and you smoked 3 fags by time you done 3 steps you can smell them when the automatic doors open.

You can be addicted to nicotine, but not dependent on it.

Nicotine withdrawal is very mild - nothing like withdrawing from alcohol or opiates.

Giving up cigarettes is 99% about staying stopped. It really is.

Why on earth should a hospital provide a room for addicts to smoke??

Smoking is not any more stupid than bungee jumping or paragliding. Everyone has their own risk/reward assessment and obviously don't seem to think that a slow and painful death won't happen to them.

"Oooh, addiction is such a bad thing" doesn't cut it imho. Once they have a heart attack, smokers tend to quit very quickly although their level of addiction should be exactly the same as before the heart attack

Smoking while already suffering from a respiratory condition is indeed quite stupid, though.

Jacquline - no I've never done anything stupid Am practically perfect in every way.

I just don't get why the not being able to breathe thing isn't enough incentive to quit.

I went to visit a man to help him complete DLA forms and he was on Oxygen 24 hrs a day, he kept taking his mask off to smoke.....beside the Oxygen cannister. I couldn't concentrate for worrrying about being blown up!

stupid indeed, any smoker also knows this. doesn't solve the addiction though does it?

also stupid to eat cream cakes when morbidly obese...... i could go on....

They don't smoke in the entrance. They have to go through the car park and off the site entirely. A security guard enforces it.

I know a smoke room would be unpleasant, I just feel sorry for people who are so addicted they are prepared to go to such lengths to smoke even when very ill.

I'm asthmatic and took up smoking as a youngster. Can vividly remember carrying out exactly the scenario you describe when I was 16/17/18/19.

Haven't smoked for 6 years though - I can highly recommend the Allan Carr easyway book if anyone wants to give up.

Anyway, I must be stupid because, and you'll never believe this, I often drink more than 2 or 3 units of alcohol a day