To be glad that dh is smoking again

[dealer]

Of, course it would be the biggest regret ever if he developed cancer, but on the face of it he's always so much healthier when smoking.

During the time we've been together he's given up 3 or 4 times, the longest for over 2 years. But every time he gives up his childhood excema comes back, he gets really bad hayfever and is prone to coldsores, he also puts on weight. The longer he gives up for the worse it gets, so after 2 years his excema was dreadful, but within 2 weeks of starting again it had virtually disappeared. I can only assume that smoking blocks out the allergens (or something?).

[Dragonwoman]

Just a thought OP - would nicotine patches deliver the same benefits while reducing the risks? Has he tried them? I admit I don't know the long term effects of the patches, but may be better than smoking.

[dealer]

He never smokes around me or the kids, and will often go a day without one. Other times he'll have a few in a day. The kids don't even know he smokes.
He smokes the low tar ones.
Patches didn't seem to help.
If he starts talking about giving up I always encourage, and when he sets his mind to it he can go cold turkey. The first bit is quite easy, it's when all the other stuff kicks in that he suffers. It really is to the point where he can't go outside in the summer, and he's scratched his hands to shreds and his feet are soo sore to walk on.
I'm sure if he'd never taken it up he'd be healthier as a non-smoker, but his body seems totally used to it. He doesn't have asthma or anything, but crazily when he doesn't smoke he struggles to do things like blow up balloons or swim underwater, but when smoking he's fine.

[dealer]

He's never been a heavy smoker, but has smoked for about 25 years.

It would make sense what you say, but 2 years? and still getting worse. Honestly he was going to sit it out this time, but more than 2 years later he got so fed up with not being able to walk on the soles of his feet that he gave it a go, and it was sorted within a fortnight. Of course the plan was to smoke for a few weeks and then give up again, but it's gone on longer now which isn't ideal. He's really enjoying getting out on his bike, which wasn't possible for the last 2 years.

I have never, ever seen or heard him cough up crap as I know some smokers do. He literally just gives up over night and that's it.