to be really bloody tired of people getting on their high horses about smoking, whilst drinking their 3rd glass of wine?

[Mimstar]

I get it - smoking isn't a great habit. But neither is drinking, drinking alcohol has plenty of harmful consequences - not just long term health problems, but instant in some cases - i.e people often make bad choices when they are drunk, drunk people are unpleasant to be around.

Disclaimers -

For those of you who will say 'I only drink half a thumble of wine a night, so it's not the same' - One cigarette a night, or a couple at a weekend - unlikely to do much harm.

For those of you who will say that you have lost somebody to a smoking related illness, I do appreciate how awful that is and I'm sorry for your loss. However, I have lost two family members to drinking related matters, and I do not constantly lecture people who are buying a bottle of wine.

I am not saying it's okay to smoke around children, or to smoke all over people who don't smoke.

I don't have a problem with smoking or drinking, but I find people who judge smokers who have no problem with getting drunk very infuriating.

Okay, so now I'll be flamed.

I don't drink or smoke, and I don't particularly give a fuck if other people do, provided that:

It doesn't affect me, and
It doesn't affect vulnerable people in their lives.

That's exactly what I mean, Welsh - I just feel that people often forget the alcohol can be very harmful, too. Yet bang on about smoking.

No one ever died from passive drinking

It's the governments pet scaremongering tactic.

Dr, I have a sore thumbnail

Reply, give up smoking

Apparently people could get cancer from smokers breathing near them now

Caerlaverock I think that's wrong. For one example what about people killed on the roads by drunk drivers.

OP YANBU

No, Caer - but people die from accidents involving drink driving, people die from alcoholism, from alcohol abuse, people get into fights/assaults when drunk, people do things they wouldn't normally do.

Also, please see disclaimer about smoking around children etc, but equally looking after children whilst drunk could be damaging.

"No one ever died from passive drinking "

No, but plenty of people have died as a result of people drinking and then doing stupid things.

I'm not a smoker, and hate smoke around kids, but the anti smoking thing is getting a bit hysterical these days.

No one ever beat someone to death because they had smoked too many fags Caer

It's actually an offence to be drunk in charge of a child.

That's exactly what I mean, I'm not saying that smoking isn't harmful, but I do find it infuriating that people happily overlook all the ill effects drinking can cause. I do agree that the anti-smoking thing is hysterical.

And a bicycle.

I don't think it misses the point Dahlen it's very relevant.

It is ridiculous the whole, no my mother can't see my 5 yr old because she smokes 4 fags a day outside shit you see on hear. I expect OP this thread will end with you getting completely flamed.

On here argh auto correct!

I know someone who was arrested (on their wedding day) for being drunk in charge of a baby in a pushchair! Was years ago mins but they haven't got any more sense now

YANBU

I smoke and drink and don't particularly care what people think. But it does irk me slightly that smoking is often referred to as the "disgusting" habit.

I'm sure it will Inneedofbrandy - I just find it bizarre, supermarkets can't even have cigarettes on display now, they are hidden behind a secret white door. But they can have four aisles (!) of alcohol, including bottles of value cider for about 80p. As I said, I don't have a problem with either - it's the constant unwelcome opinions that bother me!

Same here, Shakey!

I got a good flaming on here once for suggesting that someone doing a couple of lines of cock in a night was no worse than the other apparently saintly husbands going out and drinking 6 pints a night... people love to find booze socially acceptable and ignore the blazing obvious.

a couple of lines of COCK a night???!!!! sorry but

I am a desperately-trying-to-give-up-for-the-millionth-time smoker and my children hate it. They constantly nag me as does dh and I know it's bad and horrible and everything else. I cannot defend myself at all. However, when my oldest dd was small I had a serious drinking problem and I was an appalling mother :( I can never get those years back and although we have discussed it and she knows the reasons and has forgiven me, it will be with me forever. My smoking is horrible and awful and I must stop if I don't want to die before they grow up, but at least, after I have had a cigarette in the garden I don't come in and pass out and forget to feed them or take them to school or scream at them

Obviously if someone is drunk and causing a disturbance, being violent or driving under the influence then that is just as bad - or worse - than smoking.

But someone having a third glass of wine at the table beside me isn't going to affect me. Someone lighting up their third cigarette is, however, going to cause me discomfort.
I think that's why people get more annoyed about smoking. It just affects people more because any kind of cigarette smoke wafting over a non smoker can be annoying.

Somebody drinking 3 glasses of wine at the next table to me has no impact on me at all. Somebody smoking three cigarettes at the next table to me will make my hair and clothes smell like cigarette smoke and pollute the air I breathe.

That's the difference.