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.

But that's a person's choice to make, yes?

Talking of A&E, the amount of drinking related problems that clog up the A&E departments at weekend..

I am not saying drinking is worse but imo it is just as bad.

Mimstar fewer people are smoking nowadays but the government still gets the same tax revenue from tobacco they did 20 years ago by banging up the price 3-4 times a year to compensate. They have no interest in stopping people smoking.

Hurray

Thing is, even up to a couple of years before the smoking ban in public spaces came in, people were saying it was unworkable, it wouldn't happen in this country, the pub/club industry wouldn't stand for it and were too powerful etc. Then we all just accepted it and now it seems imaginable to go out for dinner with someone smoking on the table next to you inside a restaurant.

While the government do get a lot of money from smoking, it's not that much in the grand sceme of things, smokers are effectively dying out in the west (new smokers aren't taking it up in big enough numbers to replace those dying or giving up), if numbers fall enough and it gets unpopular enough with people who vote, I can see it being banned. Even if the government needed the income to balance the books, if they needed the votes more, both major parties would ban first and work out how to fill the revenue hole later...

I'm a non-smoker, but the acceptance of alcohol does irk me somewhat. The science behind the claims that 'red wine is good for you' is pretty feeble. It's based on the fact that wine contains antioxidants. Antioxidants are supposedly very good for us. Ergo red wine is good for us. Unfortunately, science isn't as simple as that. In reality, the role of antioxidants is very complex and just because red wine contains antioxidants does not mean that it's automatically good for us. Just ask Ben Goldacre.

The 'alcohol does you good' argument gets on my wick too. It's a chemical substance that your liver has to work hard to process. You would be much healthier without it. Stop kidding yourselves people!

"I don't know anyone who smokes yet is teetotal actually."

Umm I did. I gave up when I found out I was pregnant but whilst I won't go back to it, I loved smoking.

Pissed people disgust me, I find them irritating at best and revolting at worst. I dread to think how much the NHS forks out for all drink related issues, far more than for smoking I'll bet.

Also, I am not sure you should get behind the wheel after 3 glasses of wine - but I could be wrong (then again it won't be me ploughing into an unsuspecting pedestrian).

I would also like to add my grandmother smoked until she was 91, she had 1 every morning until she was 95 and even then only stopped as she couldn't see the end of her cigarette to light it she lived to 101.

She also never drank.

Love drinking, wish I didn't, though, it makes me act like twat (friendly twat, though!) and hangovers are hell. I think this country would be a better place without alcohol, I'd miss it, but it would be for the best.

Hate smoking. The smell and the litter are the most annoying things IMO. Haven't hugged my mum since I was about 10 because she smells so strongly of smoke. Hate her kissing and cuddling DS but try not to show that!

The government is sooo hypocritical demonising drinkers and smokers but relying on their tax. Genuine question: are illegal drugs really more dangerous/addictive/as damaging to society than alcohol and nicotine? Surely they should either allow everything or ban everything?

I was waiting for the 'my granny smoked every day since she was weaned from her mother's breast and it didn't do her any harm' anecdote.

'Surely they should either allow everything or ban everything?'

Agree. With allowing everything

squoosh, I think it's fair enough that Stinky has mentioned her granny. My 63 year old mate who smokes like a train had to have a chest X-ray recently and everything was clean as a whistle. That's not to say that smoking is totally fine and risk-free but it's just that - a risk. Like lots of things in life.

Personally I stopped smoking because of the price (Holy moly fags are expensive these days) and because I'm too vain to develop a smoker's complexion.

My 90 year old granny still smokes is yellow and smells and sounds dreadful though but had to go into a home when she got dementia and mum found her putting one lighter in her mouth and lighting it with another lighter. Blew her fringe off! So you see, there's proof smoking is dangerous

Brought to you by www.AnecdotesAreData.com

I don't care if people want to smoke.

But I loathe being engulfed by their filthy smoke if I am walking behind them.

And if I speak to a smoker, I do recoil from their noxious fag breath.

I believe the revenue raised from taxing tobacco is now lower than that spent on managing smoking related diseases. That's part of the reason why they keep increasing the tax.

Anyone who thinks smoking will do them no harm is naive.

My Dad is almost Tetottal. He drinks one gin and tonic and one glass of wine total at Xmas and only because people pour him them. He'd much rather coke.

However he chain smoked from his teens. He finally gave up smoking in his 60's because he wanted to see his grandchildren grow up.

He is very much against heavy drinking and was very anti smoking too.

We would have been killed if we'd smoked. He really wished he'd never started.

Smoking is bad for you, and a terrible addiction.
However, i grew up around it-my mother would light a Superking while we were all still eating and put it out on her plate.(Classy!)

I was a part time smoker for many years BUT while smoking is a bad thing it is totally demonised on here, and acually, I dont really mind the smell of smoke on others. I like It
I am pretty sure my step mum smokes a bit when she has ds-she knows she is not supposed to, and I turn a blind eye. I know that would give a lot of people on here the horrors, but I don't drive, and actually being inside a car is one of the most polluted places you can be, so, you know, swings and roundabouts.

Drinking changes people's personalties, and is the cause of much heartbreak.
I lost my dad to drink related illness, and although I do drink, am very aware of the damage it causes, both physical and mental.

Now, where is my line of Cock??

I do like drinking though not excessively.

The comment by Lottapianos The 'alcohol does you good' argument gets on my wick too. It's a chemical substance that your liver has to work hard to process. You would be much healthier without it. Stop kidding yourselves people! is a bit naive actually. THe fact is out livers can digest alcohol. There is an enzyme that does it. Many Chinese people have a mutation which means they don't process alcohol very well and get totally pissed on one glass of wine. But for the rest of us, alcohol was part of our past diet. We have evolved to take advantage of mouldering apples! So given that we can drink a little in moderation without longer term damage, why not? I think the argument here rests between binge drinkers/alcoholics and the average smoker.

Smoking is dangerous healthwise and you shouldn't smoke inside with children, but I think it's got out of hand too. These days being a smokers seems to be somewhere between pig fettler and paedophile on most people's moral compasses. It's utterly ridiculous getting so het up about smoking, when the same people are driving cars (often unnecessarily), belching pollution into the environment, killing other people and themselves in road accidents and supporting the oil industry - ie wars.

Incidentally, how much asthma is caused by pollution and car exhaust? Some experts would suggest that it's responsible for the rise in this illness. So, getting so wound up about it makes people big fat hypocrites.

People always like to cherry pick what's acceptable (but really isn't) to suit themselves. It's just the way it is.

Hitler was very anti smoking btw. That said, I used to smoke and smoking is shit.

Completely agree if not now re the driving. I dont drive yet am subjected to carcinogenic exhaust fumes every day. Im far more likely to get cancer from exhaust fumes than from someone waving a fag around at a bus stop yet you dont hear me or anyone else spouting on about the lazy selfish bastards who cant use their legs to walk to the shops

And to everyone that is smugly saying that having 3 glasses of wine doesnt affect anyone else, qell actually it does. People are fucking annoying after 3 glasses of wine. Ive lost count over how many nights out have been completely ruined by pissed people.

MNetters seem to have unlimited compassion for other lifestyle choices such as obesity which cause health and social problems. You cant just be a greedy bastard, oh no, they have food addiction problems. Well nicotine is more addictive than heroin, maybe smokers dont deserve the ridiculous abuse they get either. I mean complaining about smelling smoke from a cigarette whilst out in the street is a bit pathetic.

Looking forward to my line of cock tonight though haha

Life is too short to be worrying about every move we take.
I say enjoy anything you want in moderation providing it isn't illegal drugs or recreational drugs.

I don't smoke as i don't like it but don't begrudge those that do and why would i!
My brother died of cancer at 16, he never drank or smoked and my nan died at 59 from cancer, she also didn't smoke or drink.
The point i'm making is that you could die tomorrow, why not enjoy the things you like.

XiCi I agree with pretty much everything you said. Enjoy your line of cock tonight btw.

The whole premise of comparing smoking with the odd glass of wine is flawed. There is NO problem with having the odd alcoholic drink- in fact there is some evidence that it can have benefits. Whereas smoking is damaging. Obviously less damaging to smoke 1 cigarette rather than 20- but still toxic , not to mention smelling rank!

To start comparing with people who get drunk, behave irresponsibility etc is a different thing. I would never advocate drinking excessively, (or eating junk food excessively) but I wouldn't advocate smoking at all. So smoke away if you want op- but I think you're kidding yourself that it's in the same bracket as a glass of wine

That was the point I was trying to make - most drinkers are not problem drinkers. At seven pm on a wet wednesday there were no drunk shenanigans. Those of us that drink didn't have swift nip of rred wine while we waited to be x rayed. Yet the smokers could not do without. Its just a much stronger addiction. Pretendng otherwise is just daft.

But any drink can alter your mood for a much longer time than the buzz of a cig. You are more likely to forget/not care/feel slightly out of it on one glass of wine than one cig. It isn't comparable in those terms just as it isn't comparable in health terms; one is much 'worse' for you than the other.