friend that posts stuff on social media glamorising smoking - "smoking kills, but we were born to die anyway"

[unlucky4marie]

I've got a friend that is very good looking and I've just logged onto sm to see some arty b&w photo where they look stunning but are smoking. With the caption "smoking kills, but we were born to die anyway".

Its had a few hundred likes and is apparently a "top story" for me.

They are being a nob right? Someone that's probably never had to deal with a family member going through a slow painful death due to smoking and being irresponsible posting crap like that.

Post her back a colostomy bag pic. We were not all born to give ourselves voluntary bowel cancer. Not so glam!

She's being a moron and a child? I assume she's what, late teens?

Yeah it's stupid. It's weird how we accept jokes about drinking and glam photos of bottles, quotes and things though

Yeah. Knobbish. I mean I completely subscribe to the philosophy that life is short and we should enjoy it, but that's just stupid.

Unfollow her then. She's right in a way. Of course, smoking can cause problems that will have a life long impact, but it's up to her to be ignorant of those very obvious facts. I'm sure she doesn't care for people who preach at her that smoking is bad, as much as I do (although, I'd never advocate my (past) choice, as much as I don't promote drinking as something we might as well do as we 'die anyway').

She's actually a he, and in early 30s! We're not close but used to work together, I've lost so much respect. There will have been loads of people of all ages that will have shared this photo. Who does this these days?!

I would reply with:- But what a way to go. Scared shitless for months knowing you will be dead by next year and then finally screaming in agony for weeks on end struggling to take your last breath as a putrid wrinkled faced old crone at the age of 40.

Sorry, he. My point still stands. I'm not condoning advocating smoking, but I don't judge his choice to do so either. Many things can cause you to die painfully at 40, I don't think we can all live like saints to avoid it.

I thought this about a post about wine on mine earlier!

It's dumb, but it's no worse than "oooh it's wine o clock" which you see all over social media, and on here to be honest

It's clearly different to comments on alcohol; you can be an alcoholic but can (and many people do) drink moderately and sensibly without getting addicted. Cigarettes are both more addictive and more lethal, and more people who use cigarettes use far to many that put a serious risk on their health.

I don't think it is any worse than the hundreds of pictures I see on facebook of young women legless and knocking back shots or wine.
However,..it is foolish to just say 'we are born to die' because you don't just 'die' you can suffer years of severe health problems and not be able to breath properly like my Mum who had bronchitis, emphysema, developed crohns disease and had two strokes before she died. She was ill for years.
Smoke if you like, but don't boast about it.

I think there's enough info out there to counteract the influence of one moody b/w shot on a FB Friend's profile.

It's not the dying she needs to be concerned about, it's the years and years of disability, chest infections, oxygen, cardiac pain, breathlessness, dental decay, stroke, cancers and peripheral vascular disease that's the concerning bit

Assuming that all the people they are friends with on Facebook are adults, then I'm not sure who they are supposed to be 'responsible' for in terms of being expected to espouse a healthy way of life? It's a fairly stupid, pointless, throwaway thing to say, but it's not like they're saying it to a class of primary school children or a group of people who are specifically trying to deal with an addiction, then I don't think it's necessarily reasonable to hold them to such a high standard of personal responsibility for the actions of others.

Oh god, so what..?

They were saying it publicly on insta. Where many teenagers would have seen it.

Agree its very different to drink, as tobacco is one of the most addictive subastance and is difficult not to become addicted and have in moderation. Wine does have some redeeming qualities.

Teenagers are young, not thick. Sometimes people do things that are bad for them. Sometimes those things look pretty damn cool. It doesn't follow that Everyone will copy them and no one has the moral obligation not to be seen doing them in case anyone is silly enough to copy.

Well I never said they were thick, but I do think they are more impressionable.

I know no one has a Moral obligation not be a twat, as so many make use of being one.