To wonder why people would never defend smoking in the same way they do drinking?

[facemaskhate]

It's completely baffling to me.

They do

Smoking is antisocial the moment you light up. Drinking isn't necessarily so.

Because when someone drinks an alcoholic drink, other people don't have to drink it too. Unlike smoking where other people often have no choice but to breathe in second hand smoke.

Secondhand smoke is a problem to all around you the moment you light up.

Drinking is only a problem to others if you abuse it and drink more than you should or is appropriate for the situation you are in.

@Palavah

Smoking is antisocial the moment you light up. Drinking isn't necessarily so.

Maybe not straight away, but certainly city centres at midnight say differently

I'm really more thinking about the affects on health, rather than the anti-sociability

On a personal level drinking To a sensible level has less, if any affect on other people, especially children. My DD'S friend is about to have her third low birth weight baby, she doesn't accept that her smoking is causing issues, even though her MW says it has. Her children have constant sore throats and asthma like symptoms. There was a good documentary on this, shot in Alderhey.
I was told by my Consultant that some of my health issues, now in my 50's, he's sees a lot and are from growing up passively smoking.
Health wise you can't smoke to safe limits.
Very few pubs etc do outdoor smoking and none smoking areas.
Smokers are often the worst litterers.

Anti social is the precise answer to your question; so you can't just dismiss it!

I've never heard anyone suggest that drinking is good for your health!

So, Yabu.

Yes I agree passive smoking is awful.

I'm interested in why people who drink even moderately, will say 'oh no I'd never smoke' get they drink alcohol as if that's not also a health risk

Smoking affects everyone around the smoker, it can literally kill them. My Grandad never smoked but died at 51 from lung cancer because he spent a lot of time in pubs...

Alcohol only really affects other people if somone has an issue with alcoholism or with binge drinking and not being able to control themselves when drunk. Most people are fine after a few drinks and maybe just a bit merrier and more chatty.

But do people defend binge drinking to the level you are talking about? I often leave a pub at midnight and beyond and the company I'm in carries out no antisocial behaviour.

I find it strange that you can't work this out for yourself, but probably because there is no safe level of tobacco consumption, unlike for alcohol?

Drinking moderately isn't as much of a health risk as being a smoker. Moderate drinkers don't drink every day.

Because drinking is not bad for you. Drinking too much is bad for you. Smoking is bad for you and others around you. I have a couple of glasses of wine at the weekend. I don't defend that as I don't need to defend that. It is not something I need to give up.
Drinking too much is bad for you which is why most people try not to drink too much. Last time I checked people did not appreciate drunken behaviour in town centres on a Saturday night and nobody tried to defend it.

It's only baffling if you don't know anything about anything.

@arethereanyleftatall

Anti social is the precise answer to your question; so you can't just dismiss it!

I've never heard anyone suggest that drinking is good for your health!

So, Yabu.

I have, there's a thread at the moment defending drinking every night

Obviously because you don't have passive alcohol consumption like you do passive smoking. Excess drinking affects other people sure, but usually just the drinkers immediate family, however smoking in public places affects anyone who happens to be in the vicinity.

Is moderate drinking a health risk that should be on our radar?
Again there's a social side to drinking that there isn't with smoking. It's cultural, it's celebratory etc etc. Smoking isn't, except having a cigar after dinner.
The tobacco industry is trying to get new markets in the less developed world and guaranteed once they've got them hooked, the price will go up.

@Legomania

I find it strange that you can't work this out for yourself, but probably because there is no safe level of tobacco consumption, unlike for alcohol?

There's no safe limit for alcohol either. So you've proved my point.

@shouldistop

Drinking moderately isn't as much of a health risk as being a smoker. Moderate drinkers don't drink every day.

Define moderate?

@Ponoka7

Is moderate drinking a health risk that should be on our radar? Again there's a social side to drinking that there isn't with smoking. It's cultural, it's celebratory etc etc. Smoking isn't, except having a cigar after dinner. The tobacco industry is trying to get new markets in the less developed world and guaranteed once they've got them hooked, the price will go up.

Yes. Moderate drinking is very bad for health.

I think there was a big drive on smoking being bad for your health so it’s more ingrained in society.

Technical alcohol is bad and I’m not sure and level is that safe, it’s still linked to lots of health concerns but less so than smoking.

It would be interesting to get the data on number smoked / units drank /long term health issues / cost to society and cost it makes the government in taxes. That might answer your question.

Presumably because you can drink alcohol at safe levels whereas I dont think you can really smoke at safe levels...plus, it's more addictive than alcohol (in general, obviously alcohol addiction can happen but that's not because of the alcohol itself as it is the nicotine in cigarettes).
The fact that you're comparing alcohol abuse and excessive drinking to smoking, kind of proves your own point..it has to become excessive to be compared

You're assuming people don't smoke because it's a health risk. I don't smoke because I don't like it - it's smelly, makes you cough, turns your nails yellow. In all it's quite a horrible habit really. Drinking alcohol doesn't do that, and I'm quite happy to have a couple of drinks.

If I do consider the health risks, pumping smoke into your lungs repeatedly through the day is going to be significantly worse for you than the odd drink. Obviously I'm not including people who drink to excess, in those instances I think that is quite a horrible habit too. Usually though, people who have alcohol problems have more severe mental health problems that those who smoke to excess.

To me moderate drinking is maybe 3-4 bottles of lager twice a week.