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

[facemaskhate]

It's completely baffling to me.

@LilMidge01

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

Not true. Even low to moderate levels of drinking is bad for health

The health issues just aren't the same with alcohol. You can have the occasional alcoholic drink and your body can deal with it perfectly fine - but your lungs just aren't designed to deal with the amount of shit that's in a cigarette.

Alcohol only really becomes an issue if you drink regularly, but every single cigarette contributes to ill health - to you AND those around you.

You can enjoy alcohol as part of a healthy lifestyle.
The same simply cannot be said about smoking.

@facemaskhate

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

Yes and some people choose not to eat any processed foods. Doesnt mean that those that eat the occasional Dominoes pepperoni pizza should just throw all caution to the wind and make other decisions that might harm their health because they've already consumed one unhealthy thing.... How is this your logic?

Breathing in a city is a bad for your health, overburnjng your toast and still eating it is bad for your health, if you want to get really navel gazing, even being alive is bad for your health....do you live in a special chamber where you do not introduce any minor risk to your 'health'?
There are different degrees of health risk to different things and people make their own personal choices as to which degree they wish to go

I defend smoking, and gambling, for that matter.

I never do either, btw.

Although I'm not sure what OP is saying. OP is not being very specific.

anyway, I don't begrudge small pleasures that people get from 'vices'. Me defending may amount to = I don't condemn pregnant women who smoke. I tell DD she should stop smoking but I don't harangue her about it. I don't "judge" people who smoke or gamble. Well, obviously a Lottery ticket is a waste of money yet obviously people get a lot of pleasure out of playing. Who am I to care about their habit? Wish they wouldn't, but you know, Life is a Work in Progress. I have my own vices.

Alcoholics die 25 years before their time
Smokers die 13 years before their time

On average

That doesn’t account for deaths by drink driving, chocking or violence.

ps: vaping is very common now, it doesn't affect others around the smoker as much as old fashioned smoking.

Because drinking isn’t marketed as ‘bad’ in the same way that other drugs are.

Despite the fact that out of all the drugs, alcohol is the most harmful. And yet everywhere we look it is marketed as fun, celebratory etc etc.

There’s a reason why:

Drink costs the country just under 4 billion a year in consequences, but it creates just under 11 billion in tax revenue.

@LaLaLandIsNoFun

Because drinking isn’t marketed as ‘bad’ in the same way that other drugs are.

Despite the fact that out of all the drugs, alcohol is the most harmful. And yet everywhere we look it is marketed as fun, celebratory etc etc.

There’s a reason why:

Drink costs the country just under 4 billion a year in consequences, but it creates just under 11 billion in tax revenue.

This is what I'm getting at.

Actually, it's a very well known, well researched and well documented fact that drinking moderately is better for your health than not drinking at all, and moderate drinkers have longer life expectancies than people who don't drink at all. (Although of course drinking heavily is worse for your health than not drinking at all). Shocked you didn't know that since you seem to have such strong views on the topic. A quick Google search is your friend.

If you want more evidence please see medical journals. A huge amount of research on this topic.

@BluebellsGreenbells

Alcoholics die 25 years before their time Smokers die 13 years before their time

On average

That doesn’t account for deaths by drink driving, chocking or violence.

But that's alcoholics. Not people who drink moderately. You can't conflate those things and be taken seriously.

@BluebellsGreenbells

Alcoholics die 25 years before their time Smokers die 13 years before their time

On average

That doesn’t account for deaths by drink driving, chocking or violence.

No-one on this thread has claimed that drinking to excess isn't bad for your health, but that's not comparable with having the odd glass of wine

I think it’ll change lots over the next twenty years...they’ve already lowered the weekly recommended alcohol limit, there’s growing awareness about negative health effects even of what most people think of as ‘moderate’ drinking, and of the links to obesity, so I think attitudes will change.

X post with pointythings

I agree, anyone who complains about my smoking is told to fuck off and to come back when they have given up alcohol.

@JemimaJoy

www.npr.org/2018/08/24/641618937/no-amount-of-alcohol-is-good-for-your-health-global-study-claims?t=1622023243929

@JemimaJoy

Actually, it's a very well known, well researched and well documented fact that drinking moderately is better for your health than not drinking at all, and moderate drinkers have longer life expectancies than people who don't drink at all. (Although of course drinking heavily is worse for your health than not drinking at all). Shocked you didn't know that since you seem to have such strong views on the topic. A quick Google search is your friend.

Hahaha what a load of utter shite.

I don’t judge anyone for enjoying a few drinks but let’s not kid ourselves that it’s not bad for us.

I am a moderate drinker, as in drank a lot more in my 20s, now in my 30s I might have a few glasses of wine a week. If you substituted my drinking for cigarette use over my life my health would be far worse.

It's fairly obvious isnt it? I'd likely be addicted to smoking yet I am nowhere close to being an alcoholic.

Smoking is awful.

@RowanAlong

I think it’ll change lots over the next twenty years...they’ve already lowered the weekly recommended alcohol limit, there’s growing awareness about negative health effects even of what most people think of as ‘moderate’ drinking, and of the links to obesity, so I think attitudes will change.

Yes. Many gen z have turned away from drinking but on to other drugs seemingly

@AtrociousCircumstance

I don’t judge anyone for enjoying a few drinks but let’s not kid ourselves that it’s not bad for us.

My opinion exactly

@FilthyforFirth

I am a moderate drinker, as in drank a lot more in my 20s, now in my 30s I might have a few glasses of wine a week. If you substituted my drinking for cigarette use over my life my health would be far worse.

It's fairly obvious isnt it? I'd likely be addicted to smoking yet I am nowhere close to being an alcoholic.

Smoking is awful.

How many glasses? And any rest days?

People used to defend smoking and it wasn't considered anti-social. Public health policies have been directed more strongly at tobacco than alcohol.

Cultural factors about the acceptability of harming yourself (or government allowing people to harm themselves) vs harm to others will also be in play.

Cultural norms shift and society changes all the time though (in good ways and bad ways!), so this sort of mismatch in attitudes will probably continue to evolve and change over time too.

Maybe in fifty years the attitude towards alcohol will be unrecognisable from today.

It's just that more people have quit smoking than quit drinking so there's way more preaching and holier than thou attitudes around it, which has leeched into the general discourse

Drinking will be criticised the same when it catches up