And then there is what?

[Gramps]

THIRD HAND SMOKE!

Worry, worry, stew and fret, about a lousy cigarette.
First hand, second hand, third hand now, one will get you anyhow.

What's next? Fourth hand, then fifth?

Do we not have other problems far worse to overcome? We have polluted the air for ages with chenicals and gases we knew were not in our best interest. Still doing it, millions of car speeding up and down the hiways spewing crap we cannot see but that is detrimental to our health.

I smoked for fifty years. I grew up in a society where it was acceptable, even encouraged, and hyped by doctors and the military and famous people. The Marlboro man was a hero, not a fool. And cigarette companies donated millions of smokes to veterans hospitals and were acclaimed for it.

I quit smoking fifteen years ago. I am glad I did. It wasn't easy. No crutches. Just quit and stayed quit and still, fifteen years later I reach for my pack of smokes occasionally.

No matter how many gimmicks the industry invents as aid for stopping no one quits smoking until they decide to quit smoking. That is the key. A decision.

Now, I'm told, I'm a victim to second hand smoke which can be more damaging than first hand smoke. Oh, yeah. Sure. So, here comes third hand smoke. Ouch!

I have always thought that damage from smokes was a personal chemistry thing. Still do. It explains why men like George Burns smoked every day and lived to be a hundred and why some people cash in as youngsters. I can't run he 100 yard dash anymore but how many men in their mid 80's can? I smoked like a chimney for years on end but my last chest x-ray (six months ago) surprised the doctor who said it was difficult to believe I smoked so long but my lungs still looked pretty good for my age.

What we've come down it is a choice. Smokers can quit smoking (I rather doubt that) or non-smokers could quit breathing (and I doubt that) and so what we have is an infamous Mexican standoff (it's an oldie, not racial).

Is it an inherited trait to survive the perils of inhaling unhealthy substances into our bodies? As a younger man I was exposed to asbestos time and again. When I was younger I used to dump insulations in attics without any protection over my nose and used to breathe in harmful odors from petroleum products on a daily basis. I drank too much booze back then, rarely got enough sleep and burned the candle at both ends and here I am, the last man standing in my family and pretty much in the group I palled around with.

Now, dammit, I've being victimized by third hand smoke. How can I tell? Well, I can't but that's what the experts say. Oh, my bride still smokes. Why did I stop smoking? Because her heart specialist asked me to stop as an incentive to get her to stop. So much for the plans of mice and men.

Third hand smoke? REALLY?

Gramps

 

[NightSwimmer]

I heard that old Jack Sprat met his doom from second-hand obesity.

Should have stuck with the missionary position, eh?

 

[Boltlady]

THIRD HAND SMOKE!

Worry, worry, stew and fret, about a lousy cigarette.
First hand, second hand, third hand now, one will get you anyhow.

What's next? Fourth hand, then fifth?

Do we not have other problems far worse to overcome? We have polluted the air for ages with chenicals and gases we knew were not in our best interest. Still doing it, millions of car speeding up and down the hiways spewing crap we cannot see but that is detrimental to our health.

I smoked for fifty years. I grew up in a society where it was acceptable, even encouraged, and hyped by doctors and the military and famous people. The Marlboro man was a hero, not a fool. And cigarette companies donated millions of smokes to veterans hospitals and were acclaimed for it.

I quit smoking fifteen years ago. I am glad I did. It wasn't easy. No crutches. Just quit and stayed quit and still, fifteen years later I reach for my pack of smokes occasionally.

No matter how many gimmicks the industry invents as aid for stopping no one quits smoking until they decide to quit smoking. That is the key. A decision.

Now, I'm told, I'm a victim to second hand smoke which can be more damaging than first hand smoke. Oh, yeah. Sure. So, here comes third hand smoke. Ouch!

I have always thought that damage from smokes was a personal chemistry thing. Still do. It explains why men like George Burns smoked every day and lived to be a hundred and why some people cash in as youngsters. I can't run he 100 yard dash anymore but how many men in their mid 80's can? I smoked like a chimney for years on end but my last chest x-ray (six months ago) surprised the doctor who said it was difficult to believe I smoked so long but my lungs still looked pretty good for my age.

What we've come down it is a choice. Smokers can quit smoking (I rather doubt that) or non-smokers could quit breathing (and I doubt that) and so what we have is an infamous Mexican standoff (it's an oldie, not racial).

Is it an inherited trait to survive the perils of inhaling unhealthy substances into our bodies? As a younger man I was exposed to asbestos time and again. When I was younger I used to dump insulations in attics without any protection over my nose and used to breathe in harmful odors from petroleum products on a daily basis. I drank too much booze back then, rarely got enough sleep and burned the candle at both ends and here I am, the last man standing in my family and pretty much in the group I palled around with.

Now, dammit, I've being victimized by third hand smoke. How can I tell? Well, I can't but that's what the experts say. Oh, my bride still smokes. Why did I stop smoking? Because her heart specialist asked me to stop as an incentive to get her to stop. So much for the plans of mice and men.

Third hand smoke? REALLY?

Gramps

You've managed to say many of the things that I've thought for years. The 'hype' about second hand smoke does indeed have a lot of people shaking in their boots even while standing on a sidewalk in a city with extreme traffic covering them with carbon monoxide. The same from my little cigarette can hardly keep up. Then of course there are those belching smokestacks from what are admittedly the few factories that are left in the country. Breathing in the insecticides that are regularly sprayed into the air are probably not a big help either.

All in all there are so many contaminants in the air that all of these cases of asthma can hardly be attributed to the lowly smokers. This does not mean that I think that smoking is just fine or even recommended but it gets a worse rap than it deserves. Most any smoker who is being honest would prefer to not smoke. Although some will tell you that they don't want to quit, it's usually because they've tried and can't. Personally, I can't.

Through the years I've tried pretty much every method you can think of and probably some you didn't even know were out there. Most people, smokers and non-smokers alike are not aware of how many different forms of the addiction there are. The ability to quit may well depend on the type of addiction one has. This includes a physiological one where there is a difference in the amount of white matter in the brain. In that case people are usually predisposed to addictions of varying kinds. If it be smoking that might almost be better than if it's alcohol or drugs. Not good of course, but more manageable. The addiction that is psychological is probably one that with the right mindset does make it possible for some to quit.

Through the years I've read quite a few books on the subject. Nobody needs to tell me what a dirty, nasty, terrible habit it is. It's almost a waste of time to go to most doctors because if you stub your toe they'll tell you it will stop hurting if you would just quit smoking. In fact, if they know you smoke many doctors will not even consider other factors that may be involved in whatever your malady is. They are so sure that it's just because you smoke.

It was refreshing to read some honesty about the subject for a change.

 

[Gramps]

Thank you BL. It is refreshing to get a positive reply from someone connected with the topic. Best of luck if you ever decide to quit.

Gramps

You've managed to say many of the things that I've thought for years. The 'hype' about second hand smoke does indeed have a lot of people shaking in their boots even while standing on a sidewalk in a city with extreme traffic covering them with carbon monoxide. The same from my little cigarette can hardly keep up. Then of course there are those belching smokestacks from what are admittedly the few factories that are left in the country. Breathing in the insecticides that are regularly sprayed into the air are probably not a big help either.

All in all there are so many contaminants in the air that all of these cases of asthma can hardly be attributed to the lowly smokers. This does not mean that I think that smoking is just fine or even recommended but it gets a worse rap than it deserves. Most any smoker who is being honest would prefer to not smoke. Although some will tell you that they don't want to quit, it's usually because they've tried and can't. Personally, I can't.

Through the years I've tried pretty much every method you can think of and probably some you didn't even know were out there. Most people, smokers and non-smokers alike are not aware of how many different forms of the addiction there are. The ability to quit may well depend on the type of addiction one has. This includes a physiological one where there is a difference in the amount of white matter in the brain. In that case people are usually predisposed to addictions of varying kinds. If it be smoking that might almost be better than if it's alcohol or drugs. Not good of course, but more manageable. The addiction that is psychological is probably one that with the right mindset does make it possible for some to quit.

Through the years I've read quite a few books on the subject. Nobody needs to tell me what a dirty, nasty, terrible habit it is. It's almost a waste of time to go to most doctors because if you stub your toe they'll tell you it will stop hurting if you would just quit smoking. In fact, if they know you smoke many doctors will not even consider other factors that may be involved in whatever your malady is. They are so sure that it's just because you smoke.

It was refreshing to read some honesty about the subject for a change.