Is smoking in moderation OK?

[andrewstx]

Originally Posted by PeterGStanley

Rather then focus on what it can do to you examining the addictive nature of it is more important - it is been said it is more addictive than heroin - not everyone here has experienced addiction and if you haven't you can't really talk about it because you know nothing about it except what you read.Its not as simple as just quitting when your addicted - in todays world why would you want to even begin smoking with all the information about it - do you want to put yourself into bondage to a substance?Like all highly addictive substances if you dabble in it you stand a high chance of becoming addicted. Would you try a little heroin? The tobacco companys have people believe its a choice - sorry your addicted theres no choice involved you are in bondage to the tobacco.This is the truth and this is how you should look upon it.

The reason teen and young adults take up ciagarettes is that they are depicted as "cool man". Cigarette commercials have been banned from TV, but they still get their message across in films and print advertising,and that is where they hook our kids.

When you are young you think you are immortal, and only "old people" get cancer and COPD. They discover they aren't immortal but they are addicted by then and they can't quit.

Just yesterday I found out that a dear Aunt addicted to cigarettes, had had another stroke, she is unconcious and just waiting to die.

It is my wish that the young adults and teens who think smoking is soo cool could spend an hour with her, not to empty her ash tray, but to change her diaper!

Cool, indeed!

[StevenFrancis]

Originally Posted by Lilsheep88

I smoke a stick Or two like once a week.. Much like I have a beer on a friday or Saturday especially when I go to a bar with friends... And no I am not peer pressured. i know it doesnt glorify God, but I also need to be a human being once in a while.

Should I confess this ? i just had a confession yesterday too

Just to be clear, by a "stick", do you mean a cigarette, or a joint (marijuana cigarette)? I've been out of the loop for quite some time now having left off cigarettes in '92, and other things even before that.

Hey....people smoke tobacco, and have for a long time. Chesterton and Lewis enjoyed their pipes, for instance, and I don't even think it was necessarily in moderation. I guess the thing is in your heart. What are you doing? Are you intending damage to the temple of God, or are you simply enjoying one of his gifts in celebration?

So, it's not necessarily immoral or sinful based on intent, and why you're doing it, etc. etc.

If you are able to smoke 2 cigarettes every now and then, and it is always celebratory and associated with happiness, and not a habit of any kind, then more power to you. But, um, well based on my experiences with cigarettes in my youth, that wasn't really possible. So good luck with that.

P.S. - If by "sticks" you mean the other thing, well, that opens a whole other bag of worms, because there is the disobedience to just law issue to complicate matters of cooperation.

Yours in Christ,

Steven

[ringil]

Originally Posted by andrewstx

The reason teen and young adults take up ciagarettes is that they are depicted as "cool man". Cigarette commercials have been banned from TV, but they still get their message across in films and print advertising,and that is where they hook our kids.

When you are young you think you are immortal, and only "old people" get cancer and COPD. They discover they aren't immortal but they are addicted by then and they can't quit.

Just yesterday I found out that a dear Aunt addicted to cigarettes, had had another stroke, she is unconcious and just waiting to die.

It is my wish that the young adults and teens who think smoking is soo cool could spend an hour with her, not to empty her ash tray, but to change her diaper!

Cool, indeed!

Yes, I am sorry about that. I wonder how it will be when my mother goes from COPD. She is pretty good now, but uses oxygen, but it will kill her.

I don't know if COPD kills fast or slow.

And FYO information there are a small minority of individuals who are true "chippers", who do not become addicted to cigarettes, but do smoke occasionally. The percentage is low but I am not sure of how low.

Also, if a person does quit beofre there is irreversible damage then their luchs will indeed return to normal given time- sometimes quite a bit of time- but it does happen.

I think those "e-cigarettes" are good for those who simply cannot quit. My MIL does those and, though they can't be great for you, the damage must be nearly inconsequential compared to smoking.

[andrewstx]

COPD kills slowly. My Mom died of COPD and emphasema and it took her years. She suffocated to death.

[John21652]

Originally Posted by andrewstx

The reason teen and young adults take up ciagarettes is that they are depicted as "cool man". Cigarette commercials have been banned from TV, but they still get their message across in films and print advertising,and that is where they hook our kids.

When you are young you think you are immortal, and only "old people" get cancer and COPD. They discover they aren't immortal but they are addicted by then and they can't quit.

If cigarettes are "cool" as a result of advertising in films and in print, and young ones take them up as a consequence, then how do you explain the uptake of drugs like marijuana, heoin, cocaine, etc which don't get any advertising and are commonly known to be dangerous? There seems to be something at play that is not advertising related.

[andrewstx]

Originally Posted by John21652

If cigarettes are "cool" as a result of advertising in films and in print, and young ones take them up as a consequence, then how do you explain the uptake of drugs like marijuana, heoin, cocaine, etc which don't get any advertising and are commonly known to be dangerous? There seems to be something at play that is not advertising related.

Marijuana is esp "cool" and is shown in "hip hop" videos on MTV and Youtube.




and yes it is not completelt media related, but since cig advertising became illegal on US telly, they had to make up for it somewhere.

[_L_]

I find the anti-smoking propaganda to be a bit disconcerting and potentially hypocritical. If you oppose it on health grounds, then oppose it on health grounds, but don't go out to make every dietary decision in life a question of whether it is a sin or not. I do not smoke, and never have, but this demonization of smoking is something I find absurd when it is solely on the basis of health. I find this to be the case, because when you make determinations on the sinfulness of an action because it "hurts your body," then by the same standard you should condemn as sinful eating or drink things that are harmful.

By this standard we should never have fast food, it's loaded with empty calories, full of fat, sodium, and grease, and is purely consumed for convenience and pleasure not to mention regular consumption leads to heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, etc. By this standard we should never consume soda or candy because these two have no health benefits and only destroy our teeth and do other detrimental things to our bodies. Alcohol too, although it has some benefits, I think it would be absurd to say that alcohol has produced more good than bad in the world as a result of people under its influence.

The only standard that is appropriate in this issue is the standard of moderation in my opinion. As long as you don't have the intention of being unapologetically reckless, and behavior reflecting that, then I don't see any grounds to label smoking sinful in and of itself.

[anp1215]

NO, smoking in moderation is not a sin. Lots of people like to interject their personal opinions on the subject, but it's not. There is a question on this in the AAA forum: http://forums.catholic.com/showthrea...=smoking+a+sin

Assuming that you are of a legal age to smoke, no. To date, anyway, the Church does not forbid people to smoke tobacco. It only cautions that temperance be observed:

Quote:
The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others' safety on the road, at sea, or in the air
(CCC 2290, emphasis in original).
Smoking can become an occasion of sin when one smokes intemperately, or when one's smoking endangers others (e.g., an unborn child), but it is not inherently sinful. If you decide to give up smoking entirely -- for health reasons and/or in order to offer up a luxury to God -- that may be a meritorious act.
__________________

Originally Posted by Catholic90

Just one makes ya stink. That does not change.

Originally Posted by Catholic90

Lots of people don't smoke at all and are human beings......

1 or 2 "sticks" now......1 or 2 packs in the future.....nicotine is addictive. Plus, if you are trying to attract nice female companions, you want to stay away from the stuff that makes you smell bad, turns your teeth yellow, and is just downright disgusting.

Smoking is not sinful, but it is not a smart thing to do either.

Originally Posted by Catholic90

Smoking makes you STINK. Plain and simple. Why would anyone want to make themselves STINK?

Originally Posted by Catholic90

Also, no one who smokes can ever have good hygiene. Their hair, clothes, and breath all stink of smoke. Their teeth are gross. Their fingers are stained. Their cars and homes smell bad. No amount of gum, breath mints, air freshener or perfume cover that up.

Originally Posted by Catholic90

It's nasty, gross, and disgusting.

Plus the smokers just plain smell bad. So do their cars, homes, clothes.....gross.

Originally Posted by Catholic90

I never dated anyone who smoked either. I could not stand and still cannot stand the odor.

I am SOOOO glad there is no smoking inside any public building in MN.

There is one child in my class whose parents smoke, and he gets driven to school every morning. He smells like smoke. Other kids have commented on it. I feel bad for the kid, cuz it's not his fault his parents smoke. Yet he has to endure the smell.

We get it, you hate the smell of cigarette smoke. Geez.

Nothing more than an opinion, the smell of cigarette smoke has never, ever bothered me in the slightest.

[andrewstx]

Originally Posted by anp1215

NO, smoking in moderation is not a sin. Lots of people like to interject their personal opinions on the subject, but it's not. There is a question on this in the AAA forum: http://forums.catholic.com/showthrea...=smoking+a+sin

Assuming that you are of a legal age to smoke, no. To date, anyway, the Church does not forbid people to smoke tobacco. It only cautions that temperance be observed:

Quote:
The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others' safety on the road, at sea, or in the air
(CCC 2290, emphasis in original).
Smoking can become an occasion of sin when one smokes intemperately, or when one's smoking endangers others (e.g., an unborn child), but it is not inherently sinful. If you decide to give up smoking entirely -- for health reasons and/or in order to offer up a luxury to God -- that may be a meritorious act.
__________________












We get it, you hate the smell of cigarette smoke. Geez.

Nothing more than an opinion, the smell of cigarette smoke has never, ever bothered me in the slightest.

Stink, not exactly. But for a whole lot of us with allergies, asthma, and COPD. Cigarette smoke is very irritating to the nose and lungs, it does make many cough for real, and I am not talking the fake cough that some do at the sight but not smell of smoke.

I have always had asthma, and allergies and cigarette smoke always irritated my reperatory tract. Yet I took up cigs in the early 80s to fit in. It bothered me less to be around other smokers when I smoked myself. Everyone smoked cigs back then except a few puritanical Protestants, so we had to prove we were not puritans by smoking like trains.

But when I was 45 I got COPD myself, and was so hooked on cigs that I defied the Drs and continued smoking. Not to mention I was addicted to cigarettes. My Mother came down with COPD and required O2, still I didn't quit. She died a few years later after she had quit too late.

The only thing that made me quit was resperatory failure, being in hospital on O2 myself for 10 days, and still I am tempted to light up.

[anp1215]

Originally Posted by andrewstx

Stink, not exactly. But for a whole lot of us with allergies, asthma, and COPD. Cigarette smoke is very irritating to the nose and lungs, it does make many cough for real, and I am not talking the fake cough that some do at the sight but not smell of smoke.

I have always had asthma, and allergies and cigarette smoke always irritated my reperatory tract. Yet I took up cigs in the early 80s to fit in. It bothered me less to be around other smokers when I smoked myself. Everyone smoked cigs back then except a few puritanical Protestants, so we had to prove we were not puritans by smoking like trains.

But when I was 45 I got COPD myself, and was so hooked on cigs that I defied the Drs and continued smoking. Not to mention I was addicted to cigarettes. My Mother came down with COPD and required O2, still I didn't quit. She died a few years later after she had quit too late.

The only thing that made me quit was resperatory failure, being in hospital on O2 myself for 10 days, and still I am tempted to light up.

I never said that some people aren't very bothered by smoke, just that I never have been. I also have very severe allergies, I had allergy shots weekly for 3 years.

I hope that God restores your health and gives you the strength to not smoke.

[andrewstx]

Originally Posted by anp1215

I never said that some people aren't very bothered by smoke, just that I never have been. I also have very severe allergies, I had allergy shots weekly for 3 years.

I hope that God restores your health and gives you the strength to not smoke.

ANP, I hope I didn't come across as hostile that is the farest thing from my mind.

Don't worry about me taking up cigarettes again, I can't afford it at$8 a package and I'm on disability now since I can't work anymore. Had a stroke as well. Disabilty pays only enough for the very basics.

[anp1215]

Originally Posted by andrewstx

ANP, I hope I didn't come across as hostile that is the farest thing from my mind.

Don't worry about me taking up cigarettes again, I can't afford it at$8 a package and I'm on disability now since I can't work anymore. Had a stroke as well. Disabilty pays only enough for the very basics.

Oh no, I didn't think that at all. I hope you didn't think that about me. I'm sorry you've had to deal with all that. And can you believe how expensive they are now? 5 years ago I remember spending $5 on a pack AND they were buy one get one free.

[andrewstx]

Originally Posted by anp1215

Oh no, I didn't think that at all. I hope you didn't think that about me. I'm sorry you've had to deal with all that. And can you believe how expensive they are now? 5 years ago I remember spending $5 on a pack AND they were buy one get one free.

I'm dating myself, but when I started they were 50 cents a package, and 4.50 a carton.

[anp1215]

Originally Posted by andrewstx

I'm dating myself, but when I started they were 50 cents a package, and 4.50 a carton.

Wow, that is crazy. I play the "what's the cheapest you remember" game with my dad. Like what's the cheapest he remembers gas being, etc. It's fun but at the same time depressing!