quote:

ORIGINAL: GreedyTop

someone with an addictive personality will in all liikelihood become addicted to something. it may be as innocuous as coffee. most of the ex smokers I know quit because (A) they werent addictive personalities, AND the financial cost of smoking got too stupid.

Those who used to drink got to a point (whatever point that was for THEM) when drinking became unacceptable to them. It had nothing to do with ad campaigns, or the censure of their friends/family/peers, with rare exceptions.

Addicts, generally speaking, will find some way to feed that addict NEED.. whether it is cigarettes, booze, retail therapy, coffee, hoarding, etc.. they will not STOP until they hit a point at which THEY feel they need to.
why do you think there are so many cases of recidivism (sp?) at rehab centers?

YMMV.

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreedyTop

someone with an addictive personality will in all liikelihood become addicted to something. it may be as innocuous as coffee. most of the ex smokers I know quit because (A) they werent addictive personalities, AND the financial cost of smoking got too stupid.

Those who used to drink got to a point (whatever point that was for THEM) when drinking became unacceptable to them. It had nothing to do with ad campaigns, or the censure of their friends/family/peers, with rare exceptions.

Addicts, generally speaking, will find some way to feed that addict NEED.. whether it is cigarettes, booze, retail therapy, coffee, hoarding, etc.. they will not STOP until they hit a point at which THEY feel they need to.

why do you think there are so many cases of recidivism (sp?) at rehab centers?

YMMV.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Slaveforlife789

Wow . Thanks LadyCostanze. I have to look at those in details.

Actually even excessive eating can be labeled under the “addiction” umbrella.

Still annoys me that alcohol is "cool" while cigarettes are “disgusting” in the public image, generally speaking as individual views may vary. Not trying to argue with anyone here

quote:

ORIGINAL: LaTigresse

I think you are looking at the topic through far different eyes than I do.

I won't allow a smoker or an alcoholic to live in my home. I won't be in a romantic relationship with either. Booze breath stinks, especially the morning after. The smell of cigarettes, especially on another person, and most especially mixed with booze smell, makes me want to vomit. Neither one is 'cool'.

But I still will not stop having the occasional alcoholic beverage........had a glass of wine last week. Before that it was several weeks prior. I believe a non addicted person can drink responsibly. Not for the sake of 'cool' but because I fucking love a good glass of red wine or the orgasmic sip of a tawny port. Neither makes me cool, just a woman with good taste.

I used to smoke on occasion, then got sick of feeling like shit after I'd smoked too many the night before. I refuse to allow a disgusting little inanimate object to control me..........so good bye cigarettes. I did not neeeeeeeeeed them, I just really enjoyed having one after work and another after dinner. A pack would last me a week, if not longer. Then I didn't want them anymore and quit. Burned through a lot of bubble gum and Werthers Originals but no more cigs. That was over 15 years ago.

I don't plan on ever quitting the vino! I will be 105 and sipping a glass of port on Christmas Eve while I watch my great grands, maybe even great great....

quote:

ORIGINAL: LadyConstanze

quote:

ORIGINAL: Slaveforlife789

Wow . Thanks LadyCostanze. I have to look at those in details.

Actually even excessive eating can be labeled under the “addiction” umbrella.

Still annoys me that alcohol is "cool" while cigarettes are “disgusting” in the public image, generally speaking as individual views may vary. Not trying to argue with anyone here

Alcohol is not cool, you might have missed all the campaigns, I can't believe they don't have them in Canada? Here anti-drinking spots flash in between the commercials, drunk teens are shown as unattractive, making fools out of themselves, getting injured or injuring others, getting in trouble with the law, there is nothing "cool" about it, also the alcohol units are everywhere, how much units are in which drink, how much is the highest recommended dose and what the dangers are even going near it, for women and men, also the calories in drinks, then you got whole pages in magazines, you have pub mats with the web address http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/ it's also on most bottles, most adverts and manufacturers of alcohol have to pay them or have their own drink responsibly campaigns.

You can legally drink in the UK when you're 18, possibly even before, but they won't sell you alcohol in a supermarket if you look under 25 without ID...

quote:

ORIGINAL: NuevaVida

Great post, Greedy!  And LC beat me to it, but here is some info that I found, which may be of interest, from Center for Disease Control:



CDC Fact Page
http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm

Above page references  NCBI for their statistics, which I find quite interesting:


RESULTS: The leading causes of death in 2000 were tobacco (435 000 deaths; 18.1% of total US deaths), poor diet and physical inactivity (365 000 deaths; 15.2%) [corrected], and alcohol consumption (85 000 deaths; 3.5%). Other actual causes of death were microbial agents (75 000), toxic agents (55 000), motor vehicle crashes (43 000), incidents involving firearms (29 000), sexual behaviors (20 000), and illicit use of drugs (17 000).

CONCLUSIONS: These analyses show that smoking remains the leading cause of mortality. However, poor diet and physical inactivity may soon overtake tobacco as the leading cause of death. These findings, along with escalating health care costs and aging population, argue persuasively that the need to establish a more preventive orientation in the US health care and public health systems has become more urgent.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15010446?dopt=Abstract

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hillwilliam

Seems the OP is a bitter smoker.

You claim that noone looks down on a drunken person? In what universe? Stumbling drunks are generally seen as pathetic individuals who are subject to arrest on sight. I've never seen anyone spend 2 days in jail for having a few cigarettes before they drive either.

Maybe the reason people are thrown out of buildings, as you put it, for smoking is because of the stench. I can sit at a table behind you and drink a beer and you would never know it. Can I smoke behind you without the smell getting into your clothes, hair, etc?

quote:

ORIGINAL: LaTigresse
But I still will not stop having the occasional alcoholic beverage........had a glass of wine last week. Before that it was several weeks prior. I believe a non addicted person can drink responsibly. Not for the sake of 'cool' but because I fucking love a good glass of red wine or the orgasmic sip of a tawny port. Neither makes me cool, just a woman with good taste.

quote:

ORIGINAL: LadyConstanze

Actually if you look how much taxes are on alcohol and tobacco, most people who drink and smoke paid their costs themselves and the state has plenty left over

quote:

ORIGINAL: Moonhead

quote:

ORIGINAL: LadyConstanze

Actually if you look how much taxes are on alcohol and tobacco, most people who drink and smoke paid their costs themselves and the state has plenty left over

Horseshit.
The taxes on fags won't even pay for the anaesthetist you'll require for a tracheotomy, never mind some of the long term care the less lucky smokers end up needing. That line's nonsense. You'd need to hike the taxation on tobacco an awful lot for that one to hold any water.