My wife and I both have siblings in their seventies who have smoking-related illnesses and continue smoking regardless. Both of our fathers had long, agonizing final years as their smoking ailments got worse as they continued smoking until the very end. All of the smokers share the ailment of tuning out when you attempt to discuss it with them. My wife and I would like to do something to stop this, but we can’t figure out what that could be. I’ll contribute to the kill menthol cigarette campaigns going on now, although it is slightly off-topic. At least it will hurt the bad guys who make all of the cigarettes.
Re: Smokers
Posted: Wed May 04, 2022 10:48 pm
by datsunaholic
You can't control someone else's addiction. I've seen people prefer to be ostracized by their friends and family rather than quit. Their choice.
Re: Smokers
Posted: Thu May 05, 2022 5:05 am
by Methuselah
If we say nothing it means we don't care. I'd like to do something that is effective.
Re: Smokers
Posted: Thu May 05, 2022 5:55 am
by Big RR
that's the problem; they will only quit if THEY wan to quit--nothing you say or do will be effective. My mother smoked for 40-50 years , 2-3 packs a day, and chose to stop when she had health problems. She died young, likely due to smoking related illness, but always said she chose and liked to smoke, and was willing to take a shorter lifespan for that enjoyment. In a way it's like people who do extreme, or even mildly dangerous sports. sure some people become physically addicted where it's tough to break the addiction, but my mother just stopped cold turkey when she thought it was hurting her general health where she was having problems doing some physical things; she neve rlooked back but told me she would happily start smoking again if she didn't think it might disable her. I think a lot of people are like that.
If we say nothing it means we don't care. I'd like to do something that is effective.
Rubbish. Are they not adults? You can care, and bite your tongue, not mutually exclusive. Mind you, if they've made it to their 70's, what's the point in stopping now?
When I'm old I'm going out in a blaze of drugs, booze and porn...
If we say nothing it means we don't care. I'd like to do something that is effective.
Rubbish. Are they not adults? You can care, and bite your tongue, not mutually exclusive. Mind you, if they've made it to their 70's, what's the point in stopping now?
When I'm old I'm going out in a blaze of drugs, booze and porn...
How's that line go again... ?
-"BB"-
Re: Smokers
Posted: Fri May 06, 2022 1:59 pm
by Big RR
Indeed, I can think of a lot of things I have continued to do (or began) because people (or the government) told me not to do so. As an example, I used to always wear my seatbelt in my car until they passed a law mandating it; for about 3 years I refused to click it (even going so far as to wear a Cheatbelt shirt with a diagonal stripe that looked like a seatbelt and would mislead the police). I eventually stopped and began wearing it again, but it wasn't the fines (I got several) or the law that made me do so, I just made up my mind to start wearing one again. My guess is, that for most people, comments and nagging are counterproductive and lead to more of the behavior you propose to change.
FWIW, I once worked in a nursing home for a summer and there was a guy with a permanent tracheotomy who actully smoked theough it; his reasoning was that he had cancer already so he might as well do what he enjoys for the little time he had left; I think a lot of people are fataistic that way.
FWIW, I once worked in a nursing home for a summer and there was a guy with a permanent tracheotomy who actully smoked theough it; his reasoning was that he had cancer already so he might as well do what he enjoys for the little time he had left; I think a lot of people are fataistic that way.
I remember many moons past a high school health film where they showed this same absurdity. Totally grossed out the entire room. Still does.
FWIW, I once worked in a nursing home for a summer and there was a guy with a permanent tracheotomy who actully smoked theough it; his reasoning was that he had cancer already so he might as well do what he enjoys for the little time he had left; I think a lot of people are fataistic that way.
I remember many moons past a high school health film where they showed this same absurdity. Totally grossed out the entire room. Still does.
No, but I remember a lady with a permanent trach and an electronic voice box who asked if she could talk to our son about smoking. He was nine or ten. It disturbed him to the point that he was still talking about it weeks later. I guess it worked.
I had a guy who worked for me 20 years ago who recently died of cancer. He lost his larynx and had a trach too. His son, who I remember as a little kid hanging around here, watched his dad die by inches. So guess who is a pack a day smoker now. Some things make no sense.
No, but I remember a lady with a permanent trach and an electronic voice box who asked if she could talk to our son about smoking. He was nine or ten. It disturbed him to the point that he was still talking about it weeks later. I guess it worked.
I had a guy who worked for me 20 years ago who recently died of cancer. He lost his larynx and had a trach too. His son, who I remember as a little kid hanging around here, watched his dad die by inches. So guess who is a pack a day smoker now. Some things make no sense.
Both my parents smoked a lot. As I remember, all their friends seemed to be smokers too. My father had heart bypass surgery but he never recovered fully because his lungs were bad and he died at age 70 within a year of his operation. My mother quit smoking at around 80 yrs old and died from emphysema at age 85.
Re: Smokers
Posted: Sat May 07, 2022 8:15 am
by Gob
My mother was smoking up until the day she died at 83 yrs old.
They have tried so many strategies to get people to never try and then stop smoking. Only limited success, unfortunately.
In 1964, 42% of Americans were smokers. In 2020, the rated had dropped to 12.5% and among younger adults (18-24) the rate was down to 7.4%. I think that's pretty good progress. Not surprisingly, smoking today is something of a class signal, with smoking rates inversely correlated to education and income levels. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statis ... /index.htm
Re: Smokers
Posted: Tue May 10, 2022 12:42 pm
by Big RR
smoking today is something of a class signal, with smoking rates inversely correlated to education and income levels
For cigarette smoking, I agree; but I doubt the same correlation exists for pipe and cigar smoking.
