I think you (pthalo) have misunderstood what the “over time” thing is all about.
You chance of cancer starts out low—you may start out with, say, a 1% chance of getting cancer—but that still means it’s possible for you to get cancer with your very first cigarette… over time that chance will go up. It still means that even after you quit—it could be too late. You could already have cancer.
After you quit, the chance that you will develop cancer after that point will go down… but if you already have cancer—then you already have it. Even if you quit and stay clean for he rest of your life.
On top of that is the other damage that you are causing to yourself. Destruction of the lung tissue, scar-tissue do due heat-damage of the lips and throat. Also—you know those wrinkles you’re getting? Your skin is being damaged due to reduced oxygenation. Cigarettes are known to prematurely age the skin… and that damage doesn’t grow back either.
These may well heal somewhat after you quit (to a certain extent)… but will never go away completely. As AdeleneDawner says—you will never get back to how you were before the cigarettes
“but if you already have cancer—then you already have it. ”
While this is essentially a tautology, it is also not exactly true.
Some cancers (last time I checked there were over 200 discrete types) are failures of the autoimmune system (maybe all are) and by “getting healthy” you might trigger and immune response that cleans up a smaller mass.
Not that I’d want to bet on it, but I do plan on starting to smoke again when I get to the age where it’s good effects now matter more than the bad effects later.
:)
Certainly an interesting strategy… I myself wouldn’t make that bet—firstly, the probability of a positive effect seems (without me actually bothering to research, mind you) to be orders of magnitude lower than that of a negative outcome (even in late age) - also how old is old enough?
But I can see that it might be appealing. Kind of a fire-with-fire strategy.
First off there are mild stimulant effects to smoking.
Also nicotine (IIRC, or one of the other chemicals in smoke) is a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor.
Finally it is an appetite suppressant (probably a side effect of the stimulant thing) as I age certain injuries (modulo The Singularity) will catch up with me and the arthritis will make my current level of exercise difficult to impossible.
And lastly smoking will annoy the living f out of all those nanny state mutherfrs who’ve been pissing me off for the last 20 years and seem intent on doing so until I die—hopefully with a cigar in one hand, a scotch in the other.
Ah—well that is an entirely different kettle of utility. ;)
While (as previous stated) I would not make the same choice… I respect your right to choose to take the risk for your obvious pleasurable returns. I totally grok being contrarian for the fun of it ;)
Yes. I agree.
I think you (pthalo) have misunderstood what the “over time” thing is all about.
You chance of cancer starts out low—you may start out with, say, a 1% chance of getting cancer—but that still means it’s possible for you to get cancer with your very first cigarette… over time that chance will go up. It still means that even after you quit—it could be too late. You could already have cancer.
After you quit, the chance that you will develop cancer after that point will go down… but if you already have cancer—then you already have it. Even if you quit and stay clean for he rest of your life.
On top of that is the other damage that you are causing to yourself. Destruction of the lung tissue, scar-tissue do due heat-damage of the lips and throat. Also—you know those wrinkles you’re getting? Your skin is being damaged due to reduced oxygenation. Cigarettes are known to prematurely age the skin… and that damage doesn’t grow back either.
These may well heal somewhat after you quit (to a certain extent)… but will never go away completely. As AdeleneDawner says—you will never get back to how you were before the cigarettes
The best chance for you is to quit immediately.
“but if you already have cancer—then you already have it. ”
While this is essentially a tautology, it is also not exactly true.
Some cancers (last time I checked there were over 200 discrete types) are failures of the autoimmune system (maybe all are) and by “getting healthy” you might trigger and immune response that cleans up a smaller mass.
Not that I’d want to bet on it, but I do plan on starting to smoke again when I get to the age where it’s good effects now matter more than the bad effects later.
:) Certainly an interesting strategy… I myself wouldn’t make that bet—firstly, the probability of a positive effect seems (without me actually bothering to research, mind you) to be orders of magnitude lower than that of a negative outcome (even in late age) - also how old is old enough?
But I can see that it might be appealing. Kind of a fire-with-fire strategy.
First off there are mild stimulant effects to smoking.
Also nicotine (IIRC, or one of the other chemicals in smoke) is a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor.
Finally it is an appetite suppressant (probably a side effect of the stimulant thing) as I age certain injuries (modulo The Singularity) will catch up with me and the arthritis will make my current level of exercise difficult to impossible.
And lastly smoking will annoy the living f out of all those nanny state mutherfrs who’ve been pissing me off for the last 20 years and seem intent on doing so until I die—hopefully with a cigar in one hand, a scotch in the other.
Ah—well that is an entirely different kettle of utility. ;)
While (as previous stated) I would not make the same choice… I respect your right to choose to take the risk for your obvious pleasurable returns. I totally grok being contrarian for the fun of it ;)
I know I’m not supposed to upvote contrarianism, but it’s just too hard to resist. Please use this comment to downvote my lack of willpower.