We consume alcohol and smoke cigarette despite its consequences.. why?
146092
Human being's attitude is such that we tend to do those things which we ought not to do. For example, if u tell a child not to touch fire, they'll go and touch it to see what happens(if it is for the first time). The same is the case with these alcohol and cigarette. Some people just want to give a try, but, they get addicted to it.
239825
Because it is so gross. Your breath and clothes stink all the time. Your teeth rot sooner and it deteriorates your health, smokers usually aren't health conscious so they probably don't care what they eat or even excercise. Women like healthy clean men. Also, women take into consideration about having children one day. It affects your sperm, it is cancerous and even if you do have children, no mother wants smoke near her baby. Smoking around infants can lead to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, allergies and asthma. Trust me, women think in the future. Just quit. It is sooo gross! I agree with livinghaunted. It is a symbol of trash.
392660
It's because most deaths related to alcohol are indirect such as drunk driving.  Smoking deaths are direct.
589042
It's mainly because we are so filthy rich that we don't have to worry about any consequences. We can even buy new livers if they suffer alcohol damage. And our really expensive cars can be crashed by driving drunk and so what? We will just buy a better and faster car to drive.\n\nSo, it's all about money, really. Poor people here don't drink at all.
859516
Both, because\n\nYou introduce Nicotin into your blood everytime you smoke.\nIt stays in your blood for up to 72 hours which gives you body time to adjust and accept this as a part of your body.\n\nHints the reason that your body will crave more nicotine when your body is low.\n\nNow, Say you want to quit....\n\nAnything after 72 hours every craving is mental, and since its so strong people can still get cravings in similiar situations in which they used to smoke like being with friends, long talks, and drinking years after they initially quit.\n\nI know this is brief, but hope it helps.
245968
It can't. The best you can do is minimize the damage by abstaining from smoking and drinking and eating all the healthy food stuff
261386
I will start off by stating that I think smoking is definitely a health risk, but so is alcohol consumption and many foods and chemicals. However, to state that you don't like people who smoke or that smoking is "gay" is ignorant! Smoking is NOT the number one cause of death nor is second hand smoke. Heart attacks and strokes account for the most number of deaths per year. The risks of drinking alcohol are just as high if not higher than smoking. Drinking causes the loss of brain cells, enlargement of the heart, liver failure, accidents, damage to kidneys etc. Alcohol is also very obnoxious smelling!! I would rather smell the slight scent of tobacco on a person than the scent of alcohol seeping out of a drinkers pores and from their breath. I just answered a question about people who litter with their cigarette butts and I will paste part of my response to that question........\n\nPeople want to believe that smoking and second hand smoke are the only causes of lung cancer, but researchers have NO way of proving that people who have never smoked developed lung cancer from second hand smoke. When they do their so called tests, they use HIGHLY concentrated amounts of cigarette smoke to try and prove their case. They know that the factories and vehicles spew out the same and worse toxins, in far larger quantities, than a cigarette, but because of the expense of forcing those two things to be made safer, they choose to ignore them for the most part and concentrate on a relatively small part of the population. Plus they can pass bills to outrageously raise taxes on cigarettes to help generate money whenever they need more money. I haven't seen them raising taxes on ALL alcohol to help generate more money, even though hundreds of people die due to drunk drivers each year. I don't see them banning alcohol in all public places to help reduce the amount of deaths caused by drunk drivers. More people die (proven) each year as the result of drunk drivers than by smokers. They don't try to pass a bill that will raise the taxes on alcohol because there are MORE drinkers in this country than smokers and the bill would never pass, so they target a smaller group (cigarette smokers) and create almost mass hysteria about second hand smoke, so that non smokers will pass through the bill. Smokers are discriminated against all the time. They are even considered a bad risk by employers because researchers claim that smokers will be out sick more often than a non smoker. Drinkers miss more work due to illness, being drunk and to hangovers than smokers miss each year. Drinkers can also cause more work related accidents by going into work drunk or with a hangover.Yes, cigarette smoking can cause cancer,but so can many foods, environmental things and chemicals, but they don't place outrageous taxes on them. The people paid to do the research on cigarette smoking and second hand smoke are paid (subsidized) by the government to bring in the right statistics. They keep trying, using more and more concentrated smoke, until they arrive at the statistic that is wanted. It is no different than when they feed rats more of something than a human could consume in a lifetime and when the rat finally shows signs of cancer or any other disease, they claim it to be a health risk to humans. The majority of smokers do NOT develop lung cancer and the majority of people who live with smokers do NOT develop lung cancer. Statistics can be manipulated to prove whatever people want them to prove. Our government is not above manipulating facts and statistics to get what they want! With cigarette smokers they have found a minority group that they can tax to produce more revenue. By making non smokers see them as lepers, they have guaranteed that any new tax will pass. So when I see people carrying on about cigarettes , I feel the need to get on my soapbox and speak out. People need to realize that today the smokers are the target, but since it wor
266021
I haven't seen any studies, but I suspect that light smoking, like any other vice, is not that harmful to you. The figures about how every cigarette shortens your life by such-and-such time is based on the average lifespan of fairly heavy lifetime smokers compared to lifetime non-smokers. It's kind of like the average lifespan of a lifetime non-drinker vs. someone who's putting away a fifth of Jack Daniels every day. Light, infrequent drinking probably doesn't have a single negative effect on one's health. The biggest danger is that light smoking often leads to heavy smoking, where there are significant health risks.
854069
Most things are good, in moderation. Anything in excess could kill you (even water). There's nothing wrong with having a glass of wine every now and then, as David pointed out. It's making a habit of it, or depending on the wine to ease your spirits, that causes problems. Don't get drunk, and you're okay.
739199
Cigarettes because of the nicotine.  It's much more addicting than alcohol, mary jane and even snow white.
380736
Correct me if I'm wrong, but, you are asking non- smokers why they don't understand that we need to smoke? The smokers smoke to alleviate stress, the more stress... the more we smoke. There how's that?
1054920
I don't know,but I'll tell you this; I can smoke a "joint",and still be able to go on with my everyday routine,thus drinking alcohol,will screw up my entire agenda. I've never woke up in the morning with a stomach ache or hangover,because I smoked a joint. Someday it may become legal in the US,but until then,I'll keep my "Dime",my Malibu & Orange Juice,along with a side order of Rib Tips for my "Munchies". (lol)
118078
Sure, tobacco caused social ills could be something like the life long effects to a child of losing a parent or loved one (due to tobacco related causes).  Second hand smoke--is another issue, when you sunject others to this "deadly" air.  Either they have no choice & must breathe it in order to continue contact with you. . .or they choose not to interact with you--and this would be a social loss for both.  Another social ill would be the cost to society for providing health/medical care to people sick because of tobacco illnesses.  Of course, we should do that. . .but that money could be spent on improving other things.  (By this way. . .this was a great question!)
6070
You do not know what will be the reason you die until you do. I have known many people who smoked for many years and lived to ripe old age and died a natural death. \n What I find so interesting is that more people are getting sicker and at younger ages no matter what they are doing in their lives.\n Certainly smoking is not good for you. I do not believe people think it is cool anymore to do so as they did back in maybe the 50's. But then it was common to come home and have your wife hand you a martini after work too. Times change,attitudes change\n Habits change, lifestyles change. \n  And guess what there are smokers who actually enjoy smoking and are healthier than some of their contemporaries..\n As I said you do not know what will cause your demise. Their are many things we do and are exposed to in this world of ours that cause many health problems and Social problems (like alcohol)\n You certainly don't hear about the guy who smokes his cigerette then smacks his kids or wife around? Or woman doing that either for that matter? Yet everyone jumps on the cigerettes are bad for you bandwagon.  \n Oops off my soapbox here... Some of these issues really are so petty and are blown out of proportion that it makes me sick.....
1112257
I agree. Along the same lines, people who drink alcohol, or have bad diets should therefore have to pay for their own health care as well. What a load of rubbish. I'm not a smoker but the advertising and all the hype about smoking really ticks me off. There's never been a fatal car accident when a smoker gets behind the wheel and drives after a few too many cigarettes.
7762
Can we?  Of course.  Humans have an amazing ability to rationalize almost any behavior, and there are limits on how much control we allow society to exercise on individual freedoms.\n\nTake alcohol for example.  Alcohol is a primary and secondary cause of death for thousands?  millions?  Well, a whole bunch of people die from alcoholism, drunk driving, and "I can too jump off this roof!" every year, but we allow it.  And, as with smoking, the deaths and injuries suffered are not always suffered by the imbiber.\n\nWe have taken an entirely different tack with the "war on drugs."  Even though there is little real difference between smoking, drinking, and illegal drug use on principle, (though the effects of some drugs are far worse of course) we have decided to ban those substances.\n\nThe plain truth is that as long as humans are recognizably like us, they will seek altered states of consciousness through chemical and other means, whether it's a heroin high, alcoholic buzz, the calm of nicotine, tweaking on caffeine, or getting a euphoric rush from "the choking game."  \n\nI am no fan of smoking, but consider well the drug war and prohibition in the last century before attempting to legislate away tobacco.  A whole criminal industry grows up around banned substances that may well cause worse damage as a whole than the habit.
425623
I agree, no wants to smell smoke when they eat.... however.... I strongly disagree on banning it from bars, cigs and beer go hand and hand for most people, infact people who dont smoke, will often ONLY light up while drinking.