Just How Dangerous Is Smoking Really?

[Amazoniac]

How nicotine from cigarettes differ from food?

 

[magCarlsen]

How nicotine from cigarettes differ from food?

The nicotine in food is really low.

 

[Amazoniac]

How nicotine from cigarettes differ from food?

The nicotine in food is really low.

Didn't know that..

 

[tara]

Smoking is well-established and scientifically supported to be harmful but I can't see, say, a cigarette once a month causing much harm at all.

You just contradicted yourself with the quote from Peat mentioning some positive effects of nicotine. These beneficial effect of nicotine are very mainstream research. So, what do you mean by "well established"? I believe you are not informed on nicotine nor smoking. It's like people saying fish oil is great because there is a lot of good research on omega-3 without being aware of the debate.

I didn't contradict myself at all. I said, beneficial effects of NICOTINE, there are WAY MORE COMPOUNDS IN TOBACCO that JUST nicotine.

You make it sound like Peat approves of smoking, he doesn't, in the slightest.

carbon monoxide and other serious toxins are produced by burning the tobacco

All smoke is carcinogenic. It's true that nicotine can be protective in some situations, and usually that's in older people. In those situations, it's best to use it orally or transdermally.

Mainstream science agrees with Peat.

Thousands of different chemicals in cigarette smoke, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (such as benzopyrene), formaldehyde, cadmium, nickel, arsenic, tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), phenols, and many others contribute to the harmful effects of smoking.

Thanks for hunting out Peat's quotes on this.
I think you make good points.

 

[chris]

Has anyone that smoked before finding out about Peat, then carried on smoking while implementing Peat ideas, noticed anything in regards to cravings? I decided to "take up" smoking a couple of weeks ago, bought tobacco, rolled my own and smoked a few, sporadically for a couple of days, then sort of forgot about them. I realised today I'd gone 3 days without smoking.

 

[HDD]

I recently started smoking to relieve stress. It had been 29 years since I quit. It surprised me how quickly I became addicted again. I really do not like the dizziness, taste in my mouth or smell on me, but it has been an effective stress reliever.

 

[pboy]

I noticed when my diet improved tobacco got better, it just enhances my state whatever that is. Its major good, the way I smoke and what I use is like, might as well be a different thing, than what people are used to with tobacco cigarrettes or whatever. I pulled some out in front of a friend a lil while back and he didn't even know what it was, and he's smoked for a while. Same with the smell, people didnt even know what it was. Its pure fire, its not some nasty hazy heavy buzz where you cant breath after like the other ***t. Its bronchiodilating, all but eliminates persorption and keeps GI flowing regardless of amount of stress im under. You can tell it stops persorption which occurs with stress because of the way my mind works with it, usually if im in a stressful place i cant even eat, or my appetite is gone, because the food just pools up and sits there in stomach, mouth gets relatively dry, and the whole time im eating (drinking) the thoughts of the estrogenic people or things around me are whats on my mind, them, it, not me...not my integrity. When I smoke tobacco it literally protects me etherically in my integrity and i can eat and digest even when around stressful ***t, and my thoughts tho still nagged at are more my own and strong. Its effin big time. Its keeps me in spirit and flow. The fool chastises tobacco ignorantly, its been defiled like nearly no other plant, yet the true tobacco remains. Its probly better suited for males but I could see certain females getting benefit from it. I can down 32oz liquid, smoke a bowl, and feel like I have nearly an empty stomach. I don't know anything else that can do that, it makes me feel like im in an athletic flow all day even when im just doing whatever im doing. So far there have been no negative effects at all, if I smoke a huge amount i might want to pass out but its easy not to do that, you have to do it purposefully, and even then, its a relaxing sleep. But again its not really something for everyone. You have to have a certain level of mental fortitude to benefit from it and not have it...perhaps confuse you, or paralyze you or irritate you. If you have a bad diet its probably not the best idea either, because its so fierce in action it exposes dietary sins and people probably would blame the tobacco rather than their own being. Its basically like a serious master who whips you into perfection and constantly points out all your flaws and wont let you rest until youve overcome them. So via using it over time it can help you perfect yourself, its a teacher and a valuable tool. Another example the other day neighbors were burning some nasty stuff in a huge bonfire and my whole room got flooded with estrogenic smoke smell, i got pissed, tried to air it out, i couldn't eat obviously being bathed in toxins. My heart rate went up and pitch of voice went up like as if an estrogenic response. Smoked some tobacco and i recovered my integrity, became stable and hormones came back to right place. Its just a huge useful tool but its kind of like, not for people that are afraid of the dark kind of thing...not for people that freak out when their normal sedate mode gets stirred up. If you're the kind of person that's never taken anything to alter your mind and has some level of control over your being, if you're the kinda person that when stressed takes it out on others and doesn't know that theres just a root cause, if you drink beer or coffee and it changes your personality, all that kind of thing...basically someone who cant control their mind and scares easy or is just...rather ruthless in their ego, its not for you. And those are the kind of people that would be like 'oh its bad'. In the past many native americans would use it but it was mostly the shamans and really powerfully minded people, more the leaders, and you can read about the benefits from that perspective. Its kind of out of the scope or ordinary or science minded people, its empirical and a by feel thing, and its more for the people that are serious about purifying themselves...basically people willing to admit that they aren't perfect and might be way full of bad mental wiring and ignorance and having a bad diet and many other things. It stirs up all that kind of stuff so you have to look at it and correct it.

You don't need tobacco to do these things, but its like having full throttle towards that

Another thing is...its very hard to actually notice what is doing, or in fact...to get benefit from tobacco in its highest fashion if you have any kind of hypertension going on. Like...if you have any hypertension at all, it almost certainly even 1 puff will just sedate you, and calm your mind a lil but its more of a downer. You really have to be on a near isotonic and very low salt diet to appreciate it. Most shamans lived on special simple diets without salt and spices like the yogis did in india for higher levels of growth. And most of the native americans were actually averse to salt, and didn't use it often or at all. Even cultures like the Aztecs had 2 days a week where people had to fast from salt and spices. I read a story once about how some white settlers offered some salted meat to native americans and they thought they were trying to poison them

i doubt anyone here is actually going to care about what ive just said and will just think of tobacco as commercial cigarettes, with all its stigmas, and be in a science based mindset, but its all good, ill just put it out there anyways

 

[Blossom]

Where do you get quality tobacco pboy?

 

[jyb]

I experimented with it in small doses and found it surprisingly un-addictive. What's all that hype about? I think it's dose dependent. If you smoke every hour, then you have the effect all day long and I can see how you get used to it. But sporadic smoking seems no more addictive than having your favourite ice cream.

Smoking in evenings didn't seem to be conducive to good sleep. Maybe that's just me as I have a history of sleep problems. Another side effects I noticed is joint pain in my knee. I absolutely never have joint problem otherwise, so it's clearly due to smoking. It seems like poisoning. I only experimented with very pure tobacco. Due to these side effects, I don't really experiment with it anymore. But it definitely might be therapeutic in some situations, I would say it ranks better than many drugs discussed here in terms of anti-stress enhancer.

 

[chris]

Blossom - I believe pboy smokes American Spirit.

jyb - I am the same. Back when I was around 16 and in a worse state of health now I am now found it more addicting, especially after alcohol.

Maybe it the quality of my tobacco has something to do with it as well, I made sure I got additive free, the blue pueblo packet, fairly low nicotine as well.


pboy - Interesting, I like reading your posts. Have you noticed people that smoke seem less passive? It is something I've noticed from a very limited sample size which means nothing but the people that smoke are louder about a situation than bothers them, not afraid to speak their mind.

 

[narouz]

i doubt anyone here is actually going to care about what ive just said and will just think of tobacco as commercial cigarettes, with all its stigmas, and be in a science based mindset, but its all good, ill just put it out there anyways

No no, not at all!
I really enjoyed this one, pboy.
And I don't even smoke tobacco.

 

[barefooter]

I've experiment with smoking a bit (American Spirit organic) to handle very high stress times in my life, and it's semi-helpful for getting through a stress crisis. I also just really enjoy the experience of smoking and strolling around the neighborhood looking at plants, flowers, and whatever else happens to catch my eye. I have noticed one consistent affect that I'm not sure is good or bad. Without fail, smoking always makes me have to poop, and I go regularly, so constipation is not an issue for me. However, I do have a lot of intestinal inflammation, so I'm wondering if it's actually doing something good to increase peristalsis and get things out of me that are causing problems. Or, maybe the smoking in itself is irritating to my guts and causing the affect, I have no idea. Anyone have this happen or any insight on it?

 

[Jib]

Have been reading "Tobacco: A Cultural History of How an Exotic Plant Seduced Civilization." Very interesting.

I have noticed that in the past months of smoking, tobacco has helped me a lot with my emotional issues. Flew into a rage recently, as I have a lifelong history of doing -- and tobacco helped me come down from it, calmed me down and helped me to re-frame my perspective. It's also helped me 'come down' from overwhelming feelings of loneliness/despair/etc. I have a history of being suicidal as well as having panic attacks. Things have gotten pretty bad, but incorporating modest smoking into my lifestyle has gone a very long way in helping me cope.

I have a Top-O-Matic T2 machine now, for injecting my own cigarette tubes. I use American Spirit tobacco. And I always use a TarGard permanent filter system. After seeing the muck that piles up in there after just a few cigarettes, I can't smoke without one. No TarGard = no cigarettes.

Some days I just don't feel like my body wants it. The thought of smoking will gross me out. So I won't smoke. Other days, the idea of smoking seems very appealing, I'll make some cigarettes and smoke them, and thoroughly enjoy it. I do think there's some self-regulating effects here. 5 days or a week without smoking isn't uncommon for me. The amount I actually smoke varies pretty wildly, with 5 cigarettes a day being on the high end for me, 2 a day being closer to my average, and I pretty regularly go 1-3 days without smoking at all.

I think having started with the TarGard filter and also keeping the amount I smoke limited by forcing myself to only smoke cigarettes I've made myself has kept me from becoming addicted, or at least not as addicted as I would be if I smoked more.

There's something healing about it for sure. I think tobacco has to be respected, and I think it's a good idea to use it purposefully and intentionally instead of mindlessly.

The biases against tobacco completely misrepresent the healing potential it has.

Usually when I smoke it's because I'm specifically trying to relax from some issue that's really bothering me, or pull myself out of a whirlpool of emotions so I can think about the problem I have more clearly.

And it's very effective at that.

Today, yesterday, and the day before, the idea of smoking made me feel sick. So I haven't smoked at all. This is how it goes for me. Other days, especially if I'm stressed out or dealing with a complicated problem, I'll crave a cigarette and thoroughly enjoy smoking a few.

I don't seem to have any issues with self-regulation, and the habit for me is just smoking when I feel like it. Which actually isn't that often, and the time of day I smoke varies a lot too. Sometimes just one cigarette in the morning, other times one at night, other times after lunch, etc. I don't seem to have any specific patterns. More or less self-regulated according to cues I get from my body.

I do wonder if making my own cigarettes with additive free tobacco has helped keep it in check. Factory cigarettes might be manufactured to be more addictive.

I've known people who could hardly go a half an hour without a cigarette or they'd be freaking out. I've never experienced that.

The strongest cravings I've had, where I felt really anxious to have a cigarette, has been when I had some major emotional issue going on.

It's always "quiet time" too -- just go outside and focus on something that's bothering me while having a smoke. And the tobacco seems to bring me down and help me look at my problems more objectively. I really appreciate the aroma and taste too.

To me, it's a wonderful experience that I'm very grateful to have, and I'd like to maintain that respect for tobacco. The main healing properties I've found have been emotional. Taking my scattered thoughts/emotions and the overwhelm/despair from them and relieving it.

It feels like it heightens my senses and gives me some help with dealing with emotionally difficult problems -- to look at them directly with a different perspective, instead of burying them.

Which I used to do with alcohol. A major depressant. For a while I was taking Xanax with 100 proof whiskey to numb myself to everything I was going through, and it almost killed me a couple times.

Moderate smoking has been the exact opposite. Feels like it gives me a little boost to help me have the courage/stability to think through my issues instead of trying to numb myself completely to them and forget about them.

Lesser of two evils? Going from 6-7 shots a night of 100 proof liquor vs. 1-2 drinks a week and having a couple smokes a day. I did cut way back on my drinking when I started smoking, not exactly sure why. I just like how Tobacco makes me feel so much better -- I always felt like hell after drinking, and out of control, while smoking makes me feel a greater sense of control and awareness. I just like the effects I feel so much more and my urge to keep drinking when I started smoking pretty much evaporated.

Anyway, yes....maybe getting too woo-woo and out there with spirituality, but I feel like having respect for tobacco is important. I hold it in pretty high esteem and I do believe that helps my enjoyment of it significantly.

I've had times where I was on the verge of tears about my life situation, getting violent, frustrated, etc., and a single cigarette smoked in about 10 minutes outside, while thinking about everything I was going through, helped so much to take me out of it.

So regarding tobacco, a substance that's so demonized in our society, as one of my best friends -- hah. Maybe I feel a connection to it because I'm an outcast and have never really felt like I belonged anywhere, so I can relate to the being labeled as bad and being shunned, and people being so judgmental about it.

On that note, I've also been tentatively diagnosed with schizophrenia in the past, and found it interesting that rates of smoking in schizophrenics is extremely high, suggesting that there's some healing effect tobacco has for schizophrenics.

 

[pboy]

nice post jib

I think its 2 fold with that, which btw I feel you and resonate. I think one one hand, it propels gas and pressure out of the GI system which im sure you noticed, and that pressure off, or at least its shifting, helps clear the mind alone, but then of course theres the more spiritual/mental aspect of it. My explanation to myself was that it like...blocks out 'others' thoughts that happen to be in your head, so only the authentic you voice remains and then its much more clear on situations. Ive actually had like premonition level thoughts come in as I was smoking that actually prevented me from doing things that it turned out would have been bad if I did, decisions and things. It stops NO from being produced in the lower body regions, which is again...a huge thing, if yhou wanna look at how that manifests it makes you more spiritual and less impulsive in a certain way, it can make you more impulsive in the sense of if you're hungry, or something is lacking or irritating it will compel you to try to remedy that asap in a kind of forced way, but in terms of like longer term fears or despairs or perceived senses of lack, it kind of flips that all off and just puts you into the mode of what can I do here, now, that will progress me, in that way, it facilitates action in a 'shocked' state where otherwise you might just let bad thoughts run in circles and be frozen. Its actually a very complicated herb that seems to act differently all the time...depending on your current mood/situation, state of you GI system, body, and if you are hypertonic or hypotonic, what time of day/night it is...its always kidn of similar in some aspects but it reacts a little different always. I see it as a prime alterative in that way (getting back into balance).

I agree with theres something weird about commercial ciggaretts, because ever since ive been smoking pure tobacco its like a different substance, a whole different thing. I probably smoke (I use a pipe, often water filtered) 7-10 times a day, well its actually a lot less now days but for a while that's what I was doing, but that only amounts to 1-2 ciggaretts worth, and theres no chemicals or stems or anything. It does provoke a mucus reaction to a small extent, like you gotta hock after a smoke, but its really small and insignificant unless you were smoking huge amounts, which is like impossible without commercial cigs. If I even take more than 3-4 puffs at a time its bad news, unless im looking to just pass out. Sometimes, say, if the system is really hypertonic/or hypertensive it can make like almost irate, or just highly stimulated to fierce action, which isn't really a great thing, unless you need that at the time, but its actually a great barometer...in fact that's the main reason I use it now...it sort of gives an indication to me of whats going right/wrong or needs to be balanced based on how it reacts and exposed the state of GI all throughout and kidneys and stuff. I breath better, sleep better, dream better, and have a more consistent focus smokint tobacco...in the sense of, its unwavering based on how life circumstances might wanna throw me around...I still sense and acknowledge and deal with things, but it doesn't throw me off my path, its just obstacles...whereas without tobacco (im skilled enough now to not need it, but basically before I developed this) my perspectives and focus might get shifty and watery and id question my capability or goals and all that just based on any little things in life getting in the way on my path

as much as I appreciate and utilize tobacco, theres just for some reason im hesitant to recommend it to other people, and really don't...I don't think its for the casual person or recreational. And probably not as much for girls, it seems more of a thing for males, and actually more of a personal time kind of thing

 

[Jib]

pboy:

Just tried whole leaf tobacco for the first time today. Got some yesterday, then shredded it and blended it (I got 3 separate kinds) myself today, and used the machine to inject the tobacco into tubes.

This is whole leaf, additive-free, pure tobacco. I agree COMPLETELY that it's like a completely different substance. The smoke just feels so much cleaner, and the taste and aroma is amazing. I also like the process of separating the stems, running them through the hand-crank shredder, and using the hand-crank injector machine. There's something very soothing about the whole process. Misting them if they're too dry, and drying them out if they're too moist, is part of the process too, and while it can be a little tedious, it goes quickly and is just as enjoyable as the rest of the process IMO.

That's also not to mention I got 2 pounds of tobacco for 30 dollars. 2 POUNDS! I was paying 35 dollars for 5 OUNCES when I was getting tins of roll-your-own at the local store.

I have barely made a dent in the whole leaf tobacco I have, and I have a TON of cigarettes rolled up, as well as a big jar full of the shredded, blended tobacco. You can tell while you're handling it that it's way different even from the American Spirit roll-your-own tobacco. Everything about it is just better in every way.

Very interesting stories you've shared too, thanks for that.

 

[FredSonoma]

pboy:

Just tried whole leaf tobacco for the first time today. Got some yesterday, then shredded it and blended it (I got 3 separate kinds) myself today, and used the machine to inject the tobacco into tubes.

This is whole leaf, additive-free, pure tobacco. I agree COMPLETELY that it's like a completely different substance. The smoke just feels so much cleaner, and the taste and aroma is amazing. I also like the process of separating the stems, running them through the hand-crank shredder, and using the hand-crank injector machine. There's something very soothing about the whole process. Misting them if they're too dry, and drying them out if they're too moist, is part of the process too, and while it can be a little tedious, it goes quickly and is just as enjoyable as the rest of the process IMO.

That's also not to mention I got 2 pounds of tobacco for 30 dollars. 2 POUNDS! I was paying 35 dollars for 5 OUNCES when I was getting tins of roll-your-own at the local store.

I have barely made a dent in the whole leaf tobacco I have, and I have a TON of cigarettes rolled up, as well as a big jar full of the shredded, blended tobacco. You can tell while you're handling it that it's way different even from the American Spirit roll-your-own tobacco. Everything about it is just better in every way.

Very interesting stories you've shared too, thanks for that.

Where did you buy it??

 

[Jib]

Check out Leaf Only dot com.

 

[charlie]

Wish I had a whole leaf tobacco home stuffed cigarette right about now.

edit: Jib thank you for sharing your experience.

 

[Blinkyrocket]

Anybody who smokes even organic tobacco notice that physical exertion is harder due to worse breathing? Or is emphysema and coughing something that's more likely caused by the stuff in cigarettes besides tobacco?

 

[mt_dreams]

Anybody who smokes even organic tobacco notice that physical exertion is harder due to worse breathing? Or is emphysema and coughing something that's more likely caused by the stuff in cigarettes besides tobacco?

Been using full leaf tobacco for 10 years and have no respiratory problems. I don't smoke cigarettes, rather I use a pipe or in the hookah, so I'm not sure if the lower heat has made a difference. I am the only one who breathes through the nose during the entire duration of my bball pick-up games, yet I'm the only one who uses tobacco. The only time a cough is when I'm exposed to chlorine vapors. I think anyone who coughs a lot should think twice about smoking, unless they're trying to remove other crap that has accumulated from working in places like welding shops, mining, etc.


for anyone living outside of the US that is afraid of customs charges on tobacco, a lot of countries do not charge duty on whole leaf tobacco. I ordered a couple of pounds for myself & family members and I believe I was charged 80 cents per kg. The only sad part of the situation for me is that the tobacco is grown in Canada, then shipped to the US, then shipped back to me living in Canada.