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From: nowlin@ihu1e.UUCP (Jerry Nowlin)
Newsgroups: net.general,net.misc,net.religion,net.med
Subject: Why Smoke?
Message-ID: <269@ihu1e.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 11-Jun-84 13:28:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihu1e.269
Posted: Mon Jun 11 13:28:21 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 12-Jun-84 00:47:08 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 35



     I've always been opposed to the practice of  smoking.   Whether  a  pipe,
cigar,  cigarette,  or  some  other  variation  on  the theme.  I've heard and
repeated various arguments against it.  Personal health, public  health,  cost
to  taxpayers, sin to most religions, fire hazard, and on and on.  If you work
around computers you've probably heard a couple others like the real  aversion
some disk drives have for smoke particles.

     I have yet to hear a valid reason *for* smoking.  I've read the arguments
about  the  loss  of income to individuals and tax revenue to governments, but
maintaining the economic base that rests on the tobacco industry isn't a valid
reason  for  an individual to start or continue to smoke.  It's just an excuse
used by legislators to  justify  getting  their  campaign  contributions  from
Reynolds  etal.  I won't even give credence to the "I'll start to gain weight"
type of response.  That's just defending one lack of will power with another.

     This isn't tongue in cheek.  I'm trying to solicit tangible  reasons  for
smoking.   I want to try and understand what motivates people to start or keep
smoking in spite of the overwhelming evidence that they are seriously  harming
the  health of themselves and the people they associate with.  I've got 3 kids
that are going to have to make the decision to smoke or not  some  day  and  I
want  to  be able to understand both sides of the issue so I can explain it to
them.  Experience tells me that dad saying no isn't going to cut it, and  I've
got enough respect for my kids not to try it.

     If you smoke you must have a reason.  Let me hear it.  I'll  be  glad  to
hear  from  non-smokers  too.   I realize this is an issue akin to religion in
that logic doesn't always prevail.  I stayed  of  my  soap  box  (as  much  as
possible) so please don't get too carried away.  If you know of a better group
or other forum to carry on this discussion please let me know.

Jerry Nowlin
ihnp4!ihu1e!nowlin