Does smoking cause permanent damage?

[Fast Twitch Fiber]

I'm having a dispute with a co-worker. She claims that you can quit smoking and suffer from no permanent damage. She smoked for 14 years and thinks that she will be completely clean within 6 months. I say that's bullshit.

Are there any experts here that can provide me with some supporting information from a reliable unbiased source such as center for disease control, American Heart Assoc.?

 

[biteme]

I don't exactly remember what the AHA published. But I'm almost certain it will take longer than 6 months to undo the damage. There is no way to know wheter or not permanent damage was done without before and after scans of lungs, etc. They say it is true that their risk of dying comes down almost or the same as that of a non-smoker after so long of being smoke free.

 

[big_bad_buff]

yes there is permanent damage, lungs, hart, skin, cancer that could show up years down the road the list goes on. most likely she will gain about 50 pounds, and turn into a fat ass.

if your wanting scientific reaserch my man, do a search on the net, i doubt anyone here has it laying around on there hard drive, you lazy hoe

 

[Warik]

Here are a few tidbits of information that may or may not apply to the general smoker.

1) The "quit smoking and you'll get fat" story is not necessarily true. My friend quit cold turkey one day after I continued to make fun of him and call him a weak mortal slave to the chain of the firey white stick. He actually lost some weight.

2) Permanent damage? Perhaps... but not all of the damage is permanent. My boss's father (I think it was his father) smoked like a chimney until he saw the lung of a deceased smoker. Quit right there and added a good number of years to his life.

3) Cigarettes have been proven to be harmful to health. Anyone who disagrees with that is not worth arguing with.

-Warik

 

[Fast Twitch Fiber]

[B most likely she will gain about 50 pounds, and turn into a fat ass.

[/B]

LMFAO! She's already gained 32 pounds and is fat. She's one of those obnoxious vegans whose always telling me I'm going to die of a heart attack because I eat meat.

I still don't understand how a vegan can become fat.

 

[flex123]

my grandma was at the doctor the other day and the doctor told my mom that she might have enthasema. My grandma told the doctor "I don't smoke". It was pretty funny because she smoked for 50yrs and she thinks cause she quit for a year she isn't a smoker.

dumb story....but it went with the topic.

laterz

 

[biteme]

my grandma was at the doctor the other day and the doctor told my mom that she might have enthasema. My grandma told the doctor "I don't smoke". It was pretty funny because she smoked for 50yrs and she thinks cause she quit for a year she isn't a smoker.

dumb story....but it went with the topic.

That's not funny at all. If it's true, your grandma is more than likely in for a painful death.

laterz

 

[Fast Twitch Fiber]

I just don't see how someone could smoke for over 10 years and not cause harm.

 

[flex123]

I hear ya biteme....It wasn't funnt because she had enthasema, it was just starnge that she would think she eliminated the 50yrs of smoking because she just quit for a year.

 

[anthrax]

How can one still believe in the 21st century that smoking is not harmful ?

 

[big_bad_buff]

LMFAO! She's already gained 32 pounds and is fat. She's one of those obnoxious vegans whose always telling me I'm going to die of a heart attack because I eat meat.

I still don't understand how a vegan can become fat.

vegetarians :mao: instead of soy berger's she must be eating twix, and miss debbies lol.

 

[biteme]

How can one still believe in the 21st century that smoking is not harmful ?

I don't believe anyone doesn't. They are drug addicts and they will die for their addiction. People have been known to smoke when hooked up to lung machines on their death bed.

 

[Fast Twitch Fiber]

I've always been anti-smoking. I guess everyone has their vice but smoking is something I truly don't understand. I tried a cigarette once and it made my throat sore and made me cough for a week. It just pissed me off when she told me I was going to die from a heart attack for eating meat while she smoked death sticks for 14 years.

 

[danielson]

i forget but there;s a date (i.e. a year of life) where if you quit completely you can live with no signifcant lung symptoms. can;t remember the age but its not that old. obviusly there will be some who kick it etc but it is possible

whats far less probable is her ability to quit. nicotine = heroin in addictiveness

 

[Mildot]

My grandfather lived a VERY hard life. Smoked 4 packs (that's right, FOUR packs) of cigs a day, and drank like crazy. When I say like crazy, I'm talking about 1 case a day plus lots of whiskey, everyday. He got about 5 hours of sleep each night.
He was still working 10 hour days at 80+ years old and did not die until his early 90's.

 

[louden_swain]

Yes, there is too much emperical evidence that proves smoking is deadly and causes permanent damage. Anyone that think it doesn't is in denial and is affraid to accept the facts. Here are some links that may provide some additional information:

http://www.kingsbrook.org/atoz/Lifestyles/SmokeOut/damage.asp
http://www.no-smoking.org/april99/04-13-99-3.html
http://www.tobacco.neu.edu/tcu/3-4/lung.htm
http://www.quitnow.info.au/damage/damage.html#anchor204191
http://www.iol.ie/~afifi/BICNews/Health/health10.htm
http://www.acsh.org/publications/booklets/iesmoke.html

If anyone is interested there are numerous academic journals that contain concrete evidence of long term damage.

I can't imagine why people continue to smoke. If they had a chance to see their chest opened up and look at their lungs. . . .I guarantee they would quit. It takes a real slap in the face to make people quit such as lost voice box, collapsed lung, or cancer of the urethra. Overall, nasty stuff!!

 

[Mildot]

I quit smoking a year ago because of all the negative things everyone says about smoking. I also quit drinking two years ago.
I do not want to take a chance with my body.
Having said that, can anyone explain why my grandfather could live the life that he did while smoking like a chimney and drinking like a fish? He should have died before he was 40 according to all of the "concrete evidence". I'm not trying to suggest that smoking is harmless, but I am suggesting that it might not be so black and white.

 

[louden_swain]

I quit smoking a year ago because of all the negative things everyone says about smoking. I also quit drinking two years ago.
I do not want to take a chance with my body.
Having said that, can anyone explain why my grandfather could live the life that he did while smoking like a chimney and drinking like a fish? He should have died before he was 40 according to all of the "concrete evidence". I'm not trying to suggest that smoking is harmless, but I am suggesting that it might not be so black and white.

Why do people start in the first place?

 

[biteme]

I quit smoking a year ago because of all the negative things everyone says about smoking. I also quit drinking two years ago.
I do not want to take a chance with my body.
Having said that, can anyone explain why my grandfather could live the life that he did while smoking like a chimney and drinking like a fish? He should have died before he was 40 according to all of the "concrete evidence". I'm not trying to suggest that smoking is harmless, but I am suggesting that it might not be so black and white.

That is great for you. Your grandfather was an exception to the rule. However, he could have lived even longer if not for his smoking and drinking. My uncle is 85 and recently almost died. The doctors told him had he not smoked he may have lived to be over 100. It's playing Russian roulette with your health and the odds are stacked way against you. Emphysema is one of the most painful deaths there is. My neighbor has who works in an emergency ward has told me the horror stories. I think if more people knew what a painful death there were likely in for, they might quit. Why this is not publicized more often is beyond me.

 

[JOKER47]

Why do people start in the first place?

Peer pressure, desire to fit in, rebellion against parents, desire to try something new.....The list goes on and on....

If they had a chance to see their chest opened up and look at their lungs. . . .I guarantee they would quit.

Actually, most of the people I know, myself included, would not have stopped even seeing that.
What first started me on the path to quitting, were the colds I would catch that lasted 6 months. Took me a while to figure out why colds would not go away....Amazing what you can ignore when you want to, huh?


.02,
Joker

 

[thebabydoc]

Actually, the original post is true (sort of).

Most of the pulmonary changes are reversible within a year.

Unfortunately, emphysema and cancer are not so, once you've got 'em, you're pretty much fucked.

Obviously genetics play a role. There are some people who simply do not carry the proto-oncogenes for cancer and therefore are unaffected by tobacco's teratogenic properties. But it's like playing Russian roulette without any prize at the end, why do it?