> Meh, he lived to be 83, which is really quite old. How much pleasure did he derive from smoking?
Clearly, not enough that, looking back, he thought it was worthwhile. And the cost isn't just years, its quality of life impacts of smoking-related illness (in his case, COPD.)
Well, certainly, you could live to a ripe old age despite your smoking habit, just like my maternal grandfather (gave up aged 70 - in his pomp, smoked 80 per day). Or my paternal grandmother (gave up around 70). But then again, her husband, my dad's father, also a smoker, died in his late sixties. And I've never heard of anybody who was a former long-term smoker - and that includes my grandparents, who weren't always in the best of health! - that didn't suffer from related complications in later life.
15 years later, I'm still not yet old enough for my chickens to have come home to roost, nor those of my school friends. But looking at my parents, and their parents too, it's very obvious that those who never smoked are in much better shape.
Moral of the story? That's easy - don't smoke. Like... duh.
But - if you really insist, at least smoke only the doobie doo, and without any tobacco mixer. Because at least that gets you high. And then, when you're old, and your lungs are fucked anyway, you can at least say that when you were young... nobody knew for sure.
It's easy to spot a smoker, because it also has a terrible effect on the skin -- even before it strikes you down dead of cancer, heart and lung disease, and chronic halitosis.
It's so nice to see that all the money and propaganda that was going into covering scientifically proven facts like that up is now going into global warming denial instead. We've come a long was, baby!
Beyond its known links to cancer, lung and heart disease, smoking is now thought to be associated with premature skin ageing and delayed wound healing, as well as a number of skin disorders, particularly psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa and cutaneous lupus erythematosus.
Smoking can accelerate the skin ageing process in the skin. Ageing of the skin means that it droops, develops wrinkles and lines and can become dry and coarse with uneven skin colouring and broken blood vessels (telangiectasia). Smokers can appear gaunt and develop an orange or grey complexion.
Since the 1970's studies have shown that smoking results in more premature facial wrinkling than sun exposure. Lines around the eyes called “crow's feet” can develop at an earlier age. Multiple vertical lines around the mouth also occur and are called “smoker's lines”. These effects continue into old age. By the age of 70 years, smoking 30 cigarettes a day could lead to the equivalent of an extra 14 years of skin ageing.
Maybe there is no fountain of youth, but there is a surefire way to make yourself look older. Smoking changes the skin, teeth, and hair in ways that can add years to your looks. It also affects everything from your fertility to the strength of your heart, lungs, and bones. Take a look at these side-by-side photos. Can you pick out the smoker? Check your pick and get a closer look on the next slide.
Molecular basis of tobacco smoke-induced premature skin aging.
Although it is now widely recognized that tobacco smoke has negative effects on the skin, the molecular mechanisms underlying its skin-aging effects remain uncertain.
