Health Issue: Smoking Pipes or Drinking Alcohol. What's worse?

[zanthal]

I think this thread needs more precise and yet unbelieveable statistics.
I represent 1 count quantity of people who are made happier by pipe smoking and occasional drinking of alcohol. :lol:

 

[mthanded]

No data to back this up but my father-in-law from Tennessee always claimed that lung cancer and addiction was way less when people used to roll their own. When the cigarette companies started adding chemicals and extra nicotine to "hook" more customers, the cancer really kicked in. People could smoke just a couple of hand rolled smokes and walk away from them when they wanted. They had a huge cigar factory in Clarksville, TN, Petrie cigar factory, and everybody smoked cigars and or hand rolled cigarettes and most died of old age. Like I said, no data here but I remember my grandfather rolling his own, burned his new shirt, and never smoked again after 40 years of smoking and never seemed to miss it.

 

[erichbaumer]

Roth's got a point, you do have to factor in the stess relief as a positive effect. Which is why I for one keep keepin' at it.

 

[zonomo]

I agree 100% with mustanggt. You do have to live. I drink very little, have never smoked anything (even dope in HS/College) so pipes are really my first experience with tobacco. That said, I am enjoying this and given my high stress job, pipe smoking actually slows me down and relaxes me. But I do this in moderation. My GF was only wondering if I was introducing something dangerous into my life but my comment about alcohol consumption is what prompted this thread. HappyJacks has a good point too though. Just being alive is dangerous to your health in our current world. :D

 

[foggymountain]

A medical professor and researcher has advised me that alcohol is far worse than weed. And weed is obviously worse for your health than pipesmoking because you don't inhale the pipesmoke. Therefore alcohol is worse than pipesmoking. I recommend doing both, so that you don't outlive our civilization as we know it.

 

[nsfisher]

My GF was only wondering if I was introducing something dangerous into my life

Walking to the store can introduce something dangerous into your life, as can driving, riding the bus, fishing, hunting, getting out of bed in the morning, ETC.. Don't sweat life, or you will die, either early from stress, or an old man of 101, who has no life adventures to look back on.

 

[locopony]

Niether are as dangerous to driving a car during rush hour.

I really do hate the discussion of what is bad for you and what is good. And excusing a bad habit because there are worse, is lame.

Ya could be shooting heroin mixed with meth' with dirty needles found in a dumpster behind a porn theater.

So there is always something worse.

A good rule for living is simply, all things in moderation. Enjoy alcohol tobacco and good food but not to indulgence. Live a well rounded life and all will be well in as much as you can control.

 

[hfearly]

IMHO, all this worrying about health is. Just sit back with ya pipe and a glass of Scotch and relax! Instead of getting your blood pressure up while worrying about things like this.
We all have to die eventually, and to be honest with the amount of electrical wiring, wireless waves and electromagnetic radiation, ozone levels, global warming, car and factory exhausts, deforestation, flooding, mutations of viruses and bacteria, resistance against drugs, DNA degradation and the amount of psychos running around randomly killings dozens of people even in prep schools, living a month more or less because you enjoyed whatever product (alcohol or smoke) doesn't matter a damn thing ;-)

 

[ace57]

For me I think alcohol is worse. I can smoke my pipe without a beer but I can't drink a beer without smoking my pipe. :rofl:

 

[joeahearn]

+1 Mthanded

 

[captainprophesy]

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
― Hunter S. Thompson

 

[blackdog7]

I agree totally with hfearly. My wife was recently in the hospital for a possible problem she was having with her heart. She has never smoked nor drank a drop of alcohol in her entire life. She told me and a few others gathered in her room, "I'm the only one in this room that has never smoked or drank, why am I the one in this bed?"

 

[undermidnight]

All I know is.. you see a lot of old guys smoking pipes. That must mean something ::
Jason

 

[winton]

Just got home from an office party. Wine and beer were provided along with food. I had to ask for soda. Providing some good tobacco would have been unthinkable.
Winton

 

[captainbob]

If I can live as long as my dear friend, Craig Tarler (C&D age 82) did, I will continue to do both, as he did and as I do! I am age 63. Never smoked Ciggs and don't inhale. Pipes since age 12! I exercise and I am an avid downhill skier in great company such as famous pipe-maker Alex Florov. I have met him on the mountain and we both smoke pipes and love to ski. Just walk two miles every day (except ski days)!!!

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[gecko13]

My GF was only wondering if I was introducing something dangerous into my life

Marriage/relationships....that can be dangerous.
This reminds me of an argument with my wife several years ago when she said to me "you're not the same guy I married...." "My gawd" I told her, "now you see my pain, you've been trying to change me ever since...."
But anyway, the original question. In moderation I don't think either is particularly bad. However, in the case of abuse, alcohol would lead to the worst problems both physically and otherwise.

 

[brewshooter]

Whoa, whoa, WHOA!!!! HOLD ON A MINUTE, there are health concerns related to tobacco and alcohol?!?!? Why am I the last to hear about these things???

 

[jeffboyrd]

+1 gecko!

 

[zonomo]

#gecko. Ok man, that made me laugh. Not to quote Chris Rock too much on how to handle relationships properly but he said, "you're not dating the person, you're dating their representative". How true.

 

[speedan]

I have been smoking cigarettes since my early teens, mostly rollies, but for a little while I smoked factory-made "cancer-sticks" for a variety of reasons. Then one day this cough turned up, and it was nasty. During one particularly bad coughing fit I really genuinely thought I was a goner. After that I went back to my old faithful Port Royal and No More Cough. None.