see that's more dangerous then smoking a pipe. You have no idea where diamondback has been?
How Do You Reconcile With Pipe Smoking's Health Risks?
- Thread starter alaskanpiper
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Why, that's an appellation I haven't used since I stopped practicing vet med in AD 2003. ? You're doing me too much honour.
But if you want Dr Olkofri's prescription... here: Smoke 'em if you got 'em and if you ain't got 'em get some!
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You're right! I assumed Arizona, but it looks like Tennessee!.
Association Between Exclusive Pipe Smoking and Mortality From Cancer and Other Diseases
Abstract. Background: Although many studies have examined the adverse health effects of pipe smoking combined with other forms of tobacco use, few have inc
academic.oup.com
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see one day you're stealing some beer from an Arizonian and next thing you know you're dying because they've gotten used to bark scorpion venom and it's now you're all dead and poisoned... Or at least that's what I have been told.
I recently restarted smoking my collection of pipes at 69. I have for years had to deal with depression and since returning to my pipes, two bowls a day, I have felt my mood improve. My wife and married daughter have noticed this and commented on it.
The indigenous people in North America have for thousands of years used, along with countless botanicals, tobacco as a medicine. Now I’m pretty sure the “dosage” was no where near the equivalent of a pack a day but it had a beneficial use in aboriginal cultures.
Google searches indicate recent medical studies showing reduction in Alzheimers and depression. This loosely correlates with my experience.
Research is stimied by inability to secure funding as tobacco has a super negative public perception.
I can live with some minor health risks if it means improving my mental health!
The indigenous people in North America have for thousands of years used, along with countless botanicals, tobacco as a medicine. Now I’m pretty sure the “dosage” was no where near the equivalent of a pack a day but it had a beneficial use in aboriginal cultures.
Google searches indicate recent medical studies showing reduction in Alzheimers and depression. This loosely correlates with my experience.
Research is stimied by inability to secure funding as tobacco has a super negative public perception.
I can live with some minor health risks if it means improving my mental health!
Yup. My wife and I run a CSA farm, which includes organic vegetables, grass fed chicken, pork, and beef. We got into it because we like to eat all of those things, but wanted it to taste better. We also wanted to avoid factory farm food, as well as giving others an easy local option to do so.
And man, that approach is a good way to get both sides really mad at you lol. We're still meat eaters, so that makes the vegetarian & vegan side mad at us. But we "pander" to their side with organic cultivation practices, so that makes the "meat forever" side mad at us too lol.
Oh well. Way she goes, boys.
Haha, sometimes she goes, sometimes she doesn't. Way she goes.
Hey man. As long as you're not firing piss jugs all over the park, we're cool.
Yeah science is finally seeing the benefits of nicotine. In fact the big orgs are reworking their recommendations as far as nicotine goes which takes a lot of work. There are also lots of other chemicals in tobacco that act very similarly to anti-depressants ( Serotonin reuptake inhibitor - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin_reuptake_inhibitor ). The only way to check if it's the nicotine or something else is to try a nicotine vape and see if you get the same good feeling. Long story short the behemoth of the medical industry is starting to see the same thing you and your family have, which seems like a pretty decent endorsement.
Just want to take a minute to thank everyone for their candid responses! Awesome to read the various thoughts of other members, especially without any significant arguments or political rants! Much appreciated all! I have enjoyed all your responses thoroughly!
I agree and from my anecdotal experience you and those studies are both 100% accurate.
This is called making a false equivalence. It is done quite frequently in life and for various reasons; one of them being an inaccurate justification for continued bad behavior. You are perfectly right to call it out as being inconsistent with the questions that you’ve asked.
The answers to the questions you’ve asked should be clear based on your response to this one question:
If in the not too distant future, you were diagnosed with major heath concerns due to your having smoked a pipe, would you have a deep and unabiding regret with this outcome? If your answer is yes, then quit smoking immediately. If your answer is no, then continue to enjoy your pipe and to hell with the consequences.
But, before you answer the question, I suggest that you think carefully about all that this question entails; including the peripheral consequences of such a diagnosis held in balance against a lifetime of not allowing yourself to smoke.
Not easy, I know. But for me in my own life, the answer is already clear.
I know anything can become a crutch, a coping mechanism or an escape, but in 2019 we went through hell on a number of fronts personally. Sometimes the best thing for me has been to go out onto the porch, think and smoke. I suppose I could have gone to a therapist and seen what they could do for me prescription wise, but pipe smoking has had a very, very positive effect on me.
Similarly, I read a number of months ago about a guy that took up piping late in his life because his wife was dying and part of his own self care in supporting her was to go out onto his porch at night and smoke a pipe. I could identify.
I recognise in our pain anything beneficial can become destructive if 'overdone' or becomes destructively addictive. For everyone the limit of what this is, is different. For me, I think I know where my limits are and I am very intentional about it. My wife thinks I am nuts, but I have a software program called Habitify that I track a number of daily habits in. I am not legalistically bound to the goals I set in there with prayer, relationships, exercise, recreation, diet, etc., but it gives me a gauge. Part of my regular 'recreation' habits is pipe smoking.
Challenges of life aside, pipe smoking is very pleasurable and this thread highlights many helpful considerations in regard to risks to enjoyment, and of course, also benefit. A lot of wisdom to draw on here.
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Agreed! Exactly what I had hoped for in starting this thread. Thrilled with the responses so far.
"I hope you're absolutely plagued with dissatisfaction through your whole life" --- Bob Ross
I like the tag line. Stay dissatisfied and keep searching, my friend
Funny you should mention that. Every year a group of friends, my wife and I, have a “Bob Ross Party” where we all paint along. This year’s happened to be tonight. Here are the results. Amazing how different everyone’s ends up. Enjoyed a bowl of GH Bob’s Chocolate Flake and some HH Pure VA tonight during the party. Great fun.
You appear to have an awesome life, my friend. You keep doing you. I enjoy your posts immensely.
It’s an interesting question. Tobacco is dangerous, of course, and it’s nice that we’re not pretending otherwise. But my attitude has always been that I am going to die of something, so why avoid things that I enjoy doing just because they’re dangerous?
That’s changed slightly just recently. I smoked a pipe only occasionally, but smoked cigarettes daily. Combined with a distinct lack of any exercise I really began to notice the effect it was having on me. I’ve always been in fairly good shape, but I’m now getting out of breath just walking to the top of an escalator. I do also have to take into account that I have a history of cancer in both sides of the family.
So I guess my attitude has become “I have to die of something, and I shouldn’t avoid things I enjoy- but there’s no reason to be an idiot about it”.
The key, as with most things, is moderation. There’s nothing wrong with a glass of whisky of an evening, but we’d all look askance at someone who was sinking half a bottle a day.
Equally, there’s nothing wrong with a bowl of good pipe tobacco once or twice a week- but that’s a different thing to ten fags a day (in my case).
As a result, I’m currently in the process of quitting the fags, but intend to keep up the pipe. I’ll probably end up smoking a pipe a bit more than I did previously, but I really do see the pipe as being quite analogous to whisky- it’s something I’ll sit and sip and enjoy once a week or so. I’m not giving up a thing I enjoy, I’m just being sensible about it.
That’s changed slightly just recently. I smoked a pipe only occasionally, but smoked cigarettes daily. Combined with a distinct lack of any exercise I really began to notice the effect it was having on me. I’ve always been in fairly good shape, but I’m now getting out of breath just walking to the top of an escalator. I do also have to take into account that I have a history of cancer in both sides of the family.
So I guess my attitude has become “I have to die of something, and I shouldn’t avoid things I enjoy- but there’s no reason to be an idiot about it”.
The key, as with most things, is moderation. There’s nothing wrong with a glass of whisky of an evening, but we’d all look askance at someone who was sinking half a bottle a day.
Equally, there’s nothing wrong with a bowl of good pipe tobacco once or twice a week- but that’s a different thing to ten fags a day (in my case).
As a result, I’m currently in the process of quitting the fags, but intend to keep up the pipe. I’ll probably end up smoking a pipe a bit more than I did previously, but I really do see the pipe as being quite analogous to whisky- it’s something I’ll sit and sip and enjoy once a week or so. I’m not giving up a thing I enjoy, I’m just being sensible about it.
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