Lifespan of Pipe Smokers

[hoosierpipeguy]

I'm 66 and been smoking since I was 15. I smoked my first pipe around age 16, a cob filled with Borkum Riff Whiskey. Surprised I ever started again after smoking that stuff. Smoked cigarettes until 2007, almost 2 packs per day. Also smoked cigars. Smoked a pipe at several different periods of my life, in my early 20's and around the turn of the century. Took pipe up very seriously again in 2017.

I can't point to any direct health issues yet but I can't see anyone arguing it is good for you and has no ill effects. Perhaps in small doses it has zero to minimal effects. I doubt a bowl per day, if not inhaled, would cause much of an issue. Larger quantities would certainly have some type of negative effect. I suspect this would vary individual to individual and the extent would likely be unknown. Clearly, if you smoke much at all, wound healing is negatively affected as smoking affects the oxygen content in the blood.

I have recently cut back for health reasons but I really don't wish to quit completely. I really enjoy smoking my pipe. I enjoy it a lot.

 

[PipeIT]

Don't know how fatal piping is as I've never done it but I've used most tobacco products regularly on a daily basis including pipe smoking for 32 years and haven't had any adverse affects yet at 49 years old.

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WOW, I didn’t take you for 49, the last pics I saw of you, you look really great!

Be well Chasing!

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

My cousin recently passed away at the ripe old age of 98, he smoked a pipe till the very end.

 

[Hillcrest]

I died 6 yrs ago.

just walk (lunt) it off !

 

[tobakenist]

I'm smoking Skiff today and I'm still going since 1965, I was only 10

 

[Servant King]

Just turned 38, been smoking a pipe for just shy of five years. Never smoked cigarettes, and only smoked the odd cigar before switching to pipe. No health issues whatsoever. Which is fortunate, because I plan on living well past 524,000 years.

Holy crap, I need to beef up my cellar now...

 

[kcghost]

I'm 76 and have been pipe smoking for about 50 years with no health issues related to pipe smoking. I've been going into the same smoke shop for 35 years and have met scads of pipe and cigar smokers and none of them have any smoking related issues. The cigarette smokers haven't had the same luck.

 

[depriest1022]

49. Never smoked or consumed anything with nicotine until 2 years ago. I figure it has kept me sane the last 2 years. It forced me to pause and think and slow down.

It’s been good for me but I only smoke about 3 bowls per week.

 

[litup]

I feel like we won’t get a true representation of the data until some of the more dead forum members chime in. Anyone have a ouija board?

 

[warren]

have met scads of pipe and cigar smokers and none of them have any smoking related issues.

It's the ones who don't come in any more with the issues.

 

[OverMountain]

Smoke pipe sparingly for 40 years, daily for last year. No ill effects.

Low volume pipe smoking up to a couple bowls per day has negligible health effects.

I’m with doc. Enjoy your life. Stay active, social. Have a spiritual belief. Eat well and smoke a pipe like you would enjoy dessert without over doing it.

That’s my opinion after reading and observation. It’s tough to be quantitative due to the lack of specific randomized experiments on exclusive pipe smoking that could assign causality to medical problems with any degree of confidence.

We will never have up to date, good data on exclusive pipe smokers IMO. The pool is too small and it’s not a pressing need for funding. An observational approach is our best shot for understanding risks and benefits.

Enjoying good pipe tobacco from time to time is a large net benefit to my life, and I’m thankful. Heck, I love it and it makes me relaxed and happier.

 

[ashdigger]

I’ll have to consult my Ouija Board.

 

[JackOrion]

There was a nomad that never bathed. Apparently he shied away from fresh foods and water. He smoked dung out of the biggest pot style pipe I’ve ever seen.
He made it into his 90’s before deciding this world couldn’t supply enough dirt or dung for him.

 

[brian64]

There was a nomad that never bathed. Apparently he shied away from fresh foods and water. He smoked dung out of the biggest pot style pipe I’ve ever seen.
He made it into his 90’s before deciding this world couldn’t supply enough dirt or dung for him.

He used to be referenced fairly often on the forum. The story of his passing was posted as well.

A truly unique and fascinating man. Anybody can be a homeless, unbathed nomad. But to smoke dung as well out of what appears to just be an actual metal pipe? Now that's taking the lifestyle to a whole other level that few could ever attain to.

 

[brian64]

Which is fortunate, because I plan on living well past 524,000 years.

I've made it to the 524,000 hour mark...does that count?

 

[Servant King]

I've made it to the 524,000 hour mark...does that count?

Hmmm...good question. I'll have to think about it. It is indeed the archetypal 524,000 pipe problem...

 

[Chasing Embers]

Stay active, social.

So far in life, socializing has caused me more maladies than tobacco.

 

[TinCup]

Had my allocated 1/4 million cigs and I've almost got to the obligatory 5000 cigar target over the last 40 years while adding pipe smoking about 4 years ago

3 years ago I couldn't jog a block, tipped the scales at 225lbs & got breathless using escalators... but it wasn't due to smoking, it was food/drink

Now 70lbs lighter I jogged 5km at 6am this morning (for the 3rd time so far this week) after smoking my first bowl of the day at 5am and enjoyed a coffee sized cigar at 4.30, I try to do 45-50km of exercise a week doing combo of walking/jogging/golf and have no plans to give up my pipes but I did kick the cigs 5 years ago

In my case (so far) food/drink has been far more impactful to my lifespan than smoking

 

[jerry]

I’ll be 70 in June. Never smoked cigarettes, but smoked a pipe for many years. No negative health issues even remotely related to pipe smoking. My mom smoked cigarettes and lived to 94. My dad only smoked cigarettes when he was in the army. He passed at 102.

 

[condorlover1]

I have always believed that cigarettes are not very helpful to ones health but their detrimental effects are magnified with the amount of sh*t they put in the things. I have noticed that those who rolled their own seem to have a slightly better outcome in terms of longevity assuming they are using pure additive free tobacco. I have smoked a pipe since I was 15 or 16 and apart from my destroyed teeth from pipe notches, touch wood I seem to be motoring on as well as can be expected for an old fart of my age.