Medical Doctors who Smoke a Pipe?
- Thread starter epazikas
- Start date
Dr Grabow recommends me to smoke. I’ve been going to him for 20 years now
You do iron butt rides without a helmet? The sun/wind exposure alone would do me in. I do pretty regular 500 + mile days, and sometimes consider doing 1000 miles in 24 hours thing, just do it.I am a doctor, I don't just play one on this forum.
All smoking is bad for you - lets just get that out of the way. Professionally and on the record - QUIT!
Cigarette smoking is very harmful, the inhaling of hot gases with carcinogens is extremely bad for your health and the number one preventable cause of death. Risks = Cancer / COPD (emphysema) / Peripheral Vascular Disease (heart attack, stroke, poor circulation, hardening of the arteries)
Nicotine is extremely addictive.
Chew is strongly linked to oral cancers.
Pipe smoking in general is much less harmful, but is dose dependent. From what I have seen in studies, occasional use has minimal risk. That is assuming that you do not inhale. If you inhale, it likely is similar to cigarettes or possibly worse. If you smoke daily your risk will increase, and if you are smoking multiple bowls every day then you are certainly addicted to nicotine and have substantial increased health risks of COPD and cancer.
IMO there will never be an honest study of pipe smoking for a couple of reasons. First, it is so overshadowed by cigarettes that any study will not apply and would not be accurate for many reasons I will not get in to here. Second, who is going to pay for or publish any study that would be favorable to any tobacco use?!! It will not happen. From what I can deduce from the scant evidence, less than daily use of pipes and not inhaling carries minimal increased risks to your health.
As others have alluded to, there may be some beneficial affects of pipe smoking for anxiety and other psychiatric ailments. There is certainly a huge benefit to people who quit cigarettes and use pipes as an alternative, assuming they do not regularly inhale or smoke all day long.
But let's not kid ourselves, just because there is a lack of evidence directly related to pipe smoking and possibly some theoretical benefits, we can't assume that it is harmless or even beneficial over all. It is in the end a behavior that is harmful to your health. As an adult you have to make the decision on what risks you want to take in life and what adds quality to your life. Do you want to be alive or live? We all take risks in life and society. Driving is extremely risky for instance, but we all accept that risk to increase the quality of our lives. Alcohol, nuff said. Tobacco remains the number 1 preventable cause of death in America. Obesity is also very bad - eating excessive calories is detrimental to your health.
Personally I accept the risk and enjoy smoking a pipe. I will smoke quite heavily some days, but many days I don't smoke at all. As long as I don't have any withdrawal symptoms when I don't smoke and it does not impact my family relations such as spending time with my grandchildren, then I feel the risk is acceptable.
I may be a doctor, but I also am a risk taker. I drive motorcycles fast without a helmet for long distances. I just finished a Texas Iron Butt ride for 1500 miles in 24 hours. So take that into account when you read the above. I am sure that most other physicians would not agree with my personal opinion and advise to quite smoking.
-Doc
Yes sir! If you ever want to do an Iron Butt, I can give you a few pointers. It ain't easy, but I find it satisfying.
My GP brought up the subject of tobacco in his checklist.
GP: Are you taking your vitamins?
Me: Yes, Yes.
GP: What about the iron supplements?
Me: Yes, still.
GP: What about smoking?
Me: Yes, yes, I'm keeping that up.
GP:
GP: Are you taking your vitamins?
Me: Yes, Yes.
GP: What about the iron supplements?
Me: Yes, still.
GP: What about smoking?
Me: Yes, yes, I'm keeping that up.
GP:
You are correct on all points.
But, my life is MUCH easier than it used to be. I live in a very rural area of upstate NY. I have a clinic on my property, so no commuting.
A couple years ago I took on another vet and, due to a lack of surgical expertise locally, I stick mostly to surgeries.
Several local vets send me a lot of their internal surgery cases.
Anywhere from 4-10 surgeries a week and I still hold a couple free rabies vac days a year and a couple free spay/neuter clinics a year.
The rest of my time is spent on our small farm growing food and smoking my pipes.
My doctor told me to eat more bacon, and keep on with the cigars; and pls open a shop in town.
A guys gotta do what a guys gotta do!! I found it beneficial to have found out that pipe smokers and cigar smokers live just as long as non-smokers.
Drinking alcohol is risky. Being the child of my parents is risky, and I legitimately wish it was heart disease. Driving is risky. Motorbike is risky. Crossing the street is risky. Cutting down trees on my property is risky. There is a nonzero chance of being hit by a meteorite.
Smoking my pipe is the second least of my worries, IMO. Meteorites are pretty dang rare
Smoking my pipe is the second least of my worries, IMO. Meteorites are pretty dang rare
I do not remember reading many, if any, of his posts during my brief time here but his photographs are always topnotch.
I enjoyed the Italy trip especially
I’m sure there are a few “Drs.” Especially Dr. Of Pipes that will tell you it’s the only thing keeping us sane!
Thanks! I don’t know if I’ll ever do an iron butt, but I may pm you sometime if you’re willing to give general long distance riding tips. I find riding in the high heat/humidity we have down here in Florida the most challenging
I'm not a doctor. But it's rather stupid to smoke and hope to be in a top of healthy shape. It's a decision you have to make for yourself. Just like if you want to go down on your girlfriend or not. If she took a shower that morning, why not?
Well said.I am a doctor, I don't just play one on this forum.
All smoking is bad for you - lets just get that out of the way. Professionally and on the record - QUIT!
Cigarette smoking is very harmful, the inhaling of hot gases with carcinogens is extremely bad for your health and the number one preventable cause of death. Risks = Cancer / COPD (emphysema) / Peripheral Vascular Disease (heart attack, stroke, poor circulation, hardening of the arteries)
Nicotine is extremely addictive.
Chew is strongly linked to oral cancers.
Pipe smoking in general is much less harmful, but is dose dependent. From what I have seen in studies, occasional use has minimal risk. That is assuming that you do not inhale. If you inhale, it likely is similar to cigarettes or possibly worse. If you smoke daily your risk will increase, and if you are smoking multiple bowls every day then you are certainly addicted to nicotine and have substantial increased health risks of COPD and cancer.
IMO there will never be an honest study of pipe smoking for a couple of reasons. First, it is so overshadowed by cigarettes that any study will not apply and would not be accurate for many reasons I will not get in to here. Second, who is going to pay for or publish any study that would be favorable to any tobacco use?!! It will not happen. From what I can deduce from the scant evidence, less than daily use of pipes and not inhaling carries minimal increased risks to your health.
As others have alluded to, there may be some beneficial affects of pipe smoking for anxiety and other psychiatric ailments. There is certainly a huge benefit to people who quit cigarettes and use pipes as an alternative, assuming they do not regularly inhale or smoke all day long.
But let's not kid ourselves, just because there is a lack of evidence directly related to pipe smoking and possibly some theoretical benefits, we can't assume that it is harmless or even beneficial over all. It is in the end a behavior that is harmful to your health. As an adult you have to make the decision on what risks you want to take in life and what adds quality to your life. Do you want to be alive or live? We all take risks in life and society. Driving is extremely risky for instance, but we all accept that risk to increase the quality of our lives. Alcohol, nuff said. Tobacco remains the number 1 preventable cause of death in America. Obesity is also very bad - eating excessive calories is detrimental to your health.
Personally I accept the risk and enjoy smoking a pipe. I will smoke quite heavily some days, but many days I don't smoke at all. As long as I don't have any withdrawal symptoms when I don't smoke and it does not impact my family relations such as spending time with my grandchildren, then I feel the risk is acceptable.
I may be a doctor, but I also am a risk taker. I drive motorcycles fast without a helmet for long distances. I just finished a Texas Iron Butt ride for 1500 miles in 24 hours. So take that into account when you read the above. I am sure that most other physicians would not agree with my personal opinion and advise to quite smoking.
-Doc
Mixing metaphors here, but I think it applies...
Quod me nutrit, me destruit.-- What nourishes me, also destorys me.
I, too, remember the dentist of my youth always having a cigarette in his mouth, including while working on my teeth. I can still see his face, with the drill squealing away, his eyes squinting against the rising smoke. His son now teaches dentistry in Boston, I assume without the coffin nails, which is what cigarettes were called long before any Surgeon General's report. Wonder how anyone, or whoever coined the term, knew that inhaling smoke into your lungs could be harmful, before the government stepped in and made it official. [sarcasm]
Surgeon here. Orthopaedic.
My whole life is about balancing risk Vs benefit, usually with patients but with overspill into my personal life. Part of this is about trying to 'see' into the future using experience and evidence.
Pleasure however, seems to wield greater power than sense.
I have recently taken up pipe smoking and am loving it.
There are a couple of sayings that might explain this behaviour.
"Operations are for patients"
And
"The definition of an alcoholic is someone who drinks more than you do, who you don't like"
So, as someone else had already said, "take my advice, because I don't want it!"
My whole life is about balancing risk Vs benefit, usually with patients but with overspill into my personal life. Part of this is about trying to 'see' into the future using experience and evidence.
Pleasure however, seems to wield greater power than sense.
I have recently taken up pipe smoking and am loving it.
There are a couple of sayings that might explain this behaviour.
"Operations are for patients"
And
"The definition of an alcoholic is someone who drinks more than you do, who you don't like"
So, as someone else had already said, "take my advice, because I don't want it!"