Welcome from the SF Bay Area! I'm a reformed cigarette smoker myself, and while pipe smoking has its health risks, the difference in direct inhalation has made a big difference in my life. I've been losing weight for the past year, and went from not being able to jog a quarter mile without having to stop and feeling like I was going to pass out to running 10k most days. Harm reduction is nothing to scoff at. Doctors gotta be doctors, though, and I understand their perspective, too.