Why Switch from Cigarettes to Pipe?

[mso489]

I've tried cigarettes, as a child, and socially when offered when I was in high school and college, but I never bought a pack. Between high school and college, I took a bus trip from Chicago to Florida, and was submerged in secondhand smoke, which acted as a strong aversion therapy. The stale smell, and the ill feeling that came with it put me off nails.

 

[bullet08]

I still smoke cigarettes. I stopped for awhile. But, vape is just too much work. Pipe takes some prep. So when I need a quick fix, energy stick it is. It's not like I'm gonna live forever.

 

[didimauw]

Couldn't imagine giving up cigarettes, chew, dip, nasal snuff, or pipes.

They all have a special place with me

 

[chopper]

Assuming you DON’T inhale the pipe smoke; then it’ll be a less costly health risk. (Although, If you do inhale both, then the piping is probably worse. Saw a study where the median nicotine level per cigarette was 12 mg; and the average nicotine level in a bowl was around 130 mg; However the big difference was inhalation, whereas most cigarette smokers absorb almost 90% of that nicotine, whilst pipers that don’t inhale generally absorb less than 2% of the nicotine)
Economically; piping is cheaper. My neck of the woods, a pack of cigs is $17. What’s in a pack? 12 cigs???? A 50g tin will normally yield me around 20 bowls. Plus it won’t go stale if stored properly.

130mg? What was in the bowl, Rope or Plug tobacco?

Rather than making presumptions or listening to old wives tales, I prefer to look at the facts.
A U.S. Surgeon Generals report from many years back found that pipe smokers who inhale have the same life expectancy as a non-smoker.

This I believe is due to the fact that tailor made cigarettes have 300+ added chemicals while pipe tobacco has no added harmful chemicals.

Tobacco is not as harmful as the rabidly vocal anti-smoking brigade would have one believe.
[They're just miserable wowsers who've never been laid]

 

[Swiss Army Knife]

I'm going to be honest and say I would never have quit cigarettes for pipe. They're just completely different goals when it comes to smoking, if I'd tried to get into pipe tobacco at the same time I was a cigarette smoker I'd have bounced off it within a week.

However pipes have been a nice way to still enjoy tobacco and nicotine without being really addicted to the chemical and habit. I picked up pipe tobacco over a year after going cold turkey on cigarettes, haven't touched them since either.

 

[Anchovies]

Cigarettes are obviously far worse for your health. At least if you smoke a pipe without inhaling it, which is the intended method of smoking pipe tobacco. If you inhale your pipe tobacco then I guess the health benefits of a pipe are probably small or non-existent.

But even if you do choose to inhale your pipe smoke, there are several other benefits to pipe tobacco. It's higher quality, it's far less offensive (as in stinky) to people around you and it tastes better.

I haven't smoked a cigarette for somewhere close to twenty years, and I like pipes and cigars. But cigarettes now basically smell like a car exhaust to me.

I would also advise anyone moving from cigarettes to pipes to properly quit cigarettes first. I know it sucks and it's hard. But otherwise you will just end up inhaling pipe tobacco.

 

[Anchovies]

130mg? What was in the bowl, Rope or Plug tobacco?

Rather than making presumptions or listening to old wives tales, I prefer to look at the facts.
A U.S. Surgeon Generals report from many years back found that pipe smokers who inhale have the same life expectancy as a non-smoker.

This I believe is due to the fact that tailor made cigarettes have 300+ added chemicals while pipe tobacco has no added harmful chemicals.

Tobacco is not as harmful as the rabidly vocal anti-smoking brigade would have one believe.
[They're just miserable wowsers who've never been laid]

I have read that too. And that pipe-smokers who do not inhale actually have a slightly longer life expectancy than a non-smoker.

If that second thing is true, my guess is that it is due to the meditative and mindfulness aspects of pipe smoking. When I'm smoking a pipe it's usually alone and almost like meditating. I'm concentrating on the pipe and not much else.

However, I do have a healthy amount of scepticism for both claims, and especially the first one (that inhaling pipe smokers live as long as non smokers). It simply doesn't make sense and there is virtually no supporting data or studies to back it up. The nature of science is that consensus is required. One study or report is worth very little. It needs thorough peer-review and sceptical inquiry by as large-as-possible body of experts before it can be claimed as a real scientific theory (scientific theory = "the most likely explanation of a phenomena given the evidence"). Before that it's just a hypothesis.

Anyway, I don't mean to lecture. Long story short, I'm sceptical - although I'd love it to be true - and more research is needed. I doubt it's going to come though. Pipe smoking is a niche thing these days and there's little interest in researching it.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Cigarettes are obviously far worse for your health. At least if you smoke a pipe without inhaling it, which is the intended method of smoking pipe tobacco. If you inhale your pipe tobacco then I guess the health benefits of a pipe are probably small or non-existent.

But even if you do choose to inhale your pipe smoke, there are several other benefits to pipe tobacco. It's higher quality, it's far less offensive (as in stinky) to people around you and it tastes better.

I haven't smoked a cigarette for somewhere close to twenty years, and I like pipes and cigars. But cigarettes now basically smell like a car exhaust to me.

I would also advise anyone moving from cigarettes to pipes to properly quit cigarettes first. I know it sucks and it's hard. But otherwise you will just end up inhaling pipe tobacco.

But just remember, if the cigarette market goes away, tobacco sales will drop and a niche market like pipe tobacco will likely go with it. If chewing tobacco dies out, dark fired pipe tobacco fans are really going to be in a pickle.

 

[Anchovies]

But just remember, if the cigarette market goes away, tobacco sales will drop and a niche market like pipe tobacco will likely go with it. If chewing tobacco dies out, dark fired pipe tobacco fans are really going to be in a pickle.

I don't really have any problem with cigarettes apart from the filters. If people want to smoke, be my guest. Just be conscious of other people around you who are totally within their rights to not be exposed to your smell and smoke (the same of course goes for cigars and pipes).

The one thing that really bugs me about cigarettes is the filters. When I see a stranger smoking a cigarette and stub it out and dispose of the filter in the rubbish bin or somewhere else respectful, I mentally high-five them.

Unfortunately it seems the vast majority just piff their butts onto the ground where-ever they're standing. How on earth that ever become socially acceptable behaviour I have absolutely no idea. I don't see any difference in that to me opening a bottle of coke and just tossing the bottle-cap over my shoulder, or opening a sweet just to drop the wrapper where I'm standing. No difference at all.

In fact, I don't think it is socially acceptable behaviour. I think the vast majority of non-smokers are like me: they hate it when smokers just chuck their butts on the ground, and they do a silent mental happy dance when they see the odd one take care of their rubbish respectfully. It's just unfortunately so common that if you made a big deal out of it every time someone dropped a butt on the ground, it's all you'd be doing all day.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

as an aside,Due to regulations on tar and nicotine content of cigarettes sold in the EU and UK , cigarettes and Rolling tobacco are not what they used to be 40 year ago, quality and overall taste went significantly downhill,leave alone the price
US made Cigarettes are bolder in taste and far much better quality

 

[Chasing Embers]

as an aside,Due to regulations on tar and nicotine content of cigarettes sold in the EU and UK , cigarettes and Rolling tobacco are not what they used to be 40 year ago, quality and overall taste went significantly downhill,leave alone the price
US made Cigarettes are bolder in taste and far much better quality

The Katerini and Basma blend I use for RYO is $20/pound. Great stuff.

 

[JOHN72]

I started with cigarettes when I was 17 years old in the army, I tried some marijuana and what they call chocolate, typical of Morocco, hachis to smoke. It all seemed like garbage to me. To this day it's garbage to my taste. I switched to cigars, practically to Havana cigars, and fortunately to pipe tobacco. The big tobacco companies, did the perfect job, to sink the world of tobacco.

 

[Aomalley27]

130mg? What was in the bowl, Rope or Plug tobacco?

Rather than making presumptions or listening to old wives tales, I prefer to look at the facts.
A U.S. Surgeon Generals report from many years back found that pipe smokers who inhale have the same life expectancy as a non-smoker.

This I believe is due to the fact that tailor made cigarettes have 300+ added chemicals while pipe tobacco has no added harmful chemicals.

Tobacco is not as harmful as the rabidly vocal anti-smoking brigade would have one believe.
[They're just miserable wowsers who've never been laid]

Nicotine Content of Domestic Cigarettes, Imported Cigarettes and Pipe Tobacco in Iran - PMC

There are many different kinds of cigarettes and tobacco available in the market. Since nicotine content of various brands of cigarettes are very variable, therefore evaluation and comparison of nicotine content of different brands of cigarettes is ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Just one study ? Or is it an old wives tale?
I’ll try to find the Nordic study. That specifically mentions absorption rates of cig smokers, cigar smokers, pipers, snuff etc. and breaks it down further into inhaling vs non inhaling.

 

[warren]

Put match to tobacco and create carcinogens. The degree of health damage is mostly dependent on your gene pool. Sucking the carcinogens into your lungs is risky. Only allowing them to enter your system through the mucus membranes of the mouth and nose is most likely less unhealthy. Smoking is a vice for those those willing to measure risk/reward and make a conscious decision to risk their health. Smoking is not something the risk averse should even consider as such risk will lurk in the back of the mind and prevent the full enjoyment of the pipe, cigar, cigarette or what have you. The pipe is, I believe, proven to be less risky, with regard to future health problems. But, if you are young and invincible, the future is of less importance than the here and now.

I always suggest, when asked, that a prospective smoker weigh all of the known risks before making a purely selfish decision. We all should have a wee vice but, weighing the risk/reward is only due diligence.

 

[warren]

Well, on the plus side... they generally don't sweep pipe tobacco off the floor.

I vacuum the pipe tobacco up, Even the "codger scoop" will often leave bits and pieces of the weed in my lap to drop to the floor when I stand up. I'd love to have a "they" to follow me around and clean up after meself.

 

[chopper]

I have read that too. And that pipe-smokers who do not inhale actually have a slightly longer life expectancy than a non-smoker.

If that second thing is true, my guess is that it is due to the meditative and mindfulness aspects of pipe smoking. When I'm smoking a pipe it's usually alone and almost like meditating. I'm concentrating on the pipe and not much else.

However, I do have a healthy amount of scepticism for both claims, and especially the first one (that inhaling pipe smokers live as long as non smokers). It simply doesn't make sense and there is virtually no supporting data or studies to back it up. The nature of science is that consensus is required. One study or report is worth very little. It needs thorough peer-review and sceptical inquiry by as large-as-possible body of experts before it can be claimed as a real scientific theory (scientific theory = "the most likely explanation of a phenomena given the evidence"). Before that it's just a hypothesis.

Oh, so you'd rather listen to old wives tales than a study based on facts?

"due to the meditative effects " Close but no cigar.
The U.S. Surgeon Generals report also found that pipe smokers who do not inhale, have a life expectancy three years beyond that of a non-smoker. [But what the hell does that guy know, right? ]

That I suspect is due to the meditative benefits and the fact that a fair proportion of pipe smokers who don't inhale tend to smoke one or two bowls daily.

It should be obvious that the main thing that explains the mortality rate differences between pipe and cigarette smokers is the staggering amount of chemicals that are added to cigarettes that aren't added to pipe tobacco.

But hey, it's a free world to ignore facts and make shit up to fit your imagination and cognitive dissonance I guess.
Make your old granny and her spinster friends proud. They're never wrong, right?

 

[Chasing Embers]

But hey, it's a free world to ignore facts and make shit up to fit your imagination and cognitive dissonance I guess.

Then we'd all be getting a doctor's salary.

 

[condorlover1]

British gaspers went down hill in the late 1970s early 1980s. Wills Woodbine, Park Drive, Players Medium Navy, Capstan Full Strength, Kensitas, Piccadilly No:1, Plays Weights along with Nut Brown RYO and real Golden Virginia were real unfiltered cigarettes made with tobacco. Although my detour to cig world was very brief I have no desire to smoke modern cigs since they taste of nothing in particular. Pipes all the way for me these days!

 

[chopper]

British gaspers went down hill in the late 1970s early 1980s. Wills Woodbine, Park Drive, Players Medium Navy, Capstan Full Strength, Kensitas, Piccadilly No:1, Plays Weights along with Nut Brown RYO and real Golden Virginia were real unfiltered cigarettes made with tobacco. Although my detour to cig world was very brief I have no desire to smoke modern cigs since they taste of nothing in particular. Pipes all the way for me these days!

Benson & Hedges in the 20's gold pack also disappeared off the shelves here in Oz quite some time ago.
A 25 silver pack [Called Sterling IIRC] replaced the gold [not sure if they're still available]
Although they weren't as bad as some cheap brands, the tobacco was inferior to the gold pack.

 

[condorlover1]

Some horrible little kill joy in a 'Health Department' probably decided it was the correct thing to do.