Smoking...

[Laker]

I can't believe how many young lawyers that I work with are smokers. When we were in school, DW and I would study at the law library and there were always law/med students standing outside smoking. Whenever I drive by a hospital, I see nurses, docs, and other workers outside smoking. What is the obsession?

In college and shortly thereafter, I occasionally smoked when drinking...it was a dumb thing to do.

[Sheherezade]

Stress relief? I've never been a smoker, but I know when DH smoked he always relapsed during times of high stress. It must offer some soothing quality - and for only a 5 minute break in work.

I think the nicotine has a number of effects. Relaxation (at least perceived relaxation) must be one of them. I can see how high stress professions would lead to more of this behavior - but I would hope they'd be smart enough to know better.

[Flynn]

In a word I think smoking is disgusting.

Obviously it's an addiction or nobody would continue (I hope) but I just don't understand some of the reasons people start in the first place. I realize before we knew better, many people would get hooked from 12-20 and smoke the rest of their lives. Now with the information we have it's just nuts.

Where we used to live there was a 50 foot rule that you could not smoke outside a public place within 50 feet (or something like that). I rarely every saw smokers as a result. Here, you can smoke right outside any public place and there are always groups of smokers. You have to walk through the smell to get into the building.

The idea that it's cool just baffles me. It's gross. End of story.

[Sheherezade]

I was thinking something along these lines.

From an abstract online:

Department of Pathophysiology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.

A number of studies have shown an increase in nicotine self-administration among smokers when exposed to stress. Since it is well known that nicotine or stress alter the dopaminergic system, we examined the effect of chronic nicotine administration on the dopamine level and its metabolism in the striatum and the hippocampus during stressful conditions in rats. Nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, i.p. for 14 days) increased the dopamine level in the striatum (P<0. 05) and decreased it in the hippocampus (P<0.05) in comparison with the effect of saline. Three hours of water-immersion restraint stress sharply elevated the dopamine level (P<0.05) and reduced the 3-methoxytyramine level (P ranged from 0.05 to 0.001 depending on the area and time point) in both brain regions studied, while dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanilic acid levels were not altered. Nicotine pretreatment attenuated some of these changes in a region- and time-dependent manner. However, stress induced a decrease in dopamine turnover in the hippocampus (P<0.05) but not in the striatum, and nicotine failed to prevent this effect. Stress-induced alterations gradually returned toward normal during the 48-h observation period, and in some cases this was facilitated by nicotine. Thus, we demonstrated differential, region- and time-dependent protective effects of chronic nicotine administration against stress-induced changes in dopamine levels and release in brain regions critically affected by stress.

PMID: 10650157 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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It has a physiological effect that is soothing --- or at least a partially soothing effect. Strange, since it is a stimulant. Still, I'm sure that smokers reach for a pack when they are stressed out. I wouldn't be surprised to see a pack in front of the library at exam time.

I'm not fond of smoking, either. I think people fall in to the trap of smoking and have a hard time clawing their way out. It would be great if they never started. Still, we all do things we shouldn't do at some point. I won't be the first to throw a stone.

[alison]

What is the obsession with smoking?

It's an addiction. An addiction that's harder to kick than heroin.

For the crowds of students and small groups that stand outside of office buildings, there's the social aspect that's tied to smoking... You stand outside and shoot the breeze with colleagues for 5 minutes and then go back inside to work. If you're a nonsmoker you're an outsider to these gatherings. And the smokers don't want you there anyway with your "you should really stop smoking," "smoking is disgusting," "what is so good about smoking?"

My dad smokes. He wants to quit, and if it were merely an obsession, he would have quit by now. It's much more complex than that. This is a guy with an Ivy League education, who knows EXACTLY what the smoking is doing to his body. So it's not that he's stupid. Book smarts apparently don't give you the license to be above smoking.

[alison]

As an aside, my brother went to Japan recently to visit relatives and saw a sign in a bookstore that told people: NO SMORKING.

[DCJenn]

It's an addiction that once you're in it's clutches it's nearly impossible to get out from. I STILL crave cigarettes under stressful situations. Part of the reason why I know I have to get a treadmill when Rick leaves is to combat the pull. I was standing in the shower the day after we found out about the deployment and I was suddenly struck with the urge, again.

It's been 8 years since I had my last cigarette. If I ever had one again, I can't guarantee that I could stop again.

and you can't smell or taste it when you smoke so the disgusting part is a non-event.

Jenn

[GrayMatterWife]

When I was in law school, a bunch of my classmates actually took up smoking for the first time. Folks in their early to mid-20s. I thought that was completely bizarre. Especially after studying cases involving cigarette smoking related tort claims.

[alison]

DCJenn: thanks for posting your experiences!
Congratulations on your 8 years! Really, you have reason to be very proud of yourself!

[Meenah]

It is an addiction. My BIL could not kick it, he had heart disease, and after having stents put in he still couldn't quit. They told him if he didn't he would die, is father died at 51 and his brother at 40. He couldn't quit and did die. Very sad and too young.

[alison]

Luanne, I sent you a PM. Have a look.

[Meenah]

Did you get the info I sent to you?

[Meenah]

I got your PM. Best of luck to your Dad.

[Momo]

It is an addiction. My BIL could not kick it, he had heart disease, and after having stents put in he still couldn't quit. They told him if he didn't he would die, is father died at 51 and his brother at 40. He couldn't quit and did die. Very sad and too young.

Individuals who have high stress levels,smoke and have heart disease are on a very dangerous path ;it's a very grave gamble that many will lose as Luanne points out. Sadly DH see this all the time. I think people often think of lung cancer and emphysema as being the main outcomes of smoking. If they only knew how it restricts their blood vessels and chokes off the heart.

[Stella]

Exactly what Jenn said. I had my first cigarette at 13. Where I grew up, EVERYONE smoked. My dad smokes again (he quit for about 10 years when I was in school and at home.) SO smokes too - when we are stressed, pissed off, or out drinking with friends. It's a very hard thing to get away from, and yes, I know it is stupid, but we do it anyway.