[Redway]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

I thought this was going to be a moral debate about actually exploiting friends or relatives with drug addictions or something

But I'm with Nyarrm, when it comes to tobacco prices rising, I see both sides.

Tobacco’s a drug quite alright, and it’s not even socially acceptable for people much younger than 25 to smoke it now.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Redway

Tobacco’s a drug quite alright, and it’s not even socially acceptable for people much younger than 25 to smoke it now.

To be fair though - tobacco isn't the drug, nicotine is the drug and as Niamh says the teens-and-twenty-somethings are vaping up a storm ... and it's been found that the nicotine intake from vaping is MUCH higher than from smoking. Partly because of the intake method, partly because a lot of people who vape vape CONSTANTLY all day long, whereas in smokers, true "chain smoking" (50+ a day) is quite rare.

Basically... it's tasty and more socially acceptable. Should it be? I dunno... but it just is. When we travel to see family we always stay with my sister in law who is in her mid 20's and a heavy "vaper". She sits with us in the evening in a constant cloud of vape and it honestly doesn't bother anyone ... whereas if we were sat in a cloud of cigarette smoke... well, we just wouldn't stay there at all to be honest.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Soldier Boy

To be fair though - tobacco isn't the drug, nicotine is the drug and as Niamh says the teens-and-twenty-somethings are vaping up a storm ... and it's been found that the nicotine intake from vaping is MUCH higher than from smoking. Partly because of the intake method, partly because a lot of people who vape vape CONSTANTLY all day long, whereas in smokers, true "chain smoking" (50+ a day) is quite rare.

Basically... it's tasty and more socially acceptable. Should it be? I dunno... but it just is. When we travel to see family we always stay with my sister in law who is in her mid 20's and a heavy "vaper". She sits with us in the evening in a constant cloud of vape and it honestly doesn't bother anyone ... whereas if we were sat in a cloud of cigarette smoke... well, we just wouldn't stay there at all to be honest.

I vape CBD occasionally (and take it in other ways) but that’s the extent of it so I can’t comment from personal experience about this business of vaping e.-bifta juice. Just that lots and lots of people aged 40 or younger do it, and so do older people to some extent (especially the ones looking for a replacement to actual cigarettes). Certain pubs will still direct you outside if you want to vape (even CBD). Going outside every time you want to vape is just a long thing so I like it when people recognise that vapes aren’t like really cigarettes and make more allowances for “smoking” it indoors.

[Redway]

Does anyone here still smoke actual cigarettes, out of interest?

From what I’ve seen it’s still a fairly common-ish thing for people aged 24/25+ but to the people who grew up in times where smoking was more-and-more actively shunned governmentally (starting with kiosk-shutters and then plain packaging) it seems to be almost non-existent. People who smoke weed in this part of the world (including teenagers) often make their spliffs with tobacco (often Amber Leaf, obviously) but that’s probably the most tobacco anyone under a certain age actually smokes these days.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Redway

Does anyone here still smoke actual cigarettes, out of interest?

From what I’ve seen it’s still a fairly common-ish thing for people aged 24/25+ but to the people who grew up in times where smoking was more-and-more actively shunned governmentally (starting with kiosk-shutters and then plain packaging) it seems to be almost non-existent. People who smoke weed in this part of the world (including teenagers) often make their spliffs with tobacco (often Amber Leaf, obviously) but that’s probably the most tobacco anyone under a certain age actually smokes these days.

I only know one person who still actively smokes. A few who will still have one or two with a drink when they're out. Even my dad (who smoked for 50 years) and both of my in-laws (both smoked for 30+ years) have all quit smoking now. Father in law was on-and-off for a few years but has totally kicked it now.

The smoker I know is my aunt, who is in her early 70's, had massive alcohol problems for decades but got sober in her early 50's and has been teetotal for 20 years now... but she still adamantly hands onto her cigarettes. In her words to her doctor when he suggested as she was getting older she might want to stop - was that he could pry them from her cold, dead hands . She's very content with being a smoker and quite protective of her one vice, haha.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Soldier Boy

I only know one person who still actively smokes. A few who will still have one or two with a drink when they're out. Even my dad (who smoked for 50 years) and both of my in-laws (both smoked for 30+ years) have all quit smoking now. Father in law was on-and-off for a few years but has totally kicked it now.

The smoker I know is my aunt, who is in her early 70's, had massive alcohol problems for decades but got sober in her early 50's and has been teetotal for 20 years now... but she still adamantly hands onto her cigarettes. In her words to her doctor when he suggested as she was getting older she might want to stop - was that he could pry them from her cold, dead hands . She's very content with being a smoker and quite protective of her one vice, haha.

Like I said tobacco tends to go into people’s spliffs these days than actually be smoked on its own so I’m not surprised. You still see a few people of all ages who smoke (especially at/around the pub and whatnot) but I know social/alcohol-induced smoking doesn’t really count, not if you wouldn’t actually do it normally and spend half of your lunch break blazing up on Benson and Hedges or Silk Cut (Silk Cut used to be one of my favourites when I was a regular smoker).

I wouldn’t worry about your aunt. The world needs more June Brown/Dot Cotton figures.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Redway

Does anyone here still smoke actual cigarettes, out of interest?

From what I’ve seen it’s still a fairly common-ish thing for people aged 24/25+ but to the people who grew up in times where smoking was more-and-more actively shunned governmentally (starting with kiosk-shutters and then plain packaging) it seems to be almost non-existent. People who smoke weed in this part of the world (including teenagers) often make their spliffs with tobacco (often Amber Leaf, obviously) but that’s probably the most tobacco anyone under a certain age actually smokes these days.

My father in law still smokes actual cigarettes, he's 82. I have a friend who quit smoking fulltime but she keeps a box of slim menthol cigarettes up in a cupboard and she'll have one or two of those the odd time with a drink (maybe every few months)

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Soldier Boy

That would only compound the already-present problem of wealth hoarding. I do think inheritance should be easier for "normal families", but not for the very rich and the aristocracy. I'd see it be tax free up to a mugh higher threshold (maybe around £1million) but MORE heavily taxed above that.

In short, I don't think people should be heavily taxed if they inherit, say, a house from a grandparent, but I do think they should be heavily taxed if they inherit real wealth.

By and large I see what you're saying, but the economy isn't in the crapper because there aren't enough coffins being raided.

Originally Posted by Redway

Tobacco’s a drug quite alright, and it’s not even socially acceptable for people much younger than 25 to smoke it now.

Bleh you know what I meant by "drug" caffeine is a drug but I obviously didn't mean that either.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

By and large I see what you're saying, but the economy isn't in the crapper because there aren't enough coffins being raided.



Bleh you know what I meant by "drug" caffeine is a drug but I obviously didn't mean that either.

Yeah, well, all drugs are drugs at the end of the day.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

caffeine is a drug

The best drug

[Redway]

I still don’t get why people aren’t at least allowed to vape CBD indoors in some places. It’s nothing like tobacco unless it’s mixed with it (which it won’t be with commercialised pre.-made ones what people tend to buy).

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

No because if you smoke you are addicted to smoking(besides the very rare few who only smoke socially with a drink and they usually bum cigarettes from smokers ) but most people who drink aren't addicts so might only have a drink once a week or less so the price wouldn't be as big an issue as buying cigarettes

Yeah I think this is the big difference with smoking, it's the only thing that's legal where you'd only do it if you were physically addicted to it. I know you get 'social smokers' and 'smoke when I drink' people but they probably only buy like 0.1% of the cigarettes sold

I used to smoke lightly as in a pack a week and would defend it from increasing regulation and tax but really there's such little benefit to smoking, if you can gradually wean the population off it little by little then that's probably a good thing