Hi Dawn, based on your experience, my parents, myself and what I have seen around me, I would have to "pretend" that smoking was good. I would actually have to deliberately believe this, regardless of the person's condition, which is completely nonsensical.

My cousin who has tried to give up a few times in her life, cannot do so properly. Her addiction now is that great, if she tries, she ends up (and I kid you not), sitting up in bed, crying, pulling her hair out and shaking. So what happens? she has to go back to her comfort smoking, even though physically she is unhealthy regardless of diet.

If you notice people that smoke, take a look at them and they are often more wrinkled than those around them, simply because the ongoing intake of toxins/chemical etc is using up the much needed antioxidants. The ones I know (most) cough continually, clear their throat constantly and we joke with them by saying "have another cigarette", which of course they know is totally sarcastic and they start laughing, but encouraged to quit? no, becuase they do not wish to go through withdrawal.

Any benefits of smoking, would have to be screamed about in order to attempt to drown out the rest of what it does. The many toxic chemicals would have to be deliberately ignored and pushed to oneside, in favour of finding something it might do.

I also feel the same, I think those that smoke who are old? Probably die before they get the old age brain diseases, and also, it does give a person something to do, smoking makes you feel good at the time, it does stimulate the mind, I've experienced it, but I do not buy into the rest of it AT ALL. I've seen old people never smoke and keeping their minds healthy and active by having a hobby in life, which I think is the key to why some go right down hill that give up and allow senility to set into an unactive ageing brain.

Not all no, but my own father has things he does in life that gives his life meaning, he is 75, never smokes and in amazing condition. Those around him who smoke? They're look and act older than he does. One smokes everday and is in a home, she now has memory problems and needs aid daily because her daughter cannot look after her (she's younger than my own father, she's in her sixties).

The old people at church who dont' smoke have lasted. The ones that did? ARe all dead and gone. Which is sad because I remember them all and the ones outlasting the others are non smokers. Most in their seventies and well into their eighties, not a thing wrong with their minds.

Again, you can put across any impressive text, but life experience is what I look at and so far, I have yet to see benefits. You will always get some amazing old person that has smoked everyday of their life and doing amazingly well, those people seem to be able to do anything, but you cannot use the exception to try to call it a rule! And oh boy, it is an exception. ONe old man in my family smoked everyday, a pipe, he lasted well into his nineties! But if I lookedat that and forgot the rest of them that died of some nasty diseases who smoked daily, i'd be an idiot.

So let's get back to reality and realise the dangers of smoking are real, they are obvious and just about every family will be able to tell you the same. This is why we would need to make sure that the benefits of smoking are not taken out of context and made sure we know WHAT cigarettes we speak of when we talk of any benefit (at all) and how often they are smoked.

The only way I think a person could get away with it, would once again be the old style, organic types, missing out the toxic chemicals of today, and they would obviously need to be smoked in moderation. But this has NOTHING to do with the smokes of today, which is what is how this thread started and what I was referring to.

Once again, I will spell out, the anti smoking agenda is aimed at warning people against the toxic chemicals in cigarettes, putting a warning on the packet, when earlier they were allowed to cover this up. NIghtlight, you seem to have an issue with people finding this out? You speak against the anti smoking agenda, yet this is all they have done! Cigarettes are not banned are they? Do you not feel that people do not have a right to know that there are toxic chemicals in todays cigarettes and the possibilities of what might occur if they smoke them everyday?

They are nothing but sticks of toxicity. Any benefits would have been long lost considering what is in them.