Posted by Meri-Tuuli on October 31, 2006, at 8:06:58
In reply to Re: vices debate: cigarrettes VS alcohol » Meri-Tuuli, posted by laima on October 30, 2006, at 8:10:05
Hey!
Interesting discussion, eh?
> which is "worse"- then what do people think is worse?
Well, I don't know. I suspect that smoking is probably worse, if you had to choose between the two. But it depends on your genes I think too - I *think* they have discovered like a lung cancer gene or something, so that if you happen to smoke and have this gene, your chances of getting cancer shoot up.... but if you don't have this gene, I don't know what your overall risk would be.
Yeah, I would think that smoking alot is worse, although this is entirely my opinion, and I don't really have any evidence to back it up! But then, it was like I saying before, if you smoke lots, but happen to be healthy in every other way (are lean, eat tons of fruit and vegetables, exercise etc) then I imagine that smoking alot isn't going to be that damaging to you than if you smoked alot, were obese, ate juck food and didn't exercise. You see the difference?
As for binge drinking, (or just drinking alot) well, I dunno. I certainly think drinking alot is better than smoking alot. I've noticed that in the US there is definately a big 'anti-drinking' thing going on. For instance, I don't know *anybody* here in Europe who is totally dry. Everyone drinks here. And the attidude is pretty liberal toward drinking too. But I've noticed that in America, drink is often frowned upon quite heavily by some people. To be honest, its seen as bit weird if you don't drink, that is definately demonised!! You're assumed to be a recovered alcoholic, or a overly religious or something. I guess in the UK some muslims don't drink, but all the muslims I know, drink and the one who I briefly met who didn't drink, smoked alot of weed. Sooo....drinking is definately more acceptable in Europe I would say.
> Ps- is smoking as "demonized" in England and Finland as it is here in the US-Hmmm, probably no it isn't. Yes, in some countries they've banned smoking in indoor places, Ireland being one such country.
Nah, I don't think its as bad as you describe. I know lots of people who smoke (my father, my father-in-law, my brother, my brother-in-law x2 ...er, some of my friends) so its less demonised. Although it is getting more socially unacceptable I would say, but probably not as much as you describe in the US!!!
But between the two, smoking is probably demonised more than drinking, but then, these things are as heavily demonised here as they are in the US.
But I know what you mean about the smoking thing.
M
poster:Meri-Tuuli
thread:698744
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20060727/msgs/699256.html