gizmo_2655 wrote on Nov 2
nd, 2010 at 6:31am:
Yeah, but I don't have a spare $31.50US, so that link isn't much good....
Sorry about that- I quoted the relevant bit anyway. It was only a passing reference.
Quote:But none the less...what I was pointing out is that alcohol consumption has a FAR bigger effect on driving ability/skill than nicotine does....
Smoke a packet of cigarettes, and there's no risk to driving skills...
Drink a case of beer, and there's a HUGE reduction in driving ability....
Absolutely no question about it - but that's just the acute risk associated with road accidents and violent assault.
I was just thinking aloud. If you dig deep enough, another cause of accidents is having a heart attack or a stroke.
Now the biggest risk factors for coronary disease includes smoking - and diet of course.
Of course whether you die in an accident or on a hospital bed from lung cancer, the end result is the same.
We were talking about harm to other members of society, so is smoking off the hook there? Not entirely - what about the smoker's family? Various sources here:
- Children of smokers are twice as likely to start smoking than children of non-smokers.
- Children of smokers are also 2 1/2 times more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or crib death.
- A child who lives in a smoking household for the first 18 months of its life has an increased risk of developing a range of respiratory illnesses including wheeze, bronchitis, bronchiolitis and pneumonia. They are also more prone to getting colds, coughs and glue ear (middle ear infections). Their lungs show a reduced ability to function and slower growth.
- A child exposed to secondhand smoke in the home is more likely to develop asthma symptoms, have more asthma attacks and use asthma medications more often and for a longer period.
- School-aged children of smokers are more likely to have symptoms such as cough, phlegm, wheeze and breathlessness.
- Children of smokers have an increased risk of meningococcal disease, which can sometimes cause death or disability.
Then there are the partners.
If you're a smoker, I'm sure you are very considerate. All that I'm pointing out is the risk to society as a whole.
It's difficult to say if smoking poses a greater risk to society or not. Violent crimes kill a lot less people each year than more insidious risk factors.
If you are a smoker, I'll toss this ball to you regarding this relatively new legislation that makes it illegal to smoke in public places. Does this have the unintended indirect effect that smokers indulge in smoking more often at home, and therefore expose their family more to passive smoke?
- Food for thought.