I guess you just don´t have enough common sense to see what lies ahead of you

According to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America, 60 per cent of new lung cancer diagnoses happen to non-smokers, 15 per cent of whom have never smoked a day in their life (the rest are former smokers who quit 10, 20 or even 30 years prior to diagnosis). The American Lung Association estimates that active smoking is responsible for close to 90 per cent of lung cancer cases; radon causes 10 per cent, and occupational exposures to carcinogens account for approximately 9 to 15 per cent.

The above statistics are a perfect example of prevention. If the evidence suggests that active smoking is responsible for 90 per cent of lung cancer cases then not smoking would eliminate 90 per cent of the lung cancer cases in the world. That’s huge because its one of the most common diagnosed cancers and one of the more deadly to be diagnosed with — especially at a later stage.

I guess what you can expect is for me to tell it like it is with regards to smoking and second that I will never be seen hanging out if front of an astray

If Abla wants to comment about what I said I think she is more than capable of speaking her mind. You don´t have to worry about this at all. I find that you are very resourceful in your ways to  give your smoking some credentials. I have a grandfather who drank and smoked all his life , to I now only smoke 15 cigarettes a day to I have held the hand of a person who died and never smoked. Perhaps they were around second hand smoke....... or they just had lousey genetics and were prone to a weakness in obtaining a certain disease. This all happens too but to speed it and reduce your mortality while harming non smokers with your exhales and stink is questionable to say the least.... at leas to me

Scalpel, darling, you know I love you, and I´ve always done.

Good you quitted.

Since I too am a healthcare worker and someone who took care of my aunt in her dying days (she died of lung cancer in 2006 after 50 years of smoking) I can relate to the passion that acute and some others have expressed.  I don´t particularly care for the tone of his posts toward another member of class but I do feel that stumpy´s initial post about how healthy she is despite being a smoker was very misleading and downplayed the affects of smoking. However, being a healthcare worker (I was a clinical laboratory scientist for 20 years and now work in hospital administration) it also gives me the unique opportunity and duty to educate people.  Smoking is ALWAYS bad.  You may live to the "ripe" old age of whatever or have the lungs of an XX year old but I can promise you that almost every health related issue seen in smokers is a direct result of smoking (including blood clots).  Lets all try to show a bit more compassion for people who suffer from addiction.  All addicted people need to justify and find reasons for going against common sence and combat the guilt they feel for making unhealthy choices.  Stumpy, although I don´t like the way acute attacked you personally (I will delete the posts) I must say I agree with the spirit of his post.  I hope you are able to quit someday.  

Elisabeth, I am amazed at how everyone stuck to the fact that I am a smoker but did not see that I am trying to quit 

But seriously smoking is very difficult to quit, I myself have been trying to quit for 2 years now.

I have on the other hand cut down the amounts of cigarettes I smoke, I went down from 2 packs a day to about 10 to 15 cigs a day, eventually I will stop but for now I do not feel ready.

But it seems that no one sees that just that I smoke, the only ones who truely understand are ex-smokers non smokers are clueless. 

Good luck in your efforts, stumpy.  I was able to quit before I got pregnant with my son 16 years ago and never picked up another cigarette.  It was a really hard thing to do so I can definitely relate.  

That´s pretty true..as an ex-smoker I understand you..I myself had tried it hard for about a year before I quit it.. Before quiting, 2 or 3 times I was strong enough to stop it for a month or so but then weak enough to restart..Now that it´s been 2 years since I stopped smoking, I need not nicotine anymore and I will never smoke it again

It is a great success to make it go from 40 down to 10 -15 pieces of cigarettes a day.. One of my fav quotes is: Sola dosis facit venenum. If I had been able to limit it up to 3 or 4 pieces a day- that a friend of mine has been doing it so for a couple of decades, I would have never stopped it!  I tried but unfortunatelly failed.. never was able to make it less then 10..   

Maybe I could quit it a few more years ago if the anti-smokers and their campaigns were a bit more smart than they were.. most of times they say things that only an idiot could believe.. For example they say "smoking causes sexual impotence" and they want a smoker to believe them who has been smoking for 30 years now and who has a great sexual potency   that´s why tons of wise men still keep smoking (including at least 50% of doctors) Not any of their statistics or campaigns, but I convinced myself to quit it.. And so you will do it..       

I wouldn´t call them (those who smoke) wise men.

Here is a short list of foolish people 

Oscar Wilde

Jean-paul Sartre 

Mark Twain

Albert Camus

Günter Grass

Bertolt Brecht

Sigmund Freud

John F. Kennedy

Pablo Picasso