To Rod - Re: quitting smoking for surgery the other biased side

[Guest guest]

Rod,

I just got an email from my sister. All it said was, " Okay, give me a break.

I'm trying to quit. "

Thanx for your help - every post on this you wrote, I forwarded it to her with a

subject line of something along the lines of " Am I getting through, yet? "

For some reason, I think she actually means it this time, I guess because she

didn't make any excuses. Yipppeeeeee!

Smooches

Re: quitting smoking for surgery the

other biased side

Well Dan, during the prohibition era in the USA a lot of people made

a lot of money too but that didn't make it right either. Sure the US

economy has benefitted, in a sense, from the production and marketing

of tobacco but consider the costs that are usually left out of the

equation. The increased cost of health care due to extended and more

complex treatment necessary is borne (in Australia) by the tax payer.

Premature death robs the economy of productive human beings and

diverts valuable resources away from other important areas. My mother

spent 14 weeks, including 2 weeks in intensive care, in hospital

recovering from post operative complications and was in hospital

every winter for seven years for up to 4 weeks at a time because she

couldn't breathe. My brother-in-law spent 3 months in hospital. The

cost to my family (paid by the tax payers of Australia) - well over

$200,000. I have no doubt if the tobacco industry had been forced to

pay for their treatment it would have had a very big loss against

these two customers. The emotional cost my family suffered was

enormous too and you cannot put a dollar figure against the

suffering. The economic benefit argument does not hold up to close

scrutiny when the cost/benefits are properly considered.

You may think smoking is cool, you may think it shows an independance

of action but I urge you to visit an oncology (cancer) ward or

pulmonary (lung) function ward in a large hospital to see first hand

where smokers end up. It is not a pretty sight.

When I was your age I used to smoke and think it was cool too - until

I investigated the smoking related health problems for myself. When I

learnt about the amputations, emphysema, heart disease and all the

cancers caused by smoking I gave up immediately (aged 22) but

ironically I could not convince my mother to do likewise. When she

was my current age (60) she already had acute and severe emphysema

and my brother-in-law was already dead 6 years from multiple cancers

(dead at 54). My mother suffered bronchial pneumonia 4-5 times a year

for most of the time I could remember - all because of smoking and

often required multiple home visits from the doctor or

hospitalization. None of this is factored into the cost of a packet

of fags.

Don't think you are helping the economy by smoking. The only economy

being helped is that of the cigarette company and they don't give a

dam about you.

Good luck in your studies at school but please think about your

smoking.

Rod

> I understand what everyone has said and I take it to heart. I

> understand what is being explained. But rather then trying to make

> people aware through my own words ill link everyone to a site.

>

> http://fujipub.com/fot/working.html

>

> Took me a few minutes to find on google, but it supports what I

would

> be talking about. It's geting late and I have to return to school

on

> day 10 post op. My only goal here is to show the other sides to

this

> argument. Basicly saying without this 'horrible' crop it is likley

> that America wouldn't even be here today. Just something to think

> about. Being a smoker I had to have my input. Good night.

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