<p>How damaging is 1 cigarette a day to one’s health? Of course, moderation applies to alcohol, but I’m wondering if it applies to cigarettes as well…</p>
<p>The reason I’m wondering this is that in the Asian nations (e.g. Japan), the average age of death is much higher than the average age of death in America, but the Japanese tend to smoke MUCH more than Americans.</p>
<p>Even 1 cigarette a day can be quite damaging (relative to not smoking at all). Although yes, obviously it’s not as bad as 2 packs a day.</p>
<p>One drink a day has actually been shown to have positive health benifits (especially something like red wine). However, the same certainly dosen’t apply to one smoke per day.</p>
<p>^ You pulled that out of your ass.</p>
<p>One cigarette a day shouldn’t do anything, but who only smokes one a day?</p>
<p>haha I like your comment.</p>
<p>Um, 1 cig a day is certainly worse than none. I would admit, however, that a similar negative health effect could be had by someone who sits in a smokey bar (secondhand smoke) or lives in an area with really bad air pollution. Prolonged low level exposure to the chemicals in cigs can be very damaging to your health. Also, the particulate matter in the smoke is also very bad for you. Unlike low level exposure to alcohol (which is quickly metabolized by your liver) the particles in cig smoke stay around for a very long time in your lungs.</p>
<p>I don’t personally have the knowledge to respond to this thread, but DeluxeHardballer’s comment made me want to spend 30 seconds googling. So, I’m in no position to debate one way or the other, but just FYI, this is a sampling of the most relevant and seemingly reliable results from the first one and a half or two pages of a “one cigarette day” google search (there may be articles saying the opposite from these, but they didn’t pop up during my search):</p>
<p>[Medical</a> News: Even One Cigarette a Day Jeopardizes Health - in Primary Care, Smoking from MedPage Today](<a href=“PRIME® Continuing Medical Education”>PRIME® Continuing Medical Education)</p>
<p>[Police</a> - Drugs - Smoking One Cigarette](<a href=“http://www.hoffmanestates.com/police/drugs/Police_smoking_one_cigarette.shtml]Police”>http://www.hoffmanestates.com/police/drugs/Police_smoking_one_cigarette.shtml)</p>
<p>[BBC</a> NEWS | Health | A few cigarettes a day ‘deadly’](<a href=“http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4265600.stm]BBC”>BBC NEWS | Health | A few cigarettes a day 'deadly')</p>
<p>[Ask</a> an Expert: SMOKING ONE CIGARETTE A DAY](<a href=“http://www.netwellness.org/question.cfm/30105.htm]Ask”>http://www.netwellness.org/question.cfm/30105.htm)</p>
<p>[Inhaling</a> From Just One Cigarette Can Lead To Nicotine Addiction: Kids Show Signs Of Addiction Almost Immediately](<a href=“http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070703171843.htm]Inhaling”>Inhaling From Just One Cigarette Can Lead To Nicotine Addiction: Kids Show Signs Of Addiction Almost Immediately | ScienceDaily)</p>
<p>So, pulled out of the ass or not, yuiop’s claim doesn’t seem off-base (although given the parenthetical and the “Although…” I’m not sure there was much to debate in the first place.)</p>
<p>Ok, I don’t have any knowledge behind this, but I read somewhere one google that an occasional smoke could actually improve health. Just as alcohol can.</p>
<p>They theorize that it’s not because it does something to actually improve health, but rather it calms the body down and opens the blood vessels to allow an easier flow of blood.</p>
<p>Of course, this was researching Pipe smoking which is safer (not to the point of harmless) and usually not inhaled. And the idea makes sense, it’s the same concept with (Please keep the snickering to a minimum) Masterbation.</p>
<p>The body releases endorphines once a day (by smoking or whatever) and then the stress is relieved from the body. This would mean a healthier lifestyle as opposed to going through everyday stressing about this that or the other.</p>
<p>On a side note, this isn’t BS, People who smoke moderately statistically live longer than those who don’t. (Google it,I’m too lazy to)</p>
<p>Note: MODERATE must be emphasized, and it’s difficult to pin a definition of it down. Some people can smoke a cig a day and get out with nothing. Some need to go to once every 3 or so days, and some maybe once a week. Everyone’s different.</p>
<p>I only know this because I plan to take up pipe smoking once I go to college and wanted to know how to do it as safe as possible.</p>
<p>P.s. Of course, the most danger from just smoking once a day, is the fact that addiction will more than likely lead to an escalation of that number, thereby making this advice, virtually useless.</p>
<p>Pipe smoke, or don’t inhale.</p>
<p>I think the pyschological benefits to be gained from smoking will either (a) outweigh the downside of a shortened lifespan or (b) make you live longer than you would otherwise. If either is true (and I know (a) can be, as it was for me) then it makes sense to do it.</p>
<p>Frankly, cigarettes are never the only cure to psychological issues. Fix the actual problems, don’t just medicate yourself to avoid them.</p>
<p>Theyus: Cite your source for saying that moderate tobacco smoking makes people live longer according to statistical studies. Don’t say “Google it” because I looked for anything like that, and couldn’t find it. So you have to cite your sources.</p>
<p>Ok, because I was actually curious, I ran across the article I got this from:</p>
<p>[Pipe</a> Smoking and Health](<a href=“http://www.meerschaumstore.com/health.htm]Pipe”>http://www.meerschaumstore.com/health.htm)</p>
<p>I can’t copy the section but it’s the second paragraph:</p>
<p>“…the conclusion drawn from several studies about pipe smokers was that they tended to live LONGER than the general population!”</p>
<p>On 1to42’s note on fixing the problem, I agree that if something can be done, one should do it. But as many Pre-Med major’s would agree, college can be a b***h. Studying hours on in can cause stress day in and day out, and smoking can assuage that. (This just being another point of view, you’re point is still quite valid).</p>
<p>As the President from West Wing said:“They say you live longer. Well, do you? Do you live longer? Or does it just seem longer?”</p>
<p>Well, I think the negative effects of smoking (of any kind and amount) are quite universally agreed upon by the medical and scientific community. Given that the website you quoted from (saying smokers live longer) is from a website trying to sell people smoking products, I would have to seriously question how credible that information is!</p>
<p>I think the evidence is very clear, but at the end of the day it’s your life and your health and you have to live with the concequences (good or bad) of your decisions.</p>
<p>I’ve no doubt smoking is bad, and I’m speaking under the assumption that everyone here understands that. However, the calming effect of smoking CAN have positive health results for SOME people. Because everyone’s different, and therefore everyone’s body will react differently. Thus, my explanation that “Moderate” smoking would have to be defined by person.</p>
<p>I’m also assuming the question is being brought up because they either plan to or already do smoke. In which case, my advice would be more along the lines of how to make that safer, or encourage moderation.</p>
<p>I chose the latter because that was asked, most anyone can search for the dangers of smoking or how to smoke safer on Google.</p>
<p>Therefore, if you haven’t started, I’d avoid it as much as possible if you want to live a long, healthy life almost indefinitely, because although it CAN help, it may not help you, and benefits may not outweigh the dangers.</p>
<p>If you have, moderation may do you good.</p>
<p>I think that giving up the last 5-10 years of your life to have more fun in your prime is definitely a good idea. But that will vary from person to person. The simple answer is that there are no simple answers.</p>
<p>i don’t know why anyone would smoke just 1 cigarette per day. it is not a vitamin. well, you’d have to compare the average age of death between Japanese smokers and American smokers. It’s pretty general just to say Japanese live longer than Americans. Their diets and other factors can be included. I think Japanese people are more healthier than Americans in general anyway. They eat more fish, they have more mountains to climb, and seaweed is very good for you.</p>
<p>I remember reading an article that attributed the longer average lifespan of Japanese smokers as compared to American ones being due to consumption of green tea. The Japanese may smoke more, but they also drink a lot more green tea, which is high in antioxidants.</p>
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<p>Genes. I remember a study saying that Asians are more likely than other groups to have genes that confer some resistance to some effects of smoking.</p>
<p>The longest-living person in the world,Jeanne Calment, smoked until 117. </p>
<p>Susceptibility to lung cancer is partially genetic.</p>
<p>[BBC</a> NEWS | Health | Smoking is in the genes](<a href=“http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3030202.stm]BBC”>BBC NEWS | Health | Smoking is in the genes)</p>
<p>==
There are other factors too - Japanese diet is healthier than American diet, and Japanese migrants to the US tend to develop the same health risks that Americans do</p>