[ExI] Is tobacco really harmful?

[Stathis Papaioannou]

2009/11/23 Stefano Vaj <stefano.vaj at gmail.com>:

> Mmhhh. While nicotine is certainly a chemically active drug, "harm" is a
> relative concept.
>
> If one is into caloric restriction, food itself is harmful, and should be
> taken only when. and inasmuch as, it is strictly necessary, given its
> undesirable side effects.
>
> Accordingly, what should perhaps be investigated more in depth is the
> tradeoffs of nicotine in different individual contexts, including or not the
> psycholectic or organolectic effects thereof, especially when it is assumed
> by smoking, chewing or snurfing tobacco leaves.

I meant permanent adverse health effects, such as cancer and
cardiovascular disease. Smoking tobacco is harmful, chewing or
inhaling it less so, but nicotine itself is probably not to blame.
It's true that it is addictive; most heroin users I know say it is
harder to give up cigarettes than narcotics. However, physical and
psychological addiction is not necessarily a harm if it causes no
physical problems or functional impairment.

> I have for instance a rather intense dislike for the nicotine "down" (or is
> it an "up"?), but adore the aroma of top-of-the-line Cuban cigars. As to
> adverse systemic effects, at my admittedly very low usage level, I cannot
> say that I notice any.

Whenever I have tried nicotine it has just made me dysphoric. Like
every other preference, propensity for drug addiction is an individual
thing, depending on the person and the drug.


-- 
Stathis Papaioannou