Could Tobacco Be Good for You?

[Ansel]

Okay so some of this may be a bit propaganda-esque and somewhat overzealous but maybe that will counter those more widespread opinions with the contrary opinion.

http://www.forces.org/evidence/evid/therap.htm

and

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...tes.html?cat=5

[lxskllr]

You'll never hear that on the news. That directly contradicts the mandated party line.

[DraculaViktor]

You'll never hear that on the news. That directly contradicts the mandated party line.

Many years ago my uncle had a heart attack. He ha quit smoking shortly before it happened. His cardiologist told him that had he not been a previous smoker, he wouldnt have survived. Interesting stuff.

[stubby2]

http://rodutobaccotruth.blogspot.com...ng-agency.html

Marclay wrote that “…smokeless tobacco is a very attractive drug from a doping perspective, considering the performance enhancement pharmacological properties of nicotine and the absence of direct adverse effects on the respiratory tract.” Nicotine “exhibits a variety of pharmacological properties sought-after by consumers,” and it “results in vigilance and cognitive function enhancement together with relaxation, reduced stress, mood modulation and lower body weight.”

Not much to add to that except it works. I certainly do more nicotine when under stress and it tends to smooth things out.

[truthwolf1]

I have heard that after heart surgery that smoking actually heals the arteries quicker then in non-smokers. Not sure if it is the nicotine or the Co2.

[snusjus]

Although there are benefits to nicotine, smoking it is a very unsafe method to absorb the drug. I'd rather get the nicotine and avoid the smoke and TSNAs... oh wait, that's why I use snus.

[snusgetter]

I have heard that after heart surgery that smoking actually heals the arteries quicker then in non-smokers. Not sure if it is the nicotine or the Co2.

Couldn't find anything to corroborate your statement but did find these statements (amongst others):


After Heart Bypass Surgery
"Quit smoking
If you're a smoker, you must quit. If you keep smoking your arteries will re-block, possibly very quickly. Not only do you need to stop smoking, you need to avoid second hand smoke."


Cardiac, FAQs
"Q: Do I need to quit smoking before surgery?
A: If you smoke, quit. Smoking makes you more prone to developing pneumonia and pulmonary complications after surgery. It also makes your heart work harder, and accelerates the atherosclerotic process. You must quit smoking at least 3 weeks prior to surgery. "


Surprise! I couldn't find anything about snus (smokeless) usage before or after heart surgery!! Anyone have any insight to this?

[snusgetter]

This just in...

Straight from Sweden...

Snus boosts post-heart attack mortality: study

Users of moist snuff or 'snus' who have suffered a heart attack can greatly reduce their chances of dying if they give up the habit, a new Swedish study has shown.

Drawing on a study of patients who have survived their first heart attack, Swedish researchers found that snus users who stopped using the tobacco product had a 50 percent lower risk of dying within a two years of the heart attack compared to those who continued. Of the patients who participated in the study, 1,799 continued to use snus after having a heart attack, while 675 quit.

During the approximately two years that the group was tracked by the researchers, 69 patients who continued using snus died, compared to 14 fatalities among the patients who quit.

While previous research has established that quitting smoking following a heart attack has beneficial effects on cardiac health, the potential effects of stopping the use of snus after a heart attack has never been examined previously.

“However, snus's known blood pressure and pulse-raising effects indicate that continued snus use can bring about unwanted extra stress on the heart following a heart attack,” Gabriel Arefalk, a doctoral student at Uppsala Universtity, told the Upsala Nya Tidning (UNT) newspaper.

He said that the lower mortality rates among those who stopped using snus may be due to the fact that they were more likely to participate in rehabilitation programmes and start exercising than those who continued with the habit.

According to Arefalk, more research is needed to ascertain with greater certainty what effects snus has on cardiac health.
“Therefore, it's too early to officially recommend that people stop using snus after a heart attack,” he told the newspaper.

[Crow]

Okay so some of this may be a bit propaganda-esque and somewhat overzealous but maybe that will counter those more widespread opinions with the contrary opinion.

I'm a firm supporter of harm reduction, but I don't agree with what is being implied in these studies.

[Ansel]

I'm a firm supporter of harm reduction, but I don't agree with what is being implied in these studies.

I think it can do good for you at the very same time it is doing lots bad for you, smoking. With snus i'd hope you are doing less of the bad for you bit and more or as much of the good for you bit.

[SnusoMatic]

first off my personal experience with relatives and friends is that smoking kills sooner or later. i mean, if something else don't kill them sooner then later in life they get COPD or cancer and it kills them. So not all people i know who smoke die from smoking. the ones that smoked long term and did not die from something else sooner end up on oxygen, with cancer or drop dead of a heart attack.

now the "good" news about nicotine and people i have personally known. if there ever has been a natural drug for bipolar disorder or schizophrenia it is nicotine. Nope it don't cure either but it helps the person deal with it. Problem is the ones i have known who used it abused cigarettes to the max. the nicotine don't help them long term so they constantly have to put it into their system. i wont name names but i have seen them smoke like six packs a day. i don't see how it could be true but i had someone close to one person tell me he smoked a carton in a day. I wish they would get on snus.

While we are talking about "great" reasons to smoke.... studies have shown that men around the age of 18-21 who smoke have less of a chance of getting schizophrenia in the next 25 or so years. To make it even "better" the odds go down 10% for every half pack MORE they smoke. no bs.

As i have wrote about before... my dad is dying right now from smoking. it is NOT a death anyone reading this wants either. don't twist anything ive said into my support for cigarettes because i hate them with my whole heart.

[Ansel]

Sorry to hear about your Dad SnusoMatic.

[Crow]

To me, snus is like a cup of coffee (both are enjoyable, and relatively safe when taken in moderation).

Smoking cigarettes is a poor method of delivery; just as it's a poor method of delivery to consume energy drinks/pills every day.

[heders]

To me, snus is like a cup of coffee (both are enjoyable, and relatively safe when taken in moderation).

Smoking cigarettes is a poor method of delivery; just as it's a poor method of delivery to consume energy drinks/pills every day.

Same here! I'm really happy there actually exists such a safe way to use nicotine in (in a pleasurable way). If it didn't, I would smoke like a chimney, and probably die of lung cancer, emphysema or a heart attack.

On the threads subject, I read that tobacco actually contains a lot of antioxidants (more than green tea), but they are destroyed when smoked. So, I figure they are not when using snus.

[snusgetter]

Just FYI..

Same here! I'm really happy there actually exists such a safe way to use nicotine in (in a pleasurable way). If it didn't, I would smoke like a chimney, and probably die of lung cancer, emphysema or a heart attack.

On the threads subject, I read that tobacco actually contains a lot of antioxidants (more than green tea), but they are destroyed when smoked. So, I figure they are not when using snus.

The Antioxidant Properties of Tobacco

"Consumed by 20-50 percent of the world’s population, tobacco contains significant concentrations of polyphenols and carotenoids, which are important naturally occurring antioxidants. Cigarette smoking, however, is associated with low plasma antioxidant levels, which may result from the large numbers of free radicals that are created when tobacco is burned.

In contrast, plasma antioxidant levels in users of smokeless tobacco are similar to those of nonusers of tobacco. “High antioxidant levels in smokeless products may explain why even long-term users have only a low risk for mouth cancer,” said Dr. Rodu. Carotenoids have been shown to inhibit formation of cancerous lesions and produce clinical regression of white patches called keratoses. Polyphenols, which are responsible for most of the anti-oxidant activity in fruits and vegetables, also inhibit the formation of tumors in experimental systems.

Smokeless tobacco, in the form of chewing tobacco or moist snuff, has been shown to involve only two percent of the health risks of smoking. In fact, recent epidemiologic studies from Sweden have shown little or no mouth cancer risk related to Swedish snus, a form of moist snuff. "