Non-Smokers...would you date a smoker? (101)

I couldn't if the first thing she does in the morning is reach for the cigs .. but if she smokes occasionally when out - why not ..

Well Smoky my 'huh' reaction was due to the fact that while usually your posts are intelligent, your first post on this thread was, excuse the expression, a load of utter nonsense.

You lumped all smokers into a sort of 'goody crusader club' out to save the world, and the non-smokers into the opposite camp.

I usually respect your opinions, so I'm quite sure you're intelligent enough to see the silliness of your original post.

Oh by the way, here are my 'narrow minded bigoted' views as to why I wouldn't date a smoker.

First of all, smokers tend to stink. Yes, I know you smokers can't smell the stink of tobacco (heard it from too many ex-smokers to doubt the veracity of such a claim), but believe me, you can smell someone who's just smoked as the stink literally hits you when you come close to him/her.

Secondly, it's bad for one's health, and being in the vicinity of a smoker is bad even for non-smokers' healthy, ever heard of passive smoking?

Thirdly, a smoker who hasn't had a cigarette in a while tends to get irritable (my take is that when you wrote your posts you were in tobacco abstinence, hence the hysteria in your words).

Fourthly, since personally I the way a person cares for one's health as a good measure on their self respect, I can hardly bring myself to admire/respect someone who willingly poisons oneself.

Fifthy, and going at a tangent from the OP's topic, since you mentioned 'rotting flesh in guts' I'm assuming you mean non-vegetarians who eat meat. Check out any decent nutrionist, he'll tell you that our bodies need a certain amount of meat. Humans are omnivores, if we were meant to be vegetarians like lots of other creatures we'd be grazing cud all day.

Can't really argue with any of that, but I will say that some people were/are influenced to begin smoking at a very young age when they are naieve and unsuspecting in life. This then leads to total addiction and very difficult to quit. It's not just about deliberately trying to poison themselves trust me! It is commonly stated in medical journals that nicotine is three times more addictive than heroin!! I've tried before to quit and failed, but now trying again and finding it incredibly difficult. Apparently the average amount of times to become successful is seven to eight. Scary thought really, and the scariest part of all is that it's LEGAL!!

I can't really disagree with what you've said either.

I can sympathize with people who were in their teens prior to the 90's as up till then, the advertising of those days tended to show smoking off as being 'cool', and the health aspect was still put in doubt by the tobacco manufacturers.

What I can't help but shake my head in wonder at is today's youngsters who, knowing the health risks involved just have an 'I don't care' attitude and still smoke (and also binge drink).

I'm not trying to put myself on a pedestal and preach here, just stating what (at least to my eyes) should be obvious risks involved in such vices.

Agreed again mate. Times have changed and the kids today are way more educated to the problems but still choose to smoke. I personally wish I'd never started, and always advise to the fact.

I guess i'm not so fussy, i would kiss not only a smoker but someone who eats dead animals.

However before the youngsters are going to take more notice about the effects of smoking maybe health professionals and ministers should set an example. If anyone should know better they should

When have we ever known a minister to set a good example though?

Sounds like a good deterrant then?