Smokers

[petesvx2]

Originally posted by SVX-HI.
******Warning Medical Jargon and various big words******

Nicotine is both a transient stimulant and a sedative to the central nervous system. Nicotine releases a stimulating neurotransmitter (epinephrine) but blocks natural acetylcholine, limiting its activity and creating a calming effect. Dopamine is also released, exaggerating this calming effect. I'm not trying to defend it, I've stopped for a mere 4mo. now and I still get the craving when I have alcohol. Damn them for selling it... damn me for trying it.

Thanks for the clinical analysis Dr. Dirk

[sfsvx]

Originally posted by mohrds


Actually, petesvx2 is correct stating it is a gateway. A 1993 John Hopkins study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association states "The risk of using cocaine is 104 times greater for those who have tried marijuana than for those who have never tried it."

Doug

Keep in mind that most studies consider the gateway drugs to be alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana, and all three have a statistical connection to cocaine use. I use alcohol, don't use tobacco, marijuana, or cocaine.

Doug, I think a more relevant statistic is - how many people who use marijuana go on to cocaine addiction? That figure is less than 1%. That study you quoted goes at it kind of backwards. As I said in my original post, saying that everyone using cocaine has used marijuana is NOT the same as saying that everyone who uses marijuana is going to use cocaine. The connections there are not that clear.

That's like saying that a drunk started with a drink, so everyone who has a drink is going to get drunk. Or pregnancy starts with having sex, so everyone who has sex is going to get pregnant. Or most auto accidents involve excessive speed, so everyone who speeds has an accident. Or all serial killers drank milk when they were kids, so milk causes serial killers. Obviously, it doesn't work that way.

The problem with any set of statistics is that you can get them to support any position, depending on how they're framed. Disraeli said there were three kinds of lies - lies, damn lies, and statistics. He was right.

And that's my final say on this topic. It pains me to have to disagree with you, Doug, because I've gained a lot of respect for you based on your postings on this forum. I agree with your position on decriminalizing, regulating, and taxing drugs, so we're together on that.

Hey - if we ever meet, the first round's on me.

[LarryIII]

And this all started with questions about a paintjob.

I went back and tried to follow the logic of this conversation and I almost felt high I was so confused.

car, ethical and lifestyle tips and expertise. What a place.

What if you grow your own?

I just want to know how the government can say this plant is off limits. I don't see how we call ourselves a free nation and we're denied something more natural than beer. It's a plant part of nature. I don't think man-made drugs would be wise to legalize, (and I'm sorry letting it dry is not processing it into a drug or making it man-made) that's something a government should control, not nature.

[Uncamitzi]

Originally posted by LarryIII
And this all started with questions about a paintjob.

How dare you expect consistency in a thread!

[WestCoastSVX]

Originally posted by Earthworm
One of the dead giveaways of a newer SVX to me is the non-auto seatbelts. It's the first thing I look for.

ps. I can't stand cigarette smoke!!!

Back on topic a bit, when we talk about auto seat belts, split back seats, door switches, etc, these are all things we as enthusiasts know about and notice at a quick glance. A bunch of co-workers who know nothing about the SVX seeing it from 20 feet away would probably not even notice the different grille. They would just assume it is the same car, especially since they are so rare.

[WestCoastSVX]

Originally posted by mohrds
Now, let me state for the record that I don't think drugs should be outlawed. I think they should be regulated, taxed, and litigated just like alcohol and tobacco distributors are. That would end the dealer subculture in a heartbeat. The cops may be ineffective in stopping the drug trade, but the IRS certainly would be successful in tracking it down and taxing it.

Doug

Doug, I was just reading through all of this waiting to post that. I agree 100%, at least when it comes to pot. Put the same restrictions on pot as are on alcohol - a legal age, don't drive under influence, etc. And tax the hell out of it. This would eliminate a big percentage of crime I'm sure.


Oh, and I've never touched the stuff, either and probably never will.

[mohrds]

Originally posted by Dick Young
It pains me to have to disagree with you, Doug, because I've gained a lot of respect for you based on your postings on this forum. I agree with your position on decriminalizing, regulating, and taxing drugs, so we're together on that.

Hey - if we ever meet, the first round's on me.

Disagree all you want. Most of my good friends disagree with me about something. I don't get bent out of shape, I respect other people's opinions (unless they are mean about it). Every once in a while their argument is so good, I change my opinion

Well, if the you're buying first round, We may meet sooner than you think

Doug

[SHISVX]

Originally posted by Ron Mummert



Kelli, If you're REALLY serious about quitting, PM me, I have some ideas. I smoked all of my 60 year plus adult life, quit a few times for a few months, but always went back to my "evil" ways. During my later years, I was up to 2 plus packs a day. I stopped smoking last March, simply because I refused to spend the $5.00 a day you're stuck with. There is no ONE sure way to do it. I can only offer a few suggestions that worked for me. And to quote the old phrase - "Your mileage may vary".

Ron.

PS - I enjoyed a good cigar last week at a Christmas party. Inhaled the b'jeezes out of it. But - no desire to resume my old ways.

thanks very much for the offer...tell you the truth, the only way i am going to quit is to do it myself. to quit anything, you have to want it and want it bad. even though ciggs not only taste bad, smell bad...and a lot of other stuff, i don't want to quit, because if i wanted to, i would have already done so. i would be interested in knowing how you did it...really interested. that is something to be proud of. i have cut down very much a pack a day to like 5-7 a day, not bad...but i still can't help myself, everyone around me just lights up and i want to too. i am not trying to make excuses for not stopping, but i just don't want to stop right now, but i will soon want to...so if you would like to send me the info, i will read it over, thanks very much for the offer.

Kelli

[blackbolt94red]

Kelli

I never thought I'd want to quit, smoked almost two packs a day all my adult life and actually enjoyed it most of the time.
Things changed when I met my future wife, she did not smoke nor did her daughter, 5 at the time. So, being the gentleman that I always wanted to be I smoked in the garage. Reading light, radio, heat, the works. Only thing was, Kasey, the 5 year old would come out and put her little fists on her hips and stare at me and say how much I stinked.....
So, on a whim, I attended a stop smoking/stop overeating seminar in Sioux Falls one evening, this was back in '95. What could it hurt, I thought. Well, of the about 500 people in the room that night, 498 of them were for overeating. The guy, whos' name escapes me, giving the lecture actually picked me out of the crowd as being 'resistant' what ever that meant. Anyway, long one short, he hipnotized the lot of us, and I thought to myself all the way home, as I smoked one after the other, I thought to myself how interesting but I must be immune.
Next morning I thought I'd give it a try, and sure enough, at least for me, it worked. Not to say I didn't eat a mountian of life savers between then and now, and gain a pound or 20, but it worked for me.
Now, I'd like to go back to everyone I ever knew when I smoked and apoligize for smelling so bad.
I come from the age when we all smoked in the office, all the time, everyone did, it seams.
Good luck, and sorry for being so long winded.

[DavieGravy]

To all who think it's safe: Marijuana is an outright dangerous drug and has cause me severe panic attacks in the past.

This, my friends, deserves a round of applause!