Are there any positive benefits to smoking?!

As a smoker, going out for a smoke is a nice 5 minute break from reality also if you havent had a smoke in 5 or 6 hours it will feel about 20% as good as an orgasm, it makes you relifed it makes the time pass, goes great with caffinated drinks and beer, great after sex.

smoking on and off for 10 years

Most of us started when we were much younger, as a result of peer pressure (smoking parents, smoking friends, etc.),and not mature enough to understand the possible future consequences, or not convinced of how powerful the addiction would become. I consider it both, a calming thing, as well as a habit and and addiction; abstaining from smoking brings on the withdrawal symptoms, including but not limited to anxiety, irritability, nervousness, and depression; these symptoms can be very intense and unforgiving in nature.

So why don't many of us take the steps and quit? I'll tell you exactly why we want to go on smoking. Despite most of us being intelligent, well-informed, and certainly aware of the long term risks of smoking, many of us choose to continue smoking anyway; leading the list of whys is because it feels good to smoke. I can vouch for that; damn good! In less than ten seconds upon the first inhalation, nicotine passes into the bloodstream, crosses the blood brain barrier and begins acting on the brain cells. The nicotine just ingested will begin to mimic one of the most important neurotransmitters, Acelytcholine. This action provokes the body's excitation chemicals that include adrenaline and noradrenaline, which causes an immediate rush of stimulation by increasing the blood flow to the brain. This leaves smokers feels energized and alert. Within 20 to 30 minutes after the last cigarette, however, a smoker's energy level becomes sharply reduced. That "charged up" feeling the smoker had minutes before begins fading away and the craving for nicotine quickly returns. Psychological dependence is a major factor that can prohibit a well-intentioned person from quitting smoking because nicotine has such amazingly powerful, reinforcing qualities.

Other reasons why many of us continue to smoke is that we find it easier to manage stress even though we know that smoking is risky and dangerous. Many of us in this day and age juggle family and work responsibilities, and lighting up a cigarette is a welcome substitute to wind down their day regardless of the repercussions involved. Many more of us, myself included, find that smoking helps to keep off those unwanted pounds, and there may be some truth to that notion. Nicotine speeds up the physiological functions, especially the rate at which the body metabolizes food. When smoking stops, metabolism slows down, food is burned more slowly, and the pounds start adding. That reason alone is strong incentive for many of us to continue smoking

Experienced smoker for 34 years.

For smokers, the long-term prospects are all bad.

For society in general, the more smokers the better. They are productive and contribute to pension funds while young, but croak early, before they deplete the same pension funds.
Several studies have confirmed that governments who are concerned only about economic balance of benefits, should encourage smoking, and even pass out cigarettes to children.

Smoking can have many bad effects and a few good ones. One of the good ones is you feel relaxed, another one is it has this chemical in it that can make you feel wanted and like you fit in.

Natural cigarettes are slightly better as they dont have as many toxic chemicals in them, but they are still bad because you are inhaling smoke into your lungs.

Hope this helps :)

DONT SMOKE PEOPLE - IT IS VERY BAD!

Yes, the money smokers spend help the economy and avoid additional taxation in other areas. Whilst smokers are now a condemned breed, they place over ￡3b in the Exchequers coffers each year !!!!, thus helping fighting the national debt !!!

p.s. I am not a smoker. I feel the ￡3b excise needs to be correlated against the extra burden placed on the NHS through cancer and other multiple health condition treatment (i.e. asthma, breathing issues). Overall, they cost more than give in the longer term IMHO

Economics Student at LSE

All cigarettes are natural - tobacco is a plant.

Smoking benefits the species as it kills off the daft earlier. And they pay extra tax while they do it.

Be happier if they didn't because the smell is horrible.

Depends on what you're smoking.
Tobacco has no real merit; and all smoke will cause lung damage. But certain things like belladonna can give asthmatics relief (contradictory, I know); and mj is medical for a reason too.

look cool or sexy
feels great
relaxing yet stimulating
a good time waster
social
ritualistic

you will look really cool doing it