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One thing to note is that the purported health effects of smoking are almost all mental or neurological in function rather than physical. I imagine that before

by taurath 10y ago

One thing to note is that the purported health effects of smoking are almost all mental or neurological in function rather than physical. I imagine that before the modern era, where one could argue that mental disorder was far more uncommon, having tobacco to "modulate" mood and nerves would be seen as a legitimate boon to the user and society in general - especially when a person is liable to die from other physical illness than cancer (which takes a long time to develop). With reduced amount of mental illness a society can start to concentrate on the long term effects - people are more likely to get to the long term.

sorokod 10y ago
> One thing to note is that the purported health effects of smoking are almost all mental or neurological in function rather than physical How is "mental or neurological" not physical?
- taurath 10y ago
  I meant to infer that it was a primarily psychological benefit.
  - sorokod 10y ago
    well yes, derived to a large extent from altering the body chemistry.
eatbitseveryday 10y ago
> the purported health effects of smoking are almost all mental or neurological in function rather than physical Don't you mean 'purported beneficial effects'? Damage to the lungs is most certainly an 'effect', albeit a negative one. The way you wrote it, it reads as if something like lung damage is all in one's head, imagined (and I'm sure that's not what you meant?). While I don't condone smoking, Wikipedia[1] summarized certain physical benefits of nicotine from specific sources (and I cannot comment on the reputation of the sources themselves): >Nicotine is frequently used for its performance-enhancing effects on cognition, alertness, and focus.[40] A meta-analysis of 41 double-blind, placebo-controlled studies concluded that nicotine or smoking had significant positive effects on aspects of fine motor abilities, alerting and orienting attention, and episodic and working memory.[41] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine#Enhancing_performance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine#Enhancing_performance

by taurath 10y ago

sorokod 10y ago

> One thing to note is that the purported health effects of smoking are almost all mental or neurological in function rather than physical How is "mental or neurological" not physical?

taurath 10y ago
I meant to infer that it was a primarily psychological benefit.
- sorokod 10y ago
  well yes, derived to a large extent from altering the body chemistry.

eatbitseveryday 10y ago

> the purported health effects of smoking are almost all mental or neurological in function rather than physical Don't you mean 'purported beneficial effects'? Damage to the lungs is most certainly an 'effect', albeit a negative one. The way you wrote it, it reads as if something like lung damage is all in one's head, imagined (and I'm sure that's not what you meant?). While I don't condone smoking, Wikipedia[1] summarized certain physical benefits of nicotine from specific sources (and I cannot comment on the reputation of the sources themselves): >Nicotine is frequently used for its performance-enhancing effects on cognition, alertness, and focus.[40] A meta-analysis of 41 double-blind, placebo-controlled studies concluded that nicotine or smoking had significant positive effects on aspects of fine motor abilities, alerting and orienting attention, and episodic and working memory.[41] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine#Enhancing_performance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine#Enhancing_performance