7 ms·

As a non-smoker I used to go on the smoke breaks with coworkers. Not as an excuse for time away from work but rather to get up and brainstorm things. That turne

As a non-smoker I used to go on the smoke breaks with coworkers. Not as an excuse for time away from work but rather to get up and brainstorm things. That turned out to be more productive than stay seated and let my wheels spin in my brain. Nowadays we use the coffee/watercooler break but it's not quite the same as getting out of the building, feeling the outside air against the skin (hot or cold) and getting a change of scenery. We've tries the walk around the parking lot thing, but most office buildings are really not set up for walking spaces...

amai 9y ago
You know about the dangers of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_smoking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_smoking ?
- dionidium 9y ago
  It's indicative of the hysteria around secondhand smoke that someone on HN could seriously think that occasionally standing near people smoking outside is a serious health risk.
  - loco5niner 9y ago
    I take it seriously enough that I hold my breath while walking past someone smoking.
    - fasquoika 9y ago
      That's honestly ridiculous. I'd understand if you just don't like the smell, but there's no real health risk involved in walking past someone smoking
      - loco5niner 9y ago
        I agree. It is ridiculous. But it's also ridiculous for someone to polute the air in a public space (it's different if they are off somewhere I can easily avoid by walking a different way). And yes, I also do not like the smell, but it's both. I also have minor breathing problems that I don't want aggravated.
    - dionidium 9y ago
      I mean, this demonstrates my point.
      - loco5niner 9y ago
        Secondhand smoke (SHS) has the same harmful chemicals that smokers inhale. There’s no safe level of exposure for secondhand smoke (SHS). - American Cancer Society "Secondhand smoke harms children and adults, and the only way to fully protect nonsmokers is to eliminate smoking in all homes, worksites, and public places" - Center for Disease Control "At least 69 of the toxic chemicals in secondhand tobacco smoke cause cancer" - National Cancer Institute
    - sova 9y ago
      A friend of mine said that when they were young they went to a museum and saw two lungs: one of a daily smoker, and one of someone who simply lived in a dense city with poor air quality. The lungs looked almost the same shade of gray. Of course, the smoker's lungs were worse, but air pollution from the bus is not exactly good for you.
      - dionidium 9y ago
        It's not just that there are so many other risks present in cities -- e.g. it's probably more dangerous just to be walking there in the first place than it is to pass a smoker -- it's that, like, how potent do you imagine cigarette smoke to be that just passing near some every once in a while is going to significantly harm you? I can't even begin to imagine what kind of model of the world you'd have to be working with to believe that, which is why I deliberately chose the word hysteria to describe it.
        loco5niner 9y ago
        I guess I just equate smoking with poison. I think it's equally illogical to be purposefully ingesting poison on a daily basis. For myself, I prefer zero purposeful ingestion, even if I am ignorant of the effects.
        nnfy 9y ago
        We [myself former] are not simply poisoning ourselves for fun. There are a multitude of benefits afforded by nicotine in the short term, including improved focus, reduced anxiety, and of course the habit of a smoke break is great for clearing the mind. Your problem is that you, as you say, equate smoking with poison. That's hyperbolic. One could say the same about sugar, but it would sound just as ridiculous. It's almost as if smokers are dehumanized these days, and non smokers deliberately ignore reasons to smoke. There has also been ample evidence of neuroprotective effects of nicotine[0][1] for decades now. I dont mean to suggest that you go out and start a pack a day habit, but my point is that walking past a smoker won't give you cancer. [0]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19714494 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19714494 [1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11772120 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11772120
  - amai 9y ago
    Please read about the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_smoking#Evidence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_smoking#Evidence .
    - ZoeZoeBee 9y ago
      >Twenty rats in each exposure group were exposed to the smoke seven hours a day for 21 days. The method of exposure was ‘‘head only’’, meaning that the rats were placed head first in snug fitting plastic tubes with a screened head portion that projected into a duct through which the smoky air flowed. Try the same with car exhaust and see how it goes
      - acidreflux 9y ago
        Ah yes, the ol’ “what about” argument. “Second-band smoke is dangerous.” “OH YEAH? WHAT ABOUT CAR EXHAUST, HUH!?” Yes, that’s bad too, but we were talking about cigarette smoke.
        pc86 9y ago
        Actually, we're talking about standing next to someone for 5 minutes, once or thrice a day, outside, while they smoke a cigarette. @amai was talking about blowing smoke into your face in an enclosed area for 7 hours a day.
  - mFixman 9y ago
    It's not only about health risks. Standing near smokers is disgusting and soils your clothes with their smell, specially when they are smoking.
- athenot 9y ago
  Obviously I wouldn't stand downwind (there's almost always a little breeze outside). Also my smoker coworkers were considerate in that they wouldn't blow their smoke in people's faces. So that wasn't an issue.
- JamesBarney 9y ago
  I don't think they've found any risks for outdoor exposure. The amount of exposure you get in a smoking bar is far more than what you get outside. Also there is some weirdness in the research where it's hard to find a dose response curve, and you see larger effects on cardiovascular system than lungs. I think there might be some confounds, like if you are married to a smoker or work at smoking establishment you're more likely to be poor, and be unhealthy in other ways besides smoke exposure.
- tmnvix 9y ago
  I think it was Sir Richard Doll (the scientist that first proved the link between tobacco smoking and cancer), that, after a lifetime of research, claimed being around smokers didn't concern him in the slightest. Spending significant amounts of time in confined, smoke-filled spaces might be a different story though.
sotojuan 9y ago
If you live in an urban area, I highly recommend walking to a coffee shop instead of using whatever you have in the office kitchen. While it costs money, I've found it a great way to take a break from work.
- Retric 9y ago
  > walking to a coffee shop That's no reason to actually buy coffee though. You can just take a walk in the middle of the day.
  - sova 9y ago
    That three dollar cup of coffee could easily have become 7 shares of a biotech penny stock.
    - Retric 9y ago
      3$* 5days * 48weeks * 40years (65 years - 25 years) = 28,800$ before investments. However, caffeine is a larger problem. It's very additive with strong withdrawal symptoms, but giving it up for 6 months has significant mental health benefits. Unless you enjoy black coffee it often adds up to several hundred calories per day.
      - Kevguy 9y ago
        Aside from sleepiness for a few days and a (lack of) caffeine headache for a day, what are the strong withdrawal symptoms? I honestly don't think there are any and have never figured out why some people are so against coffee. If I'm wrong, please tell me what I am missing. Thanks. I agree the sugar and milk/creamer add a fair amount of calories to your diet.
        sova 9y ago
        You know, Erdos (great mathematician) said that minds like his had to be constantly caffeinated (and sometimes involved with the potent psychadelic) to maximize their potential. Caffeine is good for productivity, or Mate (Yerba Mate).
enobrev 9y ago
I quit smoking 4 years ago. I still go on smoke breaks, without the cigarette. If I'm at a bar / restaurant, I'll hang around with the smokers - who never care if I'm actually smoking. At home, I'll go sit outside for a few minutes. It's great for the creative processes as well as for maintaining focus throughout the day. It also helps settle things a bit when socializing gets overwhelming.
- r00fus 9y ago
  You must have strong willpower to be able to stand with other smokers after quitting (assuming you don't borrow one).
  - enobrev 9y ago
    After 22 years as a smoker, I was at a point where I didn't really like smoking anymore. I knew I was addicted, and I smoked plenty, but I didn't enjoy it. So, after getting a stomach bug during a visit to Mexico where smoking was making me ill, I took the opportunity to order two vape pens for my wife and I, and never turned back. I think it helped that she did it with me. I'm very fortunate in that I don't crave cigarettes any more. My wife will still bum one on occasion if we're drinking or camping. I might have a cigar once every month or so, but I have no interest in more than that, and cigarettes completely gross me out now. As for this thread, I don't always vape when I hang out with the smokers. Or even when I do, vaping just takes a quick puff. I'll generally stick around while the smokers finish their cigarettes. In regards to willpower, I'm still addicted to nicotine. I don't mind being addicted to it. I'm glad I found a way to do it that doesn't involve literally sucking on burning paper and plants. That said, I've been halving the nicotine content of my juice annually. I should be completely off in two years.

amai 9y ago

You know about the dangers of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_smoking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_smoking ?

dionidium 9y ago
It's indicative of the hysteria around secondhand smoke that someone on HN could seriously think that occasionally standing near people smoking outside is a serious health risk.
- loco5niner 9y ago
  I take it seriously enough that I hold my breath while walking past someone smoking.
  - fasquoika 9y ago
    That's honestly ridiculous. I'd understand if you just don't like the smell, but there's no real health risk involved in walking past someone smoking
    - loco5niner 9y ago
      I agree. It is ridiculous. But it's also ridiculous for someone to polute the air in a public space (it's different if they are off somewhere I can easily avoid by walking a different way). And yes, I also do not like the smell, but it's both. I also have minor breathing problems that I don't want aggravated.
  - dionidium 9y ago
    I mean, this demonstrates my point.
    - loco5niner 9y ago
      Secondhand smoke (SHS) has the same harmful chemicals that smokers inhale. There’s no safe level of exposure for secondhand smoke (SHS). - American Cancer Society "Secondhand smoke harms children and adults, and the only way to fully protect nonsmokers is to eliminate smoking in all homes, worksites, and public places" - Center for Disease Control "At least 69 of the toxic chemicals in secondhand tobacco smoke cause cancer" - National Cancer Institute
  - sova 9y ago
    A friend of mine said that when they were young they went to a museum and saw two lungs: one of a daily smoker, and one of someone who simply lived in a dense city with poor air quality. The lungs looked almost the same shade of gray. Of course, the smoker's lungs were worse, but air pollution from the bus is not exactly good for you.
    - dionidium 9y ago
      It's not just that there are so many other risks present in cities -- e.g. it's probably more dangerous just to be walking there in the first place than it is to pass a smoker -- it's that, like, how potent do you imagine cigarette smoke to be that just passing near some every once in a while is going to significantly harm you? I can't even begin to imagine what kind of model of the world you'd have to be working with to believe that, which is why I deliberately chose the word hysteria to describe it.
      - loco5niner 9y ago
        I guess I just equate smoking with poison. I think it's equally illogical to be purposefully ingesting poison on a daily basis. For myself, I prefer zero purposeful ingestion, even if I am ignorant of the effects.
        nnfy 9y ago
        We [myself former] are not simply poisoning ourselves for fun. There are a multitude of benefits afforded by nicotine in the short term, including improved focus, reduced anxiety, and of course the habit of a smoke break is great for clearing the mind. Your problem is that you, as you say, equate smoking with poison. That's hyperbolic. One could say the same about sugar, but it would sound just as ridiculous. It's almost as if smokers are dehumanized these days, and non smokers deliberately ignore reasons to smoke. There has also been ample evidence of neuroprotective effects of nicotine[0][1] for decades now. I dont mean to suggest that you go out and start a pack a day habit, but my point is that walking past a smoker won't give you cancer. [0]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19714494 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19714494 [1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11772120 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11772120
- amai 9y ago
  Please read about the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_smoking#Evidence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_smoking#Evidence .
  - ZoeZoeBee 9y ago
    >Twenty rats in each exposure group were exposed to the smoke seven hours a day for 21 days. The method of exposure was ‘‘head only’’, meaning that the rats were placed head first in snug fitting plastic tubes with a screened head portion that projected into a duct through which the smoky air flowed. Try the same with car exhaust and see how it goes
    - acidreflux 9y ago
      Ah yes, the ol’ “what about” argument. “Second-band smoke is dangerous.” “OH YEAH? WHAT ABOUT CAR EXHAUST, HUH!?” Yes, that’s bad too, but we were talking about cigarette smoke.
      - pc86 9y ago
        Actually, we're talking about standing next to someone for 5 minutes, once or thrice a day, outside, while they smoke a cigarette. @amai was talking about blowing smoke into your face in an enclosed area for 7 hours a day.
- mFixman 9y ago
  It's not only about health risks. Standing near smokers is disgusting and soils your clothes with their smell, specially when they are smoking.
athenot 9y ago
Obviously I wouldn't stand downwind (there's almost always a little breeze outside). Also my smoker coworkers were considerate in that they wouldn't blow their smoke in people's faces. So that wasn't an issue.
JamesBarney 9y ago
I don't think they've found any risks for outdoor exposure. The amount of exposure you get in a smoking bar is far more than what you get outside. Also there is some weirdness in the research where it's hard to find a dose response curve, and you see larger effects on cardiovascular system than lungs. I think there might be some confounds, like if you are married to a smoker or work at smoking establishment you're more likely to be poor, and be unhealthy in other ways besides smoke exposure.
tmnvix 9y ago
I think it was Sir Richard Doll (the scientist that first proved the link between tobacco smoking and cancer), that, after a lifetime of research, claimed being around smokers didn't concern him in the slightest. Spending significant amounts of time in confined, smoke-filled spaces might be a different story though.

sotojuan 9y ago

If you live in an urban area, I highly recommend walking to a coffee shop instead of using whatever you have in the office kitchen. While it costs money, I've found it a great way to take a break from work.

Retric 9y ago
> walking to a coffee shop That's no reason to actually buy coffee though. You can just take a walk in the middle of the day.
- sova 9y ago
  That three dollar cup of coffee could easily have become 7 shares of a biotech penny stock.
  - Retric 9y ago
    3$* 5days * 48weeks * 40years (65 years - 25 years) = 28,800$ before investments. However, caffeine is a larger problem. It's very additive with strong withdrawal symptoms, but giving it up for 6 months has significant mental health benefits. Unless you enjoy black coffee it often adds up to several hundred calories per day.
    - Kevguy 9y ago
      Aside from sleepiness for a few days and a (lack of) caffeine headache for a day, what are the strong withdrawal symptoms? I honestly don't think there are any and have never figured out why some people are so against coffee. If I'm wrong, please tell me what I am missing. Thanks. I agree the sugar and milk/creamer add a fair amount of calories to your diet.
      - sova 9y ago
        You know, Erdos (great mathematician) said that minds like his had to be constantly caffeinated (and sometimes involved with the potent psychadelic) to maximize their potential. Caffeine is good for productivity, or Mate (Yerba Mate).

enobrev 9y ago

I quit smoking 4 years ago. I still go on smoke breaks, without the cigarette. If I'm at a bar / restaurant, I'll hang around with the smokers - who never care if I'm actually smoking. At home, I'll go sit outside for a few minutes. It's great for the creative processes as well as for maintaining focus throughout the day. It also helps settle things a bit when socializing gets overwhelming.

r00fus 9y ago
You must have strong willpower to be able to stand with other smokers after quitting (assuming you don't borrow one).
- enobrev 9y ago
  After 22 years as a smoker, I was at a point where I didn't really like smoking anymore. I knew I was addicted, and I smoked plenty, but I didn't enjoy it. So, after getting a stomach bug during a visit to Mexico where smoking was making me ill, I took the opportunity to order two vape pens for my wife and I, and never turned back. I think it helped that she did it with me. I'm very fortunate in that I don't crave cigarettes any more. My wife will still bum one on occasion if we're drinking or camping. I might have a cigar once every month or so, but I have no interest in more than that, and cigarettes completely gross me out now. As for this thread, I don't always vape when I hang out with the smokers. Or even when I do, vaping just takes a quick puff. I'll generally stick around while the smokers finish their cigarettes. In regards to willpower, I'm still addicted to nicotine. I don't mind being addicted to it. I'm glad I found a way to do it that doesn't involve literally sucking on burning paper and plants. That said, I've been halving the nicotine content of my juice annually. I should be completely off in two years.