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Smoking is for sure worse than alcohol consumption: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/number-of-deaths-by-risk-factor https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/number

by shafyy 5y ago

Smoking is for sure worse than alcohol consumption: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/number-of-deaths-by-risk-factor https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/number-of-deaths-by-risk-... Global yearly deaths by smoking: 7.1 million Global yearly deaths by alcohol usage: 2.84 million

saberience 5y ago
This doesn't include all of the other harmful effects from alcohol, like violence and injures. How much marital physical abuse happens due to alcohol? I'd rather have someone harm themselves from smoking then someone beat their wife while drunk.
- shafyy 5y ago
  Not to defend violent alcoholics, but people who get violent when drunk already have a problem, and would also violent when sober (they probably are). Most people who drink are not violent. Regarding injuries: Sure, but the statistics in general doesn't include stuff that doesn't kill you but still is bad, like non-lethal lung problems from smoking.
hallway_monitor 5y ago
To be clear, this data is showing correlation, not any kind of causation. Regardless, if we accept the argument that people need to be coerced for their own good into avoiding harmful behaviors, the data linked seems to argue that we should be restricting access to sugar and high glycemic index foods (flour) much more than alcohol since "High blood sugar" at 6.5MM and "Obesity" at 4.7MM both beat alcohol by a large margin.
- shafyy 5y ago
  Yes, I agree that we should do more about unhealthy foods. Not restrict access to them (after all, smoking is also not illegal), but set in places incentives that nudge people towards healthier foods (these can be financial, educational, psychological, etc.).
Alex3917 5y ago
The difference is that the average smoker dies at 80, and the average alcoholic dies at 35.
- the_only_law 5y ago
  Source? 35 feels realllly young, but I guess it depends on what’s considered an “average” alcoholic. If someone is spending their entire day drinking string liquors everyday, I can maybe see that.
  - Alex3917 5y ago
    I was being approximate, but here is the more nuanced explanation: "This study found an average of 93,296 alcohol-attributable deaths (255 deaths per day) and 2.7 million YPLL (29 years of life lost per death, on average) in the United States each year." https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6930a1.htm https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6930a1.htm Whereas smoking reduces life expectancy by "only" ~12 years.
  - rcpt 5y ago
    80 sounds old for smoking to.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
bastardoperator 5y ago
While I don't disagree with smoking being extremely harmful, most people addicted to nicotine can still function regularly. Regardless of which kills more, they both kill via proxy and that's where I see the biggest issue for both of them. Interestingly enough I've found that many people smoke when they're drinking.

by shafyy 5y ago

saberience 5y ago

This doesn't include all of the other harmful effects from alcohol, like violence and injures. How much marital physical abuse happens due to alcohol? I'd rather have someone harm themselves from smoking then someone beat their wife while drunk.

shafyy 5y ago
Not to defend violent alcoholics, but people who get violent when drunk already have a problem, and would also violent when sober (they probably are). Most people who drink are not violent. Regarding injuries: Sure, but the statistics in general doesn't include stuff that doesn't kill you but still is bad, like non-lethal lung problems from smoking.

hallway_monitor 5y ago

To be clear, this data is showing correlation, not any kind of causation. Regardless, if we accept the argument that people need to be coerced for their own good into avoiding harmful behaviors, the data linked seems to argue that we should be restricting access to sugar and high glycemic index foods (flour) much more than alcohol since "High blood sugar" at 6.5MM and "Obesity" at 4.7MM both beat alcohol by a large margin.

shafyy 5y ago
Yes, I agree that we should do more about unhealthy foods. Not restrict access to them (after all, smoking is also not illegal), but set in places incentives that nudge people towards healthier foods (these can be financial, educational, psychological, etc.).

Alex3917 5y ago

The difference is that the average smoker dies at 80, and the average alcoholic dies at 35.

the_only_law 5y ago
Source? 35 feels realllly young, but I guess it depends on what’s considered an “average” alcoholic. If someone is spending their entire day drinking string liquors everyday, I can maybe see that.
- Alex3917 5y ago
  I was being approximate, but here is the more nuanced explanation: "This study found an average of 93,296 alcohol-attributable deaths (255 deaths per day) and 2.7 million YPLL (29 years of life lost per death, on average) in the United States each year." https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6930a1.htm https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6930a1.htm Whereas smoking reduces life expectancy by "only" ~12 years.
- rcpt 5y ago
  80 sounds old for smoking to.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

bastardoperator 5y ago

While I don't disagree with smoking being extremely harmful, most people addicted to nicotine can still function regularly. Regardless of which kills more, they both kill via proxy and that's where I see the biggest issue for both of them. Interestingly enough I've found that many people smoke when they're drinking.