Originally Posted By: gimpy
How about a 'long view' perspective?
Whether you inhale or not, tobacco smoke enters the system by way of the membranes (skin) of the mouth. Example: Holding nitro pills under your tongue for quickest pathway to the bloodstream without injection.
If you smoke/use ANY tobacco product, it greatly increases your risk of illness/infection/cancer. Tobacco has been proven to suppress the users immune system, making an individual more susceptible to any and all infections and cancers.
Pipe smokers have a greater risk of mouth and lip cancers by more than just a slight amount. If you smoke a lot, tooth loss to gum infection becomes LIKELY (and the breath becomes foul as the infection has its way.....)

When I was young, I lived like I was indestructible, too.
When the calender has 'beat on you' for several decades, and you have lost quite a few friends/relatives, your perspective changes.

Sorry, I wouldn't rain on a good/healthy/constructive parade......
This one needed a reality check.

Survival, indeed.
gimpy


Lots of BS in your reply.

"Tobacco has been proven to suppress the users immune system, making an individual more susceptible to any and all infections and cancers."

Any? All? Really? Reference please.


"Pipe smokers have a greater risk of mouth and lip cancers by more than just a slight amount."
Most lip cancers IME were from sun exposure and not tobacco related.
I have treated far more women that were non-smokers for tongue cancer than pipe smokers for oral cancers.


Tobacco, in moderation, is not the eeeeevillllll many make it out to be. Addicting? Yes. A good habit to start? Probably not. But a bowl or cigar a time or two per month vs 2 packs per day for twenty years is apples and oranges.




"This one needed a reality check."

Yes, it did.