400 cigs in 30 minutes!!

[I.V.]

OK, a few years ago in a late night online chat session between chemists, biologists and physicists we derived a model about the amount of carcinogens that people inhale in a city - took about 8 hours. We then compared it to smoking and the results were fairly interesting. Sorry if this post sounds angry, but there is some anger behind it.


Why did this start? Because I'm a courteous smoker and follow the rules, and even on a public street I turn away from passers-by when I exhale. But one day more than 5 or 6 uppity women feigned coughing in the most caustic way while walking by me ON THE STREET (a single woman each time not a group of 6). I put it down to probably being some new fad popularised by a magazine or something. But by the 6th time, I admit I yelled out some profanities!


My theory is that people can SEE smoke so they vilify it, but it's too hard to THINK about what the big culprits of health problems are and it's just easy to blame smokers.


We calculated based on traffic conditions in Greater London (mid way between city centre and the edge of suburbs, during business hours). Now I wish I kept a log of that session but it is long lost. I guess we could start over if there are people who have worked for cigarette companies here. The main number that I can remember is as follows:

FOR EACH 1/2 HOUR YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN A CITY OR DRIVING YOU WILL INHALE 400 CIGARETTES WORTH OF CARCINOGENS.

If there is a will to recalulate this here please make it a sticky if we get it done. Imagine how many cigarette's worth of cancer that is in a day in the city or if you live in a city!


People really need to know that if it's true so they can get some perspective on how they treat smokers. Along with all the other toxic chemicals they ingest. During that chat session we were going to move on t how many carcinogens are ingested while COOKING FOOD for some more context but we got tired.

Anyway a few more tidbits about smoking that I should check at some point:

20% of lung cancer deaths are in people who never ever smoked.
The majority of lung cancer deaths in the UK is diagnosed in people over the age of 65 (think I read this on the BBC)
2/3 of people die before the age of 65 of natural causes (based on my life insurance sales training 10 years ago)
There is evidence to suggest that lung cancer was caused by radioactive fallout from atmospheric tests and these have dissipated leading o a step reduction in incidences of lung cancer.


That's all for now. Just wanted people who felt bad for having had analogues to know the truth.

I.V.

 

[Off Topic]

I smoked for 20 years. Now that I vape, I hate the smell of smokers. I try to be nice, having been one of them, but I've had to take a step back from some of them.

I've tried to convert a few to vaping, with mixed results.

 

[PaporPlas]

Cigarettes kill. They did my sister...she died from "small cell lung cancer" - only caused by smoking cigarettes. I'd be interested to see how you came up with your numbers. They are very extreme. I agree that there are tons of carcinogens in the air of larger cities (I live in Los Angeles). However, if what you are writing it true, then cigarettes are really not that dangerous, just living and breathing in a large city is.

Thanks.

 

[PaporPlas]

I smoked for 20 years. Now that I vape, I hate the smell of smokers. I try to be nice, having been one of them, but I've had to take a step back from some of them.

I've tried to convert a few to vaping, with mixed results.

"Mixed results" are better than no results. Keep up the good work. Vaping saves lives.

: )

 

[bigtiime]

They see "smoke" they think smoking. Heck they've been programed for 100 years. In another 100 years maybe they'll think vaping?

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

I'm so very sorry PaporPlas. At least you're stopping the cycle.
Sincerely Vapoor.

Cigarettes kill. They did my sister...she died from "small cell lung cancer" - only caused by smoking cigarettes. I'd be interested to see how you came up with your numbers. They are very extreme. I agree that there are tons of carcinogens in the air of larger cities (I live in Los Angeles). However, if what you are writing it true, then cigarettes are really not that dangerous, just living and breathing in a large city is.

Thanks.

 

[araczynski]

that sounds a bit extreme, the numbers i mean, wouldn't people be dropping like flies after that kind of exposure? especially day after day of that kind of exposure?

 

[eggman]

My goodness. I am glad I don't live in a big city.

 

[LucentShadow]

Wow, 400 per half hour doesn't seem possible to me, but I live in a town with a pop. of about 10k...

If it is a realistic number, it wouldn't surprise me. We can't go inconveniencing business or society in general by making them be responsible to this Earth. It's a terribly unpopular idea when it comes down to actually doing something about it.

 

[martinc]

oh,similar numbers and studies are probably available to all lvl of gov. in all the world,the Kyoto agreement aint just for the ozone layer dont you think

Reducing emanations by x% before year XXXX?

 

[panachronic]

FOR EACH 1/2 HOUR YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN A CITY OR DRIVING YOU WILL INHALE 400 CIGARETTES WORTH OF CARCINOGENS.

If there is a will to recalulate this here please make it a sticky if we get it done. Imagine how many cigarette's worth of cancer that is in a day in the city or if you live in a city!

This is the sort of thing that can't be calculated, it has to be measured. Otherwise, all you have is a wild guess.

Obviously, urban air quality is much less than optimal. But if it were anywhere near as bad as you have guessed, very few people who inhabit such an environment would live beyond middle age. Clearly, real world experience does not reflect this.

 

[lion6255]

A little off thread but not really it about what we are breathing in. Short backgraound I'm a bird rescue nut not as Peta mind you but still a little off center I suppose. I found out through this that cooking with PTFE or known to you as teflon with a bird in the same room it will kill it in very short order. I wont go into all the details and what else has PTFE in it but you truely would be surprised. Yes I know that most birds lungs are a little as your little finger nail but it the fumes can kill what damage is it doing to us,children ,other pets?
Polytetrafluoroethylene - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[whitepony]

Hmm i would be interested in actually seeing the math behind this

 

[I.V.]

Please let me say I'm sorry to all whose lives have been taken by smoking. I should have said so in the original post.

lion6255: excellent point - I think there is a lot of sources for harmful chemicals. I mentioned the teflon/ptfe thing to my family and they wanted to hit me with the frying pan for it! I think they preferred not to know.

I'm happy to work on developing a model but I need some help I think, from someone who has the appropriate knowledge and skills?

 

[Scot E]

Got to love the small towns that are all around america

 

[jacquelyn]

Cigarettes kill. They did my sister...she died from "small cell lung cancer" - only caused by smoking cigarettes. I'd be interested to see how you came up with your numbers. They are very extreme. I agree that there are tons of carcinogens in the air of larger cities (I live in Los Angeles). However, if what you are writing it true, then cigarettes are really not that dangerous, just living and breathing in a large city is.

Thanks.

I like in Los Angeles also however I know this city is getting really into anti-smoking. I know of a few cities where smoking is banned in public throughout the city.

Great work though it is another way to get people to stop

 

[hairball]

Got to love the small towns that are all around america

No kidding. I grew up on the outskirts of Baltimore City, MD. About 30 minute drive for me to get there. I always hated that city...it stinks. Glad I live in the country now.