# One or Two Cigarettes a day **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 12, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420 "2003-06-12T19:47:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420/21 "2003-06-13T16:17:43Z")
I know this sounds weird, but I recently cut down and have nearly quit, and I swear my libido has increased when I did…is that true? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420/22 "2003-06-13T16:53:50Z")
Yes, Ryan, it is true. I don’t have a cite on hand, but heavy tobbaco use can make men impotent, and even if not “impotent” can decrease the ability & “strength” of erections. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420/23 "2003-06-13T17:10:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TaxGuy \* > \*\*All you folks who posted slippery slope arguments and other BS in this thread should be ashamed of yourselves.) \*\* I posted from my personal experience. Not ashamed. If you know a large number of smokers who went from never smoked to 20 a day or have statistical information to refute my anicdotal evidence, feel free to share. ---
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420/24 "2003-06-13T17:22:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TaxGuy \* > \*\* > (Also, since politics isn’t allowed in GQ, I would think that moralising should not be allowed either. All you folks who posted slippery slope arguments and other BS in this thread should be ashamed of yourselves.) \*\* The thing is, smoking 1 or 2 cigarettes a day poses a tremendous, albeit indirect, health risk. The risk is that the nicotine will affect your brain in such a way that you will have a tendency to increase your amount of smoking to the point where the smoking clearly poses a direct health hazard. The reality is that cigarettes are extremely addictive. When you are in the grip of nicotine addiction, it’s very difficult to make rational intelligent decisions about smoking. IMHO, if somebody asks about the health hazards of consuming an addictive substance in limited quantities, it’s reasonable to mention the dangers of addiction. ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420/25 "2003-06-13T17:28:19Z")
Smoking can affect the libido but cigarette smoke constricts blood flow. ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420/26 "2003-06-13T17:28:50Z")
Smoking can affect the libido because cigarette smoke constricts blood flow. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420/27 "2003-06-13T18:13:21Z")
Another [thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=151404&highlight=smoking) ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420/28 "2003-06-13T19:54:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Warewolf00 \* > \*\*I was wondering what the health risks are of smoking one or two cigarettes a day. I’m sure it’s not nearly as healthy as zero cigarettes a day. 🙂 \*\* I have read in several places that the risk for cancer rises dramatically after 10-20 pack-years (ie, one pack a day for 10 years or 2 packs a day for five years). Here’s one [reference](http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/9345.cfm#21117) for this stat. In that vein, 1 or 2 a day may not put you in a high risk category for cancer, but as I said earlier, I firmly believe that there are significant health benefits to not smoking. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420/29 "2003-06-13T21:48:06Z")
Anecdotally, a former supervisor of mine remarked that when he quit smoking he “Became horny as hell-- and put on 50 pounds.” ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420/30 "2003-06-16T01:54:16Z")
Same thing happened to me, **Jonathan Woodall** , and those two things do not go well together. 😉 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420/31 "2003-06-16T06:12:52Z")
Back to the original question, how will 1 or 2 a day affect one’s health? I think we can safely say that cigs are not beneficial, and are most likely not neutral, so therefore they are to at least some degree bad. Agreed? That said, there is no such thing as a death clock, you might get “hit by a pickle truck” contract cancer, or immolate yourself while lighting up after a moonshine t-shirt contest. I enjoy a few smokes when I drink, and accept the risks at face value. Bottom line is that if you’re that worried about living for those extra couple months…don’t smoke, if you don’t care, smoke like a chimney. After having analysed your profile I have discerned that your chances of dying are 100%. ---
**Author:** ![outcast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/82dd89/32.png) [@outcast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outcast)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420/32 "2003-06-16T18:45:17Z")
It doesn’t matter everybody dies ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420/33 "2003-06-16T19:03:25Z")
I know I’ll regret posting to this thread, but here goes: I smoke a few a day; I’m thin, a vegetarian and work out regularly. I strongly believe in moderation (well, in most areas), as opposed to “all or none.” Sure, smoking zero is the best thing for your health; that fact can’t be argued with. However, if you gave up everything you enjoyed that was unhealthy or fattening – think about how fun life would be. Different people have different vices. For the record, I don’t smoke inside (except my car, alone) and therefore don’t put others at risk from my second-hand smoke. Welcome to the board, **outcast**! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-or-two-cigarettes-a-day/181420.md?page=1)