# "Safe" Smoking: Ways to reduce cigarette harm without quitting. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 20, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-smoking-ways-to-reduce-cigarette-harm-without-quitting/464384 "2008-09-20T00:02:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Peanut\_Gallery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/838e76/32.png) [@Peanut\_Gallery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanut_Gallery)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-smoking-ways-to-reduce-cigarette-harm-without-quitting/464384/21 "2008-09-21T21:55:10Z")
This may or may not be appropriate to your thread… Meet the [Volcano Vaporizer](http://www.thevolcanovaporizer.com/index.php). This is a way of removing certain chemicals from herbs without actually burning them. It works like a charm for cannabis and THC, but I have no personal experience with tobacco. That site does suggest it as an aid for quitting smoking though. There are many brands and styles of vaporizers available. I read on some random site that typical pot smoke has hundreds of toxins, but the vapor from a vaporizer has only a dozen or two. From the taste of it, it seems plainly true. I tried smoking a real joint about a year after switching to vapor, and it was simply filthy. If my machine broke, I’d probably just stay sober until it got fixed. So … I think this could be a useful idea for tobacco, but having never really tried it, I could be way off base. Much different chemistry involved. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-smoking-ways-to-reduce-cigarette-harm-without-quitting/464384/22 "2008-09-22T03:20:55Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > Why do you like smoking? If you’re looking for a safer way to get nicotine into your system, why not use the patch or chew the gum? Never tried the gum, so maybe it tastes like crap, but wouldn’t the patch give you the same effects of smoking without the carcinogens? It’s habit-forming. I don’t smoke, but every one else in my immediate family has. My mother just quit after using Champix (I think they market it as something else with a similar name in the States), but even though her physical craving is gone, it’s hard for her to resist the rituals. When you’ve had a smoke every morning at the same time for the last, oh, 30-40 years it’s a hard habit to break. She says it’s sometimes odd to not have it between her fingers. If she has something occupying her, she can forget about smoking. She never thinks about it at work because she can’t smoke there. My brother replaced the habit of smoking with the habit of nicotine gum, which is a step up, I guess. I’m obsessive-compulsive, so I’m happy I never started smoking because it would be so much harder for me to quit. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-smoking-ways-to-reduce-cigarette-harm-without-quitting/464384/23 "2008-09-22T03:27:04Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > However, as **Stranger** mentioned - statistics don’t really mean a whole lot when it comes to individuals - everyone knows someone who’s smoked a pack a day for 60 years, and everyone knows someone who died from lung cancer at 40 who never smoke in their life. They are outliers statistcially, but they are also actual people. My grandmother, buried less than a week ago, 65 year smoker, died at 80, two packs a day. Had stage four lung cancer - died of an aneurysm before the lung cancer could get her. Hearty woman. However, best just not to smoke at all. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-smoking-ways-to-reduce-cigarette-harm-without-quitting/464384/24 "2008-09-22T03:31:11Z")
Prostate cancer, too - although it seems that the incidence is the same in smokers and non-smokers, for some reason, it kills smokers a lot more often - even former smokers. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-smoking-ways-to-reduce-cigarette-harm-without-quitting/464384/25 "2008-09-22T17:44:43Z")
No amount of smoking is “safe”. If you think there is, you are only fooling yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Frustrated\_Wonderer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a4c791/32.png) [@Frustrated\_Wonderer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frustrated_Wonderer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-smoking-ways-to-reduce-cigarette-harm-without-quitting/464384/26 "2008-09-22T18:03:36Z")
That’s just the thing. There will always be people who will argue that no amount of smoking is safe. This is true, that is clear as water. This thread is meant for people to get “realisticaly” creative and find out ways to reduce the harm of cigarettes without quitting. 2 cigarettes ARE less harmful than 10, but that dosent guarantee that its a good decision by any means. Just “play” along and see what you can come up with to reduce smoke related damage. Good ideas have already been offered: “Only smoke enough to crave your urge” “Exersize alot to help your lungs and heart” Etc, etc. More ideas would be nice to see, that is the point of this thread, not more repetitive preaching about the harms of cigarettes. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-smoking-ways-to-reduce-cigarette-harm-without-quitting/464384/27 "2008-09-22T18:13:07Z")
Your lungs can repair themselves, so regular cardiovascular exercise is your best bet. People who drive cars or cook with a stove should shut up about “it’s better to not smoke at all.” Quit driving and cooking then, you self-righteous prick. Don’t think you’re going to stay a weekend smoker. Cigarettes aren’t designed that way. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-smoking-ways-to-reduce-cigarette-harm-without-quitting/464384/28 "2008-09-22T18:13:51Z")
> [@Frustrated\_Wonderer](#): > > That’s just the thing. There will always be people who will argue that no amount of smoking is safe. This is true, that is clear as water. > > This thread is meant for people to get “realisticaly” creative and find out ways to reduce the harm of cigarettes without quitting. 2 cigarettes ARE less harmful than 10, but that dosent guarantee that its a good decision by any means. If you are concerned about health problems, then quit. If you don’t care about your health, smoke at will. You can’t have it both ways. ---
**Author:** ![Frustrated\_Wonderer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a4c791/32.png) [@Frustrated\_Wonderer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frustrated_Wonderer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-smoking-ways-to-reduce-cigarette-harm-without-quitting/464384/29 "2008-09-22T23:42:26Z")
I can see your perspective, but there is such a thing as harm reduction. Is it better to have 2 drinks or 8? Is it better to eat brownies 6 times a week or twice? Is it better to exersize 25 minutes 3 times a week or no minutes at all? I’m not saying I’m not at all concerned about my health, but I don’t believe in the you either don’t smoke at all, or smoke all you want because smoking is harmful. Not that I’m directly comparing the above mentioned things are like cigarettes, clearly there are many differences, but in general, the concept is simialar. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-smoking-ways-to-reduce-cigarette-harm-without-quitting/464384.md?page=1)