Starting smoking young?

Hey guys :D I just had a wacky theory. If we start smoking when we're young then our bodies may adapt to smoking in a few generations and then it wouldnt be illegial because it doesnt wreck our bodies...


I think itll happen one day since smoking is basically a change in the enviroment and the young would have a better defence system to defend against it

Seems like a topic that can be expanded upon, I'll go ahead and move this to Other Chat.

~Moved

Or we might just die earlier.

No. Just no.

I don't believe in that theory. Smoking is bad enough on people who are much older but doing it at a young age? That's beyond an accident waiting to happen. You have to realize that younger kids are still developing and still trying to work out their new bodies how they work. Smoking then would ruin that for them and its probably a hell of alot more deadly to them, more than it is too older ones smoking. D:

Ascaris said:

Or we might just die earlier.

No. Just no.

Click to expand...

I agree with him.

The likeliness that our bodies would be able to adapt to accommodate smoking without having to suffer any aftereffects is slimmer than the chance that we'll sprout wings within the next century.

Mr. Hair Straightener said:

Hey guys :D I just had a wacky theory. If we start smoking when we're young then our bodies may adapt to smoking in a few generations and then it wouldnt be illegial because it doesnt wreck our bodies...


I think itll happen one day since smoking is basically a change in the enviroment and the young would have a better defence system to defend against it

Click to expand...

Um...actually, lots of people have started smoking when they are young. And plenty develop addictions and disease. Not saying all, but plenty.

Instead of adapting, like you say, children's bodies are more likely to succumb to the nicotine and risk a plethora of nasty health issues for themselves (and others around them).

For example, my father started smoking young -- most of his family did. Both my grandparents on that side died due to complications from smoking addictions. My dad is asthmatic and has more trouble breathing now that he's in his 50s. Same with my older friends who've started young.

I can understand what you're saying about slow exposure/building resistance, but I have my doubts that would work.

Plus, why would you want it to? It's more trouble than it's worth to poison generations of kids to be able to use a drug you don't really need.

That's a horrible idea. What kind of quality of life are those children going to have if they start smoking when they're...what, five or six? Even if our bodies began to develop a tolerance to cigarette smoke, that doesn't change the fact that smoking causes all kinds of health problems that can't be healed by any adaptation by our bodies. Basically, it's just asking for a generation of horribly sick children.

The health risks of cigarette smoking are becoming more well known in the U.S (I can't say the same for developing countries)...and athough way too many people still smoke, getting the word out on it's negative effects is a much better method than...making children smoke. =/

Mr. Hair Straightener said:

Hey guys :D I just had a wacky theory. If we start smoking when we're young then our bodies may adapt to smoking in a few generations and then it wouldnt be illegial because it doesnt wreck our bodies...


I think itll happen one day since smoking is basically a change in the enviroment and the young would have a better defence system to defend against it

Click to expand...

If you're speaking 'building up resistance', then you're speaking 'micro-evolution'.

SIDE NOTE: For those who are obsessed with evolution, there IS a distinction between micro and macro evolution. The philosophical claim that defies the distinction is irrational and redundant.

Back to our topic...

Evolution takes millions of years to take effect, especially to us humans since we mate and reproduce relatively slowly. Therefore, we would start dying at a very early age before we adapt. We will never adapt to nicotine, simply because nicotine does not kill instantly; it takes years to develop its negative effects. Roughly, "the non-resistant" and "resistant" human beings will equally mate and reproduce, so the overall global gene pool will not shift to any direction. If it will, it will shift towards favoring those who do NOT smoke since there is a raising stigma against those who smoke. For your kind of resistance to build, humans have to stigmatize people who do not smoke.

That's a very rough thought, and it might not be completely correct.

Are you by inference suggesting that we test the theory of natural selection by making teenagers smoke?

That's the worst idea since Greedo shot first.

Oh, no way. That's being delusional. There isn't a way for the body to adapt to smoking because the moment smoking starts, it's already wrecking your body from the inside. It just doesn't happen until a long period of time, where problems start to surface. >>

It's not a BAD thought, just a bit of an unhealthy one, and maybe not thought out very well. I don't see why anyone would want to encourage people to smoke and die early, only to make it safe for people to smoke in later generations. That's kind of horrible ._.;

I mean like... it's possible for the body to adapt to ingesting poison and stuff like that, so I can see where you're coming from. But you're only thinking about the future, not what would happen right now. Smoking causes cancer, 'nuff said.

Sorry, but I don't agree with you.

EDIT: I'm just now realizing, what you're talking about is kind of sacrificial. Don't you think?

We'd die before we could evolve.

Smoking isn't and will never be good for our bodies or our health, and we'll never adapt immunity to it's effects. Bad idea.
Smoking should just stop. Period. It's a nasty habit, and makes people smell terrible, makes their breath stink, and makes their homes smell awful.
I had to move out of an apartment I leased with a a few of my friends because I couldn't stand their smoking habits anymore. The place just absolutely stunk, and it made all of my stuff stink, and I don't smoke!! :(

Plus, the idea of basically forcing people to start smoking - hoping we'd build an immunity to it - is way against personal choice. I'd kill myself before I'd smoke.


I'm against this.

Hahah. No. Just no.

There are no benefits to smoking at all. Plain unhealthy and self destructive habit.

Something tells me you were put up to posting this.

Why would we need to smoke anyway...?
I know what you're saying, but it's just plain out stupid for kids to test it.

FAMOUS TACHA SITUATION TIME
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Kid: Hey mommy, can I have a cookie?

Mom: No Jimmy, you'll spoil you're appetite! Here, have a smoke instead. Maybe you're immunities will adapt and we'll all evolve into being able to smoke without any precautions! Or, it could shorten you're life and/or kill you. Not to mention the ashma you could develop. Or that fact you could become a druggie, because we all know tobacco is a root drug which most likely make you take other and more harmful drugs to get you're "fix"!

Kid: ...You know what? I think I'll wait for dinner to be ready.

---
WASN'T THAT WONDERFUL?

Cool theory. But it is a dreadful thing to start smoking young. Cause when you are young, your bodies are still devoloping and are more prone to sicknesses(i think)

Um, no. People have already smoked for generations and not only that but we've been exposed to pollution for ages and as far as I know we haven't adapted against that, either. You can try if you like, but not me. It takes thousands of years to adapt, I'm sure.

I hate the smell of smoke, honestly I tell my friends "If you ever smoke in my car I will take your cigarette and throw it out the window and you with it". Plus that theory seems to be based off evolution, like when a predator is introduced they find a way to protect themselves or something like that. Either way I don't like your theory and hate the smell of smoke.