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| Thread ID: 58508 | 2005-06-02 22:57:00 | You have just been appointed "Prime Minister" of New Zealand ... | KiwiTT_NZ (233) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 360783 | 2005-06-07 11:54:00 | Where did you get that 'fact' ? I doubt this. Reference, please. :annoyed: And define 'young'. What ages? Smoking usually takes decades to inflict enough damage to a person so that they wind up in hospital or with ongoing health problems / costs. Imho, heart disease, strokes and cancer do not surface with young people (teens - 20s - 30s). But 60+ years is a different story. No need to get annoyed Steve.You are free to doubt anything you want. In an Einsteinian universe, what is young?Younger than old. If you don't believe me, try taking out a life insurance policy and notice the difference in premiums between smokers and non-smokers.The premiums are a lot more for a very good reason.It ain't rocket science. Yes the smoker is a burden on the health system in their last couple of years, but I bet you don't see too many Octagenerians and Nonagenerians with a daily Winfield Red habit.Often the afflications of smokers are fatal = reduced medical expenses compared to long stay elderly patients. You do see a lot of long-term elderly in the hospital, but I bet you don't see many long-term 40 or 50 year olds (my original point, not that I'm complaining about the number of elderly in hospital). And to answer your question, what is young? Young is a relative measure and for different people means different things.For me it means someone who isn't elderly - for you it may mean 20-30 year olds.Young in this context could be anyone who died before their time was due.Alternatively, a person could be said to be very very old in the minutes and hours before they die.It's a matter of perspective.The point being is that smoking causes people to die young (i.e. before their time) and are therefore a lesser burden on the health system because they weren't around for the prolonged degenerative years.In conclusion, smokers are not a burden (finally! I spelt that right) on the health system. One question remains, why annoyed? |
14_with_black_bean_sauce (7493) | ||
| 360784 | 2005-06-07 12:01:00 | Surely I can't be the only person on this forum who would commision a giant gold statue and create a secret police force? :confused: :eek: :dogeye: | Metla (12) | ||
| 360785 | 2005-06-07 12:05:00 | Surely I can't be the only person on this forum who would commision a giant gold statue and create a secret police force? :confused: :eek: :dogeye: Well... I would create a secret military/airforce base and buy lots of expensive, high tech planes, choppers and missiles for it. Not quite police but better. ;) |
E|im (87) | ||
| 360786 | 2005-06-07 12:18:00 | A private military? Answering directly to the head of state. Cunning, very cunning. Airstrikes at dawn would shut the Greens up quick smart. |
Metla (12) | ||
| 360787 | 2005-06-07 12:23:00 | Answering directly to the head of state. Oh no, just to me. ;) Then if I get voted out of office in the next election I get to keep my airforce because no-one knows about it. |
E|im (87) | ||
| 360788 | 2005-06-07 12:38:00 | Uh, You would be head of state, therefore they would be answering just to you, and with control over the military there would be no need for elections. | Metla (12) | ||
| 360789 | 2005-06-07 21:30:00 | One question remains, why annoyed? Myth #1 : smokers are a burdon on the health system = big fat myth. Smokers die young. Your statement poses as a myth-buster but is simply un substantiated rubbish. However, now I am not annoyed but rather :D amused at how you cleverly skirted the issue of smokers dying young. Are you Winston Peter's speech writer? :lol: Really - thanks for keeping this thread light. If we really took the job of replacing Helen seriously, it would be... :eek: |
Strommer (42) | ||
| 360790 | 2005-06-07 22:24:00 | Myth #1 : smokers are a burdon on the health system = big fat myth . Smokers die young . Wrong Wrong Wrong!!!! I have been a heavy smoker for over 60 years and don't look like dieing any time soon . |
JJJJJ (528) | ||
| 360791 | 2005-06-07 22:47:00 | Your statement poses as a myth-buster but is simply un substantiated rubbish. However, now I am not annoyed but rather :D amused at how you cleverly skirted the issue of smokers dying young. Are you Winston Peter's speech writer? :lol: Really - thanks for keeping this thread light. If we really took the job of replacing Helen seriously, it would be... :eek: I don't write political speeches but your using the phrase '20-30 year olds' after my 'young' statement in your previous post inferred young = 20-30 year olds which is an impossible position to defend and a sly 'association' technique used to undermine anothers argument.So yes I tried to make it light but I can't however ignore your statement 'unsubstantiated rubbish'.Using forceful language (that goes for you too Jack) doesn't make something right no matter how forceful you want it (or want to ignore truth). As I said 'young' refers to someone who died before their time was due.And you are clever enough to understand that there is no such thing as absolute, so the question 'what is young?' got the analytical answer it deserved.How many smokers use the phrase 'gotta die of something' but this ignores the damage that is being done to the body and once again, all things being equal, a smoker has a higher proabability of dying earlier than a non-smoker. I agree we don't see many twixters dying of smoking related diseases.But then you don't see any smoking cadavers suffering from arthritis, alzheimers, dementia, incontinence, balance control problems, cataracts (do I really need to list every affliction of the elderly?) either.Which part of my logic do you dispute? Finally, yes I agree a bunch of computer people running the country is a scary proposition (let's leave it to the politicians) - although my gold statue would be twice the height of Metla's and in addition to a secret police force and military, I would have underground harems ... er ... palaces. :D |
14_with_black_bean_sauce (7493) | ||
| 360792 | 2005-06-07 22:53:00 | I have been a heavy smoker for over 60 years and don't look like dieing any time soon. My father-in-law is 83 and was a smoker for over 60 years. Whenever anyone (friends family colleagues) would warn him of the health risks he just laughed it off saying "It hasn't killed me yet so why should I stop?" He quit 7 months ago, which still surprises a lot of us! We never thought he would quit, and he said many times that he was far too addicted to stop. People that don't know his condition still cannot believe he has stopped for good. He has emphysema and if it wasn't for this serious lack of oxygen, he would still be very active - he has been an avid hunter and fly fisher since he was a boy. Not being active like he used to be has really rattled him and he often says "I would not mind if the good Lord takes me now." He has been in hospital numerous times and takes medications several times a day. No longer is he able to proudly march in the Anzac dawn parade and place a home-made wreath on the cenotaph. (He fought the Japanese in the Pacific.) BTW, when asked how he managed to quit, he simply says that he finally made up his mind, put the tobacco in a drawer and said "I don't want to see you anymore!" :D |
Strommer (42) | ||
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