Smoking in the 1990s

[fishman65]

We once owned a Beagle but had to let it go because it smoked 40 a day.

[AntsyVee]

We once owned a Beagle but had to let it go because it smoked 40 a day.

LOL

[MyNameIsTerry]

What's really increased smoking here is the use of vape products. Not only do they not taste/smell like cigarettes, a lot of kids don't think they're bad for you. They don't understand that nicotine is addictive, and any foreign substance put in your lungs pretty much aren't good for them.

That was a concern here but I think I recall some research showed it wasn't having that much of an impact.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Now up to the present-day smoking situation.

I read a report online (can't remember the site) that was published back in late March when we first went into national lockdown, that feared that more people might turn to smoking in order to help them cope with the loneliness and general pressures associated with the lockdown, and the other potential fallouts from the pandemic in general (e.g, job losses and subsequent financial difficulties), which so far has still proved unfounded, as many smokers have actually quit in record numbers since March, when CV really started ravaging this country. (it was mentioned in the news the other week).

I think another factor behind the initial fears of a possible CV-fuelled upturn in smoking rated was the plethora of misinformation circulating online at the time that suggested that smokers may have been less susceptible to catching the virus, but the complete opposite is the reality, and those myths were probably being engineered by pro-smoking camps, and no doubt, conspiracy theorists with an agenda!!

Like I already said above, it never came to pass, and the vast majority with a brain actually realised that.

The press were pushing anything & everything down our throats to get clicks. It's like how anti [insert party or institution name here] becomes a headline but reading further revealed its from some unknown source or merely speculation by one, often biased, politician/bureaucrat/office tea boy.

But it shows us we perhaps aren't the sheep certain paranoid people think we are?

[Lencoboy]

The press were pushing anything & everything down our throats to get clicks. It's like how anti [insert party or institution name here] becomes a headline but reading further revealed its from some unknown source or merely speculation by one, often biased, politician/bureaucrat/office tea boy.

But it shows us we perhaps aren't the sheep certain paranoid people think we are?

I think you're right there Terry.

Sadly the press, especially these days, just seem to whack out any old guff willy-nilly simply to cause some reaction, often without any regard for the potential consequences, and also in order to appeal to the lowest common denominator, and often the most gullible within our society.

[AntsyVee]

You've got it right, gentlemen. This is why education is so important--we need to teach people how to evaluate sources and information and avoid all-or-nothing thinking. Support your local teachers!

[Lencoboy]

You've got it right, gentlemen. This is why education is so important--we need to teach people how to evaluate sources and information and avoid all-or-nothing thinking. Support your local teachers!

Sadly (and dare I say it), some teachers themselves have even been known to have the 'just avoid the issues entirely' ethos, rather than attempting to address them in a practical and tactful manner. I don't mean all teachers, just some and absolutely nothing personal intended against you AV, and I do agree that many teachers unfairly get it in the neck the world over, especially as they often have to perform mega thankless tasks. Just like doctors, nurses, social workers, police officers, firefighters, etc.

[AntsyVee]

Yes, statistically there are going to be some bad apples in every profession. The teachers I see that have stopped trying to address them are ones not supported by their school districts. It's an often thankless job. Yes, we get paid, but on salary, not for the amount of hours we put in. We don't get paid in the summers, and even though many of us have as much higher education as other professions such as lawyers and doctors, we are compensated far less. If we all supported public education like it should be, we could work on improving it. Here at least, it seems as if people just complain about it, but don't do anything to help.

[Pamplemousse]

You've got it right, gentlemen. This is why education is so important--we need to teach people how to evaluate sources and information and avoid all-or-nothing thinking. Support your local teachers!

The Tory Government removed critical thinking from the National Curriculum. Can't have people thinking for themselves, can we?

[AntsyVee]

The Tory Government removed critical thinking from the National Curriculum. Can't have people thinking for themselves, can we?

So demand it back. You can't give up on your public education.