01-25-2013, 06:04 PM
cbelt3 wrote:
Pam-
I use myself as an example because absolute statements like a lot of folk like to make end up in laws. Which makes them bad laws. Because when it comes to biology, there are no absolutes.
And I definitely understand addiction. I've worked for 3 decades to try to help my wife quit. I recognize the pain and suffering she goes through. I watched my father in law die slowly and painfully from his lifelong cigarette addiction.
It's politicians who don't understand addiction who can make specious claims like "Well, they can just quit if they don't want to pay the tax ".
Sounds like your thinking is turning around on this one.
Wait a minute. I was not referring in any sense to people who cannot control their conditions via diet and exercise. You chose to read it that way because you wanted to make it about you. "People voluntarily ignore diet and exercise warnings resulting in diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol" does not speak to naturally occurring conditions. It specifically addresses reversible conditions.
If you understand addiction then you would not have made the statement "BUT... Everybody who smokes made a specific decision to smoke. There's no 'genetic heritage' that gives you smoking-related health issues." It's false. There is a definite genetic component. Some can smoke every now and then and never be addicted. Others can fairly easily quit. Yet there are many, many who got hooked on one puff. Usually at a young age and had no idea of what was happening. There is a genetic component that makes you far more susceptible. Just as there is for alcoholism. Quitting for this group is extremely difficult and usually does not last long term. People spend a crap load of money on nicotine patches, hypnotism, nicotine gum, and even clearly bogus treatments to try and quit. Painting these people as choosing to smoke because they made a dumb move as a kid is ridiculous. And shows a clear lack of knowledge.