Quote:
Originally Posted by noodle
As far as I know, it's actually been proven that the negatives out-way the positives of Alcohol, even in moderation (even with wine! The typical example is the Mediterranean and their diet including a glass or two of wine having a positive effect).
With cigarettes, there are SOME short term benefits, but again, the negatives greatly out-way the positives.
So actually, both cigarettes and alcohol are equally bad for you as both of far more negatives than positives, but the problem is, with Cigarettes (tobacco), everything is exaggerated, and alcohol, things are underplayed. Most people don't know that as long as you don't actually get cancerous cells, all the harm tobacco does can be reversed in time, and sometimes, this reversal actually makes your lungs better than before.
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Drinking Alcohol And Benefits
Alcohol use: Why moderation is key - MayoClinic.com
Alcohol And Health
Risks and benefits of alcohol
I am not so sure you can simply say it has been proven that the negatives of alcohol outweigh the positives on an individual basis.
I don't think this idea that there are benefits is as true when it comes to smoking cigarettes.
Health Benefits of Smoking Cigarettes: Could Tobacco Be Good for You? - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com
To say that schizophrenics have a higher rate of smoking is somehow a form of self-medication seems to be a leap in logic to me. By that same vein we could also conclude that smoking causes schizophrenia.
Smoking cigarettes has short-term health benefits - Sci-Tech
Saying the damage done by smoking is reversable is very different than proving health benefits. We can recover from broken bones, too, but that doesn't mean breaking a bones has any health benefit.
Regardless, even if Alcohol has no health benefits and Tobacco does, that is not the general perception, and that is what influences the decisions of lawmakers.
I am not sure that you can conclude that Alcohol and Tobacco are equally bad for you...I have seen nothing to make me come to that conclusion, but again, that isn't the perception, and it is the perception that matters.