Reconciling Risk v Reward of Piping

[slowroll]

Well, the leading cause of death is birth. So....

[unregistered1]

Apologies if this is taboo, but since I picked up my pipes again after a 9 year hiatus I'm wondering how everyone reconciles the opposing forces of the pleasure of pipe smoking and inherent risk.

It's a question of balance in everything which is key and makes the difference.
"Studies" proving tobacco's risks are often exaggerated, for maintenance of fundings' sake. Who funds these studies? Governments - to justify undue taxes - and non smoking lobbying groups - to justify their social discrimination of smokers. Don't wanna bite the hand that feeds ya, right?
All those pics we see on the warning labels? They're, for the most part, extreme cases, not the norm.
So, for the risk factor, it must be mitigated.
To get back to my point: the key is it's all a matter of moderation.
Pipesting is no more a risk that eating or drinking can be. Depends how you approach it.
I cannot recall how many times I was told by people (displaying an air of disdain and superiority) that smoking is so baaaad for me, that I should quit. But a lot of these individuals were heavily overweight.
Riiiiiiiiiiight you are lad, lass. Look who's talking.
Fact is, a body (and mind) can stay healthy if one exercises regularly, eats well and tries to go easy on the booze.
If one sees the doc once a year, gets the bloodwork done every year, etc., anything suspicious will be identified and swiftly dealt with.
We are smokers. A mouth will stay healthy if one sees the dentist every year for an exam and a cleaning. If there<s an issue, it will be quickly identified and dealt with.
One does all this and his & her chances of greatly minimizing the risks are pretty good, won't you say?
Better than those who might not smoke but who also never exercise, go to McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Burger King and/or Wendy's every day; drink 2 X 2L of Coke per day; indulge in frozen meals, chips, snacks, candies, pub food and get drunk three times a week or more.
And better than those who do all these and smoke a pack a day on top of everything else.

[Mr Beardsley]

on a somewhat related note, i noticed that for some reason the health insurance reps have re-phrased the obligatory question to, "have you used tobacco more than four times per week in the last six months?"

have no idea what's up with that

That's because the web of things that are classified as tobacco products is ever widening. It was easy when the questionnaire asked are you a smoker to check the no box. Now vaping products are classified as tobacco products (nicotine gum & patches are not. See what pharm money can do for you in the fda?) so the honest folks check yes and it raises their premium

[MikeDennison]

I'd been interested in smoking a pipe all my life...both of my grandfathers smoked a pipe. I, on the other hand, grew up in a strongly no-smoking family, and didn't pick up the pipe until I was 50 years old. Did some research that satisfied me as to it's relative safety, and had a chat with my doctor. He shrugged and said, "Pipe smoking isn't really much of a concern." My therapist told me that pipe smoking posed less danger than the side effects of any meds he would prescribe. So...

But truth be told, I smoke the pipe simply because it relaxes me to no end, and I really enjoy it. The day it's not enjoyable and relaxing is the day I stop.

[avid]

on a somewhat related note, i noticed that for some reason the health insurance reps have re-phrased the obligatory question to, "have you used tobacco more than four times per week in the last six months?"

have no idea what's up with that

That's because the web of things that are classified as tobacco products is ever widening. It was easy when the questionnaire asked are you a smoker to check the no box. Now vaping products are classified as tobacco products (nicotine gum & patches are not. See what pharm money can do for you in the fda?) so the honest folks check yes and it raises their premium

well, on the one hand it loosens the standard (four times a week, six months), but then as you suggest it widens the category. It also occurs that it could be an indulgence to the pot smokers

[Islayphile]

Stress can be very damaging to ones health and pipe smoking offsets some of that stress for me. I see a Dr. and a dentist regularly which as was mentioned above, should help detect any potential negative effects before they become a more serious issue.

[unregistered1]

I'd been interested in smoking a pipe all my life...both of my grandfathers smoked a pipe. I, on the other hand, grew up in a strongly no-smoking family, and didn't pick up the pipe until I was 50 years old. Did some research that satisfied me as to it's relative safety, and had a chat with my doctor. He shrugged and said, "Pipe smoking isn't really much of a concern." My therapist told me that pipe smoking posed less danger than the side effects of any meds he would prescribe. So...

But truth be told, I smoke the pipe simply because it relaxes me to no end, and I really enjoy it. The day it's not enjoyable and relaxing is the day I stop.

I read somewhere an article by a M.D. that said the life expectancy of pipe smokers was 3 or 4 years more on average than non smokers because of the pipe's capacity to incitate relaxation, slowing down one's pace, etc.

[9 Iron]

I’m subjected to ridiculous amounts of toxins, poisons, and various unkind things in the air, water and food, and there’s nothing I can do about it. A little pipe smoke that I don’t even inhale? Who cares.

[Tsal]

I grew up 5 miles away from this lovely refinery smack dab in the middle of whats known as the cancer belt highway.. I think pipe smoking pales in comparison.

[Peacock]

The social stigmatization is what I'm bothered by. That and my wife's opinion

I wouldn't worry about the social aspect of smoking. If your happy that's all that really matters. Stay smokey...

Thank you for this. Also... Smoking pipes has a wish list function???

The social thing is real. Different areas are more or less "progressive" with this. I smoke in the office at church. In some places I would not be able to do this, but then I would not be in the office so much. I smoke in the car and when I walk to the post office. There is not much social stigma here, and I am of an age where I am not really worried if there is.

My wife is (also) an Episcopal priest. She is in another parish. We hear a lot of strife in families caused by various issues. My wife observes that husbands and wives sometimes do really stupid things, and we have seen the range of stupidity. She looks at me through this lens.

I bring my paychecks home. I don't lose the mortgage at the craps game in the liquor store parking lot. I don't come home drunk or have anger management issues. I am not hitting on the intern in HR. Pipe smoking is a reasonably respectable "vice-like" activity. I am outrageously cheap by nature, and so it is not like I blow through wads of money buying artisan pipes.

As a positive, she always has something to get me for my birthday off the wish list at smokingpipes.