Smoking and drinking

Do you currently smoke or drink?

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Do you currently smoke or drink? What factors make it easier or harder to smoke or drink less?

Perhaps you’ve recently given up or cut back - what things in your local area, work place or about life in London generally made it easier or harder to do so?

The discussion ran from 22 August 2017 - 11 May 2018

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Comments (58)

Avatar for - Adelie penguin

Regarding drinking, there is good evidence that a minimum unit price for alcohol would reduce harm. The recent court ruling opens the way for the Scots to proceed with this. the Welsh are talking about it too. Does London have the power...

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Regarding drinking, there is good evidence that a minimum unit price for alcohol would reduce harm. The recent court ruling opens the way for the Scots to proceed with this. the Welsh are talking about it too. Does London have the power to go it alone in England??

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Avatar for - Adelie penguin

Any health strategy is going to be undermined by the reduction in spending on public health by local authorities, which means less money for "stop smoking" services.

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There is evidence to suggest that illicit/illegal tobacco contributes significantly to health inequalities. Cheap illegal tobacco is more commonly offered to children and young people than adults and availability is highest in most deprived communities.

Have you cone across illicit tobacco before? Would you know how to identity it?

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Don't do either. Places selling drink should be responsible for limiting amount sold so people don't get falling about drunk or aggressive.

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Thanks everyone for sharing your views.

The end of the year is coming up. Have you given your new year resolutions some thought?

Would you be likely to make a pledge to make your and other Londoners’ health better? https://www.healthylondon.org/signup/ Would this help you stick to it?

Talk London

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Smoking should be banned
without question or delay.
I'm tired of living in a country where bad habits are tolerated and used by big business and the chancellor for financial gain.
And in the meantime roads, pavements are used as dumping...

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Smoking should be banned
without question or delay.
I'm tired of living in a country where bad habits are tolerated and used by big business and the chancellor for financial gain.
And in the meantime roads, pavements are used as dumping grounds for this dangerous and unnatural habit.
I expect the hypocrites aka MP's to do something to stop this horrible death causing habit.

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I started smoking at sixteen (now I'm 64) and I suddenly stop at 26, after I realized I was smoking more than two Marlboro packs a day.
A great decision; I never smoked a cigarette more, but I smoke a cigar sometime (less than ten a year)...

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I started smoking at sixteen (now I'm 64) and I suddenly stop at 26, after I realized I was smoking more than two Marlboro packs a day.
A great decision; I never smoked a cigarette more, but I smoke a cigar sometime (less than ten a year).
I think that smoking should be more controlled specially among young people and probably the cigarette's cost should be higher.
I drink some wine with food, but not regularly and sometime a beer after a walk. I remember London in 1969 when at night streets were full of drunk people, today the situation seems to be quite better, but I think that probably the reality is better, but perhaps covered too.

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Do not smoke, never have but drink too much, not sure how that will improve though.

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I don't drink and I don't smoke. I find it easy not to. I'm self-employed and often don't find myself in those sort of drinking environments at work. I don't like the taste of alcohol so I don't drink it. Simples. However my boyfriend...

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I don't drink and I don't smoke. I find it easy not to. I'm self-employed and often don't find myself in those sort of drinking environments at work. I don't like the taste of alcohol so I don't drink it. Simples. However my boyfriend drinks. When he first joined his new job (finance job in central London) he was invited to a lot of social/net-working events and for about a year he was drinking heavily at after-work outings and even on lunch dinners. After a year he had enough as he is also into sports and he noticed his fitness level had significantly suffered. He started to decline the offers and now only goes out drinking with colleagues once a month. However his boss constantly comes into work hung-over and everyone at the work place seems to think this is normal and ok, the attitude being that just as long as the work gets done it doesn't matter about anything else. I think this sums it up really, in London there is a culture of work hard and play hard, amongst city workers.

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Personally I don't drink or smoke but a lot of my friends do. What would make them drink and smoke less, would be to put the price up.

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Personally I don't drink or smoke but a lot of my friends do. What would make them drink and smoke less, would be to put the price up.

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I used to smoke and the smoking ban in pubs makes it much easier to give up.

I drink occasionally and not very much. I can happily go for months without drinking....though it is other people that seem to have difficulty with this. I think...

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I used to smoke and the smoking ban in pubs makes it much easier to give up.

I drink occasionally and not very much. I can happily go for months without drinking....though it is other people that seem to have difficulty with this. I think we need to help people realise it's ok and sometimes great to socialise without having a drink....especially the clear head in the morning. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for people with a drink problem trying to give up, the social pressure to have a drink is huge.

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Some of you have mentioned e-cigarettes. Are you a smoker that has switched to e-cigarettes? Or a non-smoker who did the same?

What were your reasons for making that switch? What would encourage you to give up?

Would it make a difference if they were more expensive, or if there was more information on their health impacts?

Talk London

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As a non-smoker, I have a lot of concerns about e-cigarettes. I don't like to see TV adverts and billboard adverts for e-cigarettes because it promotes nicotine dependence. We don't really know how safe it is to vape because it's such a...

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As a non-smoker, I have a lot of concerns about e-cigarettes. I don't like to see TV adverts and billboard adverts for e-cigarettes because it promotes nicotine dependence. We don't really know how safe it is to vape because it's such a new thing. I think it's unlikely that all that flavoured vapour is harmless. More importantly, I am concerned that e-cigarettes are thought to be "safe", so many people see no reason to restrict their dependence on nicotine.

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Avatar for - Monarch butterfly

I gave up smoking many years ago after several unsuccessful attempts. I think the line between encouraging smokers to give up (if they want to) and vilifying them is quite a tricky one. It's really hard to give up smoking.

I also drink...

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I gave up smoking many years ago after several unsuccessful attempts. I think the line between encouraging smokers to give up (if they want to) and vilifying them is quite a tricky one. It's really hard to give up smoking.

I also drink alcohol. I've cut back a lot in recent times and ideally would like to stop altogether but that's so difficult drinking is such a central part of socialising (for my generation at least). I think supermarkets could do more.

I also agree with a previous comment about supporting those who overeat too.

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The problem is that there is not really a known solution to overeating. Obesity is a relatively new problem. Also, unlike smoking, overeating is heavily promoted by advertising, none of which has any restriction placed upon it.

Brexit...

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The problem is that there is not really a known solution to overeating. Obesity is a relatively new problem. Also, unlike smoking, overeating is heavily promoted by advertising, none of which has any restriction placed upon it.

Brexit might help because food will get more expensive.

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Avatar for - Orangutan

Sometimes I like to have a cigarette after a meal, with a drink, or to relax. Maybe a few times a week (my cardiologist says this amount of infrequent smoking has very little impact on my health). However, at a price of ÂŁ10 for pack of 20...

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Sometimes I like to have a cigarette after a meal, with a drink, or to relax. Maybe a few times a week (my cardiologist says this amount of infrequent smoking has very little impact on my health). However, at a price of ÂŁ10 for pack of 20 cigarettes with no option to purchase any less now that smaller packs of tobacco and cigarettes are outlawed, I end up buying a whole pack and smoking more than I wanted to. Fortunately I managed to find a shopkeeper who will sell me a couple of most likely Chinese knockoff single cigarettes on the sly, which I sometimes resort to. Also the new packaging has no information about tar or nicotine levels unlike the old branded packaging - which is not helpful if you don't want something strong and can't afford to sample every option first because you aren't a millionaire.

This is where the current attitude and legislation for smoking has got us.

I get the impression that this forum is mostly frequented by Londoners who look down their nose at any decadent or uncouth behaviour. Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde must be turning in their grave. I love some avocado toast as much as the next person but God forbid you might catch a whiff of a cigarette as you walk home from the gym with your Waitrose shopping. And we wonder why we're branded 'snowflakes'...

There needs to be some balance, it doesn't have to be one or the other. Allow clubs and pubs to apply for smoking licenses. If it's really that bad I'm sure they'll rapidly go out of business right? The smoking ban was a major factor in the decline of London's once vibrant dance club scene. A cigarette once a blue moon is less harmful than walking to work every day down any of London's main roads, or the daily mentally draining incessant racket of basement excavations and rooftop extensions - but you wouldn't ban all vehicles on main roads or all loud asset enhancing construction work would you? Or would you...

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I had nearly finished my contribution when it disappeared - disheartening.

Avatar for - Amur leopard

Smoking definitely a minority now, few post hipster types that still perpetuate the 'cool' myth where i work. I stopped in my early 20s through vanity more than anything its incredibly ageing and damaging. I drink socially and love fruit...

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Smoking definitely a minority now, few post hipster types that still perpetuate the 'cool' myth where i work. I stopped in my early 20s through vanity more than anything its incredibly ageing and damaging. I drink socially and love fruit beers and pale ales. Bit of a binge drinker but you gotta have one vice I guess, other than spending money on stuff you don't need...

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I smoked for 40 years but gave up 3 yrs ago with the use of E-cigarettes. Why anyone continues to smoke after the advent of non toxic nicotine delivery is a mystery to me. I am no longer a pariah with smelly clothes and breath, and no one...

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I smoked for 40 years but gave up 3 yrs ago with the use of E-cigarettes. Why anyone continues to smoke after the advent of non toxic nicotine delivery is a mystery to me. I am no longer a pariah with smelly clothes and breath, and no one minds if I vape in their home.
I, too, drink but not to excess. It ruins the enjoyment.

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Non smoker and non drinker. I think smoking is disgusting and should be banned everywhere. I agree people should be free to make their own choices but not when the choices they make affect the rest of us. I don't want to pay for health care...

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Non smoker and non drinker. I think smoking is disgusting and should be banned everywhere. I agree people should be free to make their own choices but not when the choices they make affect the rest of us. I don't want to pay for health care for people who smoke or people who drink too much and need NHS emergency. 10 cigarettes cost ÂŁ4 and a pint of beer ÂŁ3 say 3 times a week = ÂŁ1092 . I wonder if people realise this ? Smokers and drinkers should have to pay for NHS care.

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We are heavily taxed for the privilege, far more than the NHS cost and with the added "benefit" of less state pension payments.

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I have never smoked and don't intend to start. I do like a drink but only socially.

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I have never smoked and don't intend to start. I do like a drink but only socially.

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I strongly oppose smoking. Nicotine is an addictive drug and causes more deaths than heroine or cocaine. In fact all heroine, cocaine and crack users start by smoking cigarettes, then move on to cannabis, then cocaine...

I believe...

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I strongly oppose smoking. Nicotine is an addictive drug and causes more deaths than heroine or cocaine. In fact all heroine, cocaine and crack users start by smoking cigarettes, then move on to cannabis, then cocaine...

I believe smoking should be banned in all public places and that if people must smoke, they should do it in the privacy of their own homes away from everybody else.

I also want to see the E cigarettes banned anfpd their use inside restaurants, pubs, under shelters, etc.

I drink one maybe two units of alcohol a week or a fortnight, very rarely any more.

More needs to be done to educate the children of today of the severe dangers of smoking and alcohol and how if they saved the amount they would spend on cigarettes and/or alcohol they would not experience the financial issues that many of those who decide to smoke or drink do and they may be able to spoil themselves with nice meals out or great holidays instead of standard ones.

My fiance'e quit smoking 15 years ago, has no debts, has saved over ÂŁ45,000 - which she would have spent on cigarettes and we go on 4 and 5 star holidays to places like Mexico, Cuba, America, etc

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I am with you 100% Steve.
I absolutely abhor smoking and it should not have any place in a civil society.
For MP's to continue tolerating it and merely paying lip service when people call for an outright ban is unacceptable to me.
I want to...

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I am with you 100% Steve.
I absolutely abhor smoking and it should not have any place in a civil society.
For MP's to continue tolerating it and merely paying lip service when people call for an outright ban is unacceptable to me.
I want to live in a tobacco-free city and so should everyone else.
I don't buy the talk about freedom of choice which MP's use to justify smoking.
People in a position of responsibility for running the country should not use that responsibility in an irresponsible way.
Everyone deserves to be able to breathe fresh air that is not mixed with poisonous tobacco fumes.

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