Plenty of talk about cancer, and rightly so, but even those who are lucky and avoid that are quite literally destroying their lung tissue - life will become a constant period of feeling short of breath, wheezing, getting recurrent infections, requiring long term oxygen therapy whilst at home (which you won’t be allowed if you still smoke) and significantly being reduced in your ability to function.
Not really how I want to spend my retirement.
Just for visualisation here is a CT of someone with emphysema (smoking related airway disease) - the lower areas of lung are more normal, the black areas in the upper lungs are the holes where the tissue has been destroyed.
Obviously everyone is entitled to make their own choices, but doesn’t hurt to be informed, and sometimes I think seeing what you are doing to yourself can help. I know for one that I don’t want my lungs to look like that.
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