Van Nguyen Prayer Thread

[ringo100]

I was asked why I thought smoking killed more than drugs, the stats I provided clearly show smoking kills many more people than drugs.

[sundaymorningstaple]

From ASH UK website:

Illness caused by smoking

Smoking has more than 50 ways of making life a misery through illness and more than 20 ways of killing you.

It has been estimated that, in England, 364,000 patients are admitted to NHS hospitals each year due to diseases caused by smoking. This translates into 7,000 hospital admissions per week, or 1,000 day. [1] In 1997/98, cigarette smoking caused an estimated 480,000 patients to consult their GP for heart disease, 20,000 for stroke and nearly 600,000 for COPD.


Half of all teenagers who are currently smoking will die from diseases caused by tobacco if they continue to smoke. One quarter will die after 70 years of age and one quarter before, with those dying before 70 losing on average 21 years of life. It is estimated that between 1950 and 2000 six million Britons, 60 million people worldwide, would have died from tobacco-related diseases.

I haven't got the stats on drug related deaths yet, but I don't believe 6 million have died in the same period.

Ringo, do you have any idea why all the "figures" you are quoting are "Estimated" It's because they aren't sure either. They, like you, have an agenda that you and they want to push. They, like you, have absolutely no HARD data or research to prove it. Not saying it isn't so, but that's why my earlier statement. Are you sure? Nobody else is so how can you be?

Every stat you have given can also be caused by something else as well. The stats only clearly show what you WANT the data to show. Actually, they show nothing at all. You know, kinda like the Singapore Board of Statisticians.

He simply took the options that were most available to him.

How do you know this? Did he tell you? Did you walk a mile in his shoes? Were you already indoctrinated into the Druggie scene because of you brother? You are assuming a bit too much.

At least I will agree to disagree here. I pray you are never put into the position where your ideals run headlong into your love of your family & friends. When you find out how human you really are it will be a rude awakening I assure you.

If this hasen't done anything else, at least it has shown the other regulars that you are capable of serious discussion and not just rapier thrusts.

cool runnings.....

sms

[banana]

So if we were to conclude that all statistics are made up, or at best tweaked to provide the data that best support an arbitary stance, why choose to take the most obvious perspective? Why demonise that which you do not understand? Evolve my friend, if not for your sake, for that of your children's children.

As for me assuming too much, I shall have to assume you intentionally meant to be ironic. You don't know me from a bar of soap nor need to. All there is to this is the type of world you want our future generations to inhabit. One driven solely by cold hard digits on someone's Excel spreadsheet or one with all manners of ups and downs, rich in diversity but yet united through a willingess to look beyond our noses? Idealistic maybe, but just because someone else gave up doesn't mean I have to.

[ringo100]

Are you joking? I say a statement and then i'm asked to provide some facts to back it up; unfortunately i'm not in a position to carry out extensive research myself so I do the next best thing and go to source that has time to do it.

The figures come from the “The World Health Report 2003. World Health Organization, 2003”

[Wind In My Hair]

SMS,

i've been following this thread and though i have no strong opinions worth expressing, i just wanted to say that your posts have been very enlightening for me. and you've earned my respect (not that you didn't have it before, just more now) for knowing what you stand for and why, instead of just expressing an opinion.

i was sitting on the fence on the death penalty before. guess i'm still sitting though ironically this forum has made me think harder about than i have in a long time. i'm leaning towards abolishing it if i had to make a decision, though for the life of me i can't see any better alternative at the moment. sigh, a really tough one, this.