So last year my city council narrowly passed a smoking ban. Since Jan. 1 this year everything has been smoke free, including restaurants and bars. And it has been wonderful. I can now go to a bar with friends without having to hold my breath when somone walks by (in case they are a smoker) or if I need to go use the bathroom or something. You see, I have asthma. Normally, its well controlled, but smoke is one of those triggers that can really aggravate it. It can start me up coughing or wheezing or worse. Plus, I just hate the smell of smoke. I don't wear strong perfumes or scents or anything-- I try to be considerate too. So the ban was passed. And it has been nice. Also if DH goes out with friends after work he no longer smells when he comes home!

We recently had city council elections. The Mayo, a piper smoker, is planning to call for a vote to immediately repeal the smoking ban. Unfortunately it will probably get repealed.

I think this is very silly for a couple of reasons. No. 1: My state is waiting on a signature from the govenor to pass a Statewide smoking ban starting in Jan. The Gov said he will probably most likely sign. No. 2: If the buisinesses and everyone had six months to prepare for going smoke free, shouldn't they have six months to prepare to go back to smoking? And since it has been five months, aren't they used to it by now. They claim it is hurting buisiness, that smokers are going elsewhere. Maybe a few people-- I don't see that when I go out. Places look just as crowded to me as they always did. Besides, we only have small towns immediately around my city (pop about 180,000) There aren't many other places for people to go unless they are willing to travel.

So what are they going to do, repeal a ban so they can smoke for six more months? How bad is their nicotine craving? This just seems crazy to me.

Any thoughts?

It's never a good idea to attack more than one serious addiction at a time, anyway. Time changes things, we all do things on our own time. Some of us found our bottom with food quicker than others. Same thing with smoking or heroin. Just as with the band, it's a very personal journey and no amount of coaxing from someone else will help. You gotta wanna..

Leatha, I have to give you a world of credit in this thread. You are kind, sweet, and caring about this issue. You are one of the few that really seems to understand that some addictions are easier than others to overcome. You have been realistic and neutral. Very cool. Thank you.

I didn't get a band for my life or health, I got a band because I want to look good. I used to model lingerie and I want to be that size again. Nothing in the world to do with health, that's just a great extra that came along with it. Perhaps horrible, yet true.

Fixing my food addiction wasn't hard in the least as far as a decision to be banded. Fixing my food addiction is a done deal, I CAN'T eat the things that got me fat and I'm okay with that.

I discovered the band on 11/6/06, had surgery on 12/6/06, I plan to lose 102 lbs and have plastic surgery before 11/5/07. Everything from start to finish in a year. That's my goal.

Now smoking, I have yet to overcome that. If they had a band for smoking that does not allow me to smoke regardless of how hard I try, then I could kick that too.

You decided that your appearance was more important to you than your addiction to food. That's my whole point. Yes, we're addicts, but we decided that something is more important to us than the "feel good" feeling we got when we would eat. It doesn't matter whether it is your appearance or my health, we both decided that we had something we wanted more than food.

It's never a good idea to attack more than one serious addiction at a time, anyway. Time changes things, we all do things on our own time. Some of us found our bottom with food quicker than others. Same thing with smoking or heroin. Just as with the band, it's a very personal journey and no amount of coaxing from someone else will help. You gotta wanna..

Exactly. It's possible to overcome any addiction, if you want to do it badly enough.

I didn't get a band for my life or health, I got a band because I want to look good. I used to model lingerie and I want to be that size again. Nothing in the world to do with health, that's just a great extra that came along with it. Perhaps horrible, yet true.

Fixing my food addiction wasn't hard in the least as far as a decision to be banded. Fixing my food addiction is a done deal, I CAN'T eat the things that got me fat and I'm okay with that.

I discovered the band on 11/6/06, had surgery on 12/6/06, I plan to lose 102 lbs and have plastic surgery before 11/5/07. Everything from start to finish in a year. That's my goal.

Now smoking, I have yet to overcome that. If they had a band for smoking that does not allow me to smoke regardless of how hard I try, then I could kick that too.

Atleast you're honest and while we're being honest, After I get my plastic surgery, I'm going to find the tightest leather pants I can get my boney azz into. My weight is all in my gut and I have no doubt my bottom will go back to being the English muffins they use to be. Vanity can be a motivator.

You decided that your appearance was more important to you than your addiction to food. That's my whole point. Yes, we're addicts, but we decided that something is more important to us than the "feel good" feeling we got when we would eat. It doesn't matter whether it is your appearance or my health, we both decided that we had something we wanted more than food.

Exactly. It's possible to overcome any addiction, if you want to do it badly enough.[/quote]

It is possible. I didn't have a traumatic life event but I can see how that would do it for some. I got pregnant. The second I thought I was pregnant I tossed the smokes and didn't look back. I think I smoked a cigarette or two one night when I was out drinking. *felt like I never quit* So the cure is to stay away from it and don't temp. the body.

I don't hate smokers, I hate their habit. I'd be just as pissed off if a crack addict decided to smoke his crack pipe in my face as I am when a cigarette addict decides to smoke their cigarette in my face.

.

Ahh.. so it IS possible to hate the sin and not the sinner.. :clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2: Yippee! Glory hallelujah!

Ahh.. so it IS possible to hate the sin and not the sinner.. Yippee! Glory hallelujah!

It's possible when the "sin" is something the "sinner" chooses. If it is something that is integral, natural to the "sinner," you can't separate the two. Last time I checked, people weren't born with cigarettes in their mouths.

Leatha, I have to give you a world of credit in this thread. You are kind, sweet, and caring about this issue. You are one of the few that really seems to understand that some addictions are easier than others to overcome. You have been realistic and neutral. Very cool. Thank you.

Thank you. I appreciate the kind words. Actually, I'm not such a bad person and I do know a bit about addiction. My only secondary education was in drug/alcohol counseling, psych etc. Not to mention I have a sister who's life has been destroyed by heroin addiction AND, don't forget. I quit smoking 7 months before my band surgery. Been there, done that.

Generally, most people I come in contact find me very strong, credible and understanding. Imagine that.. lol

I'm not buying the whole "food addiction" thing. Human beings cannot sustain life without food. We are biologically engineered to crave food and, of course, cannot give it up or we would die. To say you are addicted to food is the same as saying you are addicted to breathing.

I'm not buying the whole "food addiction" thing. Human beings cannot sustain life without food. We are biologically engineered to crave food and, of course, cannot give it up or we would die. To say you are addicted to food is the same as saying you are addicted to breathing.

It's not THE food, it's THE TYPE of foods. You can be addicted to sugars, starches (carbs) etc. Don't you think? Basically, all that metabolizes about the same as alcohol in your system. Then, we have the whole 'endorphin' process - which is very much linked to addiction. Makes alot of sense to me.

It's not THE food, it's THE TYPE of foods. You can be addicted to sugars, starches (carbs) etc. Don't you think? Basically, all that metabolizes about the same as alcohol in your system. Then, we have the whole 'endorphin' process - which is very much linked to addiction. Makes alot of sense to me.

Not necessarily. Some fat people are quantity eaters and don't crave sweets. Others, however, have a raging sweet tooth, yet don't overindulge. My MIL, for example, loves chocolate candy and eats it every day, but she is not overweight.

I will see what I can find research wise and come back t this thread with the results. Should be interesting.

Not necessarily. Some fat people are quantity eaters and don't crave sweets. Others, however, have a raging sweet tooth, yet don't overindulge. My MIL, for example, loves chocolate candy and eats it every day, but she is not overweight.

I will see what I can find research wise and come back t this thread with the results. Should be interesting.

Sounds fair. Check out THIQ.

Lots of differing opinions, is what I found. Here are two sides in one article.

From the days of “reefer madness,” that old anti-drug movie, the word “addiction” has conjured images of out-of-control behavior. But today, cutting edge science is shedding new light on addiction and its connection to chemical changes in the brain. If those changes can lead to compulsive behavior, some scientists wonder if fatty foods and drugs just might have more in common than you think.

Dr. William Jacobs:

We’re very early in the game when it comes to addiction to food. The evidence is beginning to line up that there are so many similarities that I think we’re going to see that there are patients who are addicted to food.

Dr. William Jacobs studies addiction at the University of Florida, and has testified against cigarette makers in past tobacco cases.

He points to brain images that indicate activity in our brain’s reward and pleasure centers.

Dr. Jacobs:

What that scans tells us is that the brain is responding to food in a nearly identical manner as it is responding to cocaine in the patients who met the criteria for food addiction.

Scanning people’s brains while making them sniff food looked like an odd experiment, but scientists at the prestigious Brookhaven National Lab are finding that just smelling and seeing certain foods, can often trigger a chemical excitement in the brains of over-eaters, making them compulsively want it.

And it seems our brain gets most excited by the things that cause us so many problems: sugar, salt, and fat.

Scientists warn our brain chemistry may actually change as we eat these foods, causing us to crave them even more.

Dr. Jacobs:

If as a child I eat very sweet, pleasurable food, instead of my vegetables that my mother wants me to eat, I may be setting myself up for brain-changes that may be irreversible.

As preliminary as much of this science is, it’s all potential ammunition for lawyers like John Banzhaf.

Banzhaf:

Fast food companies fail to tell people that there is now sufficient evidence that eating fatting foods can cause addictive changes in the body.

So do chocoholics and junk food junkies really exist? Science may be leaning that way, but the food industry says no. You have to eat to survive. You want to eat because it tastes good.

Joe McMenamin:

Food is not an addicting substance. Food is not morphine. And the solution for the obesity problem is not litigation.

Joe McMenamin is a lawyer and a medical doctor in Richmond, Virginia. His firm represents food companies, so he’s studying the issue of food addiction. He’s concluded that calling food “addictive” is speculative junk science.

Dr. McMenamin:

The behaviors of those who overeat simply don’t resemble the behaviors of those who truly addicted. In those who are addicted, we see altered mental status. We see abrupt and often impulsive behavior dangerous to the individual himself or others. We see withdrawal, when one is denied access to his drug of choice. Foods don’t do that.

So, how does this chemical excitement in our brain influence our decision-making as we pull into that drive-thru? If there is such a thing as food addiction, are some foods more addictive than others? The scientists we spoke to said a lot more needs to be understood before any of them would feel comfortable calling food “addictive” as experts on the witness stand. Stay tuned.

Personally, I think it is trendy to call everything an addiction these days. People say it so casually.....Oh my God, I'm addicted to Diet Coke....I'm totally addicted to my soap operas...I could never give up my Crocs; I'm addicted to them.

Thank you Carlene !!!!! That clears a lot of my questions!!!!!

"This for all you non-smokers out there, you and you only, because I know for a fact that you don't know this. Ready? Non-smokers die every day." -- Bill Hicks, Relentless

"This for all you non-smokers out there, you and you only, because I know for a fact that you don't know this. Ready? Non-smokers die every day." -- Bill Hicks, Relentless

Of course they do.....but I prefer old age to lung Cancer.