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Hard to believe!!!!

Each to their own. For myself, my mother was a heavy smoker and from an early age I really took against it. I remember they used to have parties, in the 60's, and the main room would be just full of smoke, you could hardly see through it sometimes... I was 6 so maybe my memory is a bit ott. She died from a massive heart attack, which was put down to the smoking... I believe it was very quick, which is fine. I've never smoked.
It is like everything else we do, there will always be extremes to any activity, the Bell curve, where some "dangerous" activities have no effect when sampled excessively and at the other end light users can get nailed. For most, it will have some detrimental effect.
It's all about choice and if it helps, go with it.

Agree with @JohnEGreen about debate, this place is full of it, might not always be on the "winning" side but it's good to talk.
 
I think you raise an important point. There are a number of possibilities, including:-
  • People haven't thought to weigh up all the risks. - Diabetes is described as a condition where blood glucose levels are too high so the 'natural' thing to do is focus on glucose, which may mean that addressing other health risks may inadvertently be put on the back burner.
  • People have difficulty weighing up the risks. - We human beings are notoriously very poor at estimating and comparing risks. For example, it has been estimated that 1,595 Americans died because they chose to travel by car rather than plane in the aftermath of 9/11.
  • People may be well aware of the comparative risks and intend to give up smoking in the future but may find it easier to address the glucose control first.
  • People may be in denial about the risks of smoking.
  • People may have decided that giving up smoking is just too difficult for them so instead try to improve other risk factors as much as possible in (partial) mitigation.
  • People may enjoy smoking so much that they believe their quality of life would be unacceptably reduced if they gave up so instead try to improve other risk factors as much as possible in (partial) mitigation.
Logically, once you have achieved good glucose control, the efforts put into achieving even better glucose control might be better directed towards addressing other risk factors for poor health such as smoking. However, humans have complex motivations and often do not behave in the most logical way.

I notice that some people appear to have interpreted your post as being deliberately unsupportive and criticised you for it. I can honestly say that, to me, it seemed like a genuine request for information/perspective to help you understand an apparent paradox. It's always difficult to judge where people are coming from on a forum where we don't have facial expressions, gestures and tone of voice to help us.
 
Only just came across this thread. I do find the OP arrogant and patronizing. Ex smokers are the worst for that though. Didn't think it was terrible when they were smoking themselves. I'd also like to point an important fact in regards to myself and smoking. I gave up smoking two years ago and within five months had gained 4 stone and because of that i became a type 2 diabetic. Believe me, i was healthier when i was smoking. Weight is a huge factor with diabetic type 2's and people should concentrate on getting their diabetes under control before smoking. And you know what? Even then it is YOUR decision. it is your life not the OP's. Ex smokers can be so sanctimonious.
 
This is not an exact quote but G.K.Chesterton said something like,"accept the world as your companion, never as your judge."
 
well I do think doctors are right about telling diabetics to stop smoking, as it does the prognosis of a good life in the endïng years nothing good... you may have to be amputated earlier, you may have much more difficulties in healing wounds in general which is already a problem for many diabetics especially in the later years..
I myself has been a very bad smoker for 20 years , and it took my 3 serious tries to stop for good, it isn´t easy, and more difficult to some... but it is the best I have done to myself and my Family... now it is 10 years since the last cigaret.. I did gain weight , but even then it was good
 
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Well let me see if I remember correctly a few months ago I was in a hospital side ward with seven other patients all of whom like me were diabetics I was the only smoker on the ward of the others there all where being treated for various infections of the foot including septicaemia one had maggots in his foot a last ditch treatment to prevent amputation one was sent home told he was now OK three days later he was back in hospital and had to have his left big toe amputated. I don't know how the other non smokers on that ward got on but I do know that I despite being a smoker am in reversal or remission of my diabetes.
 
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