Smoking - Pro/Cons

Myyyyy Gaaawwwwwddddddd Quinn!:eek::crazy::D

As if I didn't have enough of a "spite" following already.:lol::bounce:

Not helping my cause here but I never got to go out and take a 5 minute break before service??????? Maybe cause I didn't smoke. Several of us would joke that we should take it up so we coupld get that 5 minute break every 2-3hrs. Doohhh!!!!

Aside from the health and taste bud aspects of smoking what smokers don't realize is how they smell after a smoke. As a former (non-militant about it) long time smoker to me I always smelled "toasty" after a smoke. It wasn't until I quit that I realized how bad it actually is. Even worse I imagine when I smoked Swisher Sweets!:eek:
I can't help but think that delicate foods will pick up the odors from your chef coats and hands even if you wash them.

That being said, I will say that I was quite surprised to see that pretty much all the contestants on Hells Kitchen were smoking. I am also surprised frankly that Gordon Ramsey would even allow a smoker in his kitchen, nitpicker that he is.

PROS -- It is their body, not yours.
It is their money they spend for ciggies, not yours.

CONS -- They hurt themselves, not you.

I got friends who smokes. I do not agree that they should but they are great guys so it does not matter that they smoke...as long as they smoke upwind from me. And they always do...

5 minutes every 3 hours??? Try 20 minutes every 1-2 hours for some of my cooks & chefs.

I personally never had a desire to start, nor was I curious or experimental about it in my younger days. I am too old to start now as I have no valid reason to.

Love smokes, could careless about anyones opinion of me smoking, how I smell, what the health risks are, and definetly dont care when people get upset about smoke breaks, I actualy enjoy when smoking bothers people mostly when I smoke my Cohiba Habanas(cigar)..I do get pissed when people smoke the wacky tabacky, danger to us all..

.:smoking::smoking::smoking::smoking::smoking::smok ing::smoking::smoking::smoking::smoking::smoking:: smoking::smoking::smoking::smoking::smoking::smoki ng::smoking::smoking::smoking::smoking::smoking::s moking:+

If you gottm smokem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First you guys rock, love your posts, but have to say, when I have been running for 10 hours with 4+ to go and almost haven't had time to pee, ate a snack on the fly, when a co worker is going for their another,"must effing have" smoke break, I get a bit testy!!!!
I was on one ship with a Captain who siad, if he was in charge of hiring, would not hire smokers, takes too much time!

But more than that, being one of the seniors here, have lost and am losing friends at an amazing rate from tobacco related cancers. That con wipes out any pros. Please don't do this to your friends and family.
(((((((hugs))))))
Nan

I have enough bad habits as it is, don't need to add smoking to it all. Lost my grandfather to lung cancer and he was a heavy smoker from his early teens till early 60s. I've never, though tempted being in this industry, stuck anything of as such in my mouth. Figuring there are better ways of screwing up my body...

But I do have to say, I hate when people who do smoke get 2x the break time I do and its usually left up to me to cover for the smokers. It the worse when 3 of them would want to go at the same time but only 1 of me to cover 3 stations/jobs.

Smoke? Personally I do my best not to since that usually means that I've been on fire and that can't be a good thing.:eek::D

Heck you don't even need to be a smoker to get lung issues. Not on pins and needles but I do worry some in the back of my mind from those many years my Mother smoked like a chimney and then I waited tables and bartended. Non-smoking policies came a bit late in for me in my opinion. I remember Buca had a employee non-smoking policy while I was there. I thought it was a great idea. Too bad it didn't work very well. Hard to enforce a policy when the FOH Mgrs smoked and always brought company with them. Most of my current indoor environment allergy issues could probably be attributed to second hand smoke.

Hey do what ya like makes no never mind to me. But when it affects me directly is when it becomes a nuisance. It's my non-smokers rights.

Now that leads me to "Smokers rights" I guess it's mostly the "militant ones" but one thing that gets my goat is the proclamation of them so very loud, clear and relentless. Funny how they are the only ones with rights.

All I ask is a little respect. 98of the time it's not a problem but every now and then.

Smokers are like women going to the bathroom. They can't go by themselves. One goes they all go. And it's not just the smoke break that takes time out of the day it's the twenty minutes before that they are only half focused on their job because all they can think about is getting out for that smoke.

I had a guy working for me a few years back, great line cook. His first night was a Friday night and he had no idea what his chances for a smoke break would be. So he chewed. I'm surprised in all my years that's the first time I saw this. He knew how bad his habit was and knew better than to expect to get a break when he wanted.

chef.ESG.73-That wacky tabacky is no danger to you, unless we are talking about use at work. Then I'd agree. You burn me coz you're stoned and I'm taking out of your a.s.s.

First let me say sorry about any loses of life do to smoking..

I hear a ton of people complaining about other people and their smoke breaks.. Who's running the kitchens. It is the chefs job to control all aspects of the kitchen, period. Don't get mad at those who you feel smoke to often, get mad at those who allow it.

Not to start a argument but im going to with those who use drugs. I feel my kitchen is in complete danger whether they use them in or off the job, FACT. Drug use is a danger to our profesion and life in general, it cause bad attitudes, lack of rest, bad accidents, and complete lazyness. Ive been in a kitchen for 23 years out of my 35 and have witnessed some G-d awfull burns, cuts, and falls because of drugs whether they used them before work or could not consintrate because they used them after work and was up all night.
DANGER WARNING:

Our kitchens are a reflection of ourselves.

Listen to Old Nancy Ragean, just say no...

Personally, I don't care what other people do to their own bodies, as long as I don't get involved (i.e. having to smell smokers).

Cons: There's one BIG reason why cigarettes cause cancer that no one ever brings up. Ever wonder why the cigarette, once lit, continues to burn unaided? Ever wonder why they used cigarettes as fuses (combined with a book of matches) during WWII?

Its because they're loaded with Potassium Nitrate. It provides oxygen to keep the tobacco burning. Nitrates turn into very carcinogenous nitrous amines, et al, during the burning process, and smokers are inhaling these carcinogens.

If the government would force BIG TOBACCO to remove the KNO3 from the cigarettes, how many smokers would continue if they had to re-light their cigarette every time they took a puff? That's one reason that pipe smokers have to re-light so many times. I believe that the KNO3 is in the cigarette paper. Processing wise, it would be easy to soak the raw paper in KNO3 and then let it dry.

doc

chef.esg.73 I can totally agree with your stance and I don't want to turn this into a drug topic. But I want to make sure you include alcohol with those drugs. :crazy:

Alcohol: Lenny M. so drunk one shift he was making beer battered shrimp in fryolater as he was taking them out with a sloted spoon, he dropped the spoon in the grease. he was so out of his mind he put his hand in the fryolater to retreave spoon, burns so bad, we never seen him again.:eek:

Pot: Jenny L. so stoned and unaware while using plasticwrap sliced her wrist on the cutter hit artery blood squirted through out the kitchen, had to shut down kitchen completely at 730pm on Friday night. Never seen her again:eek:

Alcohol/Pot: Ron S. was lifting stock pot off stove filled with turkey stock. Was so lazy and figured instead of picking up sheet pan on the flood that was in his way, he would step over it. he ended up slipping on sheet pan spilled stock down the whole side of his body, we had to strip him of his cloths and lift him into ice machine. His left side of his body looked like pastrami. Never seen him again.:eek:

ooops didn't mean to go an a rant, please continue to bash us cigerette smokers.. I love it.:roll:

I can say I don't know if my palate has a different taste than those who dont smoke, because I have always smoked. I feel I taste food just like everyone, but now you have me thinking, maybe not?

I have been smoking for 25 years since I was 10, I actualy tried this 4th of July on a whim to quit, not that smart my body flipped out, I realy enjoy smoking, but I can now feel it in my breathing, since I started to go to the gym?? So to answer your question, yes I would quit..But nobody quits anything until they have suffered enough, unfortanetly! :smoking:

good topic, kid

i'm a smoker unfortunately. I quit off and on...months or years at a time..why i dont completely stop is beyond me but i don't. The big con i see is cancer..but then again we're all gonna die someday. My grandma, who used to smoke and was in fact an alcoholic up until she needed to go through chemo for breast cancer...used to say
if you enjoy it, do it.
She has this attitude whereas you only live once and so why deprive yourself of things you enjoy. For some reason I actually really enjoy the taste of a camel or a good rolled cigarette. I like the taste of tobacco. I like the ability to get a 15 min break (otherwise you won't in this industry) and it's very comforting being able to have a cigarette when you're stressed or want to feel comforted.
Sadly I think a lot of smokers see their cigarettes the way I do...camel is a good friend.

I smoked for 15 pack-years (average of 1 pack a day for 15 years), starting in college (age 18). I quit in 1983, 25 years ago. I was delighted to regain my senses of taste and smell- it made a huge difference to me.

I heard from a a few weeks ago friend that her husband was recently diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. He had quit smoking 35 years ago.

Best for me to see my doctor regularly and have any long term bouts of coughing followed up on. Even though my oncologist-brother tells me I'm probably safe, I'll never lose my fear of getting lung cancer.

I've been smoking for about 12 years now. I enjoy it and the only reason I really think about quitting is the cost. I don't see where it's destroyed my taste buds. I season food to where it's good for me and everyone else has to add more salt, pepper, etc. to it. As for smell, if it's damaged that, then I have to say I'm glad. Otherwise, smelling perfumes, certain flowers, soaps, detergents, etc would probably kill me instead of just giving me a debilitating migraine.

I started smoking when I had bronchitis and a respiratory therapist gave me a menthol cigarette and told me to try it and see if I could breathe better. Contrary to popular belief, it did help. I'd always had problems breathing, especially when my allergies/sinuses acted up in different seasons. The menthol cigarettes do open me up more and allow me to breathe more easily. I actually have less problems now than I did before smoking. I went without cigs for a while and started having those breathing issues again so I ended up going back to smoking so I could enjoy life again. I've had inhalers, steroid inhalers, pills, etc. and none helped that much.

I don't blow smoke on people and don't want to be enclosed with cigarette smoke. While smoking my own cigarette doesn't cause me to have breathing problems, going into a bar or somewhere and inhaling a lot of smoke does. Perfumey odors do bother me a lot more than the smoke so going out in public is a risk I take. Like the lady a few weeks ago who had on so much perfume, I could smell it from two aisles away in the grocery store.

I've seen people die from lung cancer who never smoked a day in their lives. I truly believe that there are so many polllutants in our world that you can't blame just one. If you pay attention to the news reports, almost everything we eat, breathe, touch, etc. can cause cancer so it's no surprise that so many people die from some form each year. Seeing my father's battle with colon cancer for the past 6 years, I'd rather live life to the fullest and enjoy my time than do without everything that could possibly cause an early death. He feels the same way which is why he's opted out of chemo twice. He's testing cancer free once again after having a lobe in his lung removed last fall where the colon cancer had metastisized. He's been a smoker for most of his life but the doctors all say his lungs look great, except where the colon cancer spread to the one.

The rationalization that goes on when defending smoking is amazing. I submit to you that a smoker will only understand this after they have quit. I started smoking when I was 12 and quit when I was 36 or so. I smoked anything and everything under the sun. When I quit it was somewhat easy (I say somewhat) A) because I wanted to and B) because I figured out a way to avoid the habits that I formed. If nothing else would you go to a campfire every half hour and stand over it and breathe in the smoke for 5 minutes? Not much different. Smoke is smoke. I also hated to be a slave to the craving. First thing when you get up, having to step away from whatever you're doing to go stand outside by yourself or huddled up with the other cravers, etc. Dennis Leary once said when he was in Alaska he got a kick watching the smokers outside passing out because they didn't know if they were done exhaling.
My sons best friends parents smoke and whenever he goes over there he and his clothes stink, he also comes back stuffed up. Their kids go everywhere smelling like a dirty ashtray which really sucks for them, but what can they do, their parents won't quit or take it outside.
We were all born without a cigarette in our mouth, cigarettes are human made. I figured I didn't need them to kill time when I was young, I don't need them now. Make all the excuses you like, I did when I smoked. You just don't remember what it was like before you smoked. Inhaling smoke into your lungs plain and simple, just ain't good for you or those around you.

Bet you'd walk a mile for a camel!....:)

doc

[QUOTE=chrose;229184]Dennis Leary once said when he was in Alaska he got a kick watching the smokers outside passing out because they didn't know if they were done exhaling.[/QUOTE

Don't know who used the joke first, but Bill Hicks used that line (except it was when he landed in Chicago) on his HBO Comedy "UFO Tour".

doc

Although I'm a non-smoker I've never bothered trying to convince people not to smoke or whatnot (partially because I don't really care), as long as there isn't smoke wafting in my nose while I'm eating or drinking I'm fine. I've also noticed that at my new work place has a huge contingent of smokers, from all the sous chefs and below. I've never really had a problem joining people on breaks without smoking so I've never really considered starting.

Bill Hicks.

[quote=yorvo;228943]
chef.ESG.73-That wacky tabacky is no danger to you, unless we are talking about use at work.quote]

Yorvo - wacky tabacky ruined my brother's life. He's become a paranoid schizophrenic due to long usage, who can now only do gardening as a job, or deliver junk mail. It ruined his marriage, sent him to psychiatric hospital several times, impacted badly on his 3 sons, whereas he was an extremely intelligent person with a great career prior to overindulging in it. I don't want to lecture, just to share what I know can happen.

Ok I've had my rant....back on topic...As a smoker, I gotta say I like it and I hate it. I only smoke outside and won't smoke in the car with my family. If I'm gonna hurt anyone - it'll only be me. I keep breath fresheners at hand at all times, plus perfume, so nobody else has to put up with the smell. And am constantly washing my hands because the smell does transfer to what you handle.

The wierd thing for me about smoking though (I smoke menthols) is that since I started in the long ago, I've not had an asthma attack. No idea why this would be so, and its no recommendation at ALL for smoking, but that's how it is for me.

My advice to anyone is - never start.

I could have sworn it was Dennis Leary, if it was in fact though Bill Hicks I will apologize in memory of Bill. Bill Hicks was GREAT! So my apologies Bill. RIP.

I smoked for 12 years near the end I smoked 2 packs a day.
My palate changed completely after I quit. I have one smoker out of 12 in my Kitchen. He is allowed 2 smoke breaks in an 8 hour shift. I also ask that he cleanse his mouth afterward so as not to interfere with the tasting of menu items (my cooks have to taste every item before it goes out). He has only been with us for 3 weeks but we constantly have to correct his seasoning.
When he is done smoking the smell will over power you if you are next to him.