Smoking and Diving Risks

[College Diver]

If you are interested in quitting cigarettes - my wife and I found the prescription pill Chantix extremely effective - after smoking for 20 years I literally put the things down and walked away (going on 5 months now)

 

[Bob Vincent]

Just STOP SMOKING NOW!!!!! I DID IT YOU CAN TO. DID YOU READ ALL THE ABOVE COMMENTS WELL THERE TRUE. LIFE IS BETTER WITHOUT A NASTY STINKING CIGARETTE HANGING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[scubacub1]

I'm a new diver so forgive my ignorance at this question, but why would you do a chamber dive if you have never done a real dive yet?




QUOTE=ajerjsl;3352958]Thank you everyone for your responses; you've all been very helpful. I look forward to my chamber dive, and then hopefully to actual Scuba diving!!![/QUOTE]

 

[KMD]

Hi! I will be doing a "dry dive" (i.e. in a decompression chamber) to 18 meters. The problem is that I smoke. I was just wondering if there are high risks associated with doing this... Any info would be helpful!! Thanks!

Yes there are high risks. Lung Cancer, Emphasyma, heart attacks.

Or did you mean risks with the chamber ride?

 

[Dakkon]

I smoke(both kinds) before diving and i never have problems with breathing or sinuses. I am fit tho.

Print this out and look back at it in 20 years
1) You'll realize how much you miss diving
2) You'll miss how fit you used to be
3) You'll think you were a fool for thinking you were invincible

I'd venture to say that your bottom time could significantly increase if you were to quit smoking as well... only makes sense, right?

I'm an RN on a cardiac unit, and about 1/2 of our people come in with breathing issues. The majority of those are people who smoked... many of whom haven't been smokers for 10+ years. It's always hard to see someone gasping for breath with increased respirations and your response when they ask for help is "Breath out slower" ... because that's really all you can do for them. They just get to sit there and feel like they're suffocating 24/7 because even though they can breath just fine, their lungs aren't elastic enough to be able to squeeze out all that CO2... so no matter how fast they breath, they won't catch their breath.

I'm a new nurse, so I've still got some sympathy for these patients... most nurses on my floor are simply detached from these COPD'ers

Anyway, aside from your dive... I agree with the post someone mentioned about Chantix, it's got the highest success rate of anything going... providing any other smoker in your house will commit to quitting with you; otherwise, don't waste your money.

Cheers!

*takes a deep cleansing breath*

 

[BKP]

Light up during an SI, next to me (like some others have), and it wont' be the cigs that kill ya...

 

[seaducer]

Anyway, aside from your dive... I agree with the post someone mentioned about Chantix, it's got the highest success rate of anything going... providing any other smoker in your house will commit to quitting with you; otherwise, don't waste your money.

I disagree, the only thing that works, the only thing, is discipline. Doesn't matter what gimmick you waste your money on, pills, patches, gum, the psychic hotline, if you want to quit and can stand up to the cravings like an adult, you will make it. Otherwise you are doomed to fail, regardless of how many times and methods you try.

 

[ScubeeUK]

Unless the chamber dive is for medical treatment, i am surprised that it is only to 18m. Many chambers who do this kind of thing take you to 50m, which is certainly an eye opener in terms of narcosis. Personally, unless it is for a medical reason, i can't see the point in only going to 18m.

If you are planning to quit somking, the only way you will manage it is if and when you really want to. Not for your family, and not to simply stop others nagging at you.

Different people have different methods of managing to kick the habit - I stopped by using nicotine replacement, but that doesn't take the place of willpower.

 

[Dakkon]

I disagree, the only thing that works, the only thing, is discipline. Doesn't matter what gimmick you waste your money on, pills, patches, gum, the psychic hotline, if you want to quit and can stand up to the cravings like an adult, you will make it. Otherwise you are doomed to fail, regardless of how many times and methods you try.

Having counseled more people than I can remember on smoking cessation, and having done a fair amount of research as to the effectiveness of virtually every method available... I can say that will power is by far the most important factor influencing whether or not someone will stay smoke free or relapse. However, it's pretty hard to deny a drug that's clinically proven to block nicotine receptors, considering that these receptors exert a very strong influence on a person. This is like arguing that the best way to quit methamphetamine or heroin is "cold turkey" ... which is even more incorrect - and actually extremely dangerous in the case of benzodiazapines and opiates.

That's not to say it doesn't work for some, because different people have more or less nicotine, opiate, and dopamine receptors in their brains, which means that each person may respond differently to each type of treatment. If you're someone who's not as prone to strong addiction, then cold turkey is more than likely going to be successful for you. At any rate, I just thought I'd offer a small rebuttal to this response.

Moreover, by far the most important thing a "quitter" can do is avoid being around cigarette smoke

 

[BKP]

Having counseled more people than I can remember on smoking cessation, and having done a fair amount of research as to the effectiveness of virtually every method available... I can say that will power is by far the most important factor influencing whether or not someone will stay smoke free or relapse. However, it's pretty hard to deny a drug that's clinically proven to block nicotine receptors, considering that these receptors exert a very strong influence on a person. This is like arguing that the best way to quit methamphetamine or heroin is "cold turkey" ... which is even more incorrect - and actually extremely dangerous in the case of benzodiazapines and opiates.

That's not to say it doesn't work for some, because different people have more or less nicotine, opiate, and dopamine receptors in their brains, which means that each person may respond differently to each type of treatment. If you're someone who's not as prone to strong addiction, then cold turkey is more than likely going to be successful for you. At any rate, I just thought I'd offer a small rebuttal to this response.

Moreover, by far the most important thing a "quitter" can do is avoid being around cigarette smoke

Sounds like you're actually agreeing with seaducer...

If you return to smoking (even after an extended smoke free period), then you haven't actually quit. You've simply taken a 'breather' (If that isn't the case, then I used to 'quit' after every cigarette).
And, "if willpower is by far the most important factor influencing whether or not someone will stay smoke free...". Then willpower, by default, is ultimately THE factor in long-term cessation (which *is* quitting).

The *only* thing that worked for me was discipline. All the nicotine receptor blockers seemingly do is give you a leg up on trying to quit, which is ultimately determined by your commitment to stay smoke free (read 'discipline').

Perhaps it's just semantic nit-picking...