We're hearing more about bans on smoking in cars with kids aboard, smoking
bans in rental cars, and even outright bans while driving alone.
One must wonder about the expertise, if not the sanity and humanity, of
those who concoct such laws. It takes no effort to just search up
"Symptoms of tobacco withdrawal". If this information is not acted upon by automobile safety organizations, at least, everyone
on or near the roads when these laws kick in are endangered---if, that is,
anyone obeys the laws. Lawmakers must love law-breakers; they create tens of thousands of them almost every day.
Here's one item from a British medical web site about tobacco withdrawal symptoms. It may be better to have a beer-drinking cell phone user driving near you---or passing your kids on the sidewalk---than an obedient smoke-abstaining driver.
" A smoker's nervous system becomes accustomed to functioning with nicotine.
When you stop smoking, the reduced nicotine intake will disturb the balance of the central nervous system, causing withdrawal symptoms.
The most common withdrawal symptoms are:
- cravings for tobacco
- irritation
- anger
- weight gain
- concentration problems
- depression
- headaches
- fatigue
- constipation
- restlessness
- insomnia
- dizziness
- anxiety.
Fortunately, the majority of these symptoms tend to disappear after a few of
weeks. Some people may experience cravings, concentration problems and an
increased appetite over a longer time period. "
Here's another web gleaning that includes drowsiness...but personal experience has been that the sleep, while driving, came on without the usual tired eyes and head-nodding warnings. I happened to give up smoking that morning because the price went up to about a dollar a pack. We survived only because there was a "we"...as my frantic passenger woke me up in time with her fists and serious screams. And this was not late at night or after a long tiring drive.
" Withdrawal symptoms can include anxiety, irritability, poor concentration, restlessness, craving nicotine, stomach problems, headaches and drowsiness. "
Compare all that to the physiological benefits of tobacco...the
reasons the plant has been smoked for about ten thousand years.
Appetite Suppression
Alertness
Stress Relief
Digestive Relief
Pain Relief
(and more recently discovered...)
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