A somewhat recent NY Times article explains the connection between ALDH2 deficiency and throat cancer. Request for perspective on level of risk and appropriate response in extended. [more inside]
posted by Busoni on Jun 13, 2009 - 4 answers

Sometimes when I smoke marijuana, my short-term memory remains nuked for 1-2 days after I smoke. This symptom doesn't seem to be correlated with the amount of marijuana smoked, and does not reliably happen when I smoke the same marijuana twice (i.e., it's not bad/different weed that causes it). It usually happens when I drink moderate amounts of alcohol in addition to smoking, but not always. Does this happen to other people? Is this harmful? Is it possible to counteract this effect? Does this mean I should completely stop smoking marijuana? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 23, 2007 - 26 answers

One cigarette shortens life expectancy by about 11 minutes. How much time do the following take off: One drink over the recommended limit? One burger for which the calories are not burned off? Preferred units: assume a drink to be one UK unit of alcohol: 10ml or 8g pure alcohol. Assume a burger to be one Big Mac: 540 kcal. [more inside]
posted by TheophileEscargot on Feb 23, 2007 - 14 answers

What healthier alternatives have people swapped into their lives that, to them, adequately (or mostly) fulfilled the deeper-level relaxation/decompression/whatever that food, drink, cigarettes, or drugs had formerly fulfilled? [more inside]
posted by WCityMike on Aug 14, 2006 - 31 answers

Selfabuse filter. I used to smoke 2 cigarettes every night before bed and I quit recently. I did fine for the first week, but looking back at the past 2 weeks, I've started drinking more at night, popping Vicodin, or taking the odd Benadryl before bed. So clearly I have some strong need to abuse myself in some way before the day's out - has anyone else done this, and if so, how did you deal with it? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Feb 24, 2006 - 26 answers

Want to get healthier. In which order should I fix my three vices for optimal success? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 17, 2006 - 29 answers

I'm trying to write an essay on the current nostalgia for guilt-free (and information-free!) smoking, boozing and drug-taking and desperately need sources, whether web-based or bibliographical. [More inside.] [more inside]
posted by MiguelCardoso on May 5, 2004 - 15 answers