Bessie Nolan
I would like to introduce you to Bessie Nolan.
She is one of Ireland's oldest, if not the oldest.
She is a sprightly 103 and will be 104 in a few weeks time.
Dammit but she's nearly old enough to be my grandmother!
She may be a little hard of hearing but by God she has all her marbles.
She really must give up the smoking though. Doesn't she know the cigarettes will kill her?
It's not too late though.
If she gives them up now she could live to a ripe old age.
Howya Bessie, keep 'er lit!
Well done !! I've only smoked for 65 years, hope to live as long as you.
And myself for 50 years. Had cancer last year, polyp with cancerous cells in intestine, and don't believe it was smoking related. Back to full health again and still puffing away.
I've only smoked for 41 years. Congratulations to Bessie! I wish you a long life!
Send copies of that joyful photo to the Minister for Health and the spokerpersons for health in the main opposition parties.
She looks pretty good on it!
I started dabbling when I was eight, but didn't really start smoking seriously until I was about 12. Which makes a mere 54 years at it.
Must be that 'delayed onset' in play, since I don't seem to have died yet (not that I'd noticed, anyway), despite the unequivocal 'Smoking Kills' warnings on all the fag packets. Not only that, but despite (again) the doom-laden warnings about how much older you look if you smoke, when I tell people my age, I am universally disbelieved, most people thinking I'm as much as 10 years younger than I am.
Could it be that Tobacco Control lie to us?
Nooo! Surely not! After all, they're experts , aren't they?
55 years for me, good skin and no current health problems, the healthiest person in our family just now is my 90 year old aunt who has been smoking for 80 years. Doesn't matter how much we show their theories are wrong we won't be believed the experts know better and most people are brainwashed.
Grief! I'm only a beginner with my mere 45 or so years. Though if I add in my cigarette years it must be nearer 50.
I'm beginning to have some nagging doubts about all these "smoking kills" warnings myself. They couldn't possibly be wrong, could they?
Ah, here's the thing. Gave up smoking last year after 42 years. Got pneumonia 2 months ago. Went to see a consultant and he, whispering, said go back to smoking as it will actually stop it coming back. Good for you Bessie, hopefully I'll join you in years.
I had much the same experience once. I gave up smoking for a while and immediately came down with a series of severe throat and chest infections. Doc quite openly said the cause was my quitting. I went back on the pipe – problem solved.
There are quite a few theories about why long term smokers who give up get ill, there is a good article called 'smoking out the truth', can't find the link but should be on Google. Cancer and heart attacks are not uncommon and I personally know of several, the theory is that your body is acclimatised to smoking and withdrawal causes everything to run wild! Makes sense to me.