Smoking. Grave matter?

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Why isn’t smoking or other tobacco use considered grave sinful matter? God gave us the gift of life and a wonderful body to enjoy it. Smoking a terrible misuse of this gift from God - just as masturbation is a misuse of the gift of sexuality. People who smoke derive pleasure from it while disregarding and even ruining their health just as people who masturbate derive pleasure from that action. What’s the difference? the God-given gift of sexuality is for procreation and unity with one’s spouse. The God-given gift of life is to know and love God. When one ruins their life by smoking - one certainly does, isn’t that even worse?
 
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Smoking is definitely not grave matter. Whether or not it is venial is up for debate. Arguments for it possibly being a venial sin include the fact that we know more nowadays about the negative health impacts of smoking. Also, it can be addictive, which is an attachment, and something that we will need detachment from, either in this life or in purgatory. It is not comparable to sexually immoral act simply due to the fact that it is not grave matter.
Eating too much red meat can cause cancer, x, y and z can cause cancer - it doesn’t make it a mortal sin to engage in those things in and of themselves.
 
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Morality of smoking smoking Moral Theology
In what situations is smoking moral and what forms of smoking are moral? Please consider the following- From my understanding, most scientists consider smoking even one cigarette injurious to health. However, with regards to cigars the FDA conducted a study which suggests that the risk for smoking 1-2 cigars a day is nearly zero (link: FDA Study: Cancer risks nearly nil for 1-2 cigars per day | R Street). I would assume a similar risk for cigar smoking. The Catechism also states that: “[2290] …
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Smoking puts about 20,000 people worldwide in an early grave every day.

I call that “grave” matter.
 
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Tobacco kills up to half of its users. Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. You can’t compare eating red meat.
 
Smoking doesn’t pervert a faculty, while unnatural sexual vices do. The faculty of breathing still does what it is designed for (pulling gas into the lungs in view of possible entry into the bloodstream), or is at least not subverted (which would actually be quite difficult).

People are free to take moderate risks with health for pleasure. Otherwise, never play contact sports ever again… it’s dangerous!

So no, it’s not grave matter or even sin except in extraordinary quantities or due to some special circumstance.
 
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I didn’t say they were identical, but there’s similarities. What if I live in an heavily polluted city whose air pollution will shorten my life and have the financial means to move, but I don’t - am I in mortal sin?
I’ve never heard of any serious Catholic theologian stating that smoking was grave matter. I don’t think it fits the category, at all.
 
Smoking is a choice while living in a bad environment usually isn’t. My pastor agrees that smoking is a grave sin but there are probably too many Catholic theologians who smoke! LOL
 
What level of smoking? A single cigarette? One cigar? How about weed?
 
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2290 The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess : the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others’ safety on the road, at sea, or in the air.

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2290.htm

ETA: We are to be temperate in our use of food, alcohol, tobacco, medicine, love of speed
 
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If so, it appears that the Knox translation of the scriptures was done in mortal sin.

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And Chesterton’s writings are equally suspect.

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PS I’m not advocating smoking, but just thought I’d share this. 😋
 
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Makes me want to take up smoking. 😂 How naughty. Pipe or cigar only, though. 😉
 
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We used to smoke a cigar when a baby was born. Now we smoke weed and abort the babies.

That’s progress!
 
What about other activities, or lack thereof, which could lead to early deaths? Examples: eating disorders, sedentary lifestyles, overworking? Would these things also be grave matter? If not, what’s your rationale for why they’d be different?
 
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TheLittleLady said:
2290 The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess : the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others’ safety on the road, at sea, or in the air.
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I think the fact that the catechism admits of the possibility of moderate use of tobacco means that the use of tobacco in itself cannot be considered morally disordered. You cannot moderately use pornography or engage in fornication, for example. There isn’t moderation in murder or slander or lying. These things are always and everywhere wrong. Something which can be done moderately cannot be something that is always and everywhere wrong, and so cannot be grave matter.

-Fr ACEGC
 
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