David Lynch Started Smoking at Age 8 — Now He Needs Oxygen to Walk: ‘It’s a Big Price to Pay’
https://people.com/david-lynch-smoking-at-age-8-now-he-needs-oxygen-copd-exclusive-8743594?taid=673629c121ecf8000129b8e2&utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&utm_content=new&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com
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>For most of Lynch’s life, that’s exactly the image he wanted to portray. “A big important part of my life was smoking,” says Lynch, 78. “I loved the smell of tobacco, the taste of tobacco. I loved lighting cigarettes. It was part of being a painter and a filmmaker for me.”
>But, he admits, “what you sow is what you reap.” Four years ago, the Mulholland Drive director was diagnosed with emphysema, a chronic lung condition that causes shortness of breath and which is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD.
>Today he relies on supplemental oxygen for anything more strenuous than a walk across the room — and he wants to warn other smokers that the same could happen to them.
>“In the back of every smoker’s mind is the fact that it’s healthy, so you’re literally playing with fire,” he says. “It can bite you. I took a chance, and I got bit.”
On one hand, I’ll maintain that nicotine is the worst drug in the world. It’s like a curse that will keep haunting you for the rest of your life, it’s just so goddamn hard to quit. I got addicted to every form, cigs, mints, vapes, etc. It’s a nightmare and I believe causes and maintains depression and anxiety.
ON the other hand, dude smoked for 70 years and said it was extremely important to him. People drink for 70 years too. Seems like he enjoyed it, and lived a lot longer with it than most heavy smokers do? No heart attacks, no cancer…plenty of people check out way before 78 having never smoked in their lives.
I really like his attitude about the whole thing. He knew the risk and accepts the consequences. That is probably the “healthiest” way to be a smoker.
Yeah I started at 14 had a heart attack at 36. Was my last smoke.
I’m near 50 now. It’s tough as hell to quit, I still want one sometimes even tho I know it’ll kill me smh
The whole dive into Trancedental Meditation / David Lynch foundation to promote and proselytize wellness and mindfulness….yet he’s a lifelong smoker, lol.
So glad I quit 20 yrs, 5 months ago. Nicotine is a hell of a drug. Highly addictive.
I started when I was 15 and quit when I was 30. If I make it to 80, or if I get a disease I know I’ll die from fast, I’m starting again. I miss it every day!
These things affect people so differently, depending on who you are. Someone who never smoked a day in their life could get lung cancer at 50, but someone who smoked the majority of their life could live into their 80s and 90s. I have an aunt who smoked for decades, stopped several years ago, but is now 90 years old and still going. Nonetheless, the odds of getting poor health are greatly increased if you smoke or drink excessively. Like anything, if you do it in excess, it will probably be bad for you.
My dad got lung cancer and still smoked. Whaddayagonnado?
Smoking 70 years and living a longer than average life isn’t a terrible tradeoff, really. The price does suck but it has more incendiary effects on other people (spouse, children, grandchildren).
I smoked for 6 years or so and it was hell to try and quit. Can’t imagine what its like to try after 60+.I still haven’t technically quit since I buy 2 packs a year, one on Christmas and one on my birthday.
Honestly the hardest part was watching people smoke in movies or TV. Had to stop watching Mad Men .
Im surprised it took him this long
He did what he loved for like 74 years. Maybe its hard now but he enjoyed life to the average life expectancy. Once you get into your 70’s, it is what it is.
I really hate this for David. I know he thinks of smoking as being a part of the “art life”, but he seems like he is relatively healthy otherwise, so this is a shame. He should be healthy and living his best life for another 20 years or so.
Sad to hear, he’s my favourite director of all time and this basically guarantees he will never direct again. I suppose The Return is as good of a career send off as any.
Same story as Johnny Carson. Refused to quit. Died of emphysema at 80. Lynch is 78.
I’m in my mid-60s and the thing about those extra years you get from avoiding every vice? They come at the end. And at the end your body is wearing out. Young people don’t get it. It hurts to get old. It sucks in just about every way.
If I loved smoking as much as he does? I’d do it with no regrets, too. Hell I don’t regret a single cheeseburger or piece of pie.
Give up every unhealthy joy to get 10 extra years of arthritis, loss, and watching rich imbeciles destroy the planet? Nope. Now excuse me while I go eat some leftover Halloween candy while sitting down.
Prolly still smokes
My mom died from COPD. It’s a terrible way to go. Young people are warned about lung cancer, but they need to be exposed to people that need constant oxygen, can’t lay down anymore because they can’t breathe unless they’re sitting up, they’ve lost all the skin on their feet and lower legs from edema and all of their organs are slowly shutting down.
Wow, how effective – it finally managed to bite him in the ass 70 years later. Really cool and effective anti-smoking ad!
Smoked from 18-21. As fun as it is, even 1 more year of my life is more joyous and fulfilling than smoking could ever be
I’m so happy I quit smoking 3 years ago in my mid 30s
My gf’s been smoking really bad
Love her with like everything I have but it’s a serious gripe and she wants to quit but idk how to help her through it and I’m terrified of her passing a point of no return
My grandma smoked pretty much her whole life, and died from COPD at the age of 71. My grandpa died at the age of 60 due to a stroke from smoking. Towards the end of my grandma’s life she was on oxygen. Don’t smoke, people.
Just took my mom to her radiation appointment today for her lung cancer. She can’t even walk to and from the car without losing her breath. On top of that she has COPD. It is not worth it guys.
Thank God I quit
I smoked for about 20 years. Never really all that heavy relatively speaking. On average probably a half a pack a day. Several years in both the front and back end were significantly less than that too.
It wasn’t until year ten that it really sunk in that I’m beyond that period of little risk. I’m really glad I quit but terrified that the accumulated damage as well as the synergistic effects of living near an airport and working in the trades.
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