There's a semi debate going on in the comments area on the main page, about how disgusting it is that Carmine smokes - and rather than have it go on over there, I am giving you all the opportunity to post your thoughts/opinions/etc. here.

Here is what I originally posted:

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With all due respect - I think most of us like Carmine for his talent, not because of what he does in his own time. I don't like smoking either, but that doesn't take away from his talent... and it's not new news to most that he's a smoker, from interviews he's given and other numerous pictures of him smoking.

oh excellent Dorka Huni!!!

For me personally, i hate smoking. But if Carmine smokes, Carmine smokes lol Who am i to stop him? I love Carmine for his talent and his ability to shine in what eva it is he chooses to do - Smoking or non smoking lol
I have to say, Carmine is THE only person i could honestly say looks oh so sexy when he is smoking! hehe

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To be totally honest with you dorka, I rarely read the comments on the main page, but seeing as you'd started this thread I had a quick looksie and I think you were right to try and move this here, otherwise it might get out of hand and that's the last thing anyone would want.

I have to agree with what you said in the first place about us all being here for Carmine's talent rather than his vices and personal life. It shouldn't change why we respect him in the slightest. However there are people out there - who no offence to non smokers - have a tendency to preach about what people should and shouldn't do. Which I know that no one has done yet this in this thread.

Personally as a smoker, I know that it is a disgusting habit, especially as I tend to chain smoke, but it is more than a habit - to some it is an addiction, just like drink is to an alcoholic, drugs are to a junkie and coffee is to a coffee drinker. It's damn hard to try and fight it especially if you've been smoking for years, which Carmine obviously has done, seeing as he's been shown in numerous movies and other shows doing so.

What irked me, was that most people who mentioned the fact that they were disgusted with his vice on the main page, must have seen Carmine in On The Job, where if you blink and you'll miss it, he puts out a cigarette as Flack walks into the diner.

Ulitmately, these people forget that smoking was once seen as glamerous and back in the day singers smoked on variety shows and actors and actresses were hardly ever seen without a little white stick in their hands. In this day and age people have hissy fits if someone swears before the watershed, so if this was classed as the norm then shouldn't it be the same now. Okay, so it's not glamerous nor is it cool - it's really not- but if we wanna do it, we'll do it. Famous or not, we're entitled to lead our own life as we see fit.

Another little thing, that irked me, there was a comment there too that mentioned something about not wanting to see him (Carmine) ill or cough up a lung - well yeah, smoking increases the risk of lung disease and cancer, but just because you smoke it doesn't mean that you're going to get ill and die. Anyone can get ill with lung disease - if you're gonna get it you'll get regardless. In fact most smokers that I know find that they get ill more with colds and flu once they stop smoking than they did when they smoked.

Anyhoo, before I go totally off on one, I'm gonna say that it's Carmine's vice and we love and respect him for his talent, not his personal life etc and bad habits and that should be enough. At the end of the day, we answer to our own personal gods and no matter what we do in this life we all end up food for the worms.

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From what I can see we all admire Carmine for the work that he does and who he is as a person. I don't agree with people smoking but I also know that it is their choice. If Carmine wants to smoke let him it's not like he's doing drugs or anything anywhere as bad as that. I would like to point out on the whole smokers and illness thing that I have never smoked neither has my sister and we both have asthma. Basically smoking means nothing in the hit and miss world of lung disease.

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If the world is my oyster where is the pearl?
If love is blind how come we can see the ones we love?
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Carmine's a 33-year-old man. He's an adult. If he wants to smoke, he'll smoke. He did have a New Year's resolution to quit, so maybe he's had a little back set. Nicotine is addictive. Cut him some slack.

As for me, I'm an asthmatic, and also allergic to smoke. Living in Cali, I like the fact that there's no smoking allowed in restaurants.

However, I do think smokers' rights are being violated when legislation passes mandating that smoking can't even occur in an open-air area, such as a patio. Come on...that's a little extreme. Plus, entire cities out here are passing ordinances banning smoking in their cities. Are you kidding me? Why don't they ban sex while they're at it.

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//\\ Freedom is NEVER free!

Avvie=Photobucket. Happy 50th, Big Blue!

Until his cigarette smoke comes through my television screen and DVD player, I won't be concerned about his smoking. It's not my right to nag him about his habits. He doesn't nag me about my cookie habit.

I, in the last 3 days, was diagnosed with asthma, which only showed up because I was also diagnosed with Bronchitis(nasty cough that's taken over the East Coast now) and grew up with a parent who smokes. My half-sister died from asthma last January and left a daughter behind. (smoking wasn't involved, but it didn't make things better for her either) Our father has asthma and wasn't diagnosed until he was 39.. He quit cold turkey that day. My grandfather has it. It was only a matter of time for me. Enough about my asthma stories, but they're very real.

Jokingly, I miss the smoking section of restaurants now. I used to sit in the smoking section to be away from kids.. Don't get me wrong, I love kids. But knowing that "good parents" keep them in the non-smoking section gave me a level of privacy and quiet that you can only get in the smoking section. If you've ever been in a booth and see a family of 6 walking your way, you know what I mean...

Now, we're looking at a law that says that you can't smoke anywhere on Earth, so I say, Keep at it, Carmine... Enjoy it now because next year, you'll probably be arrested for it. Don't you love laws that trample over our rights?

I also just wanted to add to what I said already (although you guys have said enough that I don't really need to say anything else hehe)... from the way people were talking in the comments - unless it was just my own interpretation - the fact that he smokes is/will make them view him differently. I know many people who smoke; my husband and mother are 2 of them.... and they are two of the greatest people to me, with or without a cigarrette in their hand (and mouth). The fact that Carmine smokes, does not make him any different now, than he was before many of you (as in the fans who didn't know) knew he smoked. I think that is the thing that bothers/pisses me off the most about the big deal people are making about it. I mean, are you just of fan of his because of how hot he is? Or because he's an amazing actor? As far as I'm concerned, he's still a great guy, with or without a cigarrette.

OK, that's the end of my rant. Thanks guys for adding your thoughts as well!

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from the way people were talking in the comments - unless it was just my own interpretation - the fact that he smokes is/will make them view him differently

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Until his cigarette smoke comes through my television screen and DVD player, I won't be concerned about his smoking

I wonder if Carmine ever imagined that as an actor, people would debate his career on if he's a smoker vs. a non-smoker. Talk about coming out of left-field...that's not even in the freakin' stadium .

You know, it amazes me how people think that an actor they'll most likely never meet will impact their lives with his smoking. That's delusional with a capital D .

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//\\ Freedom is NEVER free!

Avvie=Photobucket. Happy 50th, Big Blue!

me personally i don't smoke but it never bothered me because alot of people in my family smoke i grew up around people smoking so to me it is no big deal. i worry about myself with the smoking i don't do it and never will that is just how i feel. but people shouldn't judge him because he chose to do that it's not right. him smoking has nothing to do with his acting. he can smoke all he wants it will never have an effect on his acting or singing or painting or poetry careers which ever he chooses to do it won't change it. he can smoke all he wants cause he will still be the number one actor in my heart. him smoking has no effect on me what so ever. and like everyone on here has said he is an adult and can make his own decisions so if u judge him because he smokes your not one of his true fans because if u were u would not judge him for what he chooses to do in his personal life. just be glad that he is as amazing as he is. and he comes on here to read this stuff doesn't he. if he does it would not be good for us to have him see people putting him down like people do that bugs me. there are prolly who are on here who smoke and that is there decision it is their personal life. so we need to support him in whatever he does even if we don't agree with it unless it's drugs and alcoholism then we would have to step in but i don't think he would go that far he is to amazing to let his fans down. luv ya's

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<3"I LUV CARMINE"<3

He's a grown man, he can do whatever he wants and doesn't need aproval of his fans for that.

I'm here because I'm a fan of his amazing acting. I think anything going on differently is none of my business and is private to him. He has as much right on a private life than I have and anyone else has.

I have been brought up all my life around smoking and I seem to be the odd one who doesn't smoke at all. I also hardly noticed anyone smoking around whenever they smoked and I'm glad I don't as I live a much healthier life without the smoke.

PrettyEyes wrote:

Quote: from the way people were talking in the comments - unless it was just my own interpretation - the fact that he smokes is/will make them view him differently Quote: Until his cigarette smoke comes through my television screen and DVD player, I won't be concerned about his smoking I wonder if Carmine ever imagined that as an actor, people would debate his career on if he's a smoker vs. a non-smoker. Talk about coming out of left-field...that's not even in the freakin' stadium . You know, it amazes me how people think that an actor they'll most likely never meet will impact their lives with his smoking. That's delusional with a capital D .

Hey! Whaddaya quote me for?

My reply was a lot tongue-in-cheek and true. I grew up in a house where my mother smoked and still smokes to this day. It took 29 years for asthma to affect me. But it was going to get me because it affected three generations of my family.

Back to Carmine, I love that man... (Not that weird psycho SuperFan way) but for all his talents. Every movie that he was in, that I loved his performance in, he was smoking. so, I'm not crushed or mortified by his smoking. He's a wonderful, wonderful actor and I adore him for all the talent he's come to share with me and all his fans.

Any internet accessible fan of his knows that he smokes, so why is this an issue now? That's what I'm wondering, on top of why PrettyEyes quoted me... I was serious though. His smoking has no affect on me whatsoever so why are we even discussing it. Hell, if I ever were to meet him, I'd make sure he had an ashe tray handy. I really don't care about his smoking.

Can we talk about something else now?

Leta, I was just using quotes from you and Dorka to bolster my argument that Carmine's smoking is irrelevant to his acting career and our respect for him. I agree with you completely that his smoking isn't our problem until "Smell-o-vision" is created and his smoke comes through our screens, computer monitors or DVD players.

Utilizing your quote was a good thing, sweetie!

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//\\ Freedom is NEVER free!

Avvie=Photobucket. Happy 50th, Big Blue!

Smoking is someone`s own choice.
to say that you stop being a fan is just weird and doesn`t make sense to me.

Who cares if he smokes or not, i dont!!

I like Carmine for his acting and for who is he and nothing else!

I smoke and i hate when people jugde me because of it. I dont smoke around people that dont as i respect them for it, but at the end of the day its my body and i can do what the hell i want with it! If i die of lung cancer its my fault and no one elses. I have asthma, only mild, but when i get a chest infection, who is to blame???? the answer is me!!! The past couple of times i havent gone to the doctors cos im wasting their time, its my fault i get these chest infections and i dont want someone else losing a chance to see the doctor, cos of my narrow mindedness!!

It is more of a habit for me than anything else and i can only give it up when i want to and not when people tell me too. You have to want to give up.

If you have never smoked then number one, well done and dont bother to start and 2 dont judge the people who do. Its so hard to give up you wouldnt believe. Try and tell a heroine addict to give up heroine just like that, its impossible.

I was talking to my mum about this and her doctor told her years ago (i dont know who true this is) that giving up smoking is harder than giving up heroine!!

So my conclusion to this is, who gives a you know what if he does. If we are all true fans, then no one would care. We are all here to show our appreciation for his hard work, his talent and his support to us fans and not what he does in his private life!

Oh man! This is 'debate' is so heated.

I'm still on the 'Why does it matter to any of us?' bandwagon. We shouldn't get so emotional about Carmine's smoking or anyone elses for that matter. We're all aware of the detriment of smoking and second hand smoking. We're all aware of how hard it is to actually quit smoking. But, what it's always going to boil down to is personal choice.

Unfortunately for smokers, it's so easy to make them pariahs, as cigarette smoke drifts. I feel sympathetic to smokers because over the years there has been evidence of cigarette makers adding chemicals to fuel the addiction to their products.They make it even harder for smokers to quit and then pay for the commercials that encourage people to not smoke... what a hustle?!?

Again, pulling it back to Carmine, we're fans of his acting, music, art and whatever else you like about him. Whose business is it to dictate to him or anyone else what to do?