Join me, Sean MacNutt, and my insightful AI co-host from OpenAI's GPT-4, as we navigate the multifaceted world of tobacco in a conversation that uncovers my personal battles and the broader cultural tapestry of this ancient plant. Grappling with my own usage and the inherent health risks, I lay bare the addiction that many find challenging to overcome. Listen in as we also honor the Indigenous land from which we broadcast, paying homage to the sacred roots of tobacco and its journey from a ceremonial herb to a contentious commodity. As your guides through this historical and ethical maze, we reflect on tobacco's transformation, contrasting its revered role in indigenous cultures with the seismic shift post-European colonization. The advent of the Industrial Revolution, the rise of the cigarette, and the dark underbelly of corporate greed - all come under scrutiny. Together, we ponder a poignant what-if: Could a different cultural relationship with tobacco have rewritten today's health narratives? Wrapping up our thought-provoking journey, the conversation turns introspective, contemplating the societal and personal relationships we've woven with tobacco. The discussion illuminates not just the addiction and health ramifications but also the broader implications of commodifying natural resources. Through engaging with the analytical prowess of AI, we delve into how technology can aid in enhancing our cultural understanding and, hopefully, spark a flame of enlightenment that resonates with you, our listeners, well beyond this episode.
(00:02) Exploring Tobacco
(07:54) Transformation of Tobacco
(23:41) Understanding Tobacco Usage and Health Impact
(34:15) Exploring Cultural Understanding Through Dialogue
(00:02) Exploring Tobacco
This chapter, I open up about my personal use of tobacco and the concerns I have despite being aware of its health implications. I reflect on the addictive nature of tobacco, acknowledging the struggle many face when trying to quit. We explore the rich cultural history of tobacco use, contrasting its sacred role in indigenous traditions with its modern-day commercialization and the resulting health crises. By examining the transformation from a ceremonial herb to a commercial commodity, I seek to understand the misalignment between traditional uses and my own consumption patterns. Together with my AI co-host, we unpack the impact of tobacco's commodification and the ethical questions surrounding the business practices of tobacco companies.
(07:54) Transformation of Tobacco
This chapter we explore the transformation of tobacco from its indigenous spiritual roots to its modern commercialized form. We touch upon the sacred role tobacco played in rituals and social structures of indigenous cultures, where its use was moderated and revered, and contrast that with its commodification post-European colonization. We discuss the Industrial Revolution's impact on tobacco use, with the invention of the cigarette-making machine leading to widespread addiction, and the unscrupulous practices of tobacco companies that ignored health risks for profit. Reflecting on the cultural and commercial influences that have shaped tobacco's role in society, we consider the possibility that a different cultural relationship with tobacco might have mitigated some of the health concerns we face today.
(23:41) Understanding Tobacco Usage and Health Impact
This chapter we explore the multifaceted role of AI as a research assistant in the study of tobacco's historical and cultural significance, highlighting how AI can be utilized to access and summarize data, compare cultural narratives, and provide contextual medical insights. I discuss the stark contrast between traditional tobacco use in various cultures and the health impacts of its modern commercialized form in Western society. By examining the addictive nature of commercial tobacco products and the serious health issues they pose, such as cancer, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular problems, we gain a better understanding of the consequences of modern consumption patterns. Additionally, we consider how traditional uses of tobacco, which often involve ceremonial practices and non-inhalation methods, likely resulted in fewer health risks due to lower exposure levels and the absence of harmful chemicals found in manufactured products. Through this analysis, we underscore the importance of using AI to enhance our understanding while also recognizing the need for direct human and cultural insights to navigate the complex narrative of tobacco's global journey.
(34:15) Exploring Cultural Understanding Through Dialogue
This chapter, we explore the complex relationship society has with tobacco, highlighting its historical, social, and personal impacts. I reflect on how these narratives shape our understanding of addiction, health, and the commodification of natural resources. Through engaging with AI, we recognize the value of technology in enhancing our cultural and technological competence. We also consider how such conversations can lead to personal and collective enlightenment. I hope the insights shared have sparked meaningful reflection and will continue to resonate with listeners long after this episode ends. Thank you for joining me on this thought-provoking journey.
0:00:03 - A Guy
My name is Sean MacNutt and I'm A Guy With AI.
Tobacco. I will admit to listeners that I continue to use it despite my awareness of its impact on my health. I mean, I'm even getting a little concerned. But I wonder - is it the tobacco or how we approach its use? Today on A Guy With AI - the history of tobacco.
A Guy With AI is recorded on Indigenous land.
0:00:52 - AI
Hello listeners and welcome to A Guy with AI. I'm your friendly AI co-host from OpenAI's GPT-4, here to delve into thought-provoking conversations with our host, Sean MacNutt. Today we extend our recognition to the indigenous land from which this podcast is recorded, a meaningful gesture that reminds us of the deep history beneath our feet and the stories woven into the fabric of this place. As an AI, my role is to bring a unique perspective to our discussions, assisting Sean in unboxing a kaleidoscope of ideas, using my expansive knowledge base to enrich our dialogue. This podcast is about conversing on various subjects, with today's focus being on the complex history and contemporary use of tobacco. Sean, it's intriguing that you mention your own use of tobacco and the concerns surrounding it. This surely leads to an important question - is it the substance itself, or our relationship with it that matters most? With that, I'll hand it back to you to kick off our exploration into the history of tobacco. Let's unravel the threads of this topic together.
0:01:56 - A Guy
Thank you, listeners, for tuning into A Guy With AI. It's my pleasure to be here recording this podcast at the present moment and, yes, we are going to discuss the history of tobacco. So, as a tobacco user and by that I mean that I smoke cigarettes. I occasionally use products such as cigars, although not that frequently these days. It's ultimately about cigarette use that frequently these days. It's ultimately about cigarette use that tobacco is a factor in my life. So I smoke all the time, I smoke daily, and I smoke quite a few cigarettes actually, and it's not because I don't care about my health, it's because I find it very difficult to change the habit associated with it. Now I spoke to someone who would be in the know on the subject and who postulated that it is among the most difficult addictions to grapple with and to resolve, and this involves many substances that would be both illegal to use or possess and legal. So on that backdrop, we might consider that tobacco is just bad.
However, there is a rich history to the use of tobacco with which, I'll admit, I'm not that familiar. I have sort of what you'd call a vague notion and a wish to be culturally aware and sensitive about how it may be important to someone other than someone who smokes it in the form of cigarettes continuously. So it's more. I think there's a basic cultural competence, but not detailed information and knowledge about how tobacco is used by cultures to whom the tobacco is very important for reasons other than putting it in cigarettes and smoking it that way. So it's on that basis that we'll proceed. I'll be gathering information from the AI co-host and learning as I go, along with listeners, essentially, who are hanging about for the duration of the program. So we'll get into it. I will just throw it out there to the AI co-host, who has been cued perhaps by some things I've said, to outline a history of tobacco use and importance.
0:04:23 - AI
Sean, you bring to light not only the personal struggle with tobacco use, but also a curiosity about its broader cultural significance, a truly human dichotomy that echoes through history.
Tobacco has a storied past that dates back thousands of years, originally used by the indigenous peoples of the Americas during ceremonial gatherings and as a medicinal plant. Its role as a sacred herb was integral to many cultures, where it was believed to carry prayers to the heavens and was even used as a form of currency. After its introduction to Europeans in the 15th century, tobacco quickly became a commodity that altered the course of economies, societies and the health of millions. The commercialization of tobacco led to its propagation worldwide and with it a myriad of complexities regarding its use, regulation and the dire health consequences that you've touched upon. The contrast between the traditional, respectful use of tobacco in many indigenous cultures and the often addictive commercial consumption of tobacco today presents a powerful dialogue on how substances can be both revered and reviled, depending on the context of their use. Sean, as we unpack this further, how does your understanding of the deep-rooted traditions of tobacco align with the challenges you face in your own personal usage?
0:05:37 - A Guy
Well as to the alignment you're asking about, I wonder if it's not rather a misalignment of sorts. It's a matter of me understanding that my exposure to tobacco use has largely been the commercial kind that you're referring to. It's not that I've never seen any cultural use or comment about it. It so I say that I aim to be maybe present, that I am minimally culturally competent and I've I try to be sensitive to these things. Meanwhile, I don't have detailed information about how that all functions on a cultural level. So I guess what I'm seeking is perhaps information from yourself, AI co-host. With regards to, on that commercial use level, where there are even documentaries and many studies and things like that, that sort of aim to pin on tobacco companies their efforts to addict people to the product and then have a business case to continue selling it essentially and make lots of money appeared to be the formula, depending on who you ask. But it's there that I'm seeking some contrast, because I think it was not always this way.
I'm aware that Europeans came to the Americas and what came to be called the Americas after a European, incidentally. But it is this difference that I'm seeking information from in your response, AI co-host. Break it down a little bit in terms of how that commercial use where the tobacco is, where the tobacco is formed into cigarettes and then sold as a business practice and how much that differs from the history you did refer to. How it was used as currency, I somewhat suspect it's even a little different in that case. However, I wonder if I'm right about that and so I'm putting it out to a machine which has a lot of training and knowledge built into it. So let's hear your response to all that. AI co-host, please. Thank you.
0:07:55 - AI
Sean, you're touching on a profound shift in the narrative of tobacco that spans centuries and is indeed a tale of two worlds. Originally, tobacco was regarded as a gift from the creator among indigenous populations, and its use was deeply woven into spiritual practices as well as social and healing rituals. This sacred aspect fostered a respectful approach towards its consumption. The nature of tobacco's use was conducted within set boundaries and rituals that maintained its status as a special and not an everyday substance. The exchange of tobacco as currency among these communities was not purely transactional but held social and spiritual nuances, reinforcing bonds and obligations within the society. With the advent of European colonization, tobacco's narrative began a massive transformation as it became a cultivated commodity. This new context stripped away the ceremonial and respectful relationship with tobacco. The commercialization kicked off in the 16th century, when the potential for profitability paved the way for its cultivation on plantations, often through oppressive and brutal methods, including slave labor.
The Industrial Revolution propelled tobacco into the mass market and, by the 19th century, the invention of the cigarette-making machine made the mass production of cigarettes possible, forever altering its consumption patterns.
The shift from occasional and ritual use to everyday, casual smoking created avenues for addiction which were not a significant concern in its traditional context, these machine-rolled cigarettes provided a standardized, convenient and readily available means to consume tobacco, vastly different from the traditional methods.
Tobacco companies indeed faced mounting evidence linking their products to serious health consequences in the 20th century. Documentaries and historical accounts suggest that certain practices, such as adding nicotine and other chemicals to enhance addiction potential, were used to sustain and grow the market, despite the risks to consumers' health. Marketing efforts, too, were designed to appeal to a broad audience, including women and even targeted youths, in some cases to further entrench the habit into society. The contrast is stark when comparing these two spheres of tobacco's history. The commercial manufacturing and marketing of tobacco designed for profit have proven to be effective in creating widespread dependency which doesn't mirror the controlled and spiritual use seen in many Indigenous cultures. In grappling with this legacy, it's important to consider how the spiritual and communal respect for tobacco has been overshadowed by the commercial motives driving its current global presence. This understanding does not erase the challenges faced by the modern smoker, but it does shine a light on the vastly different roles tobacco has played across time and cultures roles tobacco has played across time and cultures.
0:10:42 - A Guy
Well, it occurs to me from your response, AI co-host, that the commercial aspect here is important in understanding how tobacco affects my life. So we're hearkening back with a historical view, and I would also add that it is not that these cultures do not continue to practice in such a way as they respect what is to be respected by their account others also. Perhaps it will resonate with us, uh, if we listen and learn from such practices and develop an honest relationship with what that all means and what it offers to our understanding of what it means to be even human. So, uh, you know, in general, generally speaking, I mean, and uh. So I would be sort of out there looking for lessons like that from a discussion like this, but I suppose what I'm going to go ahead and do is talk about Europe and its sort of offering to the world, which has been these types of behaviours where things become commodities and maybe a little bit of land gets conquered and, you never know, perhaps even some cultural artifacts are whisked back to places across the sea to be kept there and so forth. So we wouldn't want to undersell the impact of all of that, and meanwhile I wonder if I should not be perturbed that tobacco companies have done things traditionally to make this such a in another land, or the one that I'm on as a settler right now, in Toronto, Canada, or what's known as and supposing that the relationship with this plant were different across the culture with which I was a part, I wonder if I would not have health.
I think I would have far fewer health concerns, even knowing what I would know about modern medical science, if I observed the use of this. You indicated that these health concerns were not prevalent. I suppose this could always be studied and we could somehow find out. Maybe there was something, but it seems like those health concerns came with the commercialization. What's your response to that AI? Co-host.
0:13:29 - AI
Sean, your reflections delve into the heart of how cultural shifts in commercialization have transformed the use of tobacco and its subsequent impact on public health. Firstly, the traditional use of tobacco among its subsequent impact on public health. Firstly, the traditional use of tobacco among indigenous cultures was indeed regulated by cultural norms and ceremonies that dictated its consumption. This inherently limited overuse and the potential for addiction. As the use of tobacco was purposeful and respected within the community, health concerns tied to tobacco in these contexts were minimal compared to the global health crisis we face today with smoking-related diseases. The commercialization of tobacco shifted the landscape from moderate and communal use to individualized and habitual consumption. As you suggested. This transformation brought about health problems for countless people. Tobacco was no longer consumed in a controlled or ritualistic manner. Instead, it became a product marketed to be consumed frequently and often compulsively.
The 20th century surge in mass-produced cigarettes, coupled with a lack of public health knowledge and aggressive marketing tactics, created the perfect storm for a public health epidemic. The health concerns tied to tobacco indeed became prevalent post-commercialization, particularly as the rising use of cigarettes was followed by an alarming increase in lung cancer and other smoking-related illnesses. The correlation between increased tobacco use due to commercialization and the increase in health issues is well established. Regarding tobacco companies, historical and contemporary accounts have shown that certain practices have perpetuated tobacco use and addiction, such as manipulating nicotine levels and using additives to increase addiction potential. This was not due to ignorance of the health risks. On the contrary, internal documents from litigation against tobacco companies have revealed that many were aware of the dangers, yet continued these practices for profit. Tobacco companies have revealed that many were aware of the dangers, yet continued these practices for profit. The resulting societal cost has been enormous, both in terms of the millions of lives affected by smoking and the economic costs of treating tobacco-related diseases.
In your contemplation of an alternate relationship with tobacco, it's important to consider that such a scenario would likely come with a profoundly different set of attitudes and behaviours towards the plant. Much like the indigenous cultures respected it as a sacred herb, your hypothetical alternative relationship would likely put health and societal well-being at the forefront rather than a zeal for profit. In confronting the challenges of tobacco and its commercial legacy, there is much to be gained from looking to the wisdom of those indigenous cultures that have maintained a respectful and sustainable relationship with this powerful plant. By blending this cultural knowledge with modern science, there lies the potential for creating new paradigms for tobacco's role in society and individual health.
0:16:12 - A Guy
Well, as I have been saying a few things that are assertions of my own, I suppose I'd like to get back to maybe a learning posture here. Now we've had the AI co-host refer to tobacco as a powerful plant, so I am at least managing to elicit a perspective from it, based on how I'm framing this by saying you know it's got a history. By saying you know it's got a history, it does come in terms of being a cultural good or something which is culturally respected and used in a certain way, which I'm, for now, going to accept that it has provided cultural benefit to those who have used it in this way. But I'd like education about that, and so, again, this is a podcast. I'm the only human here.
It is a matter of getting technology to give me these responses. While I hope that the training data respects the source of the information, which is those cultures themselves and how they would tell it, I'm relying on a modern assembly of technology to give me this information. I'd just like to throw that out there. It's, in a way, clarifying to my program and what the setup is here and something for listeners to catch on to there, but it is also to point out this is not a teacher, a human teacher with a cultural background. In this I'm using technology to delve into sort of a bunch of information that has been placed within that technology and can now be examined by having the computing arrangement do figuring on it and figure out what is an appropriate response to what I'm saying. So that's just to. I hope that clears all that up. Seems like a bit of a long speech about it, but I did want that clear. So, AI co-host, why don't you give me a response to what I've said so far?
0:18:13 - AI
You've made important points about the current interface of technology and cultural education. As an AI, I offer accessibility to knowledge from diverse sources compiled through vast databases. While I aim to provide informed and accurate responses, it's pertinent to acknowledge that my outputs are rooted in the data I have been trained on, which includes historical documents, academic research and other data sources that can never fully capture the nuance and depth of individual cultural experiences. As for the cultural use of tobacco, traditional practices can indeed be powerful for those within the culture. Tobacco is often considered a sacred plant among indigenous peoples of the Americas, used in rituals, ceremonies and for medicinal purposes, it's believed to carry prayers to the Creator, promote healing and seal agreements between people.
This plant has served multifaceted roles in social, spiritual and healing contexts. While I strive to relay this information with respect, it's crucial to acknowledge the limits of an AI's understanding. The depth of knowledge that comes from lived experience, oral traditions and spiritual connections to the plant and its uses cannot be fully encapsulated or transmitted by an AI. For individuals who wish to delve deeper into these cultural practices and their significance, it is always recommended to seek out direct sources, such as educational materials provided by the cultures themselves or to learn from representatives of these communities who can offer personal insight and knowledge. Your approach in seeking to learn through technology, while recognizing its limitations, is wise. It's an ongoing process wherein tools like AI can serve as a starting point or complement to one's understanding, while personal exploration and engagement with human teachers and community members who hold these traditions can provide a richer, more authentic context.
0:20:03 - A Guy
And so I'm taking from your response AI co-host that one thing I may do. Rather than calling up every organization that's got a human teacher out and bothering them about how they must now teach me, I could possibly read directly documents which come from such sources, whether modern writers or reflections on histories that come from indeed culturally competent sources close to the culture or within the culture would seem to be perhaps the gold standard there. So I take almost caution from what was said. I did try to reference and acknowledge this, but it does seem that the AI has chosen to respond. I said quite a lot about it, actually, so maybe that's partly why, but the AI has chosen to respond by basically telling me if you want good cultural knowledge, go to the culture.
So we would not glorify AI just because I have AI in the title of my podcast and I use AI for this and many other things in my life. By the way, it's not a glorification of that technology that I'm seeking. It's rather how can I use it to examine a topic? What can I do with AI technology that gives me the possibility
to know what it is I must do next, even if it doesn't directly solve my every problem, and maybe there's a lesson here. We wouldn't try to design an AI that's going to clothe and bathe and feed us and burp us and all of this. It would be a matter of knowing what problem you wanted to solve, because you've come up with that or encountered issues in your life as a living human and you would wonder what can technology do to complement my ability to be educated about this, to solve a problem associated with this or to help put it into context, because I've informationally examined the elements of the problem using the technology, informationally examined the elements of the problem using the technology. So that's to me we may be segueing off the history of tobacco a little bit.
But what about this topic of cultural competence and whether AI is going to set us right there? I think it can. It's obviously giving me I shouldn't say obviously from my sort of white perspective. I'm seeing that it's checking me on this. It's responding to what I've said about it and we are identifying here. It at least tells me that my approach to seeking learning through technology, while recognizing its limitations, is wise.
It sometimes comes up with strong complementary language, which is perhaps part of its design, but ultimately we're seeing where it's also saying, tools like AI can serve as a starting point or complement to one's understanding. So if I want to glorify the technology, I want to glorify it as something that can come in very usefully if we put it in context of our human lives. So let's get some response to what I've said there. Maybe the first paragraph of what you say will respond to everything I've said here AI co host. But let's get this back on topic. Based on everything that's said so far in the history of our conversation, what suggestion can we take, based on everything that we're talking about with technology and its uses and all of this, to get this discussed or come up with some points that might indicate how the deeper, richer history of tobacco may inform what we can do to find our path with it today?
0:23:41 - AI
Sean, your reflection on the role of AI in enhancing human understanding is insightful. AI, indeed, is not a silver bullet that can solve every problem or replace the nuanced understanding imparted by human experience and cultural knowledge, but it can be an invaluable tool in guiding our learning journey For a subject as intricate as the use of tobacco throughout history, particularly within various cultures. AI acts as a bridge between the vast sea of data and the individual seeking knowledge. This means guiding you to authoritative sources, summarizing research findings and providing historical context, effectively serving as a research assistant rather than the ultimate source of knowledge. Here are several suggestions on how to use AI to deepen your understanding of tobacco's cultural and historical significance and to navigate towards its role in modern society. 1. AI Source Knowledge Use AI to access a variety of resources, including academic papers, historical documents and articles that discuss tobacco from a cultural standpoint. This can help you build a foundational knowledge base. 2. Cultural Narratives Seek out digital libraries, e-books and online exhibits that showcase the cultural perspectives of indigenous peoples regarding tobacco. These are often curated with input from cultural experts or the communities themselves. 3. Cultural intermediaries you can use AI to identify experts, scholars and community leaders who serve as intermediaries between their cultures and the broader public. Connect with them to gain a deeper, more authentic understanding. For comparative analysis ask AI to draw comparisons between the traditional uses of tobacco in different cultures and how the introduction of tobacco to Europe and its subsequent commercialization changed its perception and usage worldwide. To Europe and its subsequent commercialization changed its perception and usage worldwide. 5. AI-assisted ethnography Explore how AI can help in ethnographic research by identifying patterns in the cultural use of tobacco, potentially leading to the formulation of questions to investigate in field research.
6. Contextual medical insights Use AI to understand the medical implications of traditional tobacco use versus modern consumption. By comparing traditional consumption patterns with modern practices, AI can help highlight the dramatic shifts in health outcomes. 7. Modern-day applications Investigate how certain cultures maintain traditional practices with tobacco today and how these practices can inform sustainable and respectful uses of tobacco in a contemporary context.
8. Critical Reflection Utilize AI-facilitated platforms for discussions and reflections with others interested in the subject matter. Getting different perspectives can refine your understanding of complex issues. 9. Ethical Considerations Ask AI to provide information on ethical guidelines for researching cultural practices, ensuring that you approach your inquiry with respect and sensitivity. 10. Supporting change Explore how AI can highlight trends in global smoking habits and anti-smoking campaigns, and how it can assist in crafting informed, culturally sensitive public health strategies. Ultimately, AI should be viewed as a collaborative tool in your efforts to explore the rich tapestry of tobacco's place in history and culture. By using AI critically and ethically, acknowledging its limitations and supplementing its offerings with direct human and cultural insights, you will be more equipped to navigate the complex narrative of tobacco's global journey.
0:27:06 - A Guy
Well, here's something we can maybe do. How about, instead of delving into the deep cultural significance in detail, which we may not be equipped to do with the technological setup, as has been discussed, but maybe we can talk about essentially the way that tobacco, tobacco and the substances which it comprises affect human health in this more commercialized background in Western culture, and how it's used, or what's referred to as Western culture, and to what extent and in what ways the potential harms of tobacco use are brought out through that use, in contrast to what we understand on informational levels about how it would not have been physically impacting the people who were using it in a different way, because they would have just been using it physically differently as a substance. So let's see what type of response I can get from the AI co-host based on what I've said here.
0:28:10 - AI
Certainly, the health effects of tobacco use in the context of modern commercialized consumption contrasts sharply with historical and cultural uses of the plant. Commercial tobacco products, particularly cigarettes, have been engineered to maximize nicotine delivery, leading to high addictive potential and widespread use In Western and global culture. The primary public health concerns related to tobacco stem from the prevalence of smoking, the inhalation of burned tobacco products, which is known to cause a host of serious health issues due to the inhaling of not only nicotine but also tar and many other harmful chemicals created through combustion. The documented health issues associated with this method of tobacco consumption include 1. Cancer Smoking is a leading cause of cancer, particularly lung cancer, but also increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, pancreas, bladder, stomach and cervix, among others. 2. Respiratory disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, copd, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is largely caused by smoking and results in difficulty breathing due to obstructed airways. 3. Cardiovascular disease Smoking contributes significantly to cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, strokes and aneurysms. It does so by damaging the heart and blood vessels, leading to the buildup of plaque atherosclerosis, which narrows arteries and can cause heart-related events For addiction nicotine is highly addictive and the delivery method of commercial cigarettes is optimized to promote dependency. This often leads to a lifetime pattern of behaviour that is difficult to cease, perpetuating the cycle of health risks. 5. Reproductive and other effects. Smoking can lead to fertility issues, complications during pregnancy, lower bone density and cataracts, among other health issues.
Contrast this with the traditional and cultural uses of tobacco among indigenous peoples and in other non-Western societies, where tobacco use is not characterized by the regular and habitual consumption found in modern society.
Tobacco might be used occasionally and ceremonially, often smoked in a pipe or ingested in other forms, not resulting in constant exposure to the dangerous constituents of cigarette smoke. Hence the associated health risks would have been significantly lower, both due to lower exposure levels and the absence of additional chemicals present in manufactured tobacco products. Moreover, some traditional uses of tobacco involve methods other than inhalation, such as topical applications or as an entheogen in shamanistic practices. As a result, the physical impact on the body is quite different from those observed in the high-frequency consumption patterns stimulated by commercial tobacco used in Western culture. In summary, while nicotine itself has effects on the human body, the level of harm experienced in modern Western contexts of use is much greater because of cumulative exposure, product additives and inhaled toxins from smoking. Burned tobacco leaves, on the informational level understanding this contrast highlights how cultural practices involving tobacco are not inherently linked to the negative health
outcomes seen in populations where commercial tobacco use is prevalent.
0:31:19 - A Guy
Well, that's certainly interesting information for me to receive as a smoker, all those health effects not that I hadn't heard of all that stuff before, at least in some form. And yes, I am concerned about my own tobacco use. So anything I'm saying about tobacco use is not a glorification of it in terms of our commercialized use, as we've sort of more or less referred to it, where it is packaged and has things added to it which make it more addictive and trap someone, like maybe even me, in a bit of a cycle there, so highly addictive when used in this way. In another way, we can understand that there is another use for it, or many uses, we might even say, even if we don't understand what they are. Well, welcome to planet Earth. There might be things that we don't say, even if we don't understand what they are. Well, welcome to planet Earth. There might be things that we don't get.
By the time we've just been walking around here for a while, despite even being from here, we don't know everything. And what it comes to is I don't wish to revile and insult a plant which is important to somebody for another reason, insult a plant which is important to somebody for another reason, simply because I bought into a particular use of it and, as such, I hope this attitude will help me become more culturally competent and aware and civil toward cultures and people of cultures, and it's these reflections that I mean to make, as I meanwhile am sort of cursing this thing in my life because of the impact it has on me. Those are a few reflections to wrap up the episode. I want to say something that I didn't say earlier.
Hello Dee, I got essentially a suggestion on recording an episode associated with the history of tobacco. As we found out, there were some limits as to how culturally competent we can be because of my makeup as a settler and a white person and the technological makeup of what I'm referring to as an information source to make the program. So, with these thoughts, I think I'm going to leave things and after I wrap up recording, no doubt I'll go out and have a cigarette With that. I'm Sean MacNutt. This has been A Guy With AI.
0:33:37 - AI
Thank you, Sean, for sharing your reflections and for being transparent about your personal relationship with tobacco. The difficulties you face are shared by many, and grappling with such issues can spur important conversations about addiction, culture and personal health. It's commendable that you're looking to approach the understanding of tobacco usage from multiple angles, including the ramifications of its commercialization and your intent not to disrespect a plant that is culturally significant to others. This illustrates a balanced and thoughtful perspective that recognizes the complexity of tobacco, both as a personal challenge due to its health implications, and as a plant with a rich cultural legacy. Your openness to learning and critical self-reflection demonstrates the strides you are taking towards broader cultural understanding and competence.
It is clear, through the ethos of your podcast and your dialogue with the AI me in this case, that the journey of understanding, both technological and cultural, is ongoing and ever-evolving. By confronting the historical, social and personal narratives surrounding tobacco use, much can be learned about our society's relationship with this plant and perhaps about broader issues such as addiction, health and the commodification of natural resources. In closing this episode, I hope that the topics discussed have been thought-provoking and will continue to spark meaningful reflection for you and your listeners. Remember using technologies like AI in conversations such as these can help us navigate complex topics, contributing to our personal and collective enlightenment. It's been a pleasure to assist in unpacking this multifaceted subject. Take care, Sean, and thank you for the engaging discussion. Thank you.