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affects on voice
I have 2 friends that I'm trying to convince to stop messing around with Marijuana before something really bad happens. Both of them happen to be singers in bands/choir/shows. Does smoking pot affect your vocal chords or ability to sing? I know regular tobacco messes it up, but does pot have the same effects? A yes or no answer is fine but I would really like some sort of backround information b/c I couldn't find any when I searched it online. Thanks!
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Want to answer more questions in the Health & Fitness category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Health?
Smoking in general affects things like lung capacity, vocal quality, etc., no matter what it is that you're smoking.
And don't get too freaked out about the pot thing. I mean, of course they shouldn't be smoking it- it's illegal and it's unhealthy. But, as with a lot of things, there's more to it than just the celebrity filled commericals and the government campaigns...
Yes THC does affect the brain in some pretty weird ways.
Yes smoking anything is bad for your respiratory and circulatory health and your nervous system, and much of that damage cannot be repaired.
Yes smoking pot can not only get you in trouble with your parents and your school but can also load you down with huge fines and possible jail time, and can keep you from being allowed to have certain jobs (like teaching) or from getting government scholarships for college.
BUT: if you continue doing research on marijuana (which is awesome of you, keep it up!), you'll find that a lot of the flashy ideas presented regarding marijuana are scare tactics aimed at a receptive public all too eager to demonize certain harmful, mind-altering substances while glorifying others. (ie. prescription drugs for anyone with enough money and a drug happy doc, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, etc.)
Not that there's no difference between drinking a Mt. Dew and smoking a joint- 'cause there is! But when you start talking about the differences between the damaging affects of alcoholism (which is legal) and the damaging affects of smoking weed, well... that's where things start to get a little gray and it's best to be as educated as possible so your decisions for your own life, and the advice you give your friends, are based as much in fact as possible.
Encourage your friends to quit. Cheer them on with an open heart and a forgiving attitude. Remind them that the consequences of their actions- whether they're caught or not- are pretty dismal. But don't let yourself get so bogged down in those "Ice Cream: My Anti-Drug" commercials that you dismiss your friends for the wrong reasons. Learn and Discern.
National Institute on Drug Abuse
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
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YES, smoking anything will do terrible, irreversible things to your voicebox and vocal chords, drastically affecting their singing. Please show them this answer if they don't believe you. Have you ever heard a "smoker's voice" or "smoker's cough"?? They are terrible, and ca make it impossible to sing. Smoke in general can also affect your lungs so that it is hard to take slow deep breaths, which are crucial for singing.
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Well, breathing in any kind of smoke does do damage to your lungs and probably your vocal chords.
But I just want to warn you about trying to convince them to stop doing drugs. When my mom was a teenager she tried to get her friends to stop smoking tobacco, and they got mad at her and then got her hooked on it. And she is seriously addicted to this day. She always warned me never to try to get people to stop doing that sort of thing. Still, I can't always help it, when I hear my friend coughing because of cigarettes (even though she says that's not the reason) I say, "You sound like my mother, you know, coughing like that." And she gets all defensive and yells at me to stay out of her life. I know it's really hard for you, and I'm not saying that you should back off completely and let them ruin their lives just be really careful because sometimes when we try to help we just end up making it worse. If they do get angry at you and tell you to stay out of their business I would go to an adult that you can trust (ie, one that won't turn them into the cops or anything like that) and say that you want to help your friends before they destroy their lives. A school guidance counselor would be really good for something like this.
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well that previous answer didn't do you any good. she thought you were the one on drugs. i guess she can't read? okay. well, smoking marijuana can affect your vocal chords, just like regular tobacco can. with pot, you inhale burning smoke, and hold it in as long as possible, which isn't good for anybody depending on their voice. here's some detailed information that i found for you:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
any other questions - don't be afraid to ask me :)
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it has the potential to screw your vocal chords up. inhaling any kind of smoke does. they might just be using it as an excuse to get you to stop taking drugs altogether,, which is fine because theyre your friends and may be concerned for you. personally, and this is just me, I stay away from pot, cigarettes, and drugs in general really. anything that has the potential to screw up my vocal chords (im an actor/singer as well) just isnt worth it.
now as for whether its true or not, i havent heard anything along those lines. but vocal chords are fragile, and you might as well be gargling glass if you even *clear* your throat, so im not sure what kind of damage frequent pot smoke can do. ask a nurse/doctor if youre that concerned.
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