A reply in another thread made me wonder about something.

A post was made about cigarette torture, and one reply said it bordered the line between play and abuse. Now I'm not a fan of cigarettes in any form, whether for play or otherwise. That said, it seems to me that this style of activity is not much different than other forms of extreme play. (Now just because it's called "play" doesn't mean it shouldn't be taken seriously. All consideration and care must be utilized, of course.) Sure, it's severe, but to call it abuse? It seems to me that to term something abusive would denote a lack of pleasure and consent for at least one of the participants. So, as long as everyone involved (with the caveat that "everyone" means those of legal age who are cognizantly able to consent) are good with the happenings, how can it be called abusive? And what about knife play, piercings, and heavy beatings with single tail? Certainly there are real elements of torture to be had in those acts, right?

So my question, I think, is this- Given the nature of the BDSM beast, can severe and extreme forms of sexual play even be subject to such "abusive" labeling?

(Whether you think yes or no, would you explain why?)