Tobacco (again)

[SekoETC]

Just to put things into perspective, I'm asking those of us who smoke somewhat regularly to take part in a little poll.

1. When did you start smoking and why?

2. How much do you smoke on an average day?

3. Do you want to quit? Have you tried to?

4. Have you noticed decrease of health because of smoking?

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My answers:

1. About a year ago, in some sort of a bout of stubborness. I wanted to blame it on my ex bf because he let me taste tobacco for the first time, I had the age but I was too shy to buy on my own. I could keep it a secret from my parents for a few weeks but I never lied to then, when my mother asked me straight I said yes.

2. About 3 a day, but depends much on if I have to go to places. If I'm busy inside I might not smoke at all, or just smoke once before going to bed to calm down. I rarely feel like I have to, it's more of a habit. Even when I've been really down I've only smoked 5 a day (though sometimes have been lighting a new one with the old stub).

3. No I don't want to quit. I see no serious reasons. Everyone dies one day and getting cancer is quite random, some get it without touching tobacco at all and some smoke all their lives and live very old. If I wouldn't be smoking I'd spend that money on candy instead and get fat. I have kept my smoking to the same level since I started so I feel I can control it. I may spend days without smoking but when I start getting more reasons to go out, I go back to the normal ways.

4. I might be in worse condition but I've always hated sports so I wouldn't be moving more if it was easier. I get the weird feeling in my lungs sometimes (like now, which brought up the subject) but people have said I smoke far too little for it to cause coughing at least in this short time.

[formerly known as hf]

I'm not a smoker, but I have been, and very similar to how you described yourself Seko.

I can't remember why I started - it wasn't peer pressure, I think it was a case of picking up a cigarette one day and it led on from there (I had and do smoke other things - so it wasn't much of a great step)

I smoke similar amounts - I would smoke a couple a day, more if I was out or at the pub. Never did I feel like I had to - I never felt addicted. I would go a few days without smoking and not realise...

Eventually, one day I just looked at the cigarette in my hand and wondered to myself why I was smoking it - I couldn't come up with an answer, so I stubbed it out, and that's been it. I've smoked maybe half a dozen fags since then, and that was three years ago...

I was lucky - I managed to smoke for about a year, and not get addicted.

I don't want to seem to be lecturing you - but I would say quit whilst you can - you seem to be where I was, and now will be the easiest time to give up - but it;s your choice...

As for the bad effects of smoking. They're numerous. It's not something to take lightly. Firstly, if you do get addicted, it can be dangerous to mental health. Any kind of addiction, for anything, is not good. Also, it'll cost a lot...

You'll get ugly too - trust me. Next time you get the chance, compare any middle aged people you know who smoke againast those who dont - I bet that you will find those who smoke have saggier faces, greasy skin, and just generally uglier. It has been shown that smoking does this.

Ignore the health effects if you want - and I agree, we all die some time. But I'd rather the last years of my life were comfortable - not requiring breathing assistance and more medication than is necessary. Smoking causes cancer - there's no ifs or buts about that. Other things cause cancer too, but, why do something to make things worse? And, it's more dangerous than you seem ti think. My girlfriend recently lost her grandmother. She was in her late fifties, and had smoked heavily since a teenager. She could have lived many more years if she hadn't smoked. She also wouldn't have spent a year in hospital at the age of 58...

It's very difficult to make a link with death when your young - I used to, and still do, think exactly the same as you - my old age seems so far off, that I just don;t take it into account...

Just ask yourself - like I did - why are you smoking? If you can convince yourself, genuinely, that there's a good reason - and that this outweighs the problems it will cause - fair enough...

[west]

I smoke socially, but I don't inhale except for hookah smoke.

I just like the feeling of smoke coming out of my mouth.

makes me feel like a dragon or something.

[Kev Milsom]

1. About 25 years ago when I was somewhere around 17-18…started smoking initially as I was working as a long-distance driver – everyone else in the company smoked and it helped pass the boredom of long hours on the road.
2. Has varied over the years…highest was probably 60 a day in my early twenties, but more like 20 a day on average usually.
3. I’m in the process of quitting right now…basically I’ve had enough of the damn things. I quit at the start of the year, then allowed them back in again…but then decided to quit for good at the start of this month.
At the moment most days I don’t smoke at all, if I do it’s not more than 2-3 a day, but I’ve no longer got the interest in them, and they’re starting to taste vile. I can now also smell smoke on my friends and it ain’t pretty. My wife’s quitting in January, and that will kill them off completely once and for all. Good riddance to them.
4. Only in the last couple of years. I ended up in hospital last year, had a complete physical check up and was surprised to find that I was in good, overall physical shape…however, in the last few months I’ve not been well, and I’m sure the cigs are to blame.
So, time for them to hit the road.

I worked out last week that since I started I’ve smoked close to 200,000 to date, at a cost of around £30,000. (about 55,000 American dollars at current rates). So, instead of having a tight chest and smelling like a camel’s rear end, I could be driving around in a Porsche and taking the kids to Disneyland every year.
Another, more frightening, reason for deciding to quit is that last month I took a relative to hospital for a check-up and spent a very scary hour in the lung-unit, listening to people around the same age as me permanently fighting for breath and only capable of talking through tubes.
That was kinda the last straw...actually it scared the living crap out of me.
Like Hallucinatingfarmer, in no way am I lecturing. It’s each to their own, and I used to get real mad if ex-smokers started telling me to quit the fags…but, basically I’m just looking back and thinking damn, what a waste of money and effort, not to mention health. Wish I had had the willpower to do it years ago.
So, bye to the cigs…was fun while it lasted, but it’s time to get back into the gym and be able to taste my food again for the first time since 1980.

[Missy]

1.) About 7-8 years. Thats not including the few years before that my friends and I used to sneak into her parents vehicle to play a game that we were driving down the road, where we'd pull the butts out of the ashtray and light them up- Though, we never inhaled then. (Weren't we just cool? ) The dumb part is, I always hated how her mums house smelled, because I was raised in a house where there was no smoking- period. (My mum wouldn't even let my grandpa in the house with a lit cigarette.) Then later in my teens I used to come home after being out with friends and my mum would tell me "You smell like a goddamn ashtray." lol She'd steal my lighters and my cigarettes every chance she had and toss em in the trash, but I wouldn't listen.

2.) Currently, it depends on how busy I am. I smoke more than ever sitting here at this computer than I ever thought was possible. (Hah, and no..amazingly my fingers aren't stained....err yet. *sigh*) Usually anywhere from 1-2 packs a day. But if I'm really busy I sometimes only fill my lungs with half a pack.

3.)I quit for six mo. when I was put in foster care because my foster parents were very clear I wouldn't be smoking. lol My foster mom stole my smokes the first day i was there and smoked them right in front of me. But I went back to it as soon as I got out. Then my husband and I quit about two years ago when my grandfather was down here, for hmm probably 2 days. A person has to want to quit to successfully quit---I don't think I'm ready to do so. Despite watching two of my family members become pretty well useless. My grandpa who came down to visit--you would think would have done the trick. He used to own time share here in Hawaii but sold it, fearing he wouldn't ever get to come back out. When my husband and I got stationed here, he made it a priority to get here one last time and ended up staying in a hotel. However it was nothing like it used to be for him. This time he was wheeled around in a wheel chair and not able to enjoy the island like he used to. He's gone through various tests to see if he's a candidate for a certain surgery that will help prolong his life, sadly he's so damaged from the smoking itself he isn't a good candidate for almost any type of surgery. He can barely catch his breath to talk with me on the phone now.

I'm just one of the many dumb people in the world. *Sigh* I want to quit, but apparantly not bad enough...*Lights up.* Eventually I hope I find the desire to do so.. and my god, do I hope it's soon.

[jeslange]

1. When did you start smoking and why?

At 13. I tried one and liked getting a buzz, and imagined myself to look cool while smoking. I also thought it made a good way to start conversations with others my age, who might ask for a smoke or a light. But, I generally was too shy to say more than yes or no anyway . Then, I developed a fondness for drugs, with a strong bias for LSD. Smoking seemed highly pleasurable while tripping. Smoking became typical, as did withdrawal symptoms if I didn't smoke.

2. How much do you smoke on an average day?

About a pack.

3. Do you want to quit? Have you tried to?

Sometimes. Yes, several times, briefly.

4. Have you noticed decrease of health because of smoking?

Yes. It seems to intensify/accelerate migraines (Intense, debilitating headaches), which I get once a week or so. This is likely due to constricting blood vessels caused by blocked acetycholine receptors, which is in turn caused by smoking.

[Nick]

1. When did you start smoking and why?

A little over 3 years ago, I guess. At the time I lived in a french town, and it seemed like everyone was smoking. I guess it just seemed like a good idea at the time.

2. How much do you smoke on an average day?

About a half a pack. I used to smoke around a pack a day, but cigarettes are insanely expensive here, nearly twice what I used to pay. Over 10 dollars a pack!

3. Do you want to quit? Have you tried to?

I have tried to quit, but I guess I really don't have the urge to quit. I am finishing school in a month, so it will be a higher priority for me to stop doing drugs.

4. Have you noticed decrease of health because of smoking?

Well, I appear fit on the outside, but inside I have the body of a 40-year-old . I get fairly severe heartburn that has kept me out of school for like, a week at a time. I also get orthostatic hypertention frequently, which I am positive comes from smoking. (ie: if I am on the computer for a while, and stand up; I may completely lose my vision for a while, and get hot-faced)

[SekoETC]

I get fairly severe heartburn that has kept me out of school for like, a week at a time. I also get orthostatic hypertention frequently, which I am positive comes from smoking. (ie: if I am on the computer for a while, and stand up; I may completely lose my vision for a while, and get hot-faced)

Hmm, I'm getting heartburn sometimes, lasting almost a day. And also may get weird spots blocking my vision if I stand up too fast after sitting or laying down for a long time. But I've never thought that those could be caused by smoking.

[Stan]

1. When did you start smoking and why?

At 18 years old while I was in a fraternity in college I began smoking when I drank beer.

2. How much do you smoke on an average day?

Used to smoke a pack a day.

3. Do you want to quit? Have you tried to?

I quit several times and had lots of success after my wife's mother died at 49 of lung cancer. But, I started smoking again because of my frequent trips to Europe and Japan with people who smoked and drank lots.

It's a stupid habit no matter how you cut it. Name one ACTUAL benefit and I'll change my mind...Cool? Heck no....Sexy? Come on. Not unless you like smelly breath...Good for your wallet? Not unless you invest in Phillip Morris, even then I doubt your habit contributes much to your divends...Good for your social life? In what way?

I quit drinking as well. Never had a problem with it, but I see no actual benefits to that either. If a person believes they act like a dork in social settings unless they are drinking then I would submit that they are acting more like a dork when they're drunk but no one has the heart to tell them.

4. Have you noticed decrease of health because of smoking?

I had similar symptoms to Nick until I quit. I also got migraines more frequently. Though I still get them the intensity AND frequency is much less.

[Pirog]

1. When did you start smoking and why?
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I guess I was about 15-16 years old. It was a combination of wanting to try something new and being under a lot of stress I think.

2. How much do you smoke on an average day?
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I smoke very randomly. I can go about a week without smoking at times, and then smoke a big pack on one night at other times...

3. Do you want to quit? Have you tried to?
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Yes, tried many times. Held up about half a year once...but when I'm stressed out or feeling depressed the ciggarettes always comfort.

4. Have you noticed decrease of health because of smoking?
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Yes. My lung capacity and general stamina improves a lot whenever I stop. I have to walk a lot of stairs to get to my appartment and I can feel a huge difference regarding to what kind of period I'm in...

[avi messika]

1. When did you start smoking and why?
I started smoking when I entered high school. I did it because my friends were doing it. Somehow I managed to keep my grades up despite the crowd that I hung with's opinion toward work. I smoked on and off for 2 years, until now, I got accepted to go to a United World College in New Mexico. Here, I have found that I smoke a lot more often. It helps me personally relieve the stress. I also developed moneysavers while at the school, so now I can get a carton of ciggies (10 packs) for 10 bucks, with 2 buck shipping from switzerland. So now I just tell myself I am saving money...

2. How much do you smoke on an average day?
Any break I have, that ends up being 4 or 5 cigarettes a day. Sometiems more, sometimes less, it all depends on the day. Last weekend, we had this one day, Thursday where every class had soem kind of examination. I ended up chain smoking 2 packs...

3. Do you want to quit? Have you tried to?
I quit for 3 months this past summer, and on and off throughout the year. I want to quit, not because of health issues, but because I don't want to be looked down upon by my family friends...

4. Have you noticed decrease of health because of smoking?
Of course. I can now jog up stairs without getting exhausted. That is the main thing....

[Nixit]

4. Have you noticed decrease of health because of smoking?
Of course. I can now jog up stairs without getting exhausted. That is the main thing....

[Pirog]

What kind of brand is that? I will give up my Luckies in a second for the smokes you got!

[mikki]

Let's see.. I started smoking when I was about 16... Going to my neighbor's house to sneak them... I quit a few times.. Well each time I became pregnant I quit until I made the mistake the last time I was pregnant.. I said I could quit when I wanted to... I tried when I was pregnant with Andrew, but couldn't do it.. I did cut back but once he was born I started right back up again..

How much do I smoke.. Well I could truthfully tell you that I have no clue... My friends bum cig's from me all the time so I go through alot.. I believe that at one time I was to a pack a day.. Though like others it has been more sometimes less, depending on where I am at who is around and how stressed I am..

I do want to quit eventually but at this present time I don't .... I enjoy them I guess you can say, something that I do when I am bored, upset, or plain ol' stressed out...

There are health risks and problems that I have encountered.. I have shortness of breath at times and I do get sick easier than some... Does that stop me? NO.. That is just something that I have to live with...

[Ash]

1.
About 25 years ago when I was somewhere around 17-18…started smoking initially as I was working as a long-distance driver – everyone else in the company smoked and it helped pass the boredom of long hours on the road.

Isn't that what women were made for?