Smoking

[EXEs]

Right, the problem I'm having right now needs some explaining.

About 2 months ago, I tried a cigarette, was fine, didn't really like it, yet didn't really dislike it. But recently, whenever I get stressed, I feel like I want to go get a cig and smoke it, even though I only tried it once. Is this normal? If you feel stressed, do you feel like you want a fix of nicotine or whatever?

I myself know that cigarettes are bad for you, cause lung cancer, whatever, but when I get the feeling that I want to smoke, I don't seem to care. So is something wrong with me? I guess I need some help from you guys to try and help explain it, if possible.

[aka Providence]

mm, IMHO it's just a feeling. nicotine (or cigarettes for that matter) is very addictive. i used to smoke quite a lot during my last year of high school, just for kicks; but i'm quite positive with this: smoking won't make the source of your stress go away.

of course, cigs might help you calm down a bit during stress, but so does several other things. chewing gum (the normal gum, not the nicotine stuff) helped me out to remove my smoking semi-habit. like i said, you can do several hundred other things to relieve stress, so why risk getting addicted to cigs?

nothing is wrong with you, btw.

[innominate]

Avatar! Ohnoes! -I got confused!

Anyway, I heard they have like fake cigs or something, (tastes like nicotine but isn't) uh.

[Solace]

I'm a smoker. I admit it.

My first smoke was when I was 17, and much like you I started with one and didn't like it and eventually it snowballed into an addiction. Nicotine *is* an addictive drug and it is very hard for most people to quit. I managed it once and fell back into it during a moment of temptation....and well, here I am smoking once again.

Like anything "bad" for you, smoking doesn't cause cancer or kill babies, it's just something that increases your risks for things like that. It will damage your lungs, and you will have the "smoker smell", but that's the price you pay for what is essentially a nasty habit.

I'll be honest - quit now. It doesn't provide any good benefit and leaves you poorer and unhealthier for it. Don't become a person like me who struggles to quit constantly and has years of smoking damage to heal when I finally end up managing to stop for good.

I know exactly how you feel because I know exactly how it all starts. For now it's just a stress reliever (which is your mind wanting an excuse to lean on something), but it will turn into you smoking just to smoke. You're doing the perfectly normal thing many people who start out smoking do.

Do yourself the biggest favor of your life. Quit and don't look back.

^ that's my New Years resolution btw.

[Zu Ra]

You’re like 16 your nicotine adventures are not weird . I mean I tried my first cig at 15 . But dont make it a habit . Nicotine is addictive first you start with one off cig then eventually 4 then it goes on . And by the time you realize your hooked on

Don’t be under the false impression its okay I can quit when I want to . YOU CANT , it doesn’t work that way if your stressed out take some strenuous physical activity to vent out stress , smoking is not the answer .

If you continue this habit your body will be programmed that way. And your 16 when you grow a little older your stress levels will increase then what ? Life is Biotch deal with it smoking is not the answer

[aka Providence]

besides, cigs have absolutely no significant value or benefit. if there are, the increased risks of sickness (equals a faster path to the afterlife) outweigh any benefits.

[EXEs]

Hey, thanks for the advice. And just to clear things up, I haven't been smoking after the first time I did (If I got caught by my parents, I am certain they will kill me, dig me up, and kill me again, and over again)

Yeah, I know that smoking does increase chances of diseases, but as my friend said "It's hard to believe that one stick will eventually lead on to cancer and similar diseases".

[Vexx]

I don't understand how anyone can spend $5+ a day which works out to over $1800 a year... that'd buy a much nicer car, clothes, games, computering, etc.... or just save it for that "big expense".

I smoked a few packs when I was 16 and the very first thing I decided was that this was pretty freaking expensive to be wasting time on.

[tripperazn]

Originally Posted by Vexx

I don't understand how anyone can spend $5+ a day which works out to over $1800 a year... that'd buy a much nicer car, clothes, games, computering, etc.... or just save it for that "big expense".

I smoked a few packs when I was 16 and the very first thing I decided was that this was pretty freaking expensive to be wasting time on.

Consider also the high 6 figure hospital bills for any of the conditions that you are at about 10 times the risk for (cancer, heart attack, stroke, clot). All conditions are very likely lethal and make it difficult for you to be approved for insurance to pay for your likely astronomical medical fees.

My grandfather quit AFTER he got lung cancer, don't wait till then.

[Aoie_Emesai]

Originally Posted by Vexx

I don't understand how anyone can spend $5+ a day which works out to over $1800 a year... that'd buy a much nicer car, clothes, games, computering, etc.... or just save it for that "big expense".

I smoked a few packs when I was 16 and the very first thing I decided was that this was pretty freaking expensive to be wasting time on.

I figured it out that way too ^^. I am a science/math major so all I think about is total value ^_^. But for me, I'm a non smoker, I dislike the smell of them and the only reason I get them is cause all of my co-workers smokes, literally, I mean all of them.

[Thingle]

I respect your right to smoke, but bear in mind that other people have the right to breathe clean, smoke-free air.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Vexx

I don't understand how anyone can spend $5+ a day which works out to over $1800 a year... that'd buy a much nicer car, clothes, games, computering, etc.... or just save it for that "big expense".

I smoked a few packs when I was 16 and the very first thing I decided was that this was pretty freaking expensive to be wasting time on.

Everyone was going on about the health issues regarding smoking - I was waiting for someone to bring up the cost It is very expensive.

I'm a bit skeptical that you could be addicted to cigarettes from simply trying one. More likely you're feeling peer pressure or, knowing that cigarettes are highly addictive, your body is creating a false addiction (you feel that you should be addicted, even though chemically speaking you aren't).

Everyone else has pretty much raised all the main issues: it greatly increses your chance of other diseases, it's an inconvenience and harm to those around you who have to breathe your fumes, it's very expensive, and it's extremely difficult to quit. The last two in combination shouldn't be taken lightly. There are varying degrees of this, but people who suffer an addiction of any sort and are unable to gain access to the substance of their addiction become extremely debilitated. I don't imagine most people would want to live their lives with that risk.

Solace, good luck to you on quitting for good this time.

[Solace]

Originally Posted by Thingle

I respect your right to smoke, but bear in mind that other people have the right to breathe clean, smoke-free air.

Well, rude people come in all types unfortunately. I try my best to never smoke around non smokers, or even expose them to any of the smell/second hand smoke. However there are some people who "proudly" go on about how it's their right to damage their body and choose not to respect those who choose otherwise. Laws can only do so much but honestly I sometimes wonder if it would be better for cigarettes to be banned. But the problem with banning is that the companies have incredible influences and people would find a way to do it anyway, just like any other banned thing.

That said, I think the "truth" campaign is doing about as much good as the "this is your brain on drugs" and "I was so high last night" campaigns my country is doing now - which is to say, very little to none. I think education - showing cold hard facts about how damaging these things are, instead of propaganda, would be more beneficial. That's my opinion anyway.

Originally Posted by Ledgem

Everyone was going on about the health issues regarding smoking - I was waiting for someone to bring up the cost It is very expensive.

God yes. Thankfully I'm not as heavy a smoker as I could be; a pack a day, if that. But some people I know smoke 2+ and at 50 bucks a carton average, that's gotta be hurting the wallet.

Originally Posted by Ledgem

I'm a bit skeptical that you could be addicted to cigarettes from simply trying one. More likely you're feeling peer pressure or, knowing that cigarettes are highly addictive, your body is creating a false addiction (you feel that you should be addicted, even though chemically speaking you aren't).

Smoking (actually, any addiction) is part mental and part physical. That's why it's so hard to stop once you start (and why quitters often relapse). If you've only had a few, or even just one, it's still a good time to stop.....but like most things, if you can have access to it, it's hard to have "just" one. Peer pressure, stress, boredom, like alcohol, there are many reasons people start and after getting used to it quitting can be a struggle. Believe me, I envy those who can start and stop at will.

Originally Posted by Ledgem

Solace, good luck to you on quitting for good this time.

Thanks Ledgem. I'm pretty confident that this will be the year.

[Whitemoon648]

Originally Posted by EXEs

Right, the problem I'm having right now needs some explaining.

About 2 months ago, I tried a cigarette, was fine, didn't really like it, yet didn't really dislike it. But recently, whenever I get stressed, I feel like I want to go get a cig and smoke it, even though I only tried it once. Is this normal? If you feel stressed, do you feel like you want a fix of nicotine or whatever?

I myself know that cigarettes are bad for you, cause lung cancer, whatever, but when I get the feeling that I want to smoke, I don't seem to care. So is something wrong with me? I guess I need some help from you guys to try and help explain it, if possible.

I would definitly recommend you to quit smoking. As the time goes by it will be harder to stop it. Also i want to mention that the urge you have to smoke in itself is completly normal and nothing is wrong with you, but smoking isnt good for you. Nicotine and smoking can harm your lungs in many ways. When part of the body is damaged, our body tries to heal itself by creating new cells to replace the dead and injured ones. Sometimes these cell mulitplications continue even after the body has heal itself and thus you have cancer. The more you smoke the more are the chances that you will injure your lungs and this whole cycle occurs. So doesnt matter what part of your body, if you keep harming it, it can eventually lead to cancer.

I, myself have had tumour ( and still do) in my lungs. And because of that and college and ... I have ( and many other people do have) alot of stress in their life. Smoking isnt the best nor the only way to reduce your stress. Few that i use to relieve my stress are:

1) calm music
2) staying under warm to hot shower
3) relaxing/sleeping in the bed.

Still dont stress yourself too much. I personally dont think ( some might argue my point) 1 or 2 smoke/ Week (not day) is going to cause cancer. It will increase the chances to have cancer ( as many other things that do), but if you live your life worrying too much about it , it can add to your current stress even more.

P.S. Solace, Do you play dota(dota from warcraft 3 game) with an account name S0lace ?

[ToxicNarcotic]

Originally Posted by Solace

Well, rude people come in all types unfortunately. I try my best to never smoke around non smokers, or even expose them to any of the smell/second hand smoke. However there are some people who "proudly" go on about how it's their right to damage their body and choose not to respect those who choose otherwise. Laws can only do so much but honestly I sometimes wonder if it would be better for cigarettes to be banned. But the problem with banning is that the companies have incredible influences and people would find a way to do it anyway, just like any other banned thing.


Thanks Ledgem. I'm pretty confident that this will be the year.

Banning something like tobacco is useless. Look at alcohol and the prohibition, you ban it and everyone is still doing it, not only that, but dangerous people gain more power.


Being a smoker as well, I'm going to play devil's advocate. (If you can quit though, by all means, you should and more power to you.)

Honestly I don't think (living in the US) disrespectful smokers is really a problem. I've met very, very, few smokers who didn't give a damn about non smokers. The problem is non smokers don't bother asking if a smoker can put out his cigarette/smoke a little further away. Almost every single smoker I know wouldn't mind, so long as it was asked in a polite way. As long as someone politely asks me to smoke further away/put my cigarette out myself and most other smokers would gladly oblige. On the other hand, if someone is very rude about it, i'm more inclined to be a dick and continue smoking where I am.

Also local laws are a problem as well. I've been around the country and being a smoker in states like California/Washington were horrible. Laws that prohibit you from smoking 25 feet from a public entrance/venilation system, bar (which is kind of ironic since your friggin' poisoning yourself anyway...) etc. make it such a hassle to light one smoke. It sounds reasonable but if you're living in a big city like Seattle, it pretty much makes it so you can't smoke (legally, and if you get ticketed, that's a pricy ticket) anywhere but some random bus stop miles away from where you currently are. It gets to the point where you just say screw it and light up wherever. If we had some more designated smoking areas that weren't completely on the other side of town it would greatly help the situation, but they haven't been doing things like that. What's even more infuriating is paying 7-8 bucks a pack because of taxes that go to 'cleaning up the puget sound.' That's all great and all, but we're not the only ones polluting the puget sound, and definately not the biggest. If we're going to pay taxes in cleaning up the environment, everyone else should to, since everyone is polluting just as much as we are. Sometimes being a smoker I feel like i'm the witch in some witch hunt. I always mind others and I don't randomly throw my cig butts which arent' bio degradable anywhere but an ashtray. I try at all times to be thoughtful of others but it seems like the majority of the non smokers want to nail me to a damn crucifix for being a smoker. Personally if non smokers and smokers would just show some understanding towards one another I don't think it'd be a problem at all.

[WanderingKnight]

I'm a social smoker. I guess that's sort of a more serious problem, because whenever I'm alone, I feel disgusted by the taste of cigarettes. However, whenever I'm in a group, smoking comes naturally to me, and almost without realizing it I light up a cigarette, and then another one, and then another one... I really don't know why this is, but I'm sure that it's more serious than simply smoking, because it means there's some psychological link in my brain between smoking and being in a group of people... and that's really not something I want to have.

However, while being at home, and even for a couple of days or even weeks, I rarely get the urge of smoking.

I don't understand how anyone can spend $5+ a day which works out to over $1800 a year... that'd buy a much nicer car, clothes, games, computering, etc.... or just save it for that "big expense".

Over here the things are considerably cheaper (approximately 1 USD for a 20-cigarettes pack), but it's still an expense at the end of the day. In fact, I temporarily quit smoking for more than a year when I was 17, and my main reason was the price. Now that I've found myself a job and a steadier amount of money, plus the fact that I'm allowed to smoke at university, I've fallen back to the temptation of tobacco.

I know I'm going to have to quit it some day or the other... I suppose that'll be when the extra cash I'm spending on it really starts to matter.

[Solace]

Originally Posted by Whitemoon648

P.S. Solace, Do you play dota(dota from warcraft 3 game) with an account name S0lace ?

Nah. I play WoW from time to time but never dota.


@Toxic - I agree, which is why I said rude people come in all types. I understand the push to get people to quit smoking but it *is* a legal right to smoke and it really can feel as if you are a second rate citizen just for exercising that right. You don't see people getting down on alcohol or the drinkers of it nearly as hard even though it can be just as damaging and destructive to the users and those around them. Sometimes the double standard is frustrating. Most people on either side of the issue are polite, it's the ones who take the "higher moral road" that tend to be the bad apples. Don't even get me started on how many times I've heard the "dangers of second hand smoke speech"....

I also agree that banning wouldn't solve anything (as I mentioned in my previous post) because people will do it anyway. It's a tough nut to crack, which is why the "war on drugs" has been a huge waste of time and money for everyone. Saying something is bad and smacking people on the hand telling them no isn't solving the problem. I firmly believe proper education would be enough to turn most away from ever bothering (and may encourage some to quit while they're ahead). It's either that, or taking the scary approach and start setting examples. I'd rather it not come to something so dire.

But either way, dancing around the issues isn't solving a thing. In a sense I like the idea of slowly making it more difficult for smoking to occur in public, but as a smoker it's very much akin to someone slowly removing your rights.

I'm all for a healthier society but the approach certainly feels wrong.

@WanderingKnight - Nothing wrong with you, it's normal. It's much easier for me to chain smoke in a social area than it is when I'm alone. The part of my brain that decides to have one just switches off and I'm lighting them up nonstop. Dunno why it happens but I see the same thing happen with people who drink.

[Dxon]

Im never going to smoke. Not even going to try that sh!t.. I suggest you all stop now!
Its hard to stop but you should..

[Khaos]

I never really understood, why people smoke, but I never tried, I had to live with the horrible smell of my father's pipe, that was enough deterrence.

I know there's almost nothing positive about smoking and I really hate to inhale other people's smoke, but I also have a big problem with that hysterical anti-smoking thing, which only could become that extreme, because non-smokers always were afraid of saying something, so now they finally got the power and they're taking revenge. But noone likes to being pressured and being demonized, so of course, smokers defend themselves and I can understand that. The whole thing is not about health and helping those people, it's just another stupid war!

A friend of mine loves to smoke his pipe, it's like a ritual for him and he takes his time, and that's ok, really. There's nothing wrong with doing something you really savour. And as other people stated, most people I know are considerate when smoking in other's presence, so for the majority of the people it would be the best, if they just talked to each other and found a solution without being pressured and demonized by some crazy anti-smoke-crusaders!

Of course it's sad, if a person really is nicotine-addicted, but you can't force someone to quit if he really doesn't want to. It's his life and his decision to live the way he does. The only result of banning something by law is the criminalization of many people and more work for the police, the courts, etc, but surely not the disappearance of that something.

[Supersonic]

As a cigar smoker, I get a much stronger dose of nicotine than a cigarette smoker, and yet I can go as short as days and as long as months between cigars. What you are experiencing is purely psychological. There is simply no way you could be experiencing physical addiction after one smoke.

Either that or I am a freak of nature who can quit on a whim. =o