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[Berserker]

I used to smoke for seven years, I stopped two years ago. I sometimes smoke a few ciggies when I'm having a drink maybe once every two/three weeks. I used to smoke weed every day I stopped doing that also, had no trouble stopping with weed or ciggies still smoke weed once in a while on a special occasion maybe once every six months.
Yeah it damages your health I know but like fortune says a lot of things do, it helps me relax and in a way contributes to my mental well being so that's worth something. Cigs kill but so does stress. In moderation it isn't that bad IMO.
Any way do as you please and don't judge others....

Cheers

[Spank-A-Thon]

Until 3 weeks ago I smoked. I used to smoke 20 a day for the last 11 years but 3 weeks ago I became an ex-smoker and it's been really easy. Basically it's all about how you think about smoking. Firstly though, a few caveats...

If there's one thing that pisses me off, it's non-smokers who preach. Unless you have smoked cigarettes and been addicted to nicotine - you don't know what you're talking about. Sorry, but that's how it is. I don't know what it's like to be a crack addict, so why do non-smokers assume they know what smoking is like?

Another thing, if someone wants to smoke - fine, that's their right. As long as certain rules are obeyed then I have no problem. For example, if I was in someone else's house, I would go outside. Basically, having a courtesy to understand that not everyone wants to share your habit is all it takes...

Now, I'm going to offer some advice that I gained from a book called Allen Carr's Easy Way To Stop Smoking. I'm pimping it cos it works - and if you wanna give up, give it a try...

Anyway, the biggest problem for smokers when giving up is Fear. A Fear of going through life always craving a cigarette... Got news for you - it's not going to happen. Do you wake up in the morning craving Heroin? Of course not, that's because you're not a heroin addict. Ergo, if you're not addicted to nicotine, you will not crave it.

Here's another interesting fact. Smokers smoke in order to feel like a non-smoker! Confused? Try looking at it like this: You know that feeling when you're dying for a cigarette? Remember how nice it feels when you smoke that ciggie? Do you know what that feeling is? It's not the ciggie, it's the filling of the void that is created by a craving. When you smoke a ciggie, you don't need another for a while. For that short time between ciggies, you feel just like a non-smoker does...

Those 2 things alone have changed the way I think about cigarettes. I've been spending money, damaging my health and spent many years as the "odd one out" (cos none of my friends smoke) in order to feel like my friends.

To all the smokers, think about cigarettes for a moment - what do you think of? You might think of the first one in the morning, maybe the one just after a meal or even sex if you're lucky... Betcha you don't think of all the other cigs you smoke - you mainly associate a smoke with a certain event.... Strange that - it's the event that is more important to the smoker than the actual cigarette.

I've tried patches and gum - and looking back I can see why I failed. Would you give a heroin addict more heroin? So why give a nicotine addict nicotine? Makes no sense! I've tried will power. I've tried substituting gum for ciggies. I've justifed my smoking addiction in many ways to friends and the more I think about it, the more wrong I realise I was.

Excuse: I enjoy it
If I enjoyed smoking, then why did I wish I'd never started? Why did I wish I didn't smoke? I enjoy chocolate - but I don't wish I'd never started eating chocoloate. Speaking of chocolate, I enjoy it but don't feel the need to have some 20 times a day... Therefore, did I really enjoy smoking?

Excuse: It relaxes me and de-stresses me
When something goes wrong my first thought was to reach for a ciggarette. I'd feel anxious and if I didn't have any ciggies, I'd have to go out and get some. I couldn't relax until I'd had a smoke... My addiction to nicotine was actually making me more stressed. I'd worry if I had no cigarettes - I'd worry if I thought I didn't have enough. Non-smokers don't worry about such things - ergo, it's nicotine and ciggies that cause extra stress.

Excuse: I can give up anytime
I couldn't because every time I'd previously tried I failed - I didn't understand why I was smoking, I just knew I had to. Hell, I didn't even want to smoke - but still I did. I'd go out of my way to get cigarettes, to be able to smoke. Whilst my friends were enjoying a meal in a restaurant, I was thinking only of the cigarette I'd have afterwards! That's not symptomatic of someone who could give up any time!

Nicotine pangs are very mild, hence why we can sleep all night and not be woken by them (something which heroin addicts can't do). The pangs do not hurt and are in fact almost identical to hunger pangs (which is why a lot of people put on weight when giving up). There is no pain, just a feeling of discomfort - that something is missing... The entire smoking problem is a mental thing. Within 3 weeks any physical addiction to nicotine is gone - it's the mental side of things that is hardest. If there are 2 creatures in your body that feed your craving one is very small - that is the physical - the biggest one is in your mind. The problem is most treatments are based around trying to eliminate the small monster when in fact the hardest issue with choosing not to smoke is mental.

On a final note, if anyone does decide to stop smoking - you are not "quitting". Quitting suggests you are giving up something of value. We all know it costs money, is bad for your health and is anti-social.... So what exactly are you giving up???

As I've said previously, if you want to smoke that is your right and I respect that right because I know what it's like. But right now, I've never felt better. I'm free of cigarettes - they no longer dictate my life. The very thought of travelling used to make me worry about how I would handle not smoking (my 8 hour flight to Dallas was hell!). Going to my mate's house for drinks would bother me cos I'd always have to go outside on my own to smoke.

Best thing I ever did was stopping.

- S

[Vicious_2003]

If there's one thing that pisses me off, it's non-smokers who preach. Unless you have smoked cigarettes and been addicted to nicotine - you don't know what you're talking about. Sorry, but that's how it is. I don't know what it's like to be a crack addict, so why do non-smokers assume they know what smoking is like?

I can understand that. I mean, I myself have never experienced addiction so what right do I have to preach about it. None really. But im not criticizing people for not quitting..Ive seen how hard it is for people and I couldnt imagine how hard it is to stave off a physical addiction to something. And hey...if non smokers didnt fight against it..no one would. And we would continue to allow second hand smoke to destroy kids lungs, and we would find it acceptable to allow thousands of people every year to start smoking and condemn themselves to an existence of yellow teeth, bad breath, and serious lung problems. As a non smoker...I cant just let that happen and not atleast say (Preach) something.

If I enjoyed smoking, then why did I wish I'd never started?

Do you think there was ANYHTHING ANYONE could have said to keep you from starting ?. Because thats the key really...getting people to quit is damn near impossible,we'd be better off trying to keep people from starting. Just how that's done is a mystery

On a final note, if anyone does decide to stop smoking - you are not "quitting". Quitting suggests you are giving up something of value. We all know it costs money, is bad for your health and is anti-social.... So what exactly are you giving up???

Very well put

However, these young people have a mind of their own

How can you have a mind of your own when your mind is telling you you HAVE to have more niccotene. The addiciton takes away your choice in the matter in a way. Unless you have uber will power..your pretty much controller by your addiction (to put it bluntly)

as for that, I can say it isn't too far fetched.. something very similar happened to my stepdad, that's why he hates weed. he got robbed by a couple of his sister's friends, and they beat his ass and put him in the hospital, saying they would be back. so he had a gun next to him whenever he slept, locked, loaded, and off safe. two of his friends got totally stoned off thier asses, and one of them decided to point the gun at the other and pull the trigger, so my stepdad had to sit there and hold his best friend in his arms as he died... not too far fetched, actually...

Ummm did I say far fecthed ?. I meant.....sad....very sad..and entirely possible

[Spank-A-Thon]

Originally posted by Vicious_2003

I can understand that. I mean, I myself have never experienced addiction so what right do I have to preach about it. None really. But im not criticizing people for not quitting..Ive seen how hard it is for people and I couldnt imagine how hard it is to stave off a physical addiction to something. And hey...if non smokers didnt fight against it..no one would. And we would continue to allow second hand smoke to destroy kids lungs, and we would find it acceptable to allow thousands of people every year to start smoking and condemn themselves to an existence of yellow teeth, bad breath, and serious lung problems. As a non smoker...I cant just let that happen and not atleast say (Preach) something.

Hmm, methinks I need to make myself clearer...

I have no objection to anyone, be them non-smokers, ex-smokers or smokers saying that smoking is disgusting, bad for you etc...

What bugs me is when non-smokers comment on giving up cigarettes. I think crack is disgusting but I have no idea what it's like to be addicted, therefore no right to comment on someone trying to fight said addiction.

Over the years I have heard things like "Giving up smoking is easy", "You have no will power", "You're weak" and so on - all from non-smokers. How can they possibly know? The only people who can give any kind of valid opinion are those who have been, or currently are, addicted to nicotine.

That's what bugs me, not someone expressing their displeasure for smoking.

- S

[tempted]

Well here is another reason not to smoke...



https://www.gifs.net/animate/smoking8.gif

[Vicious_2003]

Well here is another reason not to smoke...

That sort of sums it up nicely . Ive never seen that little graphic before..good stuff.

Hmm, methinks I need to make myself clearer...

Actually not really. I completely understood what you meant and was just saying that I myself wasnt ragging on any non smokers because they arent quitting sence I have no idea how hard that is(Just clearing that up sence you said you hate when non smokers complain that people should quit and that its easy etc) . Im just against it being legal under the grounds that its so addictive. I can understand how something like that would annoy a smoker.

[Gadzoox]

Originally posted by Daedaelus
"NOO!!! I DON'T SMOKE, AND I HATE SMOKERS!!! I WON'T PAY TO KILL MYSELF!"

[linkkiller31]

NO i dont and never will. plain and simple.

[IcyMourdor]

No, I don't smoke, but I end up buying a carton a week for my dad. So all the employees at the gas station I local at think I'm an 18-year old chain smoker.

[Daedaelus]

Originally posted by Mourdor

No, I don't smoke, but I end up buying a carton a week for my dad. So all the employees at the gas station I local at think I'm an 18-year old chain smoker.

Rofl.

[Preventer Wind]

No, I don't smoke. Don't like it. Tried a cig when I was younger thought it was nasty. Personally, though, I find it acceptable to smoke either by your self or with other people who don't mind it. The only real problem I have with smoking is the second hand smoke. If you like the taste of cigarettes then smoke as much as you want, just don't do it where you can aggravate others with your smoke.

Alcohol is addictive and deadly. In fact alcohol is worse then nicotine in some cases. You don't hear about people getting into a car accident because they were smoking a cig as much as you do about people who were drunk. They tried banning alcohol and that didn't work. Weed is illegal and look at how many people still do it. The banning of tobacco would not help the government out in any way. The government would probably have to hand out a lot of money to the companies that would have to stop their work. They would lose a lot of money as it is from not being able to tax it. It would be pretty worthless and stupid of them to do it.

I don't get why non-smokers get so mad over this. There is no reason to get mad at smokers unless they blow smoke right in your face. If people enjoy smoking let them do it. If they can't quit then it is their price they have to pay for making the choice to start.

Originally posted by Vicious_2003
How can you have a mind of your own when your mind is telling you you HAVE to have more niccotene. The addiciton takes away your choice in the matter in a way. Unless you have uber will power..your pretty much controller by your addiction (to put it bluntly)

I believe the person meant that they have a mind of their own to try it out for the first time.

[Redpyramidhead]

Do I...what?!?

_RED_ stuff

[Deathwatchz]

He wants to know if you are a pothead Red. Simple question what's the answer? j/k. cigs, right? bad joke.... n/m..... don't mind me.... stress induced insanity... I'm going to go and curl up in the corner and try and sleep or something...