Smoking

[Fallain]

honestly, it doesn't calm you until your addicted. It's your mind playing tricks on you. Your stressed, you "know" a cigarette will help so you smoke one and your mind feels relieved because you've tricked it into thinking it would help.

Then once your addicted you crave it and they soothe the craving so you believe that their like aspirin.

Except aspirin is cheaper and alot less addicting. Take it from someone who has failed quitting 3 times. Stop while you can.

[serena yuy]

In my opinion, I despise smoking. and the weird thing is I date one.
When he's stressed like now, I won't get upset at him if he smokes a couple while we're outside or something b/c I know it does calm you at times like that if you are a smoker. I grew up with both my parents smoking. so I remember how it is with them.

But remember this one thing though, you may claim you're not going to smoke often b/c you don't want to get addicted, you will possibly one day. so your best bet is to try and find something else to deal with your stress that won't potentially lead to cancer or any breathing problems like emphysema.

I apologize if I came off a little preachy.

[KeinLeben]

I'm a smoker myself and i've never even thought about quitting but people shouldn't look at them as a stress relief, that's what leads to addictions. People depend too much on the "magic" of inanimate objects instead of themselves.

[Keito]

Even third hand smoke is dangerous. Yes, THIRD hand smoke.

I've always known it was bad but it wasn't untill recently I heard a story over the radio about it talking abot studies done of third hand smoke.

Third hand smoke being the residue left on surfaces and clothing. The stuff that tells you 'hey, the person that drives this car smokes' or 'that guy just got back from his smoke break! it's even making my eyes water up!' That stuff.

The radio segment was talking in particular about it's dangers for young children. How a baby crawling around on a carpet of a room that's smoked in obsorbs some of the toxins through their skin...

Poor kids.

[KeinLeben]

Yea, that's why I don't smoke in public unless i'm around friends who also smoke and ONLY them. It's not fair for me to force my unhealthy habit on other people and I know that. The governments are finally realizing that too as more and more places make it illegal or prohibit smoking inside buildings.

And I don't smoke in my jeep either just because it's so disrespectful to the vehicle (yes, I respect my jeep) and does ruin in interior in both look and smell. Even as a smoker, I can't stand it when I get into someone's car and it reeks of old tobacco.

However, I won't stop smoking at work just because sometimes, I need it. And on some days I work 12 hour shifts and just can't wait that long.

[monochromekangaroo]

As an asthmatic and someone who is allergic to cigarette smoke, I'm so completely against smoking it's not even funny. Thankfully for me no one in my family smokes (or I'd be dead by now, isn't that nice?) but my ex-boyfriend smoked frequently before we started dating. He quit for me, but in the end after 6 months and only one cigarette, I wasn't enough to keep him off the nicotine. We had to break up because it would follow him, the smell, the residue, and I couldn't handle it. I was starting to get mild asthma attacks by just being NEAR him, even when he wasn't smoking. When people smoke outside they don't think they're harming anyone, but if me, my brother, my Nana, or my mother pass by someone smoking outside of a store or we walk by them, we can't breathe. Being around someone who is smoking can give me an asthma attack within three hits off that cancer stick. I've even been hospitalized for it. Therefore, I definitely do not condone picking up that habit. Trust me, it's not only better for you, it's better for the rest of us too. Don't cause me to have an asthma attack, please. :] It's really not much fun.

[KeinLeben]

-Monochrome: Ugh, sorry but you might have to either carry around a sign that says your horribly asthmatic or an inhaler because there's not alot of considerate smokers out there.

[Yaneci DeNovi]

From personal experience, I'd say don't do it. I started smoking that way, and for a while it was fine. But then the smoking became more frequent and now I smoke about 2 packs a week.

Then again, my boss smokes like that. Just one now and then after a bad week. Maybe it depends on personality? I dunno. I just know it wouldn't work for me. I either smoke daily or quite.

Edit: I do my best to be a considerate smoker. If I'm in public I'll try to wait till I'm home to light up. Or if I can't wait that long I'll find a spot where no one is, or as far away from others as possible.

[KeinLeben]

I do hate working in a smoking work environment. I tried to quit once for a week and the reason I gave up on it wasn't really because it was that hard but because everyone else at my job smoked. So everyone else would take dozens of 15 minute smoke breaks through the day and i'd be the one stuck alone in the store all day covering for them. I wanted my breaks back and I hated doing that much work for a shithole that didn't pay me enough.

[monochromekangaroo]

[glimpse]

I'm going to compare drinking and smoking for a second.

Prohibition's over. Drinking is legal [at a proper age]. But driving while intoxicated is dangerous. Hence the law against it.

Smoking is not illegal. But second hand smoke is dangerous and some kids have asthma. Others just don't like the smell. Etc, etc, etc. So laws against smoking in public are awesome, right? I mean, you could still smoke in the privacy of your house. And no one would complain [except for your mother, roomate, wife, husband, children, and your body of course].

If you want to drink excessively and ruin your liver there's no law against it. If you want to smoke excessively and ruin your lungs, then you should be able to do that too. Just not at the expense of others.

[Urboros]

The smell of smoke from cigarettes gives me chronic head aches if exposed to long to it. I don't have a problem with forest smoke (controlled burning). I hate the smell its like someone who uses to much perfume, its not as bad as the smell of cigars or pipe, but its pretty nasty anyways. It makes me want to carry those 'smells' in a can and spray the person down.

"It clams me down releases stress" I hate that excuse...
Its an excuse, I take breaks and nap outside in the shade to reduce stress, heck rubbing my cat drops my stress levels. there are many things one can do to lower stress. I think that smoking is an easy way out for people with stress problems and then they get nailed later on.


@glimpse- I think driving and smoking is dangerous, droping the burning ash in the road during a dry season much less. Waving their arm out side of the car, doing a signal for a left turn with their arm then executing a right turn (no blinkers they only have one hand to drive with).

[glimpse]

I actually love the smell of cigarette smoke. But that's because my mom smoked once when I was young and some of my uncles/favorite people smoke religiously. Since they smoke so much, it lingers on their clothes and when I hug them, I can smell it.
In particular, my Uncle B. He smokes and drinks like crazy. But I love him almost more than I love my own father so whenever I would hug him or be near him I'd associate his smell [alcohol and tobacco] with him and my love for him.

Otherwise, I'm sure I'd hate the smell, too.

I do happily agree that there are better ways to calm down. But I'm the same kind of person that dislikes antidepressants and casual usage of pain medication, so of course I think smoking is a cop out. Finding better ways to reach that calmness would probably make a person stronger than just reaching for a smoke.

& to be honest, I didn't remember that people smoked while driving and drinking. That sounds TERRIBLE but I've seen it before so I believe it. They should...probably stick with one. Or none. Not both. I really hate bad drivers in general. D:

[DistortedBrwain]

I smoke. a lot. I am addicted. I cannot recommand it. yes it is bad for your body, yes I know this. and it costs tons of money. But I can't do without. I know I am weak. But yeah, I smoke, so does everyone I know. The relationship I have with my cig is both love and hate. XD

Funny that you say a cig helps with your headache? Me being a true cig addict dont smoke when I got a headache since then a cig only makes my head go boom boom more. XDD

people who smoke always say it helps them relax. yes and no. Yes it helps me relax, but it makes me feel the way a non smoker would normally feel, I need a cig to feel that way. Pretty bad. I need a cig to end the restlessness in my body while a non smoker doesnt have the restlessness since they have no need for a cig.

And if you run out of cigs? OMG I need to get a new package! But...what store is open this late? So what does it give ya? Yeah stress, lots of it, cuz boy oh boy if I cant smoke I am sooow stressed! ><making the craving for a cig even worse.

And were not allowed to smoke here, there? dang where am I gonna be able to smoke? I need a cig naaaaaaaauw!!

Or when flying to another place, cant smoke for over 12 hours. So stressfull.

So yeah, smoking actually gives a lot of stess. I know this, yet I can't do without. pretty sad I know.

And I specifically say need for a cig, since it isnt the nicotine, the body is over the addiction to nicotine in a few days. It are the physological aspects about smoking that make it really hard to quit. Smoking is like a bad habit that become so superglued to your daily life, it is hard to let it go. Old habits die hard they say, and it's true.

Now you think, Ah only one is no harm, I can still stop if I want. Hmm another one is no harm, I still can do without. Untill you can't anymore, while you were thinking you could. It happened to me. So don't do it. Only one in a lifetime to try it, yes sure but after that dont do it anymore.

Everyone who smoked their first cig doesnt like it. neither did I. Then why do we keep doing it? I guess because we are curious, wanna know why lots of people do enjoy it. So we keep doing it, untill we are so used to it we even start to like it, and then it is hard to turn back.

But I am just trying to say, to the ones who arent addicted yet, head my words, you really dont want to become a sad little smoker like me, totally becoming a puppet of the ciggarette who holds the strings. XD wow that sounded deep. O_O

[glimpse]

First things first, DistortedBrwain. Your avatar is so gotdang creative to me, I love it.

Secondly, if/when you try to stop smoking, are you doing it cold turkey or gradually? As far as I know, stopping anything cold turkey rarely works. After reading what you typed I actually realized, 'yeah I guess I do want to try smoking, just once'. But I get addicted to things pretty easily so I guess that's not the right idea.

I'm just curious, would you say that you met the people you know who smoke because you smoked? Is there, like, a smokers code? A bond? I always figured there was some connection between smokers that led them to...other smokers. x) Probably not.