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do you smoke?

God no. Nor would I date someone who did. I actually find myself not even making friends with people who do. Nothing really personal, I just can't stand the smell and I don't like the idea that people continue to do it even though it is a proven fact that it kills you.
 
I used to. I quit a long time ago. Every day, I see the damage it does. You guys think lung cancer is bad??? At least then you die! You should see patients who have their tongues cut out! Glossectomy! I see it every day. I quit because I was too scared to smoke any more.
 
Nanci said:
I used to. I quit a long time ago. Every day, I see the damage it does. You guys think lung cancer is bad??? At least then you die! You should see patients who have their tongues cut out! Glossectomy! I see it every day. I quit because I was too scared to smoke any more.
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I quit 20 years ago after seeing my mother die from lung cancer at 52. Guess you can say I saw the writing on the wall.
 
I don't smoke and it is what I consider to be a deal breaker for potential dates. To an extent, I avoid it in friends as well. I feel like I am always waiting on my smoking friends to finish a cigarette... pulling over so they can smoke on the highway... dealing with smoke in my face or smoking seats in a restaurant... why subject myself to that??

What I really can't understand though is why in God's name anyone this day and age STARTS smoking... like Tara and Nanci implied. We clearly KNOW NOW what it does to you and to those around you. So why start? I tell my students straight out when they ask if I smoke... "No, and I think young people that do smoke are pretty much morons."
 
I will smoke a cigar with good company or sometimes by myself. Maybe one or two a month, no more than that. As far as people who are addicted to cigarettes, I find it very hard to be around them.
 
I smoke about a quarter to a half pack of cigarettes a day, and have done so for 6 or 7 years now. I am certainly courteous enough to not light up around non-smokers, or when it gets in the way of social engagements.
 
Hypancistrus said:
What I really can't understand though is why in God's name anyone this day and age STARTS smoking.
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Well, people do far worse than smoke. I'll never understand why people do the self destructive things they do.

I've never smoked, but I do kind of like the smell. I would never date a smoker though.

I think beer is probably my worst vice, I do like to have one when I get home, maybe two or three nights a week. I guess I drink coffee now too, but I don't add sugar.
 
I'll admit wholeheartedly that I am a nasty filthy smoker. What ever worse... I'm a nurse ;)

I know all the ins and outs of it, and you'd think that in my profession, I'd come face to face with more reasons why I should quit smoking on a daily basis. I plan to quit one of these days, but I just haven't got around to it yet.
 
I totally understand the addiction...

I have been addicted to sugar since I was a kid (I am NOT kidding!) and have been on and off of it all my life. When on it, I can't stop "using" anymore than a drug addict can. And I have heard that cigs are as, or even more, addictive than heroin! So I can understand how difficult it must be to get off of them, even though I absolutely can't stand being around anyone who is smoking, or has the smell of smoke hanging on their clothes. Beer is ALMOST as stinky, but doesn't seem to last as long.

Besides the awful smell of cigarettes and liquor, I think I was always kind of scared to get hooked on something else. One vice is bad enough - who needs more? So I never tried smoking and drinking when I was a kid.

Thankfully, most of my friends don't smoke (and neither do my relatives). I have a couple of friends who smoke, and I try to visit them only during weather that doesn't require heat or a/c, as I can count on being sick for a day or two after being cooped up in a smokey house.
 
I do not smoke, and never will. I have enough potential cancers to die from that I don't need to add lung cancer to my list. That and it smells terrible. The best (sarcasm) is when someone has been smoking weed however... because I have incredibly adverse reactions to most drugs (medical). I vowed to never do illegal drugs after an aunt smoked a joint near me while I was very young. Tachycardia, arrhythmias, light-headedness, nausea... eventually I went inside and passed out in my room. Cigs don't affect me to as strong a degree, but I can still feel my heart rate increase and the not so fun dizziness kick in. Even if it's simply the smell from clothing, all those joyous symptoms still occur. This limits my ability to join social gatherings and it's fairly irritating.
 
I don't smoke (cigs) and never have but I do dip skoal. I know its also bad for me but it is easy to be discreet, doesn't smell bad and my way of thinking is I would rather live 50 years MY way than 100 years never doing anything I like because it is bad for me. Most of the destructive vices cause damage/death later on and I would rather check out before the nursing home/diaper years anyway. Just my humble opinion.
 
I smoked for about 32 years, but quit 2 years ago this past January. I am now actually getting a few days where I don't have the urge to smoke, but it's still difficult those other days. And I put on over 30 pounds, so now have that to deal with. If I get diagnosed with some terminal disease, I'm lighting up again!
 
I quit when I found out I was pregnant and haven't picked up one since (I'll be 16 months smoke free here soon). I did not crave them in the least while I was preggo, but it's been hard ever since. My husband smokes and I think he stinks (and tell him so)...But I still want to light up? I gave in like 2 weeks ago and took a few hits incognito (because the hubby doesn't want me picking it up again). I took one hit and was like "Yuck, why did I ever do this?!"

So I dunno, maybe I'll be able to kick it completely. My Dad's wife says she still craves them after even quitting 8 years ago.
 
I don't think you ever stop craving them. This is my theory about nicotine addiction: your brain loves nicotine. It will do anything to make you feed it. Gaining weight? You ought to start smoking again, or you will be unattractive! Had a rough day? You deserve a cigarette! Your dad died? By all means, that justifies a smoke! You just have to be smarter than your brain and refuse to ever again have "just one" cigarette. All it takes is one.

The only reason I could quit, the final time, was I was working in CAT scan, and watching people get lung biopsies, and seeing them being told, right there, "Yes, it is cancer." I decided I didn't ever want to hear those words, and find myself looking back, thinking this could have all been avoided, my suffering, the suffering of my family, my untimely death, all could have been avoided if I had never smoked or quit before there was any irreversible damage...
 
I quit 20 years ago. I understand the addiction though I wasn't too affected by it when I quit. I still have an occasional cigar, maybe half dozen a year.

There are many things in life that we know will do us harm and still we do them. Smoking may be the easiest to attack and condemn but it is far from the only health related vice that people choose to do.
 
Well, take alcohol for example. There are now numerous studies that show a benefit from moderate alcohol consumption. (Moderate being one serving for women, two for men, a day). I don't believe the same can be said for cigarettes.
 
I started smoking when I was an exchange student in Romania at the age of 16. Every one of my high school friends there smoked and we would even go out on breaks to smoke with the teachers at school.

Call me a naive or lonely teenager, but I couldn't resist the need to fit in with the kids I had just met (and in my mind at the time, fitting in meant accepting a ciggarrette from them.) My parents never smoked and none of their friends did. I knew it was bad and I kept telling myself I would have no problem quitting as soon as I had to come home to the States after my year was up. This was 6 years ago now...

I keep telling myself I'll quit but I think the first thing I need to do is begin to separate myself from my friends who smoke... and this is hard for me when most of the friends I met on campus, I met while standing outside between classes smoking a cigarette or from breaks at work (when I worked at a restaurant).
 
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