Originally Posted By Lisann22 Time to get back on track here. Holidays are over, it's a new Year. January 9, 2006 - Question of the Day: Do you smoke cigarettes? Have you ever smoked? When did you stop? Why did you stop?
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka No, never smoked. When I was 16 my step-dad died of lung cancer. It had spread all through his body by the time it was found. I saw him right before he was diagnosed and again at his funeral, 2 months later. He had lost over 100 lbs. in those two months and had gone through hell before finally dying. I wasn't around to see the pain he went through and yet it scared the crap out of me. Oddly, my little brother was there to see all of it and he ended up smoking for over a decade.
Originally Posted By -em Nope- Nope Mainly because I have enough going against me in life to add one more thing... -em
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 Don't smoke, cigarettes are too expensive for my blood. I occasionally smoked while in college usually if I was out that night, but that only lasted around a month and half. I hated the way I smelled and the fact that it probably wasn't a good idea that I smoke considering some of my grandparents died before they were 50 is a good reason to stop.
Originally Posted By pennyring >>Do you smoke cigarettes? Nopers >>Have you ever smoked? Well, I tried in high school. My friend said I was doing it wrong. I wasn't inhaling or something. Bill Clinton said he didn't. Apparently, I really didn't! >>When did you stop? When my friend said I was doing it wrong. It's not good for you, and apparently I'm not good at it, so why bother? >>Why did you stop? Answered above.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 I do not smoke today..... I smoked for 10 years ............ I quit when I was 25 -- 25 years ago.... My then fiancce, no wife made me quit ( and I am thankful every day for that )
Originally Posted By jasmine7 I don't smoke. I tried clove cigarettes a few years ago, but it did not become a habit. At most, I've only had one or two whole cigarettes, but never at once, only a few puffs ever few months. It just wasn't for me.
Originally Posted By piperlynne yes. I've quit several times. But alas, I am a social smoker. I usually smoke a few times a day or if I'm with certain friends. I generally don't smoke at home or any other time. I had my first at 8. Thought it was gross and started up in the 9th grade. I have absolutely no idea why I started LOL.
Originally Posted By Tiggirl Yes, I smoked for about 6 months, quit for about 6 months and started again and quit after about 6 months. I was never really a heavy smoker being the most I ever smoked in a day was maybe 5... that that was a lot for me. I haven't smoked in about 3 months and I have no desire to. No wait... thats not true. I smoked 1/2 a cigarette about 2 weeks ago. I find myself doing it in times of high stress but then after the fact I have no problems quitting. I don't see myself picking up the habit again, though.
Originally Posted By Ursula I smoked over a pack a day for just about 13 years. I've been smoke-free for six years (or is it seven?). I do enjoy a flavored cigar every now and again, though, but mostly when I'm in Las Vegas. I remember I stopped on Sept. 20th, but I can't recall the year for some reason. My in-laws were coming for a visit, and I didn't want them to know that both of us smoked, so my husband and I stopped on the same day. I wish I knew why I didn't want them to know, because it sounds like a lame excuse to quit since that is really not like me at all. I did want to stop, but I think I wanted someone to blame for me having to stop. Whatever. It worked. I still have cravings, though, and I agree that smoking must be as addictive as heroin.
Originally Posted By disney pete never have never will had to sit and watch my mum die in pain within 6 weeks of being diagnosed with cancer filthy habit
Originally Posted By Big Thunder =Do you smoke cigarettes?= No, I do not smoke cigarettes =Have you ever smoked?= Yes, I smoked a lot as a kid, teen and young adult, 1 -2 packs Camel straits [non-filter] a day. =When did you stop?= Umm sometime around 1993 or 1994, I was around 31-32 years old at the time. =Why did you stop?= well, I had known for years that smoking was unhealthy, but it was a habit [actually an addiction]I had smoked so long it was a part of me, back when I started it was still acceptable, my dad smoked, many people smoked, I just thought it was something people did. In all honesty, when I was a kid I started because I thought it made me look cool, even though I wouldn't admit it then. I started very early, by the time I was 14 my mom allowed me to smoke at home against her better judgement. She really didn't have a choice anyway, I was gunna do it regardless. When I was 17 I quite for over a year, but later started again, thats when I went to non filters. Around the late eighties, early nineties, smoking was becoming unacceptable in society, I didn't care but found it annoying at the time. As time went on more of my friends were quiting smoking, my aunt quit, and seating in restaurants was getting tougher for smokers, The social sigma was beginning to bother me "would you like smoking or non smoking" ... "um smoking please" and I'd get an "eeww" look and they'd sit me in a corner with the other misfits from society. I was beginning to travel more for work and smoking on planes had been banned, I remember getting off a plane and all I could think of was "man I need a smoke" and my colleagues looking at me like "eeww yuck" My wife smoked occasionally, when we found out she was pregnant with our daughter in 1990, she immediately quit. I didn't want to quit, but I tried and I made a vow not to smoke in the house or around the baby when it came. More and more of my friends were non smokers, I was really feeling the pressures of the social aspect, me now feeling like a dirty disgusting smoker [eeww] DD was born, I wanted to quit for her sake, but apparently not bad enough, but I never smoked around her. Around that time my dad quit smoking GASP my dad? die hard tobacco advocate and supporter of smoking quit? That actually made me realize that all those years I had unconsciously believed that since my dad smoked all of his life, and he was healthy as a horse, and used to swear he'd never give up cigs or coffee, that was my rationale, plus I wondered if deep down there was a part of me that wanted to be like dad. [wow dad quit?] OK I now wanted to quit myself, the social aspect, the health issue, dad no longer can back me up. OK I wanna quit too then. I tried many times and was successful for about an hour and a half, then I'd start again. I was now whining to friends and co-workers that I want to quit but found it more difficult than I expected, I tried tapering, tried filters one day but keep breaking them off. I was disgusted with myself. One day I stopped at a customer and one of my contacts said "Hey do you still wanna quit smoking?" I said "yeah why?" he said there was a hypnotist doing a 2 for 1 special the following night not far from there and asked if I wanted to join him for the special. I said "yeah sure" It was a guaranteed program that you'd quit that night. Frankly I didn't think it would work, but I went anyway cuzz it was only a $20 dollar investment and I said if I quit I will put $2.00 a day for 3 months in a can, if I stay tobacco free after 90 days I will give it to my toddler daughter and let her buy what ever she wants at a toy store. I was pleasantly surprised, it worked like a charm and I have never smoked a cig since that night, I still have the lil certificate in my jewelry box. I must admit though, that about 4 years later I began smoking an occasional cigar, then it became a weekly thing for a while till I decided that was too often. I justfied that I did'nt inhale and was'nt addicted so it was'mt the same. I still smoke an occasional cigar, but only on certain occasions and only *real* cuban cigars, since those are rare and expensive it helps me keep it in moderation. [plus they're better] that's my smoking history
Originally Posted By Ursula Haha! ^ I do that, too, so don't worry. I really enjoy cigars, but like you I have rule so that I don't end up smoking them every day. Only in Vegas, only in Vegas.
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS I smoked from age 12 (I know) to age 30. I quit smoking regularly because I kept getting bronchitis (sp?) and found out that I had a very tiny hole in my lung. Although that was never determined to be caused by cigarettes, I stopped smoking and the hole repaired itself. I usually do slip once or twice a year, but one cigarette never gets finished. It's usually at a party where I'm drunk or playing Poker.
Originally Posted By Big Thunder BTW, my dad died of lung and brain cancer many years after he'd quit smoking, the doctors said it was most likely due to smoking. My wife's grandmother [the sweetest most spiritual women I have ever known] also died of lung cancer, also attributed to smoking. both were extremely aggressive cases of cancer, that took over the body within a matter of weeks.
