My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

I grew up in a household where both of my parents smoked, but my dad never smoked in front of me and refrained from smoking inside the house. My mom on the other hand smoked a moderate amount inside the house so there was always some second hand smoke in the household, on my clothes, etc.

I had my first cigarette about a year ago with a friend. I chocked a little bit at first as most people do but I finished it and felt nothing afterwards. Ever since that time I've had three more cigarettes. Each time I smoked it did absolutely nothing for me - I wasn't addicted, I didn't feel any different, and I didn't see what the big deal was. My college roommate right now is addicted to cigarettes and I don't understand why it doesn't have the same effect on me.

Has anybody else experienced this? or is smoking like alcohol in that its an acquired taste?

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

I had my first cigarette maybe 3 years ago. In the past year I've had maybe twenty. I definitly felt different, I get a little buzzed from the nicotine.

Am I addicted? I think I am, although I use that word very reluctantly. Seeing people smoke (in movies or in real life) and smelling cigarette smoke makes me want to go out and buy a pack. I don't though, and I never will. I believe in will power.

I was with a friend who is a heavy smoker, outside Caesar's in AC actually, and he said "I think you are addicted now" and because he said that I told him I wouldn't smoke cigarettes for the rest of the year. I intend to hold to that, and I don't see any possible way that I don't.

I don't really believe in addiction. In my opinion, if you can not do something, you aren't really addicted. All it takes is will power.

And neither of my parents smoked. My dad did when he was young, but at least since I was born he never ever did again. He was a social smoker in his youth I guess.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

i smoked my first cigarette when i was 12.

i kept smoking as much as i could (hard to when living w/ non-smoking parents) until i graduated high school. quit the summer i graduated.

started again first day of college. smoked a pack a day for 5 years. just quit a month ago.

i quit cold turkey and had zero problem doing it. the only reason i never quit before was that i absolutely love smoking. there is nothing like the familiar burn of smoke pouring down your throat and blowing it out your nose first thing in the morn.

god i loved smoking.

i quit because my fiancee hated it and i realized that sometimes it's better to not be selfish.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

smoking is wonderful, but i have quit. the more addicted you are the better it is; when you are in weekend warrior mode chain smoking non stop there is nothing as good as waking up and having a cigarette and a beer for breakfast. the harsh feeling on the throat becomes very enjoyable for some reason.

on the other hand if you haven't smoked for ages, they taste a lot worse and you can feel them hurting your lungs more, you notice the smell, etc.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

Don't cross post when your OP is mad boring.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

sunnycalifornia,

You didn't inhale. Have someone teach you how to smoke correctly if you're actually interested in finding out what the hype is about. When done correctly you'll catch a solid buzz that will last 10 minutes or so, although i might be off on the amount of time as it was a long time ago when I had my first cig.

As for the addiction part, I've never really understood it. I tried my first cig when I was 17 and have casually smoked since (currently 23) excluding a 6 month span where I didn't smoke for a gf. At my heaviest I was maybe smoking 2 packs a week which was when I was 18, I currently smoke maybe 4-5 cigs a week, all of which are on the weekend. It doesn't bother me at all to not smoke, and I've never felt any sort of addictive craving for one.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

I'm fairly astonished at this thread but to each his own. In addition to being notoriously habit-forming, smokers are the scourge of everyone around them, it's a costly habit, and of course the health issues. I have no idea why someone would start. DISCLAIMER: I think I have had actually smoked three cigarettes before, but I was fairly hammered each time. The unfortunate outcome to all of this was that I got the spins and ended up being sick. That's one way to keep away from the cancer sticks...

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

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I had my first cigarette maybe 3 years ago. In the past year I've had maybe twenty. I definitly felt different, I get a little buzzed from the nicotine.

Am I addicted? I think I am, although I use that word very reluctantly. Seeing people smoke (in movies or in real life) and smelling cigarette smoke makes me want to go out and buy a pack. I don't though, and I never will. I believe in will power.


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You aren't addicted and know nothing about addiction.

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I don't really believe in addiction. In my opinion, if you can not do something, you aren't really addicted. All it takes is will power.

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Do you believe in Friday? You sound really young and pretty stupid. Good luck with that.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

I believe in communicating with people without sounding like a condescending douchebag who is unable to interact with people unless on an internet forum.

But to answer your question, I also believe in Friday.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

[ QUOTE ]
I believe in communicating with people without sounding like a condescending douchebag who is unable to interact with people unless on an internet forum.

But to answer your question, I also believe in Friday.

[/ QUOTE ]

Man, you must have been a penis 20 times this year and got addicted to it.

Having one pack of cigarettes a year does not make you addicted. Getting a cigarette buzz doesn't make you addicted. Since you've never been addicted to smoking you have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to quiting. Saying it's just a matter of will power is perhaps the most condenscending douchebaggery I've seen here.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

I smoked from age 16-22. 1-1.5 packs a day. Never had any intention of quitting, thought I was addicted forever. Anyone thinking cigarettes are not extremely addictive doesn't know what it's like. Then I got really sick and just stayed in bed for two weeks. (Probably shouldv'e gone to the hospital) When I got better I definitely wanted to smoke because I liked it, but I figured I had gone two weeks without smoking so I didn't need to. I haven't had one in almost two years now! I still have no idea how I did it. The disappointment it would cause my family and friends if I started again was the major factor in me not starting again. Good luck to anyone trying to quit!

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I believe in communicating with people without sounding like a condescending douchebag who is unable to interact with people unless on an internet forum.

But to answer your question, I also believe in Friday.

[/ QUOTE ]

Man, you must have been a penis 20 times this year and got addicted to it.

Having one pack of cigarettes a year does not make you addicted. Getting a cigarette buzz doesn't make you addicted. Since you've never been addicted to smoking you have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to quiting. Saying it's just a matter of will power is perhaps the most condenscending douchebaggery I've seen here.

[/ QUOTE ]

Okay. Do you want to continue trying to make up your small penis? Or can we start communicating like mature adults yet?

If its the latter, great. What "makes" an individual addicted to cigarettes then? (Now here is where you can communicate intelligently, and instead of acting like a jerk because I don't know something that you do, you can instead help me to understand.)

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I believe in communicating with people without sounding like a condescending douchebag who is unable to interact with people unless on an internet forum.

But to answer your question, I also believe in Friday.

[/ QUOTE ]

Man, you must have been a penis 20 times this year and got addicted to it.

Having one pack of cigarettes a year does not make you addicted. Getting a cigarette buzz doesn't make you addicted. Since you've never been addicted to smoking you have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to quiting. Saying it's just a matter of will power is perhaps the most condenscending douchebaggery I've seen here.

[/ QUOTE ]

Okay. Do you want to continue trying to make up your small penis? Or can we start communicating like mature adults yet?

If its the latter, great. What "makes" an individual addicted to cigarettes then? (Now here is where you can communicate intelligently, and instead of acting like a jerk because I don't know something that you do, you can instead help me to understand.)

[/ QUOTE ]

lol. Yea, you've been really open to someone disagreeing with you so far haven't you? I think you are the one who only deals with people on the internets and have refined the classic "attack as defense" to a hair trigger.

Did I hurt your feeling calling you stupid for not believing in addiction? You admit to not knowing what it means to be addicted to smoking yet that didn't stop you from making a silly remark about it. That's pretty stupid. Do you think you are the only one with enough will power to give up your massive 1 smoke every 2 week habit? Do you think everyone else who can't stop smoking is weak? I suppose all fatties are just lazy too?

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

Taso,

You not believing in addiction is pretty silly. Can you explain further why you think addiction is a farce?

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I believe in communicating with people without sounding like a condescending douchebag who is unable to interact with people unless on an internet forum.

But to answer your question, I also believe in Friday.

[/ QUOTE ]

Man, you must have been a penis 20 times this year and got addicted to it.

Having one pack of cigarettes a year does not make you addicted. Getting a cigarette buzz doesn't make you addicted. Since you've never been addicted to smoking you have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to quiting. Saying it's just a matter of will power is perhaps the most condenscending douchebaggery I've seen here.

[/ QUOTE ]

Okay. Do you want to continue trying to make up your small penis? Or can we start communicating like mature adults yet?

If its the latter, great. What "makes" an individual addicted to cigarettes then? (Now here is where you can communicate intelligently, and instead of acting like a jerk because I don't know something that you do, you can instead help me to understand.)

[/ QUOTE ]

lol. Yea, you've been really open to someone disagreeing with you so far haven't you? I think you are the one who only deals with people on the internets and have refined the classic "attack as defense" to a hair trigger.

Did I hurt your feeling calling you stupid for not believing in addiction? You admit to not knowing what it means to be addicted to smoking yet that didn't stop you from making a silly remark about it. That's pretty stupid. Do you think you are the only one with enough will power to give up your massive 1 smoke every 2 week habit? Do you think everyone else who can't stop smoking is weak? I suppose all fatties are just lazy too?

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I don't recall admitting that. I believed I asked you to give your definition of what constitutes being addicted to smoking. I said I don't know what you do - what you know isn't neccesarily correct. (You have yet to state what you know, so I guess we'll never find out.)

And no, you didn't 'hurt my feelings'. I've been finding more and more that 2+2 posters are learning to communicate like everyone else who isn't on a computer all day. Everytime I run into someone who isn't on that level yet, and instead resorts to insulting a poster, I get annoyed.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

[ QUOTE ]
Taso,

You not believing in addiction is pretty silly. Can you explain further why you think addiction is a farce?

[/ QUOTE ]

What I meant by "I don't really believe in addiction...its all will power" or whatever I said, was that I don't buy the whole "I can't quit, I'm addicted" argument. Thousands of people quit smoking. Many do it cold turkey too. Are they just really really lucky? No, they had the will power.

'are fat people just lazy' Most fat people are lazy (including me) Some have health conditions (thyroid problems, diabetes, whatever) and theres nothing they can do about it (I assume, I don't know much about this) and obviously I'm not talking about them.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

My old man has this theory that the amount of nicotine in cigarettes has steadily increased over the years to keep people hooked. I wonder if there's anything to that.

As for the willpower stuff, I tend to find that comes from younger people. Hell I know when I was in my teens and maybe early 20s that I thought that people with addictions were just weak-willed. Now I understand that there's a lot more to it than that, and some forces are more powerful than we are.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

Arguing with people about addiction who have never felt withdrawal from a substance is retarded. It's something that can't be explained.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

I was smoking a pack a day up to about 2 weeks when I started using the patch. I am pretty amazed at how well I was able to adapt to not constantly smoking. I am still cheating and smoking here and there and I can honestly say I have smoked almost a little over a pack in 2 weeks. In my view that is pretty good, I just hate taking the patch off, that [censored] is worse than a bandaid.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

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My old man has this theory that the amount of nicotine in cigarettes has steadily increased over the years to keep people hooked. I wonder if there's anything to that.

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Wouldn't that cause people to smoke less?

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

I quit smoking two weeks ago, having been a 10-20 a day smoker for four years.

Here's the way to quit that works for me: first week use nicotine patches - which have side-effects of nausea, nightmares and insomnia - while reading Allen Carr to convince yourself that it's your pyschological rather than physical addiction that you need to quit. When that pack of patches runs out, it's time for cold turkey. But having not smoked in a week, it won't be so bad. Try to quit smoking at a time when you don't have much stressful stuff to do. The most important thing is to have the Allen Carr pocketbook about quitting smoking. Carry it with you at all times. Read it. He is talking directly to the niggling little voice telling you you want a cigarette. He is telling you how and why to ignore that voice.

I find giving up smoking this way isn't that hard. In line with Carr's philosophy, I reject the idea of using patches for an extended period of time, because it does nothing to address the main dependence on cigarettes which is psychological.

The hardest thing is staying quit. Because six months later when you're feeling healthy again and you've forgotten all the nasty side-effects of being a regular smoker, it's so easy to pick one up again.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

I never have understood the appeal of smoking...cigs, cigars, pot, whatever. I just don't get it. And I really can't stand having to breathe that crap in when I'm near someone who is smoking.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

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I never have understood the appeal of smoking...cigs, cigars, pot, whatever. I just don't get it. And I really can't stand having to breathe that crap in when I'm near someone who is smoking.

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And then there are some of us who can't understand how anyone can have a beer without lighting a cig. Kick back and watch the sunset without a cig. Waking up in the morning with a strong coffee and a cigarette...Whatever. I don't do it anymore but by god I miss it every damn day.

I'm not sure why. I can describe it though. It's a feeling of restlessness. Of constantly wanting to do somehting like drink coffee, suck on a sweet, eat something, etc etc. You just can't rest man. And that feeling of drawing the smoke into your lungs...omg. Can't shake it, and it's been 10 months now.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

if i may be so bold to try to mediate the discussion
between Taso and kerowo...

I think that kerowo's position was that "an addiction
is much more than just a craving for a substance.
the addict does not feel 'normal' without ingesting
this substance. therefore, the 'addiction' becomes
a physical need, with the discomfort level from denial
being as strong as hunger or thirst."

Taso was thinking that "addiction means that one
cannot stop without outside forces." Since imbibing
cigarettes takes an active role on the individual,
being able to quit should merely be a decision.
Maybe a difficult one, but an act of will nonetheless.

kerowo's response is that Taso's position is
too strict. addiction can be less than that. the
incessant craving should be enough to qualify.

am i right, guys?

And i would also agree that anyone who SAYS they want
to do something and cannot, like quit smoking, or
lose weight, YES, DEFINITELY, they are weak-minded.
( this doesn't mean that they should all be rounded
up and shot, however. )

Maybe the decision is more difficult than what they
bargained for. This merely means they may have to
take more drastic measures, like seeking help.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I never have understood the appeal of smoking...cigs, cigars, pot, whatever. I just don't get it. And I really can't stand having to breathe that crap in when I'm near someone who is smoking.

[/ QUOTE ]

And then there are some of us who can't understand how anyone can have a beer without lighting a cig. Kick back and watch the sunset without a cig. Waking up in the morning with a strong coffee and a cigarette...Whatever. I don't do it anymore but by god I miss it every damn day.

I'm not sure why. I can describe it though. It's a feeling of restlessness. Of constantly wanting to do somehting like drink coffee, suck on a sweet, eat something, etc etc. You just can't rest man. And that feeling of drawing the smoke into your lungs...omg. Can't shake it, and it's been 10 months now.

[/ QUOTE ]



Wow, you seriously need to read Allen Carr.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

[ QUOTE ]
if i may be so bold to try to mediate the discussion
between Taso and kerowo...

I think that kerowo's position was that "an addiction
is much more than just a craving for a substance.
the addict does not feel 'normal' without ingesting
this substance. therefore, the 'addiction' becomes
a physical need, with the discomfort level from denial
being as strong as hunger or thirst."

Taso was thinking that "addiction means that one
cannot stop without outside forces." Since imbibing
cigarettes takes an active role on the individual,
being able to quit should merely be a decision.
Maybe a difficult one, but an act of will nonetheless.

kerowo's response is that Taso's position is
too strict. addiction can be less than that. the
incessant craving should be enough to qualify.

am i right, guys?

And i would also agree that anyone who SAYS they want
to do something and cannot, like quit smoking, or
lose weight, YES, DEFINITELY, they are weak-minded.
( this doesn't mean that they should all be rounded
up and shot, however. )

Maybe the decision is more difficult than what they
bargained for. This merely means they may have to
take more drastic measures, like seeking help.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you have his last response backwards. He felt that addiction can MORE than what I said, but other than that, I guess you basically have it summed up, in a summation sense.

I still don't see how I am wrong though. People quit all the time. If it's not will power that makes it so they can do it, what is it?

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

I used to smoke 2-3/day for 9 years. quit smoking at age 24, that was 8 years ago. One day something just clicked in my mind and I decided to quit. When I quit I also stopped drinking for about 2 month, since I was a heavy drinker, that helped.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

[ QUOTE ]

What I meant by "I don't really believe in addiction...its all will power" or whatever I said, was that I don't buy the whole "I can't quit, I'm addicted" argument. Thousands of people quit smoking. Many do it cold turkey too. Are they just really really lucky? No, they had the will power.


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People have different physiologies, making it easier to quit for some than others. Others smokers simply are not addicted to the nicotine or have physiologies that are more immune to the addictive effects of the nicotine. It's similar to different peoples' reaction to various drugs. Some are allergic, some are more sensitive, some are less sensitive and for some it doesn't work at all.

I for one have never been physically addicted but very mentally addicted, the mental addiction, being harder to break than the physical. In fact, I never got physical cravings, but I still get pangs of wanting when I see someone on film or TV having a cigarette.

Re: My experiences with cigerette smoking
 

Noonan,

My experience has been very similar to yours.

I had my first cigarette when I was 11 and smoked on and off until high school, where I played football so I quit cold turkey for 4 years (92-96). Once the season ended senior year, I started again out of sheer boredom. I smoked throughout college (graduated 2002), and then just quit again because I started running recently and found that smoking and running don't really mix.

I too quit cold turkey and had no problems doing it. I also love smoking as much as you seem to.