Oh dear. This is depressing. Do I get a special BL badge for the longest smoker? *ahem*...36 years, and I started age 14 (menthol anyone?). I smoked straights till I was 21, then I gave up for 2 years (so ok, 34 years). I came back to the smoking fold and smoked Golden Virginia ever since.
Thing is, I do all sorts of ritual shit to keep my smoking low. I roll them thin....really thin. I tear off a little bit before I smoke it, and I always have them at certain times of the day only. A bit OCD maybe, but it works for me. I don't really have any negative effects (apart from the ticking lottery bomb inside), but if I smoke just one more than normal, I hate it, and have to put it out. Odd I know, but it's like my body gives me an allowance. The exception is when I go out of course. Then it's smoke city. I guess I get through just over 1/2 oz a week. The main problem with my sad rituals is that it makes it even harder to stop. It's more a lifestyle thing
I actually like the smoking ban. It makes me smoke less, but when I do go out for one, it's a great social zone for meeting randoms.
But at my age, and after so long, I am kinda waiting for that bad news from the doc. I've dodged soooo many bullets to reach this age, and in good nick too. But the problem with dodging bullets for so long is an increasingly misguided belief it will continue.