SMOKING is HARDER to stop than HEROIN!?!?!?!?!

[belfort]

where did this come from??many many people tell me this and insist it is true, but how do they come to that result??are there any studies that find nitocine to be a more difficult addiction??

myself, i have been addicted to heroin(IV) but have never smoked a cigarette ever in my life but i can tell you, i have been thru heroin withdrawal and it is quite hellish and i have seen my sister constantly stop smoking for a few weeks, then go back to smoking yada yadda...i have seen her withdrawals and yes, she is irritable and craving but that is it...SSOOO, why do people think smoking is harder to quit than heroin??could it be true??

 

[haikod]

i don't think anyone seriously thinks this...

 

[any major dude]

i've had issues with morphine and oxycontin in the past, but was able to quit without rehab or anything like that. definitely vomited a lot and didn't shit for like a week, but it was over after that. Also had a pretty serious coke/crack habit for about 4-5yrs, managed to quit that too.

I've also tried to quit cigarettes many times, but never successfully if that tells you anything.

 

[beta1]

This doesn't really belong in OD..

And thats bullshit, its technically an opinion I suppose.. But its a bullshit opinion to have.

 

[haikod]

it's different...you can rid yourself of the opiate crowd....but tobacco is EVERYWHERE
i quit smoking relatively easy with some nicotine gum, works great!
benzos helped me the first time. i don't have any desire to smoke because in my head they are fucking disgusting and a waste...i've had this pack of cigarettes with 15 in it on my desk for over a month. i only smoke when i get fecal faced.

 

[QuasiStoned]

I think a lot of it has to do with social acceptability. Lots of people look down on pill abusers/heroin addicts, but you walk around in public and like every other person is smoking. Makes smoking seem like no big deal, it's harder to forego it then.

 

[sixpartseven]

i don't think anyone seriously thinks this...

I do. 2 years clean from heroin but I still can't quit smoking, and trust me, I've tried a billion times.

 

[ArtVandalay]

^
Ever try nicotine lozenges? I used them to quit, took awhile, but I did it. Only problem is, now I'm hooked on the lozenges, lol. But haven't smoked in 4 years

 

[StaffWriter]

Yes, social acceptability and availability are factors. Something with a relatively benign stigma is not going to make people stop. They've tried to keep smokers out of buildings, restaurants and other social areas, partially in an attempt to make people either stay home and smoke or stop. Now if it became against the law (lets say, like marijuana), it would be interesting to see how many can quit and to see how illegality really affects how people take drugs, wouldn't it? I bet many could quit faster, personally. But then again, I don't smoke. Tobacco, that is.

 

[belfort]

^^yes they do, i have talked to a few of them..one was my former boss that used to smoke, and several other people have mentioned this...this was before i started using opiates so who was i to debate it....but now, after having been thru that, i cant believe there are people that seriously think this...

 

[Khadijah]

I dont mean no disrespect to nobody sayin its harder to quit smokin but I really believe thats a crock of shit. Theres a difference between something being more socially acceptable and the actually degree of difficulty of quitting. By the logic of "cig smokers are everywhere so it seems OK to do and thats why its harder", then its also harder to stop overeating than to quit heroin, cuz like, everybody eats right? that is bad logic. it uses flawed reasoning to defend the idea that smoking is harder to quit. but it aint actually equally comparing the same thing. The social attitudes that is attatched to heroin and cigarettes aint got no base in physical addictiveness. those are just subjective situations that are outside of the actual addiction factor of each substance.

the bottom line is that objectively, heroin withdrawls are worse than nicotine withdrawls. Its harder to quit heroin than smoking. Its worse for you mentally, it makes you feel like total complete shit physically, and can be totally debilitating for about a week while you detox and try to kick. Your life is consumed by heroin when youre usin and when you aint the compulsion and mental issues that came from your addiction make life alot harder.

Cigarettes aint shit compared to that. Just becuz alot of people smoke cigarettes and cause a culture where its seen as OK to smoke, that really aint relevant when you look at both substances side by side. I been a cig smoker since i was 16 n im 22 now. I had my first cig when i was 12 or 13 but didnt smoke everyday til i was older. And, im a heroin addict. So I think Im qualified to speak on both of these things.

Ill put it to you like this. If its harder to quit cigs than dope, then you would rather go thru heroin withdrawl, cuz its easier than stopping smoking, right? No. Nobody in their right mind would prefer to go thru the agonizing withdrawals of dope over not smoking cigs for that same period of time.

cigarettes are easier to get than heroin. more people smoke cigarettes than do heroin, so its easier to continue smoking cuz you aint got a million people tellin you how much of a piece of shit you are, and it aint encouraged, but it aint looked down on if you smoke.

however, all of that shit, is ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. its OUTSIDE VARIABLES related to SOCIAL BEHAVIOR, NOT actual evidence of the active drug in cigarettes bein more addictive.

 

[belfort]

staffwriter-i agree completely, i have always said that most people continue smoking because it doesnt have a negative enough impact on their lives...basically because nicotine is legal, therefore cheap, readily available and acceptable..people arent spending hundreds a day on their smoking habit and losing their jobs, but if they did, i assume they would be able to stop smoking much earlier

btw, i dunno where this thread belonged so put it wherever..

 

[sixpartseven]

however, all of that shit, is ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. its OUTSIDE VARIABLES related to SOCIAL BEHAVIOR, NOT actual evidence of the active drug in cigarettes bein more addictive.

I agree with a lot of what you said, but we aren't debating what's more addictive. We're debating what's harder to quit.

 

[beta1]

I agree with a lot of what you said, but we aren't debating what's more addictive. We're debating what's harder to quit.

Yeah, but quitting dope is harder. Just not harder for you personally maybe, everyone is different. But looking at the situation objectively, dope is by definition "harder" to quit. If smoking cigs everyday had the same downsides that shooting dope everyday did, would you have quit smoking by now?

My point is just that there is much less urgency associated with quitting cigarettes than there usually is with H (usually don't hear about newports ruining someone's life). Thats why it seems "harder".. (Not to say its not harder for you personally, I'm just saying that in reference to the general idea that its harder to quit cigarettes.)

Then again, I've never smoked cancer sticks, I only know what quitting dope is like. Therefore my opinion actually means jackshit next to yours .

No offense but if you put even the slightest effort into quitting smoking you can do it.

See, this guy made my point basically. You can say you tried your hardest to quit, but really you only tried as hard as your brain could justify trying. When you need a shot of dope or an OC80 just to get out of bed, you can put shit-tons of effort into quitting alot easier. Its the same reason you don't hear too many people talking about "quitting" opiates before they gain a dependance, they can't rationalize all that effort yet.

 

[dwg52378]

I think a lot of it has to do with social acceptability. Lots of people look down on pill abusers/heroin addicts, but you walk around in public and like every other person is smoking. Makes smoking seem like no big deal, it's harder to forego it then.

In California beach cities I feel looked down upon for smoking, there's no ashtrays anymore, no smoking in bars, it's becoming just as bad.. AND they just taxed the hell out of smokes, gonna be like 6 bucks a pack. Califonia does not tolerate smoking very well.

 

[Racecar]

i've had issues with morphine and oxycontin in the past, but was able to quit without rehab or anything like that. definitely vomited a lot and didn't shit for like a week, but it was over after that. Also had a pretty serious coke/crack habit for about 4-5yrs, managed to quit that too.

I've also tried to quit cigarettes many times, but never successfully if that tells you anything.

No offense but if you put even the slightest effort into quitting smoking you can do it. The withdrawl is short and not painful at all. I watched the allen carr's easy method to quit smoking and instantly stopped and never went back.

Dope on the other hand... well lets just say I used to be a chemical cocktail and the only chemical I can't leave alone is the dope. Nothing like it in my experience.

 

[sixpartseven]

^ Fatal mistake. Quitting any drug is not all about the withdrawals. Keep reading...

Yeah, but quitting dope is harder. Just not harder for you to actually do personally, everyone is different. But looking at the situation objectively, dope is by definition "harder" to quit. If smoking cigs everyday had the same downsides that shooting dope everyday did, would you have quit by now?

My point is just that there is much less urgency associated with quitting cigarettes than there usually is with H. Thats why it seems "harder".. Not to say its not harder for you personally, I'm just saying that in reference to the general idea that its harder to quit cigarettes.

Then again, I've never smoked cancer sticks, I only know what quitting dope is like. Therefore my opinion actually means jackshit next to yours .

I know what you mean. I didn't mean to say it was objectively harder to quit. I was just saying for ME, smoking is definitely harder to quit.

It's sort of along the same lines as eating disorders (which are addictions). Those of you who say heroin is harder to quit than smoking, what would you say about an eating disorder like bulimia versus heroin? If you still say heroin, look at it like this...

Availability: food is everywhere. heroin is not.
Social Acceptability: who, besides anorexics, has anything against eating? Who DOESN'T have something against heroin?
Necessity: the most important. You HAVE to eat. You don't have to do heroin to survive, although it may feel like it.

Eating disorder wins as the harder thing to quit and stay away from.

Now look at smoking.

Availability: everywhere you go, you can buy cigarettes. You can't walk into a gas station and buy heroin, unless that gas station is in Detroit, of course.
Social Acceptability: Most people won't give a shit if you smoke around them. You'll probably get quite the reaction if you tried to slam dope in front of them, though.
Necessity: draw. neither is needed for survival.

Smoking wins, as well.

At least, that's how I see it.

 

[bow-viper1]

Usually when you hear facts like this, they are based on real statistics that are simply interpreted to support an argument that the stats aren't necessarily compatible with.

For example, if there are 50 million total smokers, and 10 million tried to quit, while only 5% were successful. And if there are 1 million total Heroin addicts, and all of them tried to quit, while 5% were successful. That means 500,000 smokers successfully quit smoking, while 50,000 successfully quit heroin.

You could use those stats to claim that since more people quit smoking than quit heroin in a given period it is easier to quit heroin.

While this is a fictitious example, and Heroin is much harder to quit than smoking, statistics should always be taken with a grain of salt since they can be easily manipulated and are used as propaganda. When these national "drug councils" uncover statistics that are opposite their agenda, they are never released or publicized.

 

[psynirvana01]

where did this come from??many many people tell me this and insist it is true, but how do they come to that result??are there any studies that find nitocine to be a more difficult addiction??

myself, i have been addicted to heroin(IV) but have never smoked a cigarette ever in my life but i can tell you, i have been thru heroin withdrawal and it is quite hellish and i have seen my sister constantly stop smoking for a few weeks, then go back to smoking yada yadda...i have seen her withdrawals and yes, she is irritable and craving but that is it...SSOOO, why do people think smoking is harder to quit than heroin??could it be true??

wow, its hard to believe that you have been addicted to heroin but have never once smoked a cigarette 8)...but yeah in middle school i remember them saying that nicotine is more addictive than cocaine and heroin... thats so much bullshit i think

 

[sixpartseven]

Also, I love how people who never smoked are saying which is harder to quit. No offense meant by that, of course, but come on...