Misc What to do about cigarettes...

[Thou]

It means they're really bad for you.

 

[onetwo]

Anyone want to put that into terms I'd the average dude would understand?

I mean, even if E-cigs are *better* for you, I'd imagine I'd be smoking it a lot more.

It's really not that complicated. Just read through it. It just talks about how nicotine can cause increased risk of birth defects and how nicotine itself isn't proven to be carcinogenic but it's been found to have some properties that are adversely carcinogenic.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

Anyone want to put that into terms I'd the average dude would understand?

I mean, even if E-cigs are *better* for you, I'd imagine I'd be smoking it a lot more.

nicotine harms the endogenous hormone system for men and women (specifics of which I can pull up if anyone is interested)

and what onetwo said

 

[chrisalt]

Just quit man, if your not fully addicted just quit. You will thank yourself in 10 years when you have saved yourself $$$$$ and your lungs.

I'm 25 and smoked for 10 years. I quit cold turkey a year ago and it was the best thing I ever did.

Best of luck.

 

[helium-4]

I honestly like cigs. I don't smoke a pack a day or anything like that, really I only smoke 3-7 cigs a week. I get to enjoy a nice little cig experience with out spending the 5 bucks a day or the cig cough that comes with a pack a day.

 

[down508]

Anyone want to put that into terms I'd the average dude would understand?

I mean, even if E-cigs are *better* for you, I'd imagine I'd be smoking it a lot more.

I got ne because i was smoking a pack a day and the transition was gorious. Awek after gettigng it i tried a cig and it tasted like rolled up dirt. Tnhe difference with how i use it is i pick it up and take 2 drags on it, then put it down and take two more drags a half hour later, instead of smoking a full butt in 5 minutes then not having another one tili feel like shit an hour later. I get a much more even level of nicotine since i dont have to smoke an entire cig at a time. I used to have chronic pnemonia from smoking so many cigarettes. I havent had a cokld since i started. I sound like a salesperson but i have nothing but good things to say about it. So many flavors to choose from too, especially if youre a menthol smoker. The quality of the product makes a huge difference, theres a lot of scams out there, so do your research before you make any decision. Any product that you cant refill the cartridges is not worth your time, you want to get blank reusable cartomisers so you can try different flavors. It might not be the best choice for you if your not physically addictwe, but it could giive u something to smoke when your drunk.

 

[TrYpTiCaL]

How cigarr3etes definitely are bad for you: $s

I've smoked since I was fifteen; I'm now forty and have regularly smoked as much as five packs (unfiltered) a day...lots of dollars. The thing is at this point a smoke at least every two to three hours is the only thing keeping me from choking some motherfuckers...so while smoking is definitely bad for me; me not smoking is bad for others.

Seriously, you should quit while it's easy. I've done quite a lot of drugs and this is the only one to which I've ever felt addicted.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

Awek after gettigng it i tried a cig and it tasted like rolled up dirt.

Tobacco does smell and taste horrible.

Cannabis on the other hand smells and tastes amazing, and extracts have very little plant matter compared to cannabis.

This message has been brought to you by the GO GREEN initiative.

so while smoking is definitely bad for me; me not smoking is bad for others.

Why don't you get therapy/anger management? You shouldn't feel like you're going to physically assault people because of withdrawal. As much as I hated heroin withdrawal, I never physically assaulted someone because of it.

Even if you feel like you need nicotine not to physically assault people, that's a prime reason to get an e-cig.

 

[TrYpTiCaL]

Tobacco does smell and taste horrible.

Cannabis on the other hand smells and tastes amazing, and extracts have very little plant matter compared to cannabis.

This message has been brought to you by the GO GREEN initiative.



Why don't you get therapy/anger management? You shouldn't feel like you're going to physically assault people because of withdrawal. As much as I hated heroin withdrawal, I never physically assaulted someone because of it.

Even if you feel like you need nicotine not to physically assault people, that's a prime reason to get an e-cig.

I was exaggerating greatly. If anything I am extremely non-violent. In fact I never initiate violence and try as much as I can to avoid it. I do get moody and cranky though. LOL

As for the e-ciggarettes I haven't found one that makes me not still really want a smoke shortly afterwards. I have smoked them, but for me they are not comparable.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

I was exaggerating greatly. If anything I am extremely non-violent. In fact I never initiate violence and try as much as I can to avoid it. I do get moody and cranky though. LOL

As for the e-ciggarettes I haven't found one that makes me not still really want a smoke shortly afterwards. I have smoked them, but for me they are not comparable.

I think that not only does nicotine withdrawal in itself cause you to be cranky, after smoking for long enough the human body becomes used to nicotine's effects on your hormone system, so that when you quit smoking cigarettes or go without one for long enough, your hormones start to get back to normal and it can be unpleasant (think of puberty). This also happens to men who have used heroin for long enough as heroin represses testosterone as well.

 

[The Liberal Media]

I can go months without and then times like Christmas I tend to have a few. This past week I smoked like 30 ie 5 a day or so while drinking
When January rolls around I stop again as I get back into working out and detoxing.

Osho said it best .... http://www.messagefrommasters.com/Therapy/give_up_smoking.htm


Osho : Mahendra, why? Why in the first place do you want to give up smoking? What is wrong in smoking? Yes, it is a little stupid, silly -- just poisoning your breath, taking smoke in and out, wasting money, life. But it is not a sin, it is not a crime either. You should not feel guilty about it. Maybe you will live a little less, two or three years less than you would have lived. But what is the point of living three years more? What will you do by living three years more? You will create a little more trouble in the world -- so better you go a little earlier. And the world is too much populated.

Nobody had thought about birth control before. Now we are thinking constantly everywhere how to reduce the population, how to prevent new children from being born. Sooner or later we will have to think about the other end: how to help the old people to go faster, because that is absolutely logical, part of it. If we prevent children from coming in just to keep the world a little less populated -- it is already too much populated -- sooner or later we have to think about ways and means how to help old people to go quicker, faster. We will have to make it a birthright.

If somebody decides to die, it should not be a crime. In fact, he should be supported, respected, because he is creating space for new people to come. He is helping the world -- he is a great servant of humanity.

Man is unconscious. He only APPEARS conscious, he is not conscious at all. So rather than asking me what I have to say about it, you should watch. The most important thing is not stopping smoking; the most important thing is to watch why you smoke in the first place. If you don't understand the cause of it and if the cause is not removed, you can stop smoking -- then you will start chewing gum, because the basic cause is there and you will have to do something. If you don't start chewing gum, then you may start talking too much. I don't smoke. If any day I have to stop talking I may have to start smoking! You will do something....

 

[Captain.Heroin]

In case anyone is wondering about when you are not at risk for health issues after having quit smoking cigarettes...

http://whyquit.com/whyquit/a_benefits_time_table.html

Within X minutes...

20 minutes: Your blood pressure, pulse rate and the temperature of your hands and feet have returned to normal.

8 hours: Remaining nicotine in your bloodstream will have fallen to 6.25% of normal peak daily levels, a 93.25% reduction.

12 hours: Your blood oxygen level will have increased to normal and carbon monoxide levels will have dropped to normal.

24 hours: Anxieties have peaked in intensity and within two weeks should return to near pre-cessation levels.

48 hours: Damaged nerve endings have started to regrow and your sense of smell and taste are beginning to return to normal. Cessation anger and irritability will have peaked.

72 hours: <snip> Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity, including restlessness. The number of cue induced crave episodes experienced during any quitting day will peak for the "average" ex-user. Lung bronchial tubes leading to air sacs (alveoli) are beginning to relax in recovering smokers. Breathing is becoming easier and the lung's functional abilities are starting to increase.

5 to 8 days: The "average" ex-smoker will encounter an "average" of three cue induced crave episodes per day. Although we may not be "average" and although serious cessation time distortion can make minutes feel like hours, it is unlikely that any single episode will last longer than 3 minutes. Keep a clock handy and time them.

10 days: The "average ex-user is down to encountering less than two crave episodes per day, each less than 3 minutes.

10 days to 14 days: Recovery has likely progressed to the point where your addiction is no longer doing the talking. Blood circulation in your gums and teeth are now similar to that of a non-user.

2 to 4 weeks: Cessation related anger, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, impatience, insomnia, restlessness and depression have ended. If still experiencing any of these symptoms get seen and evaluated by your physician.

3 weeks: Brain acetylcholine receptor counts that were up-regulated in response to nicotine's presence have now down-regulated and receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brains of non-smokers.

2 weeks to 3 months: Your heart attack risk has started to drop. Your lung function is beginning to improve.

3 weeks to 3 months: Your circulation has substantially improved. Walking has become easier. Your chronic cough, if any, has likely disappeared. If not, get seen by a doctor, and sooner if at all concerned, as a chronic cough can be a sign of lung cancer.

2 months: Insulin resistance in smokers has normalized despite average weight gain of 2.7 kg (1997 study).

1 to 9 months: Any smoking related sinus congestion, fatigue or shortness of breath have decreased. Cilia have regrown in your lungs, thereby increasing their ability to handle mucus, keep your lungs clean and reduce infections. Your body's overall energy has increased.

1 year: Your excess risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke have dropped to less than half that of a smoker.

5 years: Your risk of a subarachnoid haemorrhage has declined to 59% of your risk while still smoking (2012 study). If a female ex-smoker, your risk of developing diabetes is now that of a non-smoker (2001 study).

5 to 15 years: Your risk of stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker.

10 years: Your risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer is between 30% and 50% of that for a continuing smoker (2005 study). Risk of death from lung cancer has declined by almost half if you were an average smoker (one pack per day). Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and pancreas have declined. Risk of developing diabetes for both men and women is now similar to that of a never-smoker (2001 study and 2012 study).

13 years: The average smoker able to live to age 75 has 5.8 fewer teeth than a non-smoker (1998 study). But by year 13 after quitting, your risk of smoking induced tooth loss has declined to that of a never-smoker (2006 study).

15 years: Your risk of coronary heart disease is now that of a person who has never smoked. Your risk of pancreatic cancer has declined to that of a never-smoker (2011 study - but note 2nd pancreatic making identical finding at 20 years).

20 years: Female excess risk of death from all smoking related causes, including lung disease and cancer, has now reduced to that of a never-smoker (2008 study). Risk of pancreatic cancer reduced to that of a never-smoker (2011 study).

 

[Sn0wday]

^That's really interesting. Makes it almost seem as if all the damages of smoking can be almost reversed with quitting, but I doubt that's the case for long time (20+ years) smokers.

I realize nicotine is bad for you. Is there anywhere I can read about the negative effects of nicotine vs. the negative effects of nicotine + whatever else is in a cigarette?

I debating whether to get an E-cig, i just feel I would smoke it so much more than I would normal cigarettes and it would be just as bad as normal cigarettes.

Hm... Maybe I'll just stop smoking when I'm sober altogether, I can't imagine smoking when i'm drunk, which is probably average every 2 weeks is going to be a huge threat to my health.

@captain.heroin
Oh I wish I could smoke a joint for every cigarette I smoke, i just can't be that stoned that often maybe if it were really crumby weed... I mean that's gotta be part of it too, I also just enjoy smoking anything, the act of smoking I enjoy.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

^That's really interesting. Makes it almost seem as if all the damages of smoking can be almost reversed with quitting, but I doubt that's the case for long time (20+ years) smokers.

I realize nicotine is bad for you. Is there anywhere I can read about the negative effects of nicotine vs. the negative effects of nicotine + whatever else is in a cigarette?

I debating whether to get an E-cig, i just feel I would smoke it so much more than I would normal cigarettes and it would be just as bad as normal cigarettes.

Hm... Maybe I'll just stop smoking when I'm sober altogether, I can't imagine smoking when i'm drunk, which is probably average every 2 weeks is going to be a huge threat to my health.

@captain.heroin
Oh I wish I could smoke a joint for every cigarette I smoke, i just can't be that stoned that often maybe if it were really crumby weed... I mean that's gotta be part of it too, I also just enjoy smoking anything, the act of smoking I enjoy.

It would be better to use an e-cigarette more often than actual cigarettes. As stated above, people have a tendency to hit an e-cig more often, but less at once - when people smoke a cigarette, they often smoke the whole damn thing. Sometimes they put it out early, but they often will smoke the entire thing in a sitting. You frankly don't need to smoke an entire cigarette to get the nicotine in you, a few puffs off an e-cig will do just as well, in a smaller amount of time.

The link I posted earlier speaks about nicotine's toxicity on the human body - nicotine is still not a drug worthy of being used in a non-medical setting but it's definitely better to use an e-cig than cigarettes.

If you like smoking, I would suggest cannabis or salvia - although some people dislike one or both of these drugs. I still suggest an e-cig for people who would smoke cigarettes without being able to quit in traditional ways (chantix, bupropion, cold turkey, etc.)

Maybe you will live a little less, two or three years less than you would have lived. But what is the point of living three years more? What will you do by living three years more? You will create a little more trouble in the world -- so better you go a little earlier. And the world is too much populated.

It's not just about living a few years extra into your elderly years (and it's way more than 3 or 4 on average)... it's also about the quality of life you'll experience as a young person.

Let me list some examples...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tobacco

Male and female smokers lose an average of 13.2 and 14.5 years of life, respectively.[23]
According to the results of a 50 year study of 34,486 male British doctors, at least half of all lifelong smokers die earlier as a result of smoking.[16]
Smokers are three times as likely to die before the age of 60 or 70 as non-smokers.[24][25][26]
In the United States, cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke accounts for roughly one in five,[27] or at at least 443,000 premature deaths annually.[28]
To put this into context, in the US alone, tobacco kills the equivalent of three jumbo jets full of people crashing every day, with no survivors.[29] On a worldwide basis, this equates to a single jumbo jet every hour.[30]

The primary risks of tobacco usage include many forms of cancer, particularly lung cancer,[31] kidney cancer,[32] cancer of the larynx and head and neck, breast cancer,[33][34] bladder cancer,[35] cancer of the esophagus,[36] cancer of the pancreas[37] and stomach cancer.[38]
There is some evidence suggesting a small increased risk of myeloid leukaemia, squamous cell sinonasal cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, cancers of the gallbladder,the adrenal gland, the small intestine, and various childhood cancers. Recent studies have established a stronger relationship between tobacco smoke, including secondhand smoke, andcervical cancer in women.[39]

In smoking, long term exposure to compounds found in the smoke (e.g., carbon monoxide and cyanide) are believed to be responsible for pulmonary damage and for loss of elasticity in the alveoli, leading to emphysema and COPD. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) caused by smoking, is a permanent, incurable (often terminal) reduction of pulmonary capacity characterised by shortness of breath, wheezing, persistent cough with sputum, and damage to the lungs, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.[41]The carcinogen acrolein and its derivatives also contribute to the chronic inflammation present in COPD.[42]

Smoking also increases the chance of heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, and peripheral vascular disease. Several ingredients of tobacco lead to the narrowing of blood vessels, increasing the likelihood of a blockage, and thus a heart attack or stroke. According to a study by an international team of researchers, people under 40 are five times more likely to have a heart attack if they smoke.[44]

In addition to increasing the risk of kidney cancer, smoking can also contribute to additional renal damage. Smokers are at a significantly increased risk for chronic kidney disease than non-smokers.[50] A history of smoking encourages the progression of diabetic nephropathy.

A study of an outbreak of A(H1N1) influenza in an Israeli military unit of 336 healthy young men to determine the relation of cigarette smoking to the incidence of clinically apparent influenza, revealed that, of 168 smokers, 68.5 percent had influenza, as compared with 47.2 percent of nonsmokers. Influenza was also more severe in the smokers; 50.6 percent of the smokers lost work days or required bed rest, or both, as compared with 30.1 percent of the nonsmokers.[52]

Perhaps the most serious oral condition that can arise is that of oral cancer. However, smoking also increases the risk for various other oral diseases, some almost completely exclusive to tobacco users. The National Institutes of Health, through the National Cancer Institute, determined in 1998 that "cigar smoking causes a variety of cancers including cancers of the oral cavity (lip, tongue, mouth, throat), esophagus, larynx, and lung."[48] Pipe smoking involves significant health risks,[56][57] particularly oral cancer.[58][59] Roughly half of periodontitis or inflammation around the teeth cases are attributed to current or former smoking. Smokeless tobacco causes gingival recession and white mucosal lesions. Up to 90% of periodontitis patients who are not helped by common modes of treatment are smokers. Smokers have significantly greater loss of bone height than nonsmokers, and the trend can be extended to pipe smokers to have more bone loss than nonsmokers.[60] Smoking has been proven to be an important factor in the staining of teeth.[61][62] Halitosis or bad breath is common among tobacco smokers.[63] Tooth loss has been shown to be 2[64] to 3 times[65] higher in smokers than in non-smokers.[66] In addition, complications may further include leukoplakia, the adherent white plaques or patches on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, including the tongue, and a loss of taste sensation or salivary changes.

Tobacco is also linked to susceptibility to infectious diseases, particularly in the lungs. Smoking more than 20cigarettes a day increases the risk of tuberculosis by two to four times,[67][68] and being a current smoker has been linked to a fourfold increase in the risk of invasive pneumococcal disease.[69] It is believed that smoking increases the risk of these and other pulmonary and respiratory tract infections both through structural damage and through effects on the immune system. The effects on the immune system include an increase in CD4+ cell production attributable to nicotine, which has tentatively been linked to increased HIV susceptibility.[70] The usage of tobacco also increases rates of infection: common cold and bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema andchronic bronchitis in particular.[citation needed]
Smoking reduces the risk of Kaposi's sarcoma in people without HIV infection.[71]One study found this only with the male population and could not draw any conclusions for the female participants in the study.[72]

Incidence of impotence is approximately 85 percent higher in male smokers compared to non-smokers,[12] and it is a key cause of erectile dysfunction (ED).[12][13][14] Smoking causes impotence because it promotes arterial narrowing.[73]

Smoking is harmful to the ovaries, potentially causing female infertility, and the degree of damage is dependent upon the amount and length of time a woman smokes. Nicotine and other harmful chemicals in cigarettes interfere with the body’s ability to create estrogen, a hormone that regulates folliculogenesis and ovulation. Also, cigarette smoking interferes with folliculogenesis, embryo transport, endometrial receptivity, endometrial angiogenesis, uterine blood flow and the uterine myometrium.[74] Some damage is irreversible, but stopping smoking can prevent further damage.[75][76] Smokers are 60% more likely to be infertile than non-smokers.[77] Smoking reduces the chances of IVF producing a live birth by 34% and increases the risk of an IVF pregnancy miscarrying by 30%.

"Smokers often report that cigarettes help relieve feelings of stress. However, the stress levels of adult smokers are slightly higher than those of nonsmokers, adolescent smokers report increasing levels of stress as they develop regular patterns of smoking, and smoking cessation leads to reduced stress. Far from acting as an aid for mood control, nicotine dependency seems to exacerbate stress. This is confirmed in the daily mood patterns described by smokers, with normal moods during smoking and worsening moods between cigarettes. Thus, the apparent relaxant effect of smoking only reflects the reversal of the tension and irritability that develop during nicotine depletion. Dependent smokers need nicotine to remain feeling normal."

The usage of tobacco can also create cognitive dysfunction. There seems to be an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, although "case–control and cohort studies produce conflicting results as to the direction of the association between smoking and AD".[86] Smoking has been found to contribute to dementia and cognitive decline,[87]reduced memory and cognitive abilities in adolescents,[88] and brain shrinkage (cerebral atrophy).

Studies suggest that smoking decreases appetite, but did not conclude that overweight people should smoke or that their health would improve by smoking. This is also a cause of heart diseases.[113] Smoking also decreases weight by overexpressing the gene AZGP1 which stimulates lipolysis.[114]
Smoking causes about 10% of the global burden of fire deaths,[115] and smokers are placed at an increased risk of injury-related deaths in general, partly due to also experiencing an increased risk of dying in a motor vehicle crash.[116]
Smoking increases the risk of symptoms associated with Crohn's disease (a dose-dependent effect with use of greater than 15 cigarettes per day).[117][118][119][120] There is some evidence for decreased rates of endometriosis in infertile smoking women,[121] although other studies have found that smoking increases the risk in infertile women.[122] There is little or no evidence of a protective effect in fertile women. Some preliminary data from 1996 suggested a reduced incidence of uterine fibroids,[123] but overall the evidence is unconvincing.[124]
Current research shows that tobacco smokers who are exposed to residential radon are twice as likely to develop lung cancer as non-smokers.[125] As well, the risk of developing lung cancer from asbestos exposure is twice as likely for smokers than for non-smokers.[126]
New research has found that women who smoke are at significantly increased risk of developing an abdominalaortic aneurysm, a condition in which a weak area of the abdominal aorta expands or bulges.[127]
Smoking leads to an increased risk of bone fractures, especially hip fractures.[128] It also leads to slower wound-healing after surgery, and an increased rate of postoperative healing complication.[129]


========

Frankly I bolded some of the most important things that people need to know about (you may or may not have heard of all of these). I find it the most shocking that so many men still smoke despite the huge increase in impotence as a result, which is why I increased the font size of that section.

Then again, it's your life and your dick...but I know I like mine to work.

 

[Mr.Scagnattie]

Captain.Heroin

One man anti-smoking campaign.

Saving the world one lung at a time.

 

[mareseatoats]

It's your chance(to stop) for sure! Take it now!!!!!!!!!!

 

[helium-4]

I'm gonna go smoke a cig right now, and I'll enjoy it :D

I honestly like my habit of smoking. Of course not smoking any would be great, but only smoking 3-7 cigs a week (sometimes no cigs a week) is legit. I get to enjoy a cig, but don't experience the negative side-effects as heavily as others.

I can easily quit, and have stop multiple times for weeks to months on end. I never have experience any sort of WD symptoms, or hardly experience any cravings when quitting (or taking a break, as I know many people will say or be thinking that if you start smoking again you never quit). This includes when I was smoking a pack a day for a little while.

One way that makes quitting cigs SOOO easy (not that I'm that hooked on them, or really ever have been) is using ketamine or other dissociatives (but K in particular). K makes me not want to smoke at all, even post use for months

 

[luckyshot04]

OP, I read your thread and skipped straight to reply to you. I am 29 years old and began smoking when I was 15-16 (we could walk to a little store on lunch and the owner would sell us smokes). This was before the 18+ ID bullshit you go through was really enforced....at least not where I was.

I could almost spot on guess what every reply has said. But here is my quick response. My mother had to watch her brother (my uncle) die of lung cancer. I also had a distant relative die of lung cancer as well. Now, I know I shouldn't smoke, but unfortuantely, I'm not in your position.

However, my mom to this day will still talk about his last few days. I remember well his last couple years. It's not pretty and I won't even begin to go into detail because I guarantee other members have witnessed or know of the same thing. There is no need to go there.

If you're a social smoker and can keep it under control, just be aware of the risks. I know this is HR, so I'll play devils advocate to that last sentence. I only know of a few (as in count on one hand) people that smoke when they drink or socially. It's not a matter of if it ends up a habit, it will be when it ends up one.

Here in Kentucky, I can still smoke Marlboro's for 40$ a carton (Is this still consider pricing???). However, I know what they cost in other big cities and states, I couldn't afford it.

So, to sum it all up, QUIT!!!!! If you can go 2 weeks without smoking, you can go 3 weeks, one month, etc. Please, save your body, lungs; You don't want to wake up coughing for 20 minutes because you can't breathe.

 

[Choosing_Positive]

captain.heroin

one man anti-smoking campaign.

saving the world one lung at a time.

lmfao! =d

 

[Sn0wday]

I'm gonna go smoke a cig right now, and I'll enjoy it :D

I honestly like my habit of smoking. Of course not smoking any would be great, but only smoking 3-7 cigs a week (sometimes no cigs a week) is legit. I get to enjoy a cig, but don't experience the negative side-effects as heavily as others.

I can easily quit, and have stop multiple times for weeks to months on end. I never have experience any sort of WD symptoms, or hardly experience any cravings when quitting (or taking a break, as I know many people will say or be thinking that if you start smoking again you never quit). This includes when I was smoking a pack a day for a little while.

One way that makes quitting cigs SOOO easy (not that I'm that hooked on them, or really ever have been) is using ketamine or other dissociatives (but K in particular). K makes me not want to smoke at all, even post use for months

OP, I read your thread and skipped straight to reply to you. I am 29 years old and began smoking when I was 15-16 (we could walk to a little store on lunch and the owner would sell us smokes). This was before the 18+ ID bullshit you go through was really enforced....at least not where I was.

I could almost spot on guess what every reply has said. But here is my quick response. My mother had to watch her brother (my uncle) die of lung cancer. I also had a distant relative die of lung cancer as well. Now, I know I shouldn't smoke, but unfortuantely, I'm not in your position.

However, my mom to this day will still talk about his last few days. I remember well his last couple years. It's not pretty and I won't even begin to go into detail because I guarantee other members have witnessed or know of the same thing. There is no need to go there.

If you're a social smoker and can keep it under control, just be aware of the risks. I know this is HR, so I'll play devils advocate to that last sentence. I only know of a few (as in count on one hand) people that smoke when they drink or socially. It's not a matter of if it ends up a habit, it will be when it ends up one.

Here in Kentucky, I can still smoke Marlboro's for 40$ a carton (Is this still consider pricing???). However, I know what they cost in other big cities and states, I couldn't afford it.

So, to sum it all up, QUIT!!!!! If you can go 2 weeks without smoking, you can go 3 weeks, one month, etc. Please, save your body, lungs; You don't want to wake up coughing for 20 minutes because you can't breathe.

Ack, the two opposing scenarios...

That first one is the one that I WANT to go with (or my imminent addiction?), or believe can be true, but I can't tell if that's completely ignorant and naive to believe. It's like day 8 and I don't even want one, but I'll be out drinking tomorrow with a buddy I haven't seen in a year, he's a heavy smoker, I'd imagine I'll smoke a few.

All these studies I see, are for people who smoke a pack a day, I couldn't do that if you made me, I'd probably throw up. Are there any studies about the effects if you smoke like... a pack every 2 weeks? That's like 7% as many cigarettes as a smoker, are there really any adverse effects? I could imagine if you're addicted to anything and cutting down 93% of how much you consume of said substance there would be very little negative effects. If saod alcoholic cuts down to 2 shots a day versus 30 shots a day, they'd probably be healthy as can be. But once again I'm no doctor.

And the latter reply makes me want to stop for good, but I can't pick up a carton for 40$, that gets me 4 packs where I live, less than that. And I can imagine what he describes are people smoke a pack+ per day.