Misc Question for tobacco addicts about the addictiveness of tobacco

MODNOTE: when responding to this thread, please remember that we do not allow the discussion of prices. Please review the OD guidelines if you have any doubts about whether what you are about to post falls under the category of price discussion.

I am aware that failure rates for quitting tobacco are just as bad as failure rates for quitting other drugs such as alcohol, opiates or cocaine.

I am curious as to how much the fact that tobacco is cheap, legal and available contributes to this and how much of it is due to the addictiveness of tobacco itself, assuming a level playing field.

So my question is simple. Let's say tobacco was just as expensive and difficult to acquire as heroin or cocaine. Let's say it cost you $50 for a pack of cigarettes and you had to meet a shady dealer somewhere in order to get it.
Would you continue to use tobacco?

For me, the answer is absolutely not but then again, I have never really liked tobacco. Over the past decade, I have struggled with severe addiction to all of the following: marijuana, alcohol, heroin, benzodiazepines and crack cocaine. Tobacco on the other hand, I have used on and off and never had any trouble stopping. It is hard for me to imagine tobacco being as addictive as alcohol or heroin. But then again, I don't really like tobacco so I need to hear from serious tobacco addicts. Would you make the same sacrifices to use tobacco that you made or make to use the other substances I mentioned or do you only find tobacco addictive because its just so easy to get and the short term consequences are so low?

I would use it less often, but would buy it if it were available. Would most likely save it for when I used another drug (or had sex).

For me tobacco has probably been the most addictive thing I've used, try as I might I just won't give it up. I've just accepted that I'm someone that'll never quit all together.

I'm a 11 year pack to 2 pack a day smoker and I love nicotine...

In countries where packs cost almost <no price discussion> dollars and sometimes more, people are more conservative with their cigarette smoking. In countries where tobacco costs a dollar, people smoke them excessively. This is something I've noticed. In reality, we smoke much more then our dependence requires. Say a heroin addict requires 0.100 milligrams to hold them, and 0.300 to get high, in cigarette smoking, 3-4 cigarettes a day could practically hold you, yet you smoke 15-30 cigarettes for the reinforcement. Of course these are hypothetical figures that would vary from person to person.

If it was illegal to procure them, then yes the chances are you would meet a dealer, because you're addicted. I don't see how it would be different than any other drug.

Health Canada actually conducted studies which concluded that tobacco addiction is similar to heroin, and more difficult to stop.

No, I wouldn't make the same sacrifices to get tobacco as I do to get my DOC. However, I can buy my cigarettes at the supermarket 2 mn away 24/7, so...

The thing for me is just how habitual smoking has become. Like if I'm stressed out, or bored, or waiting for someone, I'll just take out a cigarette without even thinking about it, cuz why not, it'll pass time or it'll calm me down a little, whatever. I think that's really how it is for most smokers - I mean cigarettes barely have any physical effects whatsoever, they're just a habit. For instance every day, when I'm on my way back from the gym I smoke. I just do, that's how it is, and if you asked me to stop I really couldn't.
I mean I've been trying to stop smoking for quite a while considering about 80% of my family members have some form or another of cancer but I'm finding it almost as difficult as getting off heroin/cocaine right now. Not as difficult, but almost.
But I certainly wouldn't risk jail time or anything for it.

I "quit" when they went to <no price discussion> a pack here. I'm still a nicotine addicts, but now I get it from my e cig. It's more cost effective, and my lungs feel better. If it became illegal, I'd find a supplier as fast as I could. I've tapered my nicotine level down to 6mg/ml e liquid, but I'm still an addict. I've quit lots of stuff, successfully for a while, but nicotine us the bitch of the bunch for me. Maybe because I was addicted in utero so to speak...

It's insane the difference in prices. Back in France it was like <no price discussion> euros a pack, and I thought that was bad but since I've moved to the UK I've had to buy them for almost <no price discussion> pounds a pack. Which is around <no price discussion>euros. I guess it's a good thing it's forcing me to quit though, which just reinforces my previous point that I wouldn't go to the same lengths/ I'm not willing to spend as much money on cigs as I am on drugs.

Here are some statistics on prevalence of tobacco use varying from nation to nation from the World Health Organization:

http://www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/mpower_report_prevalence_data_2008.pdf

I read through it and Russia has whopping 71% amongst males. I wonder if there are statistics that correlate tobacco prices with smoking rates.

I think if it was 50 a pack and illegal it would be more appealing to some people because it would be exclusive and somewhat of a status symbol. there would be less people who smoke it but people would still do it, probably a lot less. this depends on how many things are changed in your scenerio, does the history of tobacco stay the same or is it more of a recently introduced drug? Did people smoke them in old movies like easy rider and the wild bunch? the culture plays a big role in whether people think they are cool or not.

If it were illegal I would probably try to quit since what I get from tobacco isn't worth the risk of getting ripped off or laced tobacco in my oppinion though, regardless of how addicting it is, I think the addictiveness of it though is how often it can be/is used, i usually smoke about 12 cigs a day where as someone doing opiates may dose once at the end of the day or something to relax instead of constantly using(i know there are cases of this to though) so the fact that you can use it whenever you need to relax or you need a crutch, at work, at school whenever is the part that really gets people, I've quit a number of other substances but tobacco,due to it's price,availability and convenience has been the one i can't seem to put down no matter how hard i try

I pay about <no price discussion> a pack for Newports. we got some generic cigs which ain't bad that go for <no price discussion> a carton. I'm a 2 pack/day smoker of Newport 100s.

Chromophobia said:

In countries where packs cost almost 10-15 dollars and sometimes more, people are more conservative with their cigarette smoking. In countries where tobacco costs a dollar, people smoke them excessively. This is something I've noticed.

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This is true. As much as smokers hate when the price of a pack goes up, it actually helps some smokers to quit. Others will simply turn to cheaper black market cigarettes.

Another thing that I noticed is how the various bans on smoking in public areas helps smokers to think twice before lighting up. Sure, it sucks in the winter, but as a smoker, I'm actually grateful about these bans - they will definitely help a lot of smokers quit, or at least diminish their tobacco intake. Remember how much it sucked when restaurants and bars were filled with smoke? Remember how difficult it was to refrain from lighting one when everybody in the bar was smoking around you?
It will be nice to finally be able to quit knowing that we can walk in a bar without having to fight the temptation (usually triggered by smelling cigarette smoke around me).

Addictiveness of tobacco? I will just say that in my experience big bad addictive meth is a harmless sugar pill in comparison to fucking cigarettes in that department. I hate them but i love them. In fact im gonna enjoy one right now.

blight12 said:

Addictiveness of tobacco? I will just say that in my experience big bad addictive meth is a harmless sugar pill in comparison to fucking cigarettes in that department. I hate them but i love them. In fact im gonna enjoy one right now.

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hmm I'm.gonna have a port myself. *lights up* yeah baby, I'm hooked

Have we all forgotten the no price discussion rule?

This is a very interesting thread but I don't know if it's possible to conduct it in a way that people follow the guidelines, we may end up having to close it. Now I get to mass-edit....

tricomb said:

Have we all forgotten the no price discussion rule?

This is a very interesting thread but I don't know if it's possible to conduct it in a way that people follow the guidelines, we may end up having to close it. Now I get to mass-edit....

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my bad tricomb. I thought that was for "drugs". so I pay cheaply for my newports and the generic cigs here are like 1/3 the cost of my ports and they aren't bad. they remind me of Marlboros.
back on topic:
I plan on attending smoking cessation classes eventually and join a support group for it to be honest. its harder to give up than heroin for me personally.

Serotonin101 said:

I pay about <no price discussion> a pack for Newports. we got some generic cigs which ain't bad that go for <no price discussion> a carton. I'm a 2 pack/day smoker of Newport 100s.

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My man!

I feel your pain, they've doubled in price since I started smoking them a decade ago. For me its gotta be Newports and they gotta be 100s. Shorts just don't last long enough.

The only other cigarettes I like are cowboy killers. I'd rather go without than buy any cheap brands, its not a status thing with me I just think they taste like ass and they are harsh.

Oh...I forgot to mention that I live on what used to be a tobacco farm. So I would probably just grow my own if there was no other way to get it. Which would frankly suck since tobacco farming is harrrrrrrd work.

As for bars.....down here they just renamed them "social clubs" to get around the bans. I do miss my post-breakfast smoke with coffee in my favorite diner but I do see the point of banning it in those places.

But pool halls and bars? I expect smoking there...even before I smoked it didn't bother me if people did in those places. My opinion has always been if you have a medical condition or simply can't handle the smoke in a bar then you should stay home. Take one for the team and don't ruin the fun for the rest of us. In return I promise not to bitch if I ever become a big fat fuck so you can continue to order your 44oz soda and super sized fries.

HeadphonesandLSD said:

My man!

I feel your pain, they've doubled in price since I started smoking them a decade ago. For me its gotta be Newports and they gotta be 100s. Shorts just don't last long enough.

The only other cigarettes I like are cowboy killers. I'd rather go without than buy any cheap brands, its not a status thing with me I just think they taste like ass and they are harsh.

Oh...I forgot to mention that I live on what used to be a tobacco farm. So I would probably just grow my own if there was no other way to get it. Which would frankly suck since tobacco farming is harrrrrrrd work.

As for bars.....down here they just renamed them "social clubs" to get around the bans. I do miss my post-breakfast smoke with coffee in my favorite diner but I do see the point of banning it in those places.

But pool halls and bars? I expect smoking there...even before I smoked it didn't bother me if people did in those places. My opinion has always been if you have a medical condition or simply can't handle the smoke in a bar then you should stay home. Take one for the team and don't ruin the fun for the rest of us. In return I promise not to bitch if I ever become a big fat fuck so you can continue to order your 44oz soda and super sized fries.

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I see what your saying but when it comes to rights people with medical conditions have just as much of a right to drink in a bar in peace as smokers do to smoke. the main problem with cigarettes is secondhand smoke, the fact that people can die of lung cancer from cigarettes with out ever smoking one makes it very difficult to allow indoor smoking. bartenders and waitresses used to be extremely susceptible to tobacco related diseases. people should be able to work and not have to worry about getting cancer. I used to be a smoker and I completely understand how frustrating it can be, but smokers need to grow up a bit and stop using the "I'm only hurting myself" line and just walk outside to smoke a butt.

I'm interested in hearing captain heroins thoughts on the subject

My bad.....yah people would still smoke even if they were illegal. Nicotine is very addictive.

people know what they are getting into when applying for a job. businesses should have the option to obtain a "license" like they do to serve booze for certain amounts of places to allow smoking. such as not all bars/clubs/restaurants will be able to allow smoking, but there still will be some. isn't that "fair"? therefore if you don't wanna be around smokers you have the option to go elsewhere. no one forces a bar tender/waitress to work in a place with smoke. they made the choice to work there just as the smoker made the choice to start smoking.