So... why start smoking?

[Fetzenfisch]

It started with the hookah during school years, that stuff actually tastes great. you sit around in a circle, talk, have a few drinks its a lot of fun. Then i discovered those aromatic cig's called Black Devils, vanilla flavour i think it was. They were nice to , one or sometimes two, a day for sheer pleasure. Then i moved in with 3 roommates when i moved in another town to play theatre, all 3 of them were more or less heavy smokers. So i joined them with my vanilla cig, then once ran out of em and took some from them while we sat and talked, soon after that i bought my first own pack and i was "hooked". While i still am a strange kind of addict. I started normal cigarettes five years ago, but still can live 5-6 days without feeling any kind of craving or urge. Last week i just completely forgot about it, i had a lot to do, i was travelling from here to there and just forgot to smoke a whole week
Well i havent smoked since saturday again, but i am on my way to our bar so i will light my first in a few days when i get out the bus.
Why you ask? because i enjoy it. When i am at the bar, i want my smokes, when i enjoy the spring sun, i have a smoke. And when i get off my bicycle at the same place as the car stops that blew its stink into my face for the last 2 miles ,i for sure will take revenge to blow it in his/her face.

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

Perhaps this is horrible of me (if this is just wrong inform me) but I kinda see it the same way people now start doing heroine.
No one truly believes it is harmless (unless they are uneducated) or "cool" (unless they are a P.I and/or Rorschach) it is just something you may get into if you are not thinking about it, or perhaps you have gotten tinto a mindstate where you don't care anymore, an apathy inspired crutch if you would.
granted this is somply speculation. If this is bigoted let me know, the smokers I know are form the generation that knew cigarettes as "harmless life savers that are like sunshien wrapped up in paper"

I'm sorry, but heroine:

Spoiler

and heroin:

Spoiler

OT: I see a lot of people saying smoking relaxes them, but I'm not sure I've ever met someone whose first experience with cigarettes didn't involve them choking and gagging, so I wonder how that translates to "relaxing".

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

Sadly I have been tempted to start before just as a way to lose weight :< I never have though I'm too much of a good girl, I don't even drink alchohol lol.

Alot of my friends started smoking in secondary school (high school) becuase it's what everyone was doing. I probably may aswell have been smoking then from the passive smoking ><.

 

[Rafael Dera]

I started smoking a pipe when I was 18, enjoyed the flavor and haven't stopped since (never gotten ill because of it. Don't know any other smokers who did). It's probably different for cigarettes though. One doesn't inhale the smoke into the longs with a pipe.
Why did i start? Curiosity, i guess. I think I could stop if I wanted to; but don't really see any reason to. I usually smoke for about an hour, during a nice brisk walk. Nothing better for getting some perspective or ordering one's thoughts.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

counter-culture appeal?

I personally don't smoke but that's because I grew up with a lot of tension between my step-father and I. He smoked and I didn't want to be anything like him whereas there are other kids growing up in the suberbs with wholesome, 50's-esq parents who embarrass the hell out of them. They want nothing to do with those parental units and what better way to strike back at Mr. and Mrs. white collar? Sex, Drugs and...uh...wanna help me out with the last one Guitar Wolf?

(Honestly the shortest one I could find)

Also: I don't think the cost matters too much. While in Olney (where the people are stuck up their own asses) the kids bum smokes from the normal adult humans. I can't remember how often I was asked for a light e.e

 

[Darkauthor81]

I sister said it was "to relieve stress". I called foul. Smoking causes as much stress as it relieves.
Edit: Apparently, smoking doesn't cause stress.

Bull crap it doesn't! You were right before the edit. Smokers live from one cig to another. Anxiously waiting for that work breaking. Throwing on that winter coat to go stand in 5 degree weather just so they can light up. Freaking out and begging people for a cig if they suddenly find they've run out. Hell, my own parents wont stay at my apartment longer than 30 minutes because I wont let them smoke in here.

YEAH! That sounds so relaxing.

You are a sad sad person. Why can't you accept people the way they are? Even if they're worse people than yourself because they have other habbits. I can tell you're a really col guy who doesn't judge people on whether they smoke or not. I bet you're perfect!

-.-

Yes being able to hear the moans of "When's break. I need a cig so bad" and being able to see the people huddled in the cold and the rain because they can't go any longer without it. I guess anyone with ears and eyes are clearly judgmental.

I don't care what you do. It's your life do with it what you want. Just don't try to BS your reasons for doing it.

I'm going to quote myself from another post here:

"You said it brother! Though it's not only americans as you imply, but smokers almost all over the world who have to stand in he freezing cold. But when it's summer...

Also I recall playing in a band in which there wwas one guy who didn't smoke, so he stayed inside when we went for a fag.. We really bonded, but almost never really talked to him. Suddenly he was just there, and not really a part of the tight group we had become. One of the greatest things about smoking is the social part of it. I can't count how many people I've met because of smoking. Many of them became very good friends of mine. Plus if I didn't smoke, my best friend (now) and I wouldn't have had anything to talk about when we first met, and we probably wouldn't be friends. Today we're like brothers.

All those anti-smokers (anti, not just non-smokers) are simple beings who believes more in the propaganda and hate, than the people they can see and talk to. And that's just sad."

You have no reason to be an ass. Learn to respect people with a different view on life than your own.

.... HA! AHAHAH HA HAAAAAAA! Oh God! That's funny! Because in my group it was just the opposite. The one guy who smoked had to vanish every 30 minutes to go outside or to a designated smoking area. Sometimes we'd even forget he was there. Not maliciously but he wasn't really part of the group. We didn't need to drop everything every 30 minutes to get a fix so he just got left behind. On those times when we HAD to wait up for him he was a complete pain in the ass.

That was a bit more of a comment than a reply.

I'd love to keep tearing you down but I have to go to work. But here's what I'll do. To honor you I'll stop laughing at the smokers huddled outside in the cold. Today at least. And I'll try to find their cigarette stench and yellowing teeth less repulsive. Can't make any promises on that though.

Have a nice day!

You're such a sad little weak assmunch. Keep feeling like der übermensch, I'm sure hitler would be proud of you. You disgust me.

And your smoking habits disgust me. Hey! We're even! The only difference is I don't smell like an ash tray, I have money, and I'm not on an express train to lung cancer! Obviously I am very weak for not giving into peer pressure like you did.

You are so much fun.

I think it's cute how you think you're all holy. Please try to be less of a taunting little *****, and actually contribute to the conversation instead of just shining your own halo. You never really reply to what I say, you just keep telling how you're better. But damn, it's hopeless trying to talk sense into 12 year olds. It seems you only want discriminate and ***** instead of discussing, so have fun on your paper route. I'm out of this conversation.

I'm not holy. I'm just healthy. I think I'll go outside and take some nice deep breaths without coughing up tar and, since I can smell, I'll enjoy the fragrance of Spring. I may even go for a jog because this whole thread has made me think about and appreciate how healthy I am.

Have a nice day.

 

[Zing]

Usually it's a social thing. Some people feel out of place when they hang around with friends who are all smoking and they aren't. Personally, I smoke VERY casually because I'm afraid of getting addicted, and I don't feel the need to smoke when no one else is around since I'm not addicted. I probably don't even have more than 1 cig per month. Also I don't inhale...don't see the need.

 

[LitleWaffle]

I suppose it's a reason to get out of the house and a 'social' thing to do. When else can you walk outside with a certain someone and talk?
Oh wait...

Granted, it's a dumb thing to do. But than again, what hobby isn't? (I see smoking as a hobby.) Just playing games strikes off time you could had used socializing and gained a better life all around.

The difference of having smoking as a hobby or something say knitting. e when you get done knitting theres a physical object of ones accomplishment.

While smoking will give lung caner.

Lung Cancer = Physical.

OT: I haven't really found a reason to besides peer pressure, trying to fit in with people who do smoke. [sub]not very intelligent[/sub]

 

[wammnebu]

As someone who smokes on very rare occasion I might be able to offer an opinion.

I started smoking because as a student it works sort of like how coffee used to. I wanted something to keep me awake during all nighters, and sitting outside with one lets me clear my mind and think.

with this said I only do it on occasion, i know its said that smoking is highly addictive, but it hasnt been for me. The "pangs" or "urges" i have had are essentially "my the weather outside is crappy, this would be a good time for a smoke" or pacing around thinking, so you light one to do something with your hands. Its not like (for me anyways) this addictive shackle where its all you can think about and you cannot do anything until the urge is satisfied. And these could be attributed to classical conditioning than chemical affects. The same reason one craves coffee in the morning or ice cream in the summer

as far as price goes i will smoke around 3-4 cigarettes every week, 5 dollars for a pack of 20, so less than 5 dollars a month. 5*12 is 60 dollars a year-or one AAA video game.

Does this help at all?

 

[omega 616]

it's not fair or even ethical to label smokers in the same crowd as drug users.

Why not? You are. Coffee and chocolate is a drug technically, drugs aren't just illegal things. Drugs have this negative "omg he said he uses drugs", everybody does in one form or another.

If you said hard drug users I wouldn't have a problem, but you are a drug user.

On topic. I have no idea why people start. As far as the cool factor goes, I think it is total bullshit, since when is it cool to want to induce cancer? You don't look cool being addicted to a little white stick containing so many poisons it would make your jaw drop, it is the most attractive thing a girl can do.

If it's looks cool to smoke why aren't people who eat lollipops considered cool? With there little white stick hanging out there gob or do you need the smoke and pending cancer diagnosis to be cool?

"It relaxes you/gets rid of stress", How stressed are you going to be when the doc tells you your fucked and you paid for your own death? How stressed are you when you don't have a cig?

"it helps you be social", ok but why can't you just go with the person who is smoking? I do, I am in a job now where every person smokes, I just go with them and talk to them. "what about second hand smoke?", I am stood in a massive open space and stood about 6 foot away from them AKA it's about the same as walking down a road.

Also, why can't you just say "hi" to a person why does a cig have to be an ice breaker?

And to the one kid who on the first page said "I want to die", your not in a fucking rush are you?!? Jeez, that has to be the slowest suicide I have ever heard of!

"it gives me something do with my hands" easy solve to that, blu tack. Seriously, get some of that stuff and just mess with it, I can spend ages playing with a small blob of that stuff.

I see no good reason to smoke at all. Just seems weak to me, I know I am going to get flamed for saying that but I all I hear is easy ways out of not very serious situations. Then again I never get stressed so take what I have said for what it is.

EDIT: wow, that was longer than I expected.

By the way I don't drink, don't smoke and don't use any drugs to make myself feel happy/relaxed. I use to binge on massive amounts of chocolate but I am cutting that out now.

 

[noodles loves you]

smoking is cool kids, go puff a shit tonne!

 

[jenerz]

I smoked for a while just to see if I liked it. I wasn't going to keeping doing it, It's too expensive and bad for you. I wasn't worried about getting addicted because I am quite strong willed. I see main reason for people to start smoking, especially at my age, is because of peer pressure. Most of my friends smoke so I would be hanging around with them breathing in their smoke when one day I just decided to ask my mate for one. Personally I don't think it's as good as people make it out to be. I smoked a couple a day for a few weeks but never got hooked. I'm not an anti-smoker but I just think it's daft to blow money on smoking. People say they relieve stress but for how long. Most people I know who smoke need a cigarette every 40 minutes or so,. As far as i'm concerned there are far easier and healthier ways of relieving stress.

 

[ShockAndDismay]

They do it because of peer pressure.

It makes you stink
Stains teeth and nails
Alters your tolerance to stress to the point where the only time you don't feel stressed is when you light up
Causes ED, Emphysema, Lung Cancer, Throat Cancer, Heart Disease etc
Grinding withdrawel symptoms

The only thing is has going for it is a costly stress relief and weight loss.

This only applies to tobacco of course.

Maybe if you do smoke a pack a day. However, if you're someone like me who can do it occasionally for a normal stress reliever, none of this will happen to you. It's all bullshit they tell you as kids to scare you off. If you know someone who smokes a couple packs a day though, lecture them away. Just don't tell that to someone like me.

Lastly, your post makes it seem like "stress" isn't a big thing in someone's life. If you find that to be true, I find joy in laughing in your face, sir.

 

[wammnebu]

I sister said it was "to relieve stress". I called foul. Smoking causes as much stress as it relieves.
Edit: Apparently, smoking doesn't cause stress.

Bull crap it doesn't! You were right before the edit. Smokers live from one cig to another. Anxiously waiting for that work breaking. Throwing on that winter coat to go stand in 5 degree weather just so they can light up. Freaking out and begging people for a cig if they suddenly find they've run out. Hell, my own parents wont stay at my apartment longer than 30 minutes because I wont let them smoke in here.

YEAH! That sounds so relaxing.

You are a sad sad person. Why can't you accept people the way they are? Even if they're worse people than yourself because they have other habbits. I can tell you're a really col guy who doesn't judge people on whether they smoke or not. I bet you're perfect!

-.-

Yes being able to hear the moans of "When's break. I need a cig so bad" and being able to see the people huddled in the cold and the rain because they can't go any longer without it. I guess anyone with ears and eyes are clearly judgmental.

I don't care what you do. It's your life do with it what you want. Just don't try to BS your reasons for doing it.

I'm going to quote myself from another post here:

"You said it brother! Though it's not only americans as you imply, but smokers almost all over the world who have to stand in he freezing cold. But when it's summer...

Also I recall playing in a band in which there wwas one guy who didn't smoke, so he stayed inside when we went for a fag.. We really bonded, but almost never really talked to him. Suddenly he was just there, and not really a part of the tight group we had become. One of the greatest things about smoking is the social part of it. I can't count how many people I've met because of smoking. Many of them became very good friends of mine. Plus if I didn't smoke, my best friend (now) and I wouldn't have had anything to talk about when we first met, and we probably wouldn't be friends. Today we're like brothers.

All those anti-smokers (anti, not just non-smokers) are simple beings who believes more in the propaganda and hate, than the people they can see and talk to. And that's just sad."

You have no reason to be an ass. Learn to respect people with a different view on life than your own.

.... HA! AHAHAH HA HAAAAAAA! Oh God! That's funny! Because in my group it was just the opposite. The one guy who smoked had to vanish every 30 minutes to go outside or to a designated smoking area. Sometimes we'd even forget he was there. Not maliciously but he wasn't really part of the group. We didn't need to drop everything every 30 minutes to get a fix so he just got left behind. On those times when we HAD to wait up for him he was a complete pain in the ass.

That was a bit more of a comment than a reply.

I'd love to keep tearing you down but I have to go to work. But here's what I'll do. To honor you I'll stop laughing at the smokers huddled outside in the cold. Today at least. And I'll try to find their cigarette stench and yellowing teeth less repulsive. Can't make any promises on that though.

Have a nice day!

You're such a sad little weak assmunch. Keep feeling like der übermensch, I'm sure hitler would be proud of you. You disgust me.

And your smoking habits disgust me. Hey! We're even! The only difference is I don't smell like an ash tray, I have money, and I'm not on an express train to lung cancer! Obviously I am very weak for not giving into peer pressure like you did.

You are so much fun.

I think it's cute how you think you're all holy. Please try to be less of a taunting little *****, and actually contribute to the conversation instead of just shining your own halo. You never really reply to what I say, you just keep telling how you're better. But damn, it's hopeless trying to talk sense into 12 year olds. It seems you only want discriminate and ***** instead of discussing, so have fun on your paper route. I'm out of this conversation.

I'm not holy. I'm just healthy. I think I'll go outside and take some nice deep breaths without coughing up tar and, since I can smell, I'll enjoy the fragrance of Spring. I may even go for a jog with my nice healthy lungs.

Have a nice day.

The anti-smokers on this forum have shown me how much im missing out. the methane from your own farts must be more addicting relaxing, stimulating, and social than nicotene ever could be. I should start, do you have to be 18? Is ID required?

 

[Frostbyte666]

I started due in part to peer pressure and another curiosity. However I was introduced to it by genuine good smokers (i.e. rolled their own tobacco). Now the rolled stuff I found great, was soothing and there were many different flavours to try but I never had 1 of the processed cigarettes from a box because I view it as I have no idea what they put in their so I won't trust what I am smoking. After years of enjoying it, it turned out I was 1 of the lucky schmucks who was never addicted to it in the 1st place because I had a cold, thought this may be bad for my throat and just stopped cold turkey. Never had another in the 6 years since. I think the main problem with smoking IS that people can buy the awful boxed stuff which is probably far more addictive than anything you can roll up yourself.
(please forgive my grammer here as I am slightly drunk and easier to make this note than correct it.)

 

[9NineBreaker9]

I'm confused as to why smoking is cool. I can understand the social aspect of "Hey, we both smoke, we have so much in common!" but I'm still entirely unsure of why it's cool.

Most the people I know did it either because they were told it would relieve stress or because everyone else did it and it's the cool thing. You know, like drinking yourself into a stupor and forgoing all your friends who don't smoke pot and stuff - the cool thing!

(That's not everyone, but that's my experience of it, and damn it all if I'm not jaded from that.)

 

[Levitas1234]

smoking has a lot of benefits and does more than get you addicted to them

Out of sheer curiosity, what kind of benefits?

Well you see, when you engage in a life of sex drugs and rock and roll or w/e, you don't get much time to eat, cigarettes act as a very good supplement to food, i can go all day without food as long as i have a smoke when i start to get hungry.

Another reason smoking is great is when you're fucked up on drugs, if you're trippin the fuck out you just need a smoke to set your mind straight.

You get your own little 5 min smoke break whenever you want, helps a lot.

Having a smoke is great after sex, after smoking a bowl, after eating, smoking just raises the quality of your life by a tiny bit by reducing the quality of your health by a bit

 

[Skoosh]

See, if a person started smoking any time in the last 20 years they likely would have known exactly what they were getting into. So long as they were over the age of twelve, they would have known that smoking is addictive. They would have known that cigarettes are expensive. They would have known that they are harmful.

Furthermore, people I know who smoke tell me that the first time they did it, it made them feel sick. Some of them said that they threw up afterwards. Now I would have thought that would be a pretty clear sign that something isn't doing you any good. If I ate some food that made me feel ill I sure as hell wouldn't go back for seconds.

And yet, people still take up smoking.

Why?

First off, I don't know anyone that felt sick after smoking. You get a headbuzz, which actually feels pretty nice. There's also taste, although that usually has more to do with cigars. But the biggest reason is likely social. When your friends all go outside to smoke, you either go out there with them and feel awkward or you stay inside and feel lonely. Either way, it's tough to not ask for one, let alone say no when offered. There's also a lot of anti-smoking ads that have gone too far. They turn out to be exaggerating certain facts, which in turn leaves impressionable 16-year-olds to think the whole thing might be blown waaay out of proportion instead of just kinda, much like the stuff against marijuana. We also still have a lot of imagery of smoking looking cool. How many cynical, sarcastic, but awesome characters abuse some sort of substance? A lot.

Just so you know, I'm not a smoker. Just someone with a lot of friends and family that smokes and that has tried a couple cigs himself but decided against it. My teeth look bad enough with soda, don't want smoke to stain them also, and I don't have the money for it.