So... why start smoking?
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To clear up any possible confusion, 5 years were between proposal and the offer of my zippo. Smoking can be a good way to meet ladies, but not THAT goodDr. Pepper Unlimited said:Hehe, thanks cute. :3LostAlone said:I met my fiancée by offering her a light
Still though, for a fairly tubby teenager who needed every help in looking cool, a nice chrome plated zippo and incredibly pretentious cigarettes (Sobranie Black Russians... Black with a gold filter) certainly got us talking, and the rest as they say is history/
I smoked a pack a day for about 3 years and quit in August.
Originally I started mainly out of curiosity and also for the social aspect (new to work, all my coworkers smoked, socialising during smoke breaks, etc); I've also had a history with stress and anxiety so it did manage to do a good job of calming me down during stressful times.
Then I decided to quit during easter of last year but my anxiety struck back with the wrath of an angry god so I postponed that notion til summer when I was off college. Then one day kind of said "Oh right, quitting" and just upped and stopped, no patches, no cutting down, none of that. I tell you know it was HARD. AS. HELL. they say the cravings stop after a week, bullshit, 6 months in and I still used to dream of smoking and wake up with massive cravings, but it's a willpower thing. Given the chance to do over I'd probably still start smoking, and I probably will smoke in the future again one day. Just maybe cigars for special occaisions though.
Why you ask? Because for all the cost incurred and those few days I woke up feeling like someone krav-maga'd my lungs out, it was still a very enjoyable experience. And since when does ANYONE stop doing something they enjoy doing because it can be harmful? Sky-diving is pretty dangerous but ya don't see massive campaigns trying to get people to quit and showing pictures of someone smashing himself into a fine pulp to use as a scare.
Bottom line; life's too damn short to worry about what might or might not kill you. You can be the healthiest person on the planet but one day you go out your door and bam, knocked down by a bus.
Originally I started mainly out of curiosity and also for the social aspect (new to work, all my coworkers smoked, socialising during smoke breaks, etc); I've also had a history with stress and anxiety so it did manage to do a good job of calming me down during stressful times.
Then I decided to quit during easter of last year but my anxiety struck back with the wrath of an angry god so I postponed that notion til summer when I was off college. Then one day kind of said "Oh right, quitting" and just upped and stopped, no patches, no cutting down, none of that. I tell you know it was HARD. AS. HELL. they say the cravings stop after a week, bullshit, 6 months in and I still used to dream of smoking and wake up with massive cravings, but it's a willpower thing. Given the chance to do over I'd probably still start smoking, and I probably will smoke in the future again one day. Just maybe cigars for special occaisions though.
Why you ask? Because for all the cost incurred and those few days I woke up feeling like someone krav-maga'd my lungs out, it was still a very enjoyable experience. And since when does ANYONE stop doing something they enjoy doing because it can be harmful? Sky-diving is pretty dangerous but ya don't see massive campaigns trying to get people to quit and showing pictures of someone smashing himself into a fine pulp to use as a scare.
Bottom line; life's too damn short to worry about what might or might not kill you. You can be the healthiest person on the planet but one day you go out your door and bam, knocked down by a bus.
I've asked myself also. I don't really blame people who started smoking 10+ years ago, or even further back. I mean, the whole "smoking is bad for you" thing really was sort of up in the air. However nowadays, I cannot fathom why anyone would start. Especially given the friggin' PRICE of smoking. Its 7 dollars a pack here.
Personally; I smoke because it makes me feel incredibly cool.
But I also only smoke one cigarette a month to test my self control.
It all evens out...
But I also only smoke one cigarette a month to test my self control.
It all evens out...
I dont smoke, never have. I dont like smokers but I honestly dont care if they smoke (with the only exception being my girlfriend as I dont wanna kiss those tobacco-lips). Its their choice and they can smoke if they want to.
I HAD made a long involved post going in to detail about how you were (partialy) wrong but the fucking site ate it, so here's the abridged version.LostAlone said:
Morphine is very addictive yes, but so are ciggarettes, they just have different withdrawel symptoms.
One key difference is that you never truly get over nicotine addiction, years down the line ex-smokers will STILL be holding things weird or putting cylindrical objects in to their mouth.
The big thing is that nicotine addiction is fucking insidious, smokers genuinly believe that it's the gentle sun soakeed beach that's stressing them out and not withdrawel ymptoms, I mean look at yourself you're trying to tell me that nicotine isn't addictive despite decades of medical research that says that you are wrong.
Plus nicotines only real benefit is that it's an appatite suppresant, every other supposed benefit is simply a symptom of withdrawel.
Finaly claiming that nicotine isn't addictive because morphine is is like trying to say that Harold Shipmen isn't a murderer because Jack the Ripper is.
ad·dic·tion/əˈdikSHən/LostAlone said:
Noun: The fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance.
Seems pretty fucking straight forward to me.
Preface: I smoke pretty infrequently, so the cost and health effects of heavy smoking are pretty foreign to me.
I think the overwhelming majority do because (1) most people do drugs because they feel good and you definitely do feel a head rush and a sense of calm and (2) it's a socially acceptable thing to do with your hands and way of delaying or avoiding having to respond in a conversation. There's also the inherent cool factor, but I think people overestimate the influence of that with the current generation and it seems to have mostly disappeared in a lot of the youngest generations.
I think the overwhelming majority do because (1) most people do drugs because they feel good and you definitely do feel a head rush and a sense of calm and (2) it's a socially acceptable thing to do with your hands and way of delaying or avoiding having to respond in a conversation. There's also the inherent cool factor, but I think people overestimate the influence of that with the current generation and it seems to have mostly disappeared in a lot of the youngest generations.
Wow....this thread is one massive /facepalm. Seriously, people smoke because they want to smoke, thats it. I'm a smoker and I dont smoke cause "Its addictive lol", it isn't, smack & crack are yes, cocaine when used heavily is but smoking isn't. I smoke because I enjoy it, we all do sommit we enjoy thats unhealthy for us, I smoke, some people race cars on a weekend, but I dont see any threads title "So...why race cars?".
I am currently in college and have been smoking since the beginning of my first semester. From experience, I can say it's a major stress relief.
One night, one of my friends was rushed to the hospital. I felt powerless, like there was nothing I could do. I went outside the dorms to where we have gazebos setup in hopes that I could socialize my way to a more chipper mood. I had ended up bumming four cigarettes from someone who is now my closest friend, and my stress passed.
Since then, smoking has given me many excuses to be even more social, helped me see many surreal things and appreciate a lot of beauty in the world, kept my stress levels minimized, and even relieves my sinuses during allergy season. I know one day I must quit or lung cancer is inevitable, but, for now, it's a great thing and isn't currently effecting my health.
Hope this clears things up.
One night, one of my friends was rushed to the hospital. I felt powerless, like there was nothing I could do. I went outside the dorms to where we have gazebos setup in hopes that I could socialize my way to a more chipper mood. I had ended up bumming four cigarettes from someone who is now my closest friend, and my stress passed.
Since then, smoking has given me many excuses to be even more social, helped me see many surreal things and appreciate a lot of beauty in the world, kept my stress levels minimized, and even relieves my sinuses during allergy season. I know one day I must quit or lung cancer is inevitable, but, for now, it's a great thing and isn't currently effecting my health.
Hope this clears things up.
You're right, there are many forms of addiction, some mental and some physical. Nicotine is addictive on the physical/chemistry level no doubt. However the other guy is right about it doesn't usually induce extreme cases of withdrawal you'd find with people hooked on the hard stuff. Other guy is also right it's not fair or even ethical to label smokers in the same crowd as drug users.moretimethansense said:
Because people are never ever without thinking everything thoroughly, objectively, wisely and considering every single aspect of it?
Growing up around smokers. It starts out as social. Something fun to do while drinking. Eventually something to do all the time.
Growing up around smokers. It starts out as social. Something fun to do while drinking. Eventually something to do all the time.
Because people think it can improve their image and because of influence by close ones and peers. People consider it a stress relief when in fact the stress relief comes from the addictive chemicals of the cigarette, and the only way to curb that stress is by taking in more of the chemicals. It's hard to get out of.
@moretimethansense - Smoking isn't addictive in the same way, as you yourself pointed out the hardest part of quitting ciggies is all the little habitual things which can still be with you decades down the line - the actual physical addiction barely lasts a week after your last ciggarette. Smoking shouldn't be considered addictive in the same way as some heavy drugs, habitual yes, addictive no.
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.
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.