Smoking.
 

Over the past couple of years I have gotten a lot worse with my smoking habits.

Before it was strictly the green stuff but smoking fags has cropped up on me more and more, before it was only when drinking now that has expanded to "whenever there is a risler and filter about".

Before I never really understood cravings but now I regret every single fag I've smoked, both from a health and financial view.

My main point is that I want to cut down and eventually stop and wondered if any of guys have had an success? Those nicotine patches don't do sod all for me.

Re: Smoking.
 

Well I do smoke, and I have tried to quit in small periods because of work being told it was strictly not allowed to be done, smelling of smoke and such. So the best advice I can give you is that if its not working for you now, and yes I completely agree those patches are rubbish, you should wait for a stress free period, its very easy here. I'm talking times like summer holidays off school or college if you're there, because if you are in either of them they really make it that bit more difficult to stop yourself.

And obviously whatever amount you're on now think of that as the most you'll ever be, no point in raising the habit when you have an eye for quitting.

Re: Smoking.
 

I'm pretty much the same way, I started smoking the "green stuff" when I was a around 15 years old and slowly started smoking cigarettes. It got worse when I started drinking and it didn't help that everyone around me smoked. I knew it was terrible and I tried quitting a few times. My husband had a big roll in my quitting, and I haven't have a cigarette in 2 years. That time around I REALLY wanted to quit and my willpower was very high! During that time I was drinking only water, so when I quit I decided to start drinking a little bit of Soda again. I also chewed a lot of gum and carried bags of mixed nuts with me to munch on. It was honestly a lot easier that time then the previous times I tried to quit. By the time I got pregnant, I was completely over wanting cigarettes.

Now the smell of smoke just disgusts me. Looking at it now I see how gross and awful it really is and wish I never started smoking. A lot of people these days or at least here in America are very disrespectful to those who don't smoke. There is always employees of one of my local Wal-Marts that are always smoking right beside the front door in front of customers. It pisses me off, I have to take my baby daughter through that smoke. I have complained a few times, hopefully this time it actually works :/

Re: Smoking.
 

I never tried the patches or the gum as I had heard both were near useless (and simply replaced one addiction with another), but I more or less decided to go cold turkey and stuck with that, always reminding myself it wasn't worth the $$ (the health aspect is meh, it's not my greatest concern with smoking).

One thing I can recommend is keeping yourself busy. I used to smoke a lot when I was at school because besides classes, I had nothing else to do. I was always waiting for a bus, or waiting long periods in between classes, etc, all moments where I'd kill time by smoking. When I wanted to cut down on my smoking, I found better ways to occupy my time. If I decided to stay in the library longer and read more, I ended up smoking less, stuff like that. Cutting down the amount I smoked on a daily basis really helped quitting later on.

Re: Smoking.
 

Don't get addicted in the first place?

I have two ideas that may provide a solution.

1. You could try chewing. I've always preferred chewing tobacco to cigarettes myself.

2. You might also try switching from cigarettes to cigarillos; basically mini cigars. Use them to ween yourself of the cigarettes. But when you switch to the cigars don't inhale the smoke all the way. Pull the smoke into your mouth only, the exhale it. This still delivers the effect but with much less potency. Might be useful in quitting altogether.

Note, I have never tried to quit because I've never been addicted. So I have no proof this would work, I'm just speaking from my experience in using various kinds of tobacco.

Re: Smoking.
 

I used to smoke. Mostly to help with nerves. I get really nervous in unscripted social situations and in interviews... driving. Stuff like that anyway. Having cigs helped take some of the edge off.

Quitting I didn't have any particular plan or any hard limits on it. I find that when I set myself boundaries that if I cross I've failed and I cross them, I start thinking really negatively and feeling like I'm worthless just makes it harder not to cross the same line next time. So, I try to give myself as few chances to fail as possible.

What I did was whenever I wanted a cigarette and didn't have one, immediately on making the decision, No I'm not going to. I gave myself something nice; a candy or a cookie or a bit of energy drink or whatever; an immediate hit of something physiologically rewarding. I also remembered to keep telling myself nice things about myself when I didn't have one. It sounds silly but those sort of, "Hurray! You did it! Look, that's one you didn't smoke! That's 10 cigarettes you didn't have today! Well done!" Mental narratives can really help you think better of yourself. Over time exercising the willpower not to do it became easier.

If you're like me, big abstract bribes don't really work. Recent studies suggest that some people when asked to picture themselves standing on a beach in a year's time the part of their brain that operates is more to do with imagining a third party on the beach than themselves really. And those results for those people seem to correlate with having much less ... enticement from abstract rewards, deferred success, that kind of thing. I wonder whether that ties in with how easy some people find it to quit vs others with strategies based on buying yourself something nice with the money saved from cigarettes down the line :uhm:

But, yes. That's generally how I alter my habits. Minimise the chances for hard failures, maximise the immediate returns on good behaviours and tie it into a positive mental narrative.

Re: Smoking.
 

You could use an e-cig. Two of my siblings have done so. Still get your fix, but you don't get that smell. From what I've heard, it is also a bit easier to ween yourself off of them than it is for regular cigs, but I can't confirm that myself, as I don't smoke either e-cigs or regular cigs.





On a somewhat related note, I've always like the smell of unsmoked pipe tobacco, particularly regular Captain Black pipe tobacco.

Re: Smoking.
 

Ryojin has a point, electronic cigarettes are the addictive nicotine of a regular cigarette without the carcinogens. I don't know if they are easier to ween off of or not, but in theory, you get your fix without the cancer.

But, you look like a total doofus smoking them, in my opinion.

Re: Smoking.
 

Thats a problem I have, nearly all my close friends smoke including my mum, step Dad and brother sometimes it's difficult.

Yeah I have to admit it is those 'inbetween moments' that get me, waiting for a bus, walking somewhere etc. From what you have said it does seem to be doing nothing that gets me.

Wasn't exactly my plan :rolleyes:

Sounds like a good idea, do they help cut down the nicotine addiction?

Actually sounds like something that would work for me. Cheers for the advice; I'll give it a shot.


My parents used them for a bit and I had a go, didn't like them at all, probably shoudl of included that in the OP. There is just no feeling of the smoke and I ended up taking huge drags and smoking the equivalent of 10 fags much faster than I normally would.

Cheers for the replies guys. I think I'm going to give all of it a go.

Re: Smoking.
 

Maybe conditioning can help. If you associate smoking with something disgusting or painful you'll probably stop after a while. For every draw on a cig drink a sip of coal (from a pharmacy, sold as medicine for when you have a flu) dissolved in water. Tastes horrible.

Re: Smoking.
 

Well they have way more nicotine in them then cigarettes... so it probabley wouldn't be a good idea to smoke one multiple times a day. In a perfect world, just one Cigarillo would give you your fix for a whole day by satisfying your nicotine cravings. I don't know how that would translate to real life though. It may work completely opposite.

Re: Smoking.
 

Professional to consult: hypnotherapist.

Medicines to take: Caladium and Chemomilla. Available at homeopathic stores.

Re: Smoking.
 

Statistically speaking, going cold turkey is the most successful way of quitting smoking by quite a large margin (which incidentally makes all of those companies selling patches and shit just as evil as cigarette companies, because all they're doing is keeping you addicted to nicotine).

For me, I just have to ask myself - do I enjoy smoking? Personally I do, so I carry on. When I decide that I don't enjoy it anymore, I'll stop. I did successfully stop via the cold turkey method a couple of years ago (it had nothing to do with trying to hook up with a girl who didn't like smokers). But I missed the social element of it, and I missed how relaxing it can be, and bizarrely enough I even missed the taste, so I resumed it.

Re: Smoking.
 

aye doesn't that up your chances of mouth cancer tho?

me I smoke, my lungs aren't that bad...hell I've been smoking for 10 years...and still can blow up a 24" inch balloon (plus earn a few buck with bets that people that think I'll pass out, earned 40 bucks to date) with barely being out of breath or lightheaded.

Re: Smoking.
 

I suppose chewing tobacco can increase the risk of mouth and throat cancer, but it all depends on the person, much like smoking. I know several people that have chewed consistently their whole lives and are now in their fifties and sixties with no signs of cancer. On the other hand I've known guys that chewed for ten years and got throat cancer.

Re: Smoking.
 

^ This. I quit for about a year before buying a pack a few weeks ago, and I did so by going cold turkey (though I did cut back on my smoking for a few weeks before stopping all together). I do miss the social aspects of it, some of the best people I met at school happened while waiting outside for a class to start, having a cigarette. Lending them a lighter or giving them an extra smoke when they had run out, smoking outside a bar with a bunch of strangers usually led to conversations and such, good times. When I worked in a warehouse I got to know a lot of my fellow employees while on smoke breaks.

I would miss the social aspect of it more if my friends smoked cigarettes, so we could smoke together outside bars or something. Instead they're all pot-heads who dislike cigarettes (and going out to bars, because "getting high is better"), so while I can smoke freely outside in public, they're huddled in someone's car getting stoned and spending the next hour or so half-trying not to look high and stupid.

I'll probably quit again soon, this recent break was just a temporary step away from the path I guess. I hate smoking in summer, especially in the hot and muggy summers of Southern Ontario when it's 35 C outside with absurd humidity, always made me feel utterly sick (though the hot/humid summers always killed me, even without smoking).

Re: Smoking.
 

I smoked for 20 plus years and stopped 15 months ago and I have not had any real cravings.
I used patches but dont think you slap on a patch and thats it. You have the patches to help you cut down and then you stop.
I enjoyed smoking but you can easily stop if you really want to but if you dont want to then you wont. My doctor saidpeople generally fail 2 or 3 times so dont feel badif you have a sligh smoke while trying to quit.

Re: Smoking.
 

I honestly don't get all this talk about "social aspect" of it. Truth be told, there are many, many other ways to socialize without jeopardizing the health of yourself and others. Why start in the first place?
Personally, I don't think you should've, but I guess it's each to his own.

My father smoked for about 25 years and recently decided to stop. He's also one of those peeps who use the electronic cigarette. I'm glad he did so; no more whining (considering I forbade any smoking near me) from me about how he should go outdoors to smoke instead of indoors.

Even though smoking may very well be an addiction, it's still not really hard to quit from an addiction. Ultimately it'll come down to your willpower. If you really want to stop, you will. Be dedicated.

Been there, done that. Well, other things anyway.

Re: Smoking.
 

Not all addictions are equal. Cigarettes, and heroin. ;)

Re: Smoking.
 

Regardless of the truth of that statement, it still comes down to the individual. Nobody's going to be able to remove the addiction from yourself but you. Discipline. :)

Re: Smoking.
 

The social aspect is more a byproduct of the smoking than a reason one starts smoking (though I'm sure that's not the case for everyone). When you've got a group of strangers that are more or less confined to certain areas outdoors where they can smoke at certain times (such as worktime breaks), they'll get to talking and socializing, and that's what we're getting at when talking about the 'social aspect' of smoking.

It's a tad irresponsible, but I'm tired of the 'jeopardizing your health and the health of others' argument. I'm sorry, but if I'm smoking a cigarette, I'm not immediately concerned with what my lungs will look like 30 years from now if I keep it up. Frankly, I think I'm okay with not living to 70 or 80 years old. I've lived with my 90-year old grandmother, I have an idea of what old age looks like and it looks like it kinda sucks. I'm also a little indifferent about the effect of 10 seconds of second hand smoke on the person walking past me while I'm smoking. Shit, people get all kinds of cancer these days, often without the involvement of smoking cigarettes.

I'm a little more concerned about the amount of high fructose corn syrup in foods than I am about the carcinogens in cigarettes.
Depends on the addiction, the person, and the situation they find themselves in in their personal lives. It can be very hard to kick an addiction, even if you really want to stop it. It's not always as easy as saying "be dedicated."

Re: Smoking.
 

I can sort of see both aspects to it. You need to have willpower; which seems to be a function of having self confidence and so on built on accomplishing smaller goals, I don't think anyone starts off with a whole bunch of willpower. But there are things you can do that make your willpower go a lot further.

Re: Smoking.
 

Thats what I thought as well, I was told by my doctor that eating while smoking is awfully bad, let alone chewing tobacco.

I didn't start for the social aspect, infact it started from smoking green. By socialise he means that you meet people when smoking, green is very sociable I find.
If my mate rang me and asked to hang out and just talk I wouldn't be too bothered, mix in a jay or two and you got yourself a decent hang out. I'm not saying it is necessary(sp?) to have a good time but it helps.

That first sentence annoys me. An addiction is one of the hardest things to quit, thats what addiction means. Plus how can you comment on saying "it's not really hard to quit" when you don't have it yourself? QUite close minded.



I think overall from the feedback I'm just going to go coldturkey starting today, hopefully I won't turn into a jackass.

Re: Smoking.
 

I don't smoke and I hate if someone smokes with my company

Re: Smoking.
 

I think what he means is, and I agree to some extent if this is the case, that when you quit smoking it's not the substance addiction itself that's the hard part to overcome, but the actual habit of smoking. Like, going out for a drink and resisting the urge to have a cigarette along with your beer, or, stopping yourself from having your first cigarette of the day. I know for me I didn't really suffer from the cravings too badly after the first couple of days - the hard part for me was stopping myself from smoking at all of those times when I usually smoked.

Re: Smoking.
 

Best of luck! ^_^

Re: Smoking.
 

If getting a lung cancer is not that usual from smoking, chronic obstructive airway disease quite is. I know a former heavy smoker who has it, he can't do anything without breathing problems and has a breathing apparatus helper. That doesn't seem too appealing.

Since tastes and smells can be the same, smoking tobacco seems like putting ash to your mouth for me. A 20-tobacco pack costs around 4.5 Euros so it's expensive as well.

Re: Smoking.
 

You mean a ventilator, or he's on A Home oxygen concentrator?

Re: Smoking.
 

I used to say similar things, and thought addicted people were weak (not that that's necessarily what graeme meant to come across as thinking). Then I realized I didn't understand addiction at all because I was looking at it from the outside in. :moon:


Good luck! I beliiiiieeeeve you can flyyyyy

Re: Smoking.
 

A home oxygen concentrator. Has to keep 8 hours on every day, but it's not helping that much. It's quite a crappy condition because there's no cure and your lungs keep getting worse and worse, eventually disabling pretty much all physical activity.

He used to smoke three packs of 20 cigarettes every day. Quit 30 years ago though.

Re: Smoking.
 

20 tobacco pack as in 20g or 20 straights? Either one of those for 4.5 Euros is pretty damn cheap compared to here.

I ALWAYS COULD FLY, YOU DON'T KNOW ME.

(But thanks man)
Day 1-Having a lunch break without a fag is surprisingly difficult:lulz:

Re: Smoking.
 

eh you do know what a fag is over the west right....and how I'm laughing my ass off...

Re: Smoking.
 

You mean North America, I'm English we still use the terms gay, bender or more recently bumder.

Re: Smoking.
 

Never heard that last one O_o

Oh, and there's queer, of course

Re: Smoking.
 

You foreigners and not watching the Inbetweeners.

Re: Smoking.
 

Nem isn't foreign.

Well, he's foreign to all popular culture. But as 'bumder' is one of the wittier inventions of The Inbetweeners, I don't think he's missing too much.

Re: Smoking.
 

That's an absurdly high number of cigarettes. I don't think I've smoked more than 25 in a day and that was a hellishly stressed out day, and after that many, often 4-5 in a row, I would start to feel like like shit and taste/smell like an astray. Regularly, I don't think I'd have more than 5-6 a day, and a 'bad' day wouldn't be more than 10-15 in a single day (and they'd be spaced out pretty good too).

I know a few people who are pack-a-day kind of people (20-25 a day) and one person who is a two pack-a-day guy, but three is just crazy. IMO, I consider a pack-a-day to be a lot, and two packs a day to be falling on the side of excessive. I can certainly understand why he'd have severe lung problems after having 60 a day for a long period of time.

Re: Smoking.
 

Some people just sit there and light one off the end of the last. If a cig takes a couple of minutes to smoke then 60 is only two hours smoking. And, you know, some people just sit there in front of the TV or computer day after day with a cig in one hand and a drink in the other.

I knew people when I was at university who did that. Can easily imagine them going through 60 a day.

I don't know what the actual numbers are though, I never bothered to time it.

Re: Smoking.
 

Yes, starting from 4.5 Euros starting for a 20 pcs pack. A big chunk of that is tax. Well not too surprising it can be more expensive, but atleast American smokers will have it cheaper because of more lax taxation. With around 5 euros/20pcs, you can calculate how much money you use on tobacco each year and will come to some pretty high numbers.

I asked him again about that, and he did say he smoked 2 packs (40 cigarettes) on a normal day but often on some days 3 packs too. I even had to ask whether he was talking about 20 cigarette packs, and yes he was. =p Quit completely after his doctor pretty much just said you will die if you won't, but I suppose it's slightly interesting the major lung problems started only a long time after quitting.

Re: Smoking.
 

That show is brilliant.
...of course now I'm doubting how you'll take that, given the context.


How's the quitting going?

Re: Smoking.
 

Never even heard of it. Don't own a TV =p

Re: Smoking.
 

Go for a walk if the urge hits you during breaks. Gives you something to do and keeps you away from the smell. Think of all the gals that hate bad breath. ;)

Re: Smoking.
 

That's no excuse, I don't own one either. You have a computer, bloody watch it you bus wanker! <3

Re: Smoking.
 

I only watch one or two shows. The reason? It's surprisingly very hard to get invested in any of the new shows. Even Arrested Development, which has great ratings, I found got pretty repetitive after a while.

Re: Smoking.
 

I take back everything I've ever said about The Inbetweeners. Seeing an American refer to somebody as a bus wanker is all the justification I need for the show's continued existence.