Smokers And Past Smokers- I have some questions for a project.

[sheaviance1]

1. What age were you when you started smoking? 16

2. What age are you now? 38

3. How has smoking effected you medically? "Smoker's cough" and sometimes I wheeze at night, and shortness of breath when exerting myself

4. How many cigarettes/packs do you smoke a day, on average? A pack a day

5. Have you ever tried to quit? Yes, so many times that I may as well quit quitting.

6. What brand do you smoke? Marlboro Medium 100's

7. How has it effected people around you? Contrary to popular belief, my smoking doesn't effect the people around me, trying to quit effects them because of the monster that I become. I have always been one of the "polite" smoker's who doesn't smoke around non-smokers as a general rule.

8. Do you regret smoking? If not, BE HONEST. Absolutely!!! I HATE my habit, and have sincerely tried to quit it. Hypnosis, accupressure, the patch, the gum, the lozenges, cold turkey, cutting down, putting pictures of lung diseases in my smoking area, supplementing with sunflower seeds (which made the cigs I smoked anyway taste terrible), walking whenever the urge hit, walking uphill whenever a craving strikes, praying, hiding from everyone in order to smoke, you name it, I have tried it, oh, forgot zyban, nothing seems to help my cravings. You would think after my Mom passing away after an 8 year battle with lung cancer I would quit easily.... I will tell you that the sunflower seeds came closer to helping me fight off cravings than anything else because your hands and mouth were busy all the time, and it truly did make them taste terrible. With my high stress level I always cave in because nothing else brings that inner peace like my cigarette.

ETA 9. Why did I start smoking? Well, both my parents smoked, and I can remember that there was no money for things like roller-skating but there was always money for cigs. I wanted to see why they liked it so much, so I picked one up and smoked it. When I did, I enjoyed the head rush that I got. I picked the next one up because I knew I had gotten away with something (my parents were pretty strict) and to see if I still got a head rush. Then I realized that when I smoked, I calmed down, and I really liked that. I just kept doing it. It was a STUPID reason to start, and I am definitely not blaming my parents, because I chose to try it.

10. Why did you start back? On my numerous times that I tried to quit, after just a few days, I couldn't stand the monster I became. You know that filter that a person is supposed to have between their brain and their mouth, well, apparently, mine is in the end of my cigarette.....

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Quote:
I started because smoking calmed my nerves. I was being hunted by my male parent and beaten every time I was found somewhere. He once came into the teen hangout and snatched me by my hair and drug me out the door, took me to their(parents) house and pistol whipped the mess out of me. So now you know. Your attitude IS offensive. Now, go smear cat crap in your hair.

My answers:
1. 18 virtually homeless, and STRESSED OUT
2. 34
3. hasn't really
4. 1 pack a day
5. yep and I did for a week
6. roll your own cheapy's
7. It hasn't, doesn't. I don't smoke around non smokers without verbal permission. I still have manners.
8. sometimes. It's costly, but so is fast food and I quit that instead.

 

[BarkerChickens]

DH used to smoke, so this info is his responses. (I have never smoked)

1. What age were you when you started smoking? 16 yrs old
2. What age are you now? 41 years old (quit smoking about 10 mos ago)
3. How has smoking effected you medically? advanced aging, less lung capacity, coughing while smoking
4. How many cigarettes/packs do you smoke a day, on average? one pack a day of non-filtered cigarettes
5. Have you ever tried to quit? About six or so. Twice was for a year. Most recently was 10 mos ago and haven't gone back since.
6. What brand do you smoke? Many brands....Camels, Basics, GPCs, etc. Primarily non-filtered cigarettes.
7. How has it effected people around you? Smells nasty, bad breath
8. Do you regret smoking? Yes

 

[danielle82]

I quit smoking a few years ago, but I'll post my answers anyways

1. What age were you when you started smoking? 18

2. What age are you now? I am 28 now, quit once at age 21, started again a few months later, and quit the final time at age 23

3. How has smoking effected you medically? I don't think I have any health issues from it

4. How many cigarettes/packs do you smoke a day, on average? I did about a pack a day or a few less

5. Have you ever tried to quit? I did

6. What brand do you smoke? GPC or an off brand "nice"

7. How has it affected people around you? When I smoked I usually hung out with other smokers ( IMO the smokers always seem more "friendly" than other people, not that they are just seemed that way to me when I was a smoker), so I didn't notice that it affected anyone...

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
#8?

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
I started because smoking calmed my nerves. I was being hunted by my male parent and beaten every time I was found somewhere. He once came into the teen hangout and snatched me by my hair and drug me out the door, took me to their(parents) house and pistol whipped the mess out of me. So now you know. Your attitude IS offensive. Now, go smear cat crap in your hair.

My answers:
1. 18 virtually homeless, and STRESSED OUT
2. 34
3. hasn't really
4. 1 pack a day
5. yep and I did for a week
6. roll your own cheapy's
7. It hasn't, doesn't. I don't smoke around non smokers without verbal permission. I still have manners.
8. sometimes. It's costly, but so is fast food and I quit that instead.

WOW. PLEASE DON'T say anything like that on this thread. I NEED it to remain open for my project. Please, please please, no. I get your point. but say it nicer, say it on PM, or don't say it at all.

 

[Strange_Screams]

we know its a bad habit, either we want to quit or we dont, but most of us have done are best to go outside, not throw down butts, stop smoking in the house, the car , at hospitals we walk miles to go to the designated smoking section, just because you asked us to.

so why for the love of god, to you insist on walking right next to the smoking section, cough repeatedly and give us dirty looks, when there is another sidewalk just over there where you could have stayed completely away from our nastiness?

thats what fascinates me

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
PLEASE. ENOUGH. have you not read what im saying?

 

[Tala]

1. What age were you when you started smoking? 20 or 21 (I forget)
2. What age are you now? 24
3. How has smoking effected you medically? well, I do get out of breath easier with cardio type exercise, but I'm also in the worst shape of my life so it may not be all from smoking. I have an extremely sedentry job now whereas I used to essentially "work out" for a living. I used to walk my dogs every day for over an hour, and I haven't walked them in months (one got a sore leg, had to rest, and the rest of us got lazy)
4. How many cigarettes/packs do you smoke a day, on average? about a pack a day
5. Have you ever tried to quit? I've quit several times, but honestly its hard to stay quit when your spouse smokes. I would be home free if there were no cigs in the house after I quit

6. What brand do you smoke? Marboro lights, now I smoke the Special Blend lights, or "gold" as they call them now but not all gas stations have them
7. How has it effected people around you? It doesn't really. Most of my coworkers smoke, my best friend dips, and like I said my hubby smokes, so. . . .actually a lot of not-very-close friends don't realize that I smoke because I don't smoke around them.
8. Do you regret smoking? If not, BE HONEST. I enjoy smoking. When I quit enjoying it, I give it a break for a while

The downside is that it's expensive, and probably bad for me (but so is a lot of other stuff)

ETA: 9. Why did you start smoking?
Well, I was seeing a guy who smoked and I liked the taste
I was also at a very stressful job (boss hated everyone, especially me) AND in the process of moving AND changing jobs. I took up smoking when I started my new job because I didn't have anything else to do on my breaks and that's what everyone else did. Plus, cigs were cheaper than eating and money was SUPER tight!!!

#10 I've quit a few times, but never really stayed quit. Pretty much explained above​

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
PLEASE. ENOUGH. have you not read what im saying?

Nick,
You are asking about a very touchy subject and I havent seen anything bad enough that the mods would close this thread. Dont worry-I think you got your 12 people didnt you?-if you did and are worried about what people are saying you should close the thread to protect the info you have Otherwise the comments will keep coming..Im sorry