Smoking

[Gary Floyd 0]

I'm not a smoker, but my mom smokes. She's been smoking since I was a kid. She quit for a while, but old habits sometimes come back. Now whenever I'm around someone smoking, I'm pretty much used to it-especially when I visit her, though she doesn't smoke as much as she used to.

[vivalaultra 0]

Weeeeellllll, another thing is that cig'rettes have gotten ass expensive over the last year, I reckon. A-yup, I used to could buy a pack of Camel or Marlboro fer about $3.75, but this year they raised the dadgum price of cig'rettes a nickel a cig'rette, so now I spend about $5 a pack, and a carton is damn near $40. I reckon I could just smoke a cheap brand like Sport or them Harly Davidson cig'rettes, but I have refined taste. Ev'rytime I make the drive over yonder to Loosiyana, I load up on cig'rettes fer because they're still relatively cheap over that way. I can stills get 'em for a right price, I reckon; I just got ta go down the road a piece.

 

Edit: Edited to add Texan drawl.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

I used to could

Oh man, because of this, I'm reading all your posts with a heavy Texan drawl from now on.

[Golgo 13 0]

Colorado instituted a statewide ban last year. The only places allowed are casinos, cigar bars and the DIA smoking lounge but the legislature is even pushing for the removal of the casino and cigar bar exemptions.

[spman 0]

Smoking indoors is completely banned here in CT too. Some places bars still allow it, figuring that whatever fines they'd be hit with would still be less then the lost business. Casinos are exempt though since they're owned by the Indians and not governed by the state.

[k thx 0]

Come the summer, you wont be able to smoke in any bars/pubs.restaurants etc in the UK.

[EricMM 0]

Smokers must be having a cow.

[snuffbox 0]

Man.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I think it'd be fine if smoking was prohibited indoors and there'd be a patio or whatever outside to have a cig. I hate going to bars with a shitload of smoke and coming out reeking of carcinogens.

[A Happy Medium 0]

I have been feeling the price hike on cigarettes here in Texas. I have to go to the CVS Pharmacy to find a pack that costs less than 4.50. I find it quite ironic. I'm actually considering going straight for the Dunhill Reds at my local supermarket for the fact that the tax hike didn't include those cigarettes. I may have to pay fifty cents more for the cigarettes, but I realize that they make me smoke less. I go down to less than a pack a day if I smoke them. It's strange.

 

As for quitting. I have gone for a month on two seperate occasions. Once I went cold turkey, which was terrible, and the second time I used patches. I would use patches if I were you. Mental cravings only last about five minutes or so, then you are fine for a while.

 

And you will not quit because of alcohol. People are prone to chain smoking when drinking. The two just go together too well.

[vivalaultra 0]

So, my brother's got a baby on the way and he decided to quit smoking. He decided to go all 'new age hippie' and get acupuncture. I don't think it worked, but now he has several tiny wounds on his back.

 

I also heard that it's easier to quit smoking if you fast for a couple days while going cold turkey. Something about the cravings being related to the hypothalamus which also regulates hunger, and if you're not eating, since it's one of the necessary bodily activities, the hypothalamus concentrates on the hunger and lessens the craving. I guess that's why smoking is so much fun after meals (and after Macgyver).

[Guest Vitamin X]

not enough texan drawl.

[Copper Feel 0]

No, but his first paragraph was rather humourous.

[Matt Young 0]

I have told a few friends about this, and the ones that hang out with me regularly know, but a month ago today, I quit smoking cigarettes. I had smoked for over 4 years, beginning in late March of 2003. I wanted to wait a month before announcing this because I did not know if I'd be able to stick with it.

 

Honestly, I still enjoyed them and never had a desire to quit, but one day I just decided I had had enough. I gave the half pack of Newports I had left to my friend Aaron and I haven't touched one since.

 

The main reason I quit was for the sake of my workouts. I have put a ton of effort into gaining muscle in the past year plus, and I wanted to be able to push myself to the next level. Cigarettes worked against that. Also, I'm sure it will help my singing voice, and music is a major interest of mine.

 

Most people who quit or attempt to claim that it is very difficult for them, but honestly, it has been fairly easy for me. I have not really had any physical cravings. I had mental cravings for a while, but those have passed.

 

The only adverse effect I have experienced has been trouble sleeping (even more so than before) but it's a small price to pay. All I have to say is, thank God for caffeine.

 

So that's it. I just wanted to make that announcement. If anyone else needs help quitting, feel free to contact me and I will help in any way that I can.

[Guest step up, ghetto blaster.]

and if anybody needs help rationalizing their addiction, feel free to contact me and I will help make that happen for you. in fact, I will talk you into smoking more.

 

less than two packs a day means you're not really a man.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

Well, Indiana's cigarette tax is going up 45 cents. I'll probably start rolling my own.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

Do bear in mind that I've never smoked a cigarette in my life, so maybe I'm underestimating the stress-relieving effects of nicotine...

 

Oh it's wonderful