Smokers Corner...

Are you a smoker?
How old were you when you started?
Have you ever tried to quit and how did it go? What remedies did you use?
Do you hate it when people try to make you quit and find that you dig your heels in?

I'm a really bad smoker. I light up one after the other and I'm a git when people try to make me quit because I always do the complete opposite, which means I get even worse than before.
I started as an occasional smoker when I was 13, but it wasn't untill I was 18 that I finally became a full smoker.
My mum and step-dad were both smokers but they refused to let me do it in the house, NOT because they didn't want me to do it at all. In fact, THEY encouraged me, but when I did become one, they refused me admission into the house I was paying rent on when I was smoking.

I have tried to quit, twice. The first time I went cold turkey, using no remedy to help me because I knew I could do it. I succeeded, but then I went on this course and when I found out everyone smoked, the temptation was too great.

The second time, I tried the patches because I'd been smoking for a few years at this point. However, I found out I'm actually alergic to nicotine replacement therapy, which is just my luck! So now, I'm resigned to the fact I may be a smoker for the rest of my days.

I don't mind smoking though. Obviously, I won't recommend it, just look at what I've had to go through, and I'm sure other people have just as much trouble stopping as I have. But for me, I enjoy it so I don't want to stop.

I'm all for helping people stop smoking, but what I don't like is the adverts they're now showing on TV, where young kids say they're scared their parents will die if they don't stop smoking. Well, if they want people to stop so much because they might die, then transport must be stopped, weapons must be seized completely, etc. There are so many things that could kill a person, not just smoking, which might not even be the cause of a person's death.
Why stop people doing something that they enjoy, or something that helps them remain calm? It should be a person's choice. It's not right to guilt people into stopping. You can't wrap the world up in cotton wool.
Not to mention, where would the money for the country come from if no one smoked?
Plus, the government should realise that forcing people into doing something, undoubtedly almost always causes people to rebel.

Meh I don't smoke and I don't like the idea of second hand smoke either. If people want to do it there welcome to kill themselves just not when I'm there. No offense meant Mai. The adverts are fine IMO if they make people think twice about picking up a cigarate espically youths as once you begin its hard to give it up. I'd rather people did weed honestly...

Sun Fin wrote:

Meh I don't smoke and I don't like the idea of second hand smoke either. If people want to do it there welcome to kill themselves just not when I'm there. No offense meant Mai. The adverts are fine IMO if they make people think twice about picking up a cigarate espically youths as once you begin its hard to give it up. I'd rather people did weed honestly...

No offence taken, Sun Fin. I completely understand the idea that second hand can be just as harmful as smoking yourself. In fact, I do try to cut down when I have people around and I hardly smoke when I'm out shopping because I have trouble breathing anyway.

My only peeve is that it's a choice, just like buying a car, which can also be the cause of many deaths per year (admittedly not as many as smoking but I'm just making a point). If the world wants to stop us doing everything that kills us, they should deter people from driving full stop, not just when people drink and drive. Not to mention mobile phones, music, games, movies, tea, coffee, etc....all of which have potential influences that kill.

Oh don't get me wrong, smoking is by far the worse, but the way we're constantly being reminded not to do things that could kill us, we'll all be living one hell of a boring life, rather than 'living it to the full' as we're always being told, and we'll most likely have to go around in full-suited armour or cotton wool

I agree with you up to a point. I think our society is to obsesed with keeping people safe and it means life is boring to be honest BUT I don't think smoking is the right way to go about it. I don't want it to be illegal espically but I don't object to adverts about smoking. Espically when you consider that the kids whose parents smoke are likely to be 2nd hand smokers themselves which is dangerous to them!

Sun Fin wrote:

I agree with you up to a point. I think our society is to obsesed with keeping people safe and it means life is boring to be honest BUT I don't think smoking is the right way to go about it. I don't want it to be illegal espically but I don't object to adverts about smoking. Espically when you consider that the kids whose parents smoke are likely to be 2nd hand smokers themselves which is dangerous to them!

Oh I completely agree, babe. Both my parents and step-parents and grandparents smoked. Now look at me. But my sister isn't and neither is my brother. My step-brother Mits is though.

It's a bit of a 50/50 subject but I do understand that the majority of kids with smoking parents, lean towards being smokers themselves more.

My issue however, is that we're being forced to stop smoking. I think most people will agree, when you're forced to do something, more times than not, you'll do the complete opposite. It's like there's a switch in our heads that says: NO! I'm not doing what you tell me to do, so there!
I know, it's really childish, but it's in our nature to rebel, because we want to find our own way in life.

It doesn't just switch on when we're told to stop smoking, it comes when we're told not to take drugs, or climb up on a railing because we might get hurt, or not to look in the cupboard for your Christmas presents because you'll be disappointed. It's just one of those things.

All we can do is be there with support if something does go wrong, because no one, and I don't mean just smokers, wants to hear, "I told you so", or "If you hadn't done that, you wouldn't be going through this", or "If he had listened he would still be here".

It doesn't change what's already happened and it doesn't show people the support they need.

This extends to trying to stop something before it happens, that might not even happen anyway. I certainly don't want to get to 80 and say, "Oh I wish I done this and not listened when they told me not to! Now there's no way I'm going to be able to do it."

I lost a very close friend when I was about 11. We did everything we could together, me and my friends, Matt and Graham (not their real names, I'm sure you'll understand). Anyway, Matt and Graham were out one day playing and they asked me to go with them. They said they were going to climb on the garages near my house. My mum heard and told them not to, saying I couldn't go if that was what we were going to be doing. They said they wouldn't and left but I still couldn't go.

About an hour later, we got a call. Matt had fallen off the garages onto a fence that surrounded them. He hit his head and died instantly.

I was devastated, as was Graham, but instead of helping me through it, my mum kept telling me how she saved me and I should be glad it wasn't me. In fact, she couldn't have been more wrong.

Anyway, my point is, because my friends were told not to, they went and did it anyway. Graham kept telling me that Matt died having fun and that was all that mattered, and I agree. If he hadn't and he lived his life wrapped in wool and shielded from everything that could hurt him, we'd be saying he died a healthy 90 year old.....but that's all he had to his credit.

Too your last point that was a very well presented idea and one that I certainly feel some sympathy for.

I understand human nature as thats the reason I tend not to do my H/W but I think the adverts are a good way of hitting home to those who aren't smoking yet and I think thats a good thing.

Sun Fin wrote:

Too your last point that was a very well presented idea and one that I certainly feel some sympathy for.

I understand human nature as thats the reason I tend not to do my H/W but I think the adverts are a good way of hitting home to those who aren't smoking yet and I think thats a good thing.

Thanks, babe!

And I completely agree that the adverts would deter the non-smokers. But I think they now need to stop saying, "I'm scared my dad might die because he's a smoker", and start saying instead, "what's the point in becoming a breathless, addicted, black-lunged smoker, when you don't have to be?"....or something along those lines.

If my kids (which I don't have yet thankfully...I'm not a very good mother, as I'm sure you'll agree when you've read this)....If my kids tried to guilt me into quitting smoking, using "I don't want you to die mummy....wah!", I'd feel obligated to do so, obviously, I'd start to resent them, which I wouldn't want to do. Just as I would resent my partner if he told me, "You can't be friends with Graham because I'll get jealous!" Graham's been my friend for 24 years, I'm not going to give up that friendship just because I'm told to, not even for the love of my life.

So adverts should definitely be more targeted to non-smokers, not the one's who already do, because we're either a lost cause or we'll give up when WE feel the time is right.

I do smoke. Started when I was either 13 or 14. Don't remember really. Used to smoke about 50 a day but managed to reduce to about 15 a day half a year ago. Stopped for about 3 months in 2002. That was easy as. Never used any patches as I see no point in swapping one nicotine addiction for another. May stop again pretty soon as my stamina that's never been great in the first place is pretty nonexistant now.

The Phoenix wrote:

I do smoke. Started when I was either 13 or 14. Don't remember really. Used to smoke about 50 a day but managed to reduce to about 15 a day half a year ago. Stopped for about 3 months in 2002. That was easy as. Never used any patches as I see no point in swapping one nicotine addiction for another. May stop again pretty soon as my stamina that's never been great in the first place is pretty nonexistant now.

I know what you mean mate, stamina is greatly affected by smoking; mine was excellent before I took up the 'tabs'...now I doubt I could out-sprint an arthritic tortoise...

I smoke too much, I know that, but like any smoker will tell you: 'I have to WANT to give up'.

Right now, I don't want to.