Now I don't smoke and I'm not trying to pass judgement on anyone who does, to each their own.

However I've always been very curious for those that DO smoke.
Why do you smoke? Like besides the obvious addiction to it, I mean, everyone knows side effects of smoking and the very real possiblity of death my lung cancer. Knowing all the things the public knows about smoking, why do you still chose to smoke? and when you do, if you feel you don't really care or believe any of that stuff, do you think of your loved ones and how they feel about you smoking?

I started smoking when I was 17 because all the people I hung out with were doing it and I wasn't trying to fit in. It's just when you're around people that do certain things all the time, you pick it up. I quit for a couple months because my parents found out and I was underage. 2 months after I turned 18, I started back up as my stress-reliever. I want to quit, my grand-father died of lung cancer. But I don't think there's really a point in quitting if you think you're going to start right back. I'm planning on quitting when things settle down and I'm not as stressed.

I started smoking when I was 15 because I saw everyone in my family doing it. It just seemed like the "normal" thing to do. I'm definitely not in denial though. I know all to well the effects of smoking because I watched my grandfather die of lung cancer when I was 17. I quit for 2 years after he died, but started up again one night while I was out drinking and kept smoking. To be honest with you, there was a point in my life where I didn't care whether I lived or died, so I just kept doing it. Now, at the age of 28, I REALLY want to quit, but in the last two years I've had three failed attempts. I've decided that when I try to quit again, it's going to be for good so I'm going to be good and prepared. Currently I'm doing research on some natural assistance (cold turkey, the patch the the gum didn't work for me). As for my family, everyone in my family over the age of 15 smokes and has no plans of ever quitting. Same goes for DB. I'm the only one that has a desire to stop while I'm ahead.

I smoked for 16 years. I started because I thought it was cool. I know that is so cliché but hey it's the truth. During those 16 years I tried quitting 5 times. What would usually get me started back up was stress. I "thought" I felt better after having a cigarette. That's what really kept me smoking. Thinking I was feeling better after smoking one. But then again I usually smoked A LOT more when I would go out and drink. The reason I would smoke more when I would drink was, almost all my friends smoked. I did not want to "stick out like a sore thumb".

On a good note, I quit over one year ago. What finally got me to quit was, one day I looked in my wallet to see if I had enough money to buy a pack of cigarettes. Seeing that I had enough for either a pack of smokes or a gallon of milk. Well the milk won and the smokes lost. I would rather put food on the table for my family then a cigarette in my mouth.

I smoked for 10 years and quit the day I found out I was pregnant. I haven't touched them since... having Riley was all it took for me to quit. Like you said, smoking affects more people than just the smoker, in more ways than one...

Sorry if this is rude, but I think the whole I did it because everyone else was excuse isnt a good one. My entire family smokes and to this day Ive still never picked one up!

i started smoking when i turned 16--yes it was illegal--but i wanted to see what all the fuss was about. i smoked for about 3 months and then quit. the summer after i turned 17 so 03 i started dating someone that smoked so i was like wth i'll only smoke when i drink well it escalated from there till i was smoking 2+ packs a day, usually 2 but sometimes more...i was also drinking alot but even when i wasn't drinking i still smoked. i stopped cold turkey--number 1 reason why i stopped: dh number 2: i was spending aproximately $45 a week on cigarettes

I started smoking when I was 15 because I saw everyone in my family doing it. It just seemed like the "normal" thing to do. I'm definitely not in denial though. I know all to well the effects of smoking because I watched my grandfather die of lung cancer when I was 17. I quit for 2 years after he died, but started up again one night while I was out drinking and kept smoking. To be honest with you, there was a point in my life where I didn't care whether I lived or died, so I just kept doing it. Now, at the age of 28, I REALLY want to quit, but in the last two years I've had three failed attempts. I've decided that when I try to quit again, it's going to be for good so I'm going to be good and prepared. Currently I'm doing research on some natural assistance (cold turkey, the patch the the gum didn't work for me). As for my family, everyone in my family over the age of 15 smokes and has no plans of ever quitting. Same goes for DB. I'm the only one that has a desire to stop while I'm ahead.

i quit cold turkey from 2 packs a day. if you need any advice or help let me know.

i quit cold turkey from 2 packs a day. if you need any advice or help let me know.

Thank you :hugs I could use any advice and help that you can offer up. I'm at that point again where I just want to quit, but this time I want to do it for good. My only problem is DB smokes aprox. two packs a day and I'm afraid that it's going to make it really hard for me.

Sorry if this is rude, but I think the whole I did it because everyone else was excuse isnt a good one. My entire family smokes and to this day Ive still never picked one up!

It may not be a good enough excuse for you, but that's how it happened for me. Different strokes for different folks.

It may not be a good enough excuse for you, but that's how it happened for me. Different strokes for different folks.

:agree Just because one person doesn't do it, doesn't mean other's don't.

Well I grew up watching my father and my friends parents smoke. When I was 9 my friend and I used to sneak smokes by the time I was 13 I was a addicated smoker. I didn't smoke much but I did smoke. by 15 I was up to 2 packs a day. I kept that up until I was 20 and found out I was pregnant with Zach I quit immediatly I didn't smoke again until after Ash was born and my friends around me (matt was in Korea) were smokers and after the kids went to bed I'd sneak outside and smoke. I quit when Matt came back and then started up again when he went to Iraq. It's really hard to quit but the reason I still smoke is b/c well it's just really hard to quit and well I just don't really want to. Part of me does but most of me doesn't. It helps with stress and I don't know I've been smoking so long. I know it's bad for me and all that but that doesn't do squat for the addication.

I like to smoke thats why I do it. Well I quit the day I found out I was pregnant and I havent smokedsince. I will probably smoke after I have the baby. I started smoking when I was 15 because I had a boyfriend who smoked and at 15 it seemed cool. When I got older it was a social thing . I like going out side and taking a break and lighting up. As far a health risks go , doing anything now a days is a health risk. Tanning causes cancer and most people love to tan,it makes them feel good. drinking is fun,it causes liver damage. At the end we all die. Im not saying go out and smoke , Im saying everyone has there own bad habbits.

Now I don't smoke and I'm not trying to pass judgement on anyone who does, to each their own.

However I've always been very curious for those that DO smoke.
Why do you smoke? Like besides the obvious addiction to it, I mean, everyone knows side effects of smoking and the very real possiblity of death my lung cancer. Knowing all the things the public knows about smoking, why do you still chose to smoke? and when you do, if you feel you don't really care or believe any of that stuff, do you think of your loved ones and how they feel about you smoking?

Sorta for the same reason people still drink Aspartame, caffiene, drink, tan, and do all sorts of other addictive and not good for you things ;) People still drive their cars knowing there is a real possibility they can get in a car crash....Yes lung cancer is real but you can get all sorts of other cancer from normal everyday activities and stuff KWIM? Smoking is actually 1 of the most addictive things out there.

I smoked for many years. Had my first one at the ripe old age of 9. Smoked regularly by 12 and was allowed to smoke by 14 since my mom knew I wasnt gonna quit.... And yes. Think cool. Think popularity. I am old. Think Grease and all that. SMoking was COOL back then. It looked cool if you had a smoke in your hand! The only thing that prompted me to quit was my pregnancy with my son. Then I started after I stopped breastfeeding although I rarely smoked. I liked the relaxation it gave me etc. It was a stress reliever. But I was so concerend wit my son I made it difficult so I wouldnt smoke alot. I would change my clothes, go outside, smoke, come in, wash my hands, change my clothes again, brush my teeth and use mouthwash. Not very enjoyable LOL. I quit when I got pregnant with this baby as well and hopefully will stay quit this time. Yeah I have had family members get lung cancer. some smoking related and some not.

It does irk me, being a former smoker, when my husband smokes and chews. Its alot of wasted money. But whatever. He's addicted. And I know that addiction. But the smell if it grosses me out now (i still love the smell of a FRESH smoke but not the smell that lingers on his clothes, in his hair etc) I can smell if he has a butt in his pocket (he doesnt litter he pockets his butts) I can smell that a mile away and it disgusts me etc. Funny how things change.

well, i smoked in college. partly stress related, partly because it just seemed to go with all the drinking i did in college. :shrug I quit smoking every day when i graduated, but would smoke when i went out to a bar or something. but after a couple years, i started to feel sick to my stomach from it and haven't smoked at all in a couple years.

i wish my boy would quit...it's gonna turn his teeth brown, and mess up his skin, and he coughs so bad. also, i don't smoke so that's another story. i guess what bothers me is that smoking affects others, not just the smoker, but those who love them and want to build a life with them. i'm not hating cause i used to smoke, but i wish he'd quit.

cher: the one thing that i did to help me quit was--i set a goal for myself that i wanted to acheive that i knew i couldn't do if i kept smoking. mine was i wanted to be able to run 5 miles without stopping. when i first quit smoking i couldn't run half a mile without gasping for air. now i can run 5 miles without dying (though i could do it faster if i exercised more ;)) and i'm proud of it. since i drove and smoked ALOT (i lived about an hour or more from home) when i was driving to and from school i would stop and buy a pack on my way even after i quit and i'd pull one out and smoke it and feel really guilty and then get back to school change go to the gym and force myself to run an EXTRA mile in addition to the 5 i already did.

i guess the key to quitting is finding something you enjoy or set a goal for yourself of something you either 1. quit doing when you started or 2. want to do and can't because you smoke and do it. use that as your motivation.

as for your SO and friends smoking well that'll give you more of a satisfaction to do it if they offer you one and you say oh no thank you. to this day if someone offers me one i still want it KWIM?

I never understood how people could get past the smell. You have to put that thing right under your nose. That crap wouldn't reach my mouth to even let me begin to get addicted. To hell with them if they didn't like me because I didn't want to put that in my mouth.

I've never smoked and EVERYONE in my family smoked at one point or still does. My parents smoked and my mom quit over 10 yrs ago and my dad is going on 3 yrs I believe not smoking, my sister plans to quit by Jan. she promised me. I know for years after my mom quit I wanted my dad to soooo bad but he couldn't unless he wanted to do it for himself. One day he finally got scared because his finger tips barely had any feelings, and his smell was mostly gone. This was after probably 30 yrs or more of smoking. Well, after taking the patch for 1 week he quit cold turkey and never took it up again. He took the money he'd spend on cigerettes(he was a 2+ a day smoker) and saved up for things he wanted. In one year he saved up for an expensive digital photography camera and accessories(he's really big into photography) and him and my mom went on a big vacation. He still does it and loves the extra money. My theory(although I've never been a smoker) is that you can't do it for everyone else cuz they want you to quit you have to do it for yourself and truely want to quit or it'll never work you'll continually fail I think a lot of it is mind over matter.