Do You Smoke?

[furrykidsmother]

After hearing about Dana Reeves it reinforces in my mind that I need to quit smoking. I usually only have 1 or 2 a day, but still that isn't good. If any of you have smoked and quit, I would love to hear how you did it. BTW I used to smoke almost 2 packs a day, so I have come a long way, but not long enough.

[mruffruff]

One winter I got a real bad case of sinusitis. Cigarettes tasted sooooooooooooooooooo bad. When I got better, I tried to start again, but couldn't stand them. Haven't smoked since.

Not the recommended way to quit, but VERY effective. :D

Mary

[anna_66]

I can happily say this:)

My husband and I quit in February and neither of us has had a cigarette since!
He used the patch and I did it cold turkey. I have to say, aids like the patch, gum, etc. only REALLY work if you want to seriously quit.
I honestly wouldn't have quit when I did, but Mark decided he wanted to, so I did it to help him. But now I'm glad I did and we are both smoke free:D

Good Luck, I know you can do it!!!

[slick]

When I was 22 I gave in to peer pressure and started smoking....well, one pack would last me a week. I was still living at home and didn't want Mom or Dad to know. :o

Anyway, I met and fell head over heels for this guy who gave me a choice - either him or the ciggies. The choice was easy. That was back in 1975 and I haven't touched a ciggie since.

[Logan]

No, I don't, and I can't remember anyone in my family ever smoking except my grandfather, who died of heart disease at age 64. I was 5 years old.

My husband is a severe asthmatic and our doctor says that he has the lung capacity of a 3 pack/day smoker, but he has never smoked. He grew up in a house full of smokers, though.

Logan

PS. Good for you who have quit or are thinking of doing so.

[Jadapit]

I smoke, I'm truly sick of smoking. I quit once for a year. But like an idiot i started smoking again.:mad: I tried quitting awhile back i was down to 2 a day, but it wasnt long before i was smoking more than that. I think i will pick a day and try to give them up. I wish you all the luck in the world we CAN do it!! You are so close to being smoke free give up the two you are smoking and you have it beat.:)

[Laura's Babies]

I smoke and have tried to quit many, many times.... always gained 20 pounds in 3 weeks because of the cravings. I tired the gum about 3 times and the Zyban once... Zyban worked like a charm but I was so wired and strung out on it that after many nights of NO sleep, I had to get off of it. I recently retried the gum again and soon as I popped a piece in my mouth and made a few chews, got distracted and lit up a cigarette too! So much for THAT idea!

I want to quit, I really do... I just don't have the will power to ride out the cravings or the desire to gain all that weight. My sister quit and has blown up like the goodyear blimp!... so there you are looking at high blood pressure, diabeties and heart problems..... I still haven't given up.. I still plan to try again.... one day......

But folks, I am appaled at how people are allowed to treat smokers. If any other population in America were so discrimanated against the law would not allow it.

It really chaps my hide when I am OUTSIDE smoking and someone walks by and complains about the smoke as they walk to their CAR! I ask you all, what is the biggest threat outside, smokers or car pollution?

One more thing, they are trying to tax them so high that we will get discouraged and quit..... Say we all do... WHERE is that lost tax revenue going to come from? Gas? groceries... especially the unhealthy stuff? Medicine? They are going to get that money somewhere and this is just the beginning.. Watch what I am telling you!

(getting off my soapbox and crawling to the sofa for a nap)

[DJFyrewolf36]

Me and the hubby both smoke unfortuneatly. I used to be a pack a day smoker myself...and I smoked non-filter! I'm down to about 5 a day now, if that. Somedays I won't smoke at all. I quit about 3 years ago cold turkey, but when I met my husband I started up again. He's gone down from being a 2 pack a day smoker to about half a pack a day and is trying very hard to quit. He tried the patch, turns out he is alergic to whatever is in them and the gum just makes him puke. My roomate doesn't help much. He goes through about $300 in smokes in a month by himself. Thats a lot of darn cigarettes (and a huge waste of money IMO). I've seen him go through three packs in less than 24hrs. Me and the hubby combined spend maybe $50 a month, and thats if we're being spendy.

My mom was a very heavy smoker until she was in her 20s and the Dr said that if she kept smoking, she only had maybe a year left to live. She took her last pack and flushed it and hasn't touched a ciggarette since (she is almost 50 now). I admire her a lot for that.

[luvofallhorses]

I smoke! :o although, I am not proud to admit it. I am trying to quit though, because it really messes up with my sinuses :rolleyes: and it is annoying..I am going to try my hardest even if it means quitting cold turkey!! I wish you luck!

[Karen]

Originally posted by Laura's Babies
I smoke and have tried to quit many, many times.... always gained 20 pounds in 3 weeks because of the cravings. I tired the gum about 3 times and the Zyban once... Zyban worked like a charm but I was so wired and strung out on it that after many nights of NO sleep, I had to get off of it. I recently retried the gum again and soon as I popped a piece in my mouth and made a few chews, got distracted and lit up a cigarette too! So much for THAT idea!
(getting off my soapbox and crawling to the sofa for a nap)

I applaud your attempts to try to quit, and hope you'll succeed. I do not smoke, never have, have been an asthmatic since I was 5 years old, so was never even tempted to try.

Next time you want to quit, have you tried the old "rubber band on the wrist" for cravings? Might help ...

A co-worker who was quitting (she was home from work with pneumonia) met me at the door with a cigarette in her mouth. When she saw my face, said "Wait, don't yell, it's okay! It's not lit! My doctor recommended this is a crutch, and it's working for me. I've had this cigarette for three days now!"

I am here for support of anyone who is trying to quit. My Dad quit cold turkey after smoking for 35+ years (started when he joined the Army at 17, and they handed out cigarettes as incentives/reward, etc.). Dad never smoked in the house or even on the porch, always walked all the way out to the garage, and we weren't even supposed to know that he smoked. He says know that he wouldn't have wanted to live in their house during the two weeks after he quit, but Ma was the only one living there with him at that point, and her optimism was always pretty bulletproof, so it was okay.

My beloved Aunt Dottie and Uncle Jake (married to each other, not really related to us but might as well have been) died - of lung cancer and a heart attack, respectively, both because of their smoking.

I have friends suffer and die because of their smoking habits - Pancreatic Cancer in Bob's case, which was brutal, quick, and nearly symptomless until it was far too late.

[davidpizzica]

I used to smoke. I was a Marlboro & Winston man. I smoked from 1962 to January 31st, 1982. I decided to quit cold turkey that day. It wasn't doing me any good and they were geting expensive at 65 cents a pack! (back then). I took a puff of one about six weeks later,and I thought I was going to die! Haven't touched one since 1982!!

[JenBKR]

I used to, but I pretty much quit. I have one every once in a while, but if & when I go back to school I know I'll want to smoke more. My dad quit cold turkey, switched from ciggys to jolly ranchers ;) he did gain some weight but he's thin to begin with. He still goes through a lot of candy, and it's been almost a year...but I am so proud of him for quiting. :)

[finn's mom]

I don't smoke. :)

I edited it to say "I" cuz it looked like I was telling people not to. ;)

[finn's mom]

Wow, I had no idea that Dana Reeve had lung cancer. That is so sad. Because she's never smoked, though, her chances of recovery are good. Let's hope so! What a sad thing.

[Pam]

My hubby is a smoker and has smoked for decades. Recently, before the death of Peter Jennings and now the announced lung cancer of Dana Reeves, I refused to buy him cigarettes. They are about half the price in Delaware and I find myself there often. I was buying him cigarettes in Delaware occasionally to save money. Bottom line, I told him that I could no longer contribute to his habit. I don't want to have to look at him some day in a hospital connected to tubes and dying and know that I contributed. The night that we were watching all of the Peter Jennings clips after his death I said "this is why I won't be buying them any more." I do hope he starts thinking of taking better care of himself.

[mina'smomma]

I started smoking when I was 10 and quit after the doctor told me I had a rare condition called AUSC (abnormal pre-cancer cell in short). With smoking she said cancer would invade my body by the time I was 25 and I would probably be dead by 32. So I went on the diet set by the dietician which nixed my sweetner. (never realized Sweet n Low could cause cancer) Threw out all my cigerettes and then I met Lee Roy who is a non-smoker and plainly told me when we started dating that I was to choose between him and the cigerettes and he was delighted when he heard I had quit smoking before we had gotten together.

Now three years later I'm very healthy and happily married. Had gotten my tests back on seeing how my AUSC is doing and the count is a lot lower than it was when I was diagnosised.

[Samantha Puppy]

I tried one cigarette once. I then ate everything in the house and slept with 5 pieces of spearmint gum in my mouth to try and get rid of the disgusting taste. I've never even been tempted to try one again. Blech.

[finn's mom]

Originally posted by Samantha Puppy
I tried one cigarette once. I then ate everything in the house and slept with 5 pieces of spearmint gum in my mouth to try and get rid of the disgusting taste. I've never even been tempted to try one again. Blech.

Ha ha, funny. I've never even tried one, just the smell of them on my clothes when I'm around people is nasty enough.

[beeniesmom]

Originally posted by slick
When I was 22 I gave in to peer pressure and started smoking....well, one pack would last me a week. I was still living at home and didn't want Mom or Dad to know. :o

Anyway, I met and fell head over heels for this guy who gave me a choice - either him or the ciggies. The choice was easy. That was back in 1975 and I haven't touched a ciggie since.

OMG.... the same thing happened to me too!

[crsvstang]

Yeah, I smoke.:o

I quit when I found out I was pregnant with my 2nd daughter. I started again after a few months she was born. I smoked for a few after that and quit again for awhile that was about 1 1/2 years ago.

I started smoking again just a couple months again. I am not happy about that. I do want to quit again sometime soon.

[furrykidsmother]

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences, thoughts and suggestions! To those who have never smoked, don't ever start! Those who have quit, CONGRATULATIONS!!! Those who are still trying, BEST OF LUCK TO US!!!

[Queen of Poop]

Both of my parents smoked and drank coffee. As a kid I hated the good night kiss because they both smelled so bad. I have never smoked or drank coffee. My husband smoked when we met, but he gave it up 3 years ago. Ya hoo for him. He bowed to pressure from his children. His daughter has asthma and can't be around smoke and both kids told him how bad he smelled. I am very, very proud of him.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I quit February 22, 2001 at 3:30 pm.

I used Zyban....a drug that helps you quit.

[shutterbug0303]

Originally posted by Karen
I have friends suffer and die because of their smoking habits - Pancreatic Cancer in Bob's case, which was brutal, quick, and nearly symptomless until it was far too late.

I'll second this one!!! My beloved dad died just a year and a half ago from pancreatic cancer - most likely directly related to his smoking habits...a habit that he had quit 15 years earlier, but far too late in the long run. It was a harsh, cruel, horrid thing to watch and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

My dad smoked approximately a pack a day for as long as I can remember. I know that he started when he was 12 :eek: and smoked until the day my younger brother was born (48). He stopped cold turkey that day and never picked another one up. He would even comment that the smell of smoke made him sick!! Unfortunately, it was too late.... :( :( I lost my dad....

I will NEVER pick up a cigarette....it can't be worth hurting/leaving your loved ones for a habit such as that.

Good luck to each of you trying to quit!!

[Muddy4paws]

Personally smoking disgusts me and it always has due to my grandparents smoking so I have them to thank for that :p But now my Nan has given up I think this is her 2nd or 3rd year without now she tried for years since she had been smoking for about 40 years and she tried a patch to help her and it put her in intensive care and it was a real scare being in hospital so after that she was so determind to do it and she done it! but my grandad :rolleyes: there is no chance of him giving up.

[finn's mom]

Originally posted by shutterbug0303
Unfortunately, it was too late.... :( :( I lost my dad....


I worry so much about this with my dad. He's over sixty and has been smoking since he was about 13. He gets a physical and is told all the time that he's healthy, his lungs look great etc. But, I worry about things like pancreatic cancer. Is that something that can be predicted at all? Or is just fine one day and gone the next? What an awful thing...

My grandmother died of lung cancer in her mid fifties. And, my brother was diagnosed and treated for leukemia when he was between the ages of 5 and 10. He's over 30 now and healthy. The idiot picked up smoking, though, in his early 20s. How does a cancer survivor pick up smoking?! Man, you want to talk about someone getting a lot of crap from people. And, I refuse to even date someone who smokes. Just not happening.

[Daisy and Delilah]

I smoked 2 packs a day for 26 years. Marlboro, Winston, and last brand, Camel. Occasionally cigars too. lol I quit 15 years ago for three years. I started back and smoked for three more years and finally quit for good. I became asthmatic at that point so I had to stop. I think that was a blessing in disguise. I used the patches to quit and I just told myself that I wasn't going to remove the patch for any reason and if I tried to smoke with the patch, I would become deathly ill. Whether or not that was true, I made myself believe it and it worked. I don't condemn anyone for smoking. I'm a strong believer in "to each his own". I also believe smokers have a real rough way to go. You're almost treated like lepers anymore if you smoke. After all these years I still crave cigarettes and I usually love the smell of a cig burning. Good luck if you want to quit. Just be sure you're ready to do it or you'll find yourself fighting it all the way.:)

Terry
p.s. A little tip I used; patches are so expensive so I cut them in half and they went alot further;)

[jesse_3]

I have asthma, and I am terribly "allergic" to smoke, even from cars..

My teacher told me a stroy of his brother. When his brother started smoking at age 14, their parents found out, and their dad made him eat one cigarette. This guy was a 4 pack a day smoker, and eating one made him stop for good!

I don't know if you want to eat a cigarette, but, I know of many more stories where they have eaten one and quit on the spot!

I wish the best of luck to everyone here. Maybe, you can all do it together, start a thread about it, and use PT'ers for encouragement!?!:)

Steph and Jes

[JenBKR]

Originally posted by jesse_3
Maybe, you can all do it together, start a thread about it, and use PT'ers for encouragement!?!:)

Steph and Jes

Great idea!

[shutterbug0303]

Originally posted by finn's mom
I But, I worry about things like pancreatic cancer. Is that something that can be predicted at all? Or is just fine one day and gone the next? What an awful thing...

Well, pretty much it is there and gone - although there are cases where it is caught early and surgery is able to be performed. Even in those cases though, most patients only live another year or so before it is back with a vengance. There is no early detection testing, no warning signs, no clues, no anything. It just pretty much appears one day, if your Dr. is smart enough to catch it with a CT scan.

Sorry, I don't mean to hijack this thread - it is just one of those subjects I am adiment about....the more info you have, the better able you are to stop it early.

[Karen]

Originally posted by finn's mom
I worry so much about this with my dad. He's over sixty and has been smoking since he was about 13. He gets a physical and is told all the time that he's healthy, his lungs look great etc. But, I worry about things like pancreatic cancer. Is that something that can be predicted at all? Or is just fine one day and gone the next? What an awful thing...


In Bob's case, the only "symptom" he had was that he was losing weight. But as he was TRYING to lose weight and dieting at the time, he thought he was doing really well.

Bob didn't live to see the birth of his twin grandbabies this spring, his daughter pursuing her Master's degree, or many other milestones. It still makes me angry and sad all at once when I think about it.

[elizabethann]

No, I don't smoke. However, I work with a 70 year old lady who smokes like a chimney and she's alive & kicking! You just never know.


My teacher told me a stroy of his brother. When his brother started smoking at age 14, their parents found out, and their dad made him eat one cigarette. This guy was a 4 pack a day smoker, and eating one made him stop for good!

Yuck! I think I'd quick smoking after eating a cigarette too. What a good idea those parents had.

Smoking is such an addictive habit. I know so many people who have tried to quit but were unsuccessful. Only a few have been able to quit for good.

But we all have our vices I guess....mines junk food.

Good luck & best wishes to all who are trying to quit smoking and congratulations who have kicked the habit!

:)

[ChrisH]

I quit on July 20th (Bobby's birthday so I would remember the date. :) ) in the year 2000 afer smoking for 37 years. And yes, smoking has left it's mark, I have COPD. (Chronic Obstructive Pulmony(?s) Disease.)

[Suki Wingy]

I am allergic to smoke. My dad did for ages but finnally managed to switch to the gum. My mom does, she thinks it's a secret.

[Sus]

Originally posted by jesse_3


I wish the best of luck to everyone here. Maybe, you can all do it together, start a thread about it, and use PT'ers for encouragement!?!:)



.... but who'll start the thread? I am a smoker myself, and I hate it - but it is soooo difficult to quit. I tend to worry a lot about things, and smoking seems to help when you are nervous? What does one do to calm down when you can't get a cigarette anymore...???!! :confused:

I've actually enlisted on a Public Health Service "Quit Smoking" course, starting next monday, August 15th - and I'm already biting my nails about it! :eek: :eek: I don't feel all that motivated, to be honest. And that's really strange - because I most certainly should be!! Last winter I had bronchitis twice, and I never used to develop a cough in addition to catching a cold. I also had some asthma-like symptoms between the colds. So I feel that I simply HAVE to quit. :mad:

Anyway, I for one am sure that I could do with a little support from a "Quit Smoking - Now!" - thread.... ;)

Oh, and besides, Bella hates my smoking too!! I'm convinced that's why she prefers to sleep in my bedroom (smoke-free!) most of the time... ;)

Lots of love
Sus and Bella

[neko1]

Never tried it. Smoking killed my grandmother way too soon. It also killed all of my co-worker's aunts and uncles.

I never had the urge to try and never will. I hate the smell, especially the stale cancer-stick smell on people's breath. I have nothing good to say about it, so I'll stop here.

[kuhio98]

No ~ Thank God ~ I'm not a smoker. I am soooo glad I never picked up the habit. My father smoked like a chimney and sometimes I'd run along behind him and take a few puffs of his discarded butts. Well, my sister ratted me out and I got a spanking. So, that cured me. But, guess what? My sister smokes 2 packs a day! I have watched her struggle to quit for many years now. It's like every cell in her body craves it. Her skin stinks, her hair stinks, her whole house stinks. She's in her early 40's and already wheezes when she talks. She has recently lost 60 pounds but she still can't quit smoking. She was recently diagnosed with diabetes and has managed to change her diet so drastically, that she may not have to take medicine anymore but she still can't stop smoking.

I refuse to buy them for her. I used to do her grocery shopping because she hates it and I was home during the day. I told her not to even bother putting cigarettes down on the list, because I wasn't buying them.

I have the worlds wimpiest lungs. I get bronchitis several times a year. I figure I'd be dead already if I had ever started smoking. I am going to be one PISSED OFF girl if I get lung cancer from second hand smoke.

[Killearn Kitties]

Originally posted by Sus
I've actually enlisted on a Public Health Service "Quit Smoking" course, starting next monday, August 15th - and I'm already biting my nails about it! :eek: :eek: I don't feel all that motivated, to be honest. And that's really strange - because I most certainly should be!!
My mum gave up smoking a couple of years ago after smoking for 43 years and she did not feel motivated to do it either. She enrolled herself on a course at the doctors and just stopped. I was stunned! She had never shown the remotest desire to stop smoking in all the time I had know her (which is a while! ;) )

She still puts the money away that she would have spent on cigarettes and buys herself things when it builds up.

[carole]

I started smoking at 16 and continued until I was 23, and I was a chain smoker, I wished I had never smoked but for me having a baby my son, was the answer, I have never smoked since,It has been almost 25 years now, and I did it cold turkey, he was too important to me to even think about doing that to my precious baby, sadly my son has become a smoker, although never raised around it, he smoked because of his peers just as I did, he is asthmatic as well, and my deepest wish in the world is for him to quit, I worry constantly about his health.

[GoldenRetrLuver]

No, I think smoking is disgusting. I can't stand to be around it, just the smell of it makes me sick. I do have friends who smoke, and even though I do not agree with it at all, I don't look down on them or think they're less of a person than I am.

I took a Health class last year, and for part of the class we had a drug unit. They showed us this website (http://www.thetruth.com/index.cfm?seek=truth) and I found it very interesting, I learned a few things.

Best of luck to those of you who want to quit. I'm with you all the way. :)

[Lexi_Lover]

I'm not a smoker. And don't plan to be, I came in 2nd for this anti-smoking awarness thign at school. They say 90% of kids who grow up in a smoking family will smoke too. I've overcome this by researching A LOT abotu smoking.

I'm in a full household of smoking...my dad, sister, mom & grandfather. My aunt, uncle and most family friends do as well. I am trying to stay away, and now, the doctor is saying I don't have the cleanest lungs as I used to...they just don't see what they're doign to me! :(

My mom keeps saying she is going to quit on April 1st, since she was a fool to smoke...but its been 3 consecutive years...and she hasn't even tried to quit...*sigh*

Any hints on how to help THEM quit? My sister is also 23, and I'd like to stop her NOW before she does any more damage to herself. My grandfather sleeps below me in the house and he smokes continusley...I smell it all the time! BLECH!

[carole]

The thing is until you quit smoking yourself, you do not notice the offensive smell, as your senses are not as good in that department,and you just get used to it, I HATE the smell also, my son will smoke outside and come in and just fills the house with that awful smell, I am forever telling him to go outside as I just find it so disgusting.

I just wanted to add lexi_lover, unfortunately there is not much you can do to make them quit, they have to want it bad enough for themselves, we have offered to pay for treatment to help my son quit, but I guess he is just not ready yet, it does not help that nearly all his friends smoke and when he went to England it was even worse, nearly everyone on the cricket team were smokers.:(

I think it is really bad and selfish and irresponsible to smoke inside and around your children, they are passive smoking, and they have no choice, a lot of smoker's I used to know always smoked outside their house and never around the children, to me that is the only fair thing to do, They don't have a voice or a choice when they are young.

[DJFyrewolf36]

I agree Carole. My house is a smoke zone, only because my roomate smokes so much so there isn't any point in it being "smoke free" I won't smoke around children though, and I'll even go outside to smoke if children are in my home (my friends bring their kids over all the time). I also think its rude to just light up in someones car without asking, even if they do smoke.

I try to be very conciencious (sp?) about my cruddy habit lol.

[kuhio98]

Originally posted by Lexi_Lover
Any hints on how to help THEM quit? My sister is also 23, and I'd like to stop her NOW before she does any more damage to herself. My grandfather sleeps below me in the house and he smokes continusley...I smell it all the time! BLECH!

When we were in our 20's a friend of mine stopped smoking after a few comments from friends. Nothing we said about heart disease, cancer, the smell, the cost worked. Nothing. But, then a series of things happened. We met some new people who didn't know that she smoked. When we were introduced, they asked her how much older she was than me. See, they thought she was my mother but they thought she looked like a young mother so they thought she had had me as a teenager. Well, that blew her away because I was 6 months older than her. Someone commented that she had lines around her mouth and eyes from smoking so she looked a lot older than she was. :( Then a few days later, we met some cute guys. We were getting along great and excused ourselves to the ladies room to talk about them. We got back in time to overhear one of them say, "Are you interested in the girl with the yellow smoker's teeth?" :(

She wouldn't quit for health reasons, but she did quit for vanity. When you're that young, dying from cancer seems like soooo far away. But, looking old and ugly before your time seems to make more of an impact. Think it could work for your sister?

[abbersmom]

I do not smoke, but I grew up in a house full of smoke...I never even knew how bad I must have smelled until after I got married & would go home to visit!

My father-in-law was a smoker, we lost him to lung cancer...7 weeks from the day of diagnosis to the day her died...MY hubby insisted he'd never smoke again...he has never even tried to stop...

My Mom has struggled the past year & 3 months...since May 17th 2004 to be exact, when she had a massive stroke due to her smoking....we were so sure we would lose her...and then they told us she would never walk again, but she DID...altho she must use a walker! The one thing she NEVER has done again is smoke...yet the 1st time I took her to the Dr after she was back home, he accused her of smoking. He could smell it on her because her house smelled so bad. My Dad continues to smoke, even after what has happened to Mom & it scares her, not only for what could happen to him, but because he does it in the house & she can't just get up & leave, she has no choice in the matter, she is disabled & has to just sit there & smell it...

Oh...I could go on & on....

[CountryWolf07]

Nope, never smoked and never will.

[jazzcat]

NO! I'm allergic to the smoke and get migraines from it. I get sick smelling it or even being around someone who just smells like smoke! As bad as it smells I have never figured out why someone would even start (with the exception of those who were raised in homes with parents who smoked).

To those of you who have quit - BRAVO!!!! For those who want to quit or are trying I send you my best wishes for success and long life!

I feel very strongly about this subject since it affects me so badly so I hope I did not offend.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I have never smoked and I never will. My mom used to smoke when we were very little and even though we didn't know it was bad for you, we would try get rid of her cigarettes. She quit as soon as she found out how bad it was which was in the mid 1960's or so. My dad used to smoke cigars or pipes when the weather was cooler and I hated the smell of them too. He finally stopped doing this so both of my parents have been smoke free for a long time now.

I think that I'm spoiled because in California there are many non- smoking areas. You can't smoke in the work place, restaurants, bars, or many other public areas. Unfortunately, the woman that lives below me smokes like a chimney and when I try to open up my bedroom window or my sliding glass door for fresh air, I usually get air that smells like smoke.:( Her boyfriend also smokes and so do most of her friends that come over. I even had to seal up areas under the bathroom sinks and kitchen sink because the smell of smoke was coming in through the cracks.:(

I live in a condo and the homeowners association can't do anything about this. The people that live above me have also complained about her and they still can't sleep in their bedroom at night. I'll probably end up getting some kind of cancer from all this second hand smoke and my cats will too.:( I wish that the younger generation would never start smoking so some day the world could be smoke free.

I wish everyone good luck with quitting this terrible habit and I'm glad to hear that many of you have already quit.:)

[Almita]

nope too young and never want to.

[gemini9961]

Nope never will and never have.

[K9karen]

I just caught myself lightening up as I started typing this. I know it's disgusting. I did stop once using the patch. I was doing great until something awful happened and I took one of my mother's and lit up, despite the fact it almost made me sick. I stopped after my back surgery on June 7 for 10 days and then my mom died and that night I lit up again. I admit to being a total idiot and a loser. She died from COPD (Chronic Obstruction Pulmonary Disease) and had quit 1 year ago. She was born with weak lungs and should never had started. My dad smoked 3 packs a day for years, then one day, called all his friends to brag that he stopped, threw all his cigs in the trash and never smoked again. That's a real Man (or woman). I have to stop because my back isn't healing quickly enough and I'm sure smoking isn't helping. I just bought the patch again. I try to smoke outside and never around Logan. Good luck to all of us trying to stop., It's such an awful addictive habit. I started in my teens to look "cool". All my friends stopped but me, the nincompoop. :(

[carole]

To be truthful you can nearly always tell a smoker especially in older women, as they have way more wrinkles because of it, so for the young at heart try and remember that, it ages you just like that beautiful sun we are so fond of.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Gave up 2 years ago last November!!!! Put on a 1½ stone but feel much better, smell much better and have more money to spend on my furrkids! My secret weapon was my colleague Jane - wouldn't dare have a sneaky ciggie with her checking up on me!!! :D

[moosmom]

I smoked VERY briefly about 20 years ago. It was maybe a pack a week of Virginia Slim Lights. Don't smoke anymore. HATE the smell of it.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that Dana Reeves has lung cancer and hadn't smoked a day in her life. It's sad that us humans have polluted the air so much people are dying needlessly.

I heard on tv that they DO have a cure for cancer, but the 'gubment' won't allow them to do clinical trials. Pathetic.

I'll pray for Dana. She's a strong woman. If anyone can beat this, it's her.

[ramanth]

Never have, never will. :)

Sad thing about Dana Reeves is that I heard she is a non smoker.

A victim of second hand smoke. :( :mad:

[PJ's Mom]

Originally posted by moosmom
I heard on tv that they DO have a cure for cancer, but the 'gubment' won't allow them to do clinical trials. Pathetic.


I heard something like that too. If they really have a cure for cancer, a lot of the huge pharmecutical companies would lose a buttload of money. Can't let that happen. They'd rather let people die instead and stay rich. :mad: :(

I smoked for around 20 years and quit a couple of years ago. I hate the smell of smoke on people now, but if I walk into a cloud of smoke, I still miss it. :(

[JenBKR]

When you are a smoker, you honestly don't notice the smell. It wasn't until after I quit that I realized that the smell of smoke really sticks to your clothes - especially after being in a bar or something like that where there is a lot of smoke. I admit to having a cigarette every once in a while, but I notice that smell a lot more now.

[lv4dogs]

I smoke, i hate it & am not proud of it. I've quite cold turkey a few times, about 6 months being the longest. For one reason or another I just start back up again.
Now this is still not good, but better than some. I don't smoke in my house, I don't smoke around kids or pets, I only smoke in my vehicles if have no kids or pets with me. A pack lasts me almost 3 days.

I do have to say that if my workplace was smoke free I could probably quite w/ NO problem. My dad & brother are the bosses, both smoke. Trying to get them to smoke outside is worthless, I've tried & still try. The fact that my job is a pretty lonely & boring job doesn't help much either.

[Ginger's Mom]

Yes, I smoke. I quit for about 8 months once (2003), and have stopped for about a month or so a few times since then. I would like to quit again, but last time I did I gained 25 pounds (half of which I am still carrying around), and I don't want to do that again. However, I am going to try again anyway.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Originally posted by lv4dogs
. The fact that my job is a pretty lonely & boring job doesn't help much either.


This got me thinking..........


as a girl my ambition was to be guinea pig keeper at Drusillas

www.drusillas.co.uk


come to think of it would still quite like to!!

[furrykidsmother]

That sounds like a fun job! I wanted to be a Truck Driver. Silly I know, especially for a little girl, but I always thought it would be fun to travel and I always liked being up high so I could see everything that was going on.

[ParNone]

Nope, I steer clear of smoking, drugs and alcohol, because I have enough problems trying to kick Dr. Pepper. Don't need any other addictions to worry about.

Par...

[Cataholic]

Originally posted by elizabethann
No, I don't smoke. However, I work with a 70 year old lady who smokes like a chimney and she's alive & kicking! You just never know.

:)

:(
That is an inaccurate statement. We do know. Research has shown that one is at an increased risk for various forms of cancer everytime one puts a cigarette up to ones mouth.

That one has not succumbed to some form of cancer at 70, after a lifetime of smoking like a chimney, isn't admirable, it is luck.

[lizbud]

Originally posted by Cataholic
:(
That is an inaccurate statement. We do know. Research has shown that one is at an increased risk for various forms of cancer everytime one puts a cigarette up to ones mouth.

That one has not succumbed to some form of cancer at 70, after a lifetime of smoking like a chimney, isn't admirable, it is luck.


Only an attorney would quibble over her choice of words.:D
No one said the 70 yr old woman was immune from cancer,
just that she appeared healthy. The cancer risks are printed on
every pack of cigs.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Cigarette smoke is not the only cause of lung cancer...whether first or second hand. Just as you can get chirosis of the liver without ever having a drop of alcohol....

[CathyBogart]

Ugh, no. I think I have smoked three clove cigarettes in my life, and I intend to keep it that way. Not only don't I want to get sick, I don't want to stink and I find that the way smokers age (Based on the customers that I see at my store) grosses me out.

[lvpets2002]

:p Yes I used to smoke three packs a day & then went down to two packs & then one pack a day.. Then I got into running & the smoking was killing me (couldnt catch my breaths) then one day going back to work threw cigs. & lighter out the window & stoped right then & there.. It was very hard habit to break, but can be done if your mind is in to it..

[popcornbird]

Nope. I've never smoked and never will. I can't stand smoking. Two of my uncles (dad's brothers) smoke, and my gosh.....while I love giving and getting hugs, hugging THEM is a nightmare. Not that I don't want to...I just get sick and dizzy with the smell. The worst part is, I can't *not* hug them, as it would hurt their feelings, so when they visit, I am stuck with giving them hugs and feeling absolutely SICK once I 'smell' their cigarettes. :o I just can't stand the smell.....it makes me so ill. :(

[Vermontcat]

I don't smoke and I can't stand secondhand smoke.
I have asthma and being near a smoker can trigger a coughing fit for me, so I usually steer clear of smokers.

[finn's mom]

I have a few friends that smoke, but, can't stand the smell of it. They just about make themselves sick from the stink of their own clothes. It's a hard habit to break, even if you hate it yourself. That's why I've never tried it. I did hear once before of someone getting lung cancer and never having smoked. And, as far as I can remember, it wasn't related to second hand smoke, either. It was just genetics, almost everyone in her immediate family had had it. I hated hearing about Dana Reeve. Christopher Reeve was such an amazing man, and, she's obviously a strong woman for having gone through all that with him. I truly hope Mrs. Reeve can pull through this one. I just can't imagine how scared their son must be right now!

[wolfie]

I don't smoke, it's so disgusting! My dad quit a year and a half ago, and I am so proud of him.

Congrats to everyone who has quit. It's so hard, and you did a very brave and important thing by quitting!

And to everyone who wants to quit... You can do it!!!

Lexi_Lover, I am so sorry that your family smokes, and it is wonderful that you are making sure that you never will. And I think that kuhio98 has a good idea to help your sister.


Originally posted by ramanth
Sad thing about Dana Reeves is that I heard she is a non smoker.

A victim of second hand smoke. :( :mad: That is so sad. :(


Originally posted by Brody's Mum
as a girl my ambition was to be guinea pig keeper at Drusillas

www.drusillas.co.uk


come to think of it would still quite like to!! GUINEA PIG KEEPER!!!! I want that job too!

[manda_moo87]

Bleh, nope I don't smoke and never will. No one in my family smokes except for my Grandfather whom I never see. My Grandma used to smoke about 6 packs a day for years but quit about 25 years ago.

I can't stand the smell of smoke... it makes me ill and really gets my asthma bothering me. Unfortuntely my two best guy friends smoke... and whenever they start smoking I can't be around them it just makes me feel horrible.

[flamepony12]

Never have, NEVER will. I absolutely hate the smell of smoke.. sometimes I cough loudly just to get them to stop blowing it in my face. ;) My grandma just quit recently, and we're so happy.

[wolfsoul]

I think smoking is disgusting -- I would never smoke. My dad gave me a lit cigarette when I was 3 because I asked him for one. It was boring to a 3 year old, and that experience left me with no interest for smoking ever. I was glad that I hadn't been at y dad's for years because I never had to breathe in any smoke, but my now I have my roomate that smokes. I usually just hold my breath for as long as possible or leave the room. One of my phobias is smoke or any other things like that in the air that I can breathe in. I even have to hold my breath when cars pass because it freaks me out so much.

[lisalee]

I smoke occasionally, usually one a day or about five a week, so not much. If I'm stressed I will more often though. I never smoke in the house/around Sash, since pets are just as much at risk around smoking. My mom and dad are heavy smokers and always have been. My grandmother was a very heavy smoker too and lived to be 80, you do just never know and always hope and pray for the best.

[Karen]

It is a misconception, as someone mentioned, that lung cancer is caused solely by exposure to smoke, whether your own, or second-hand. Everyone is hurt by this misconception - smokers who get sick get much less sympathy than non-smokers. Nonsmokers who get sick are automatically assumed to have been smokers at some point.

No one "deserves" cancer.

It is the same, as Edwina's Secretary mentioned, with liver problems. People are automatically assumed to be drunks. My friend's dad died of cirosis of the liver despite never drinking alcohol. It was very hurtful to his young son (aged 12 when his dad died) to hear rumors of his father not only being an alcoholic, but someone who just must have hid his "drinking problem."

We do not know everything that causes cancer, nor everything about cancer. Genetic causes, predispositions, certain exposure factors - all can be contributing factors, but science has not advanced to the point where we can say what causes whose cancer.


I heard on tv that they DO have a cure for cancer, but the 'gubment' won't allow them to do clinical trials. Pathetic.

This sounds completely false to me. Cancer is not ONE thing that they could "have a cure" for. Cancer is many many different diseases - cancers of the blood, tumorous cancers, cancers of the lymph systems - they all seem very different.

There are treatments - and indeed cures - for some kinds of cancers. That's why we have people like Robilee and others among us. They are former cancer patients who survived.

Whoever "they" is that "have a cure for cancer," how are they different than the thousands of medical researcher who are working to find a cure? Why would the government not allow clinical trials? There are, I am sure, thousands and thousands of clinical trials now going on. How could "the government" prevent someone from having clinical trials if they provide their own funding?


Smoking is awful. It is addictive. It causes so many problems, not just lung cancer.

If there is anything *I* could do to help anyone quit, I would, and will, do it. Just let me know. I am serious.

It's my soapbox, and I'm staying on it.

[cyber-sibes]

I commend all of you who have quit smoking - probably one of the hardest yet most worthwhile things you've ever done! Smoking is one of those things I never did because my Dad smoked and I hated it growing up. I did try one once but I got such a bad headache and nausea that I never tried again!
But my husband used to smoke and quit like 20 years ago - now he can't stand being anywhere near smoke. He gets lung infections really easily and exposure to smoke can set him back for days. I get the feeling smokers think he's being stuck up because he refuses to go where people smoke, but I know he's just watching out for his health.
If you just can't quit yet, try giving it up for just one day. Try again the next day. "Progress, not perfection"

[sandragonfly]

never ever. the first and last ciggie I had was at age seven, offered by a drunk young adult. I knew I never liked it since that raining night with truck headlights in my eyes.

I get upset & sad (or grrr sometimes) when I smell smokes. I get bad skullaches and could throw up if I smell it for too long. even now, thinking about smoking, I feel sick. my sister started loving her ciggies when she was 14 and we lived under the same roof for three years -- I always begged her to lit the ciggie at least six houses away but she refused & never respected me. then stopped blowing in my face after I threw up on her bed once after I told her I would. (for my cats' sake too). now she's trying very hard to stop and I'm more than happy to support her all way.

I'll never forget one of our special night with three friends - what my smok-friends did, (the gross'est' solution & it worked for them) was fill a glass of water and leave it in a spot for seven days. put every ciggie you smoked until the seventh day. take out all ciggies with fork, leave the water, ciggy crumbs in!! and DRINK. I was there with them and said "just DO IT, a drink worth for life - you will not die." they did altogether on three. few minutes later, they threw up and one of them got sick for four days but they all never wanted to smoke ever again. I was surprised with how this has ended...has been almost over two years now, not a ciggie back in their hands.

maybe you gals/guys can try that...please be with your friends, you would need someone to be with you and support, comfort you after!

[the fact: average of how many times the smoker who tries to quit before the last day of its ciggie is eight time.]

there was a poster somewhere and I loved it. a picture of driver with ciggie in his mouth, asked his passenger.. "do you mind if I smoke?" the passenger said, "do you care if I die?"...

sorry this was/is another challenge for you, I wish you for a red lung very soon - all best luck to you!!

..gina