Smoking... why???

[gazzawazza]

Following on from Hectic's question below, we all know the reasons why we shouldn't smoke, so;

Q1)  Why do people start nowadays?

Q2)  Is there anyone on the site who smokes and would (truthfully) recommend it to anyone (their kids prehaps?)

Q3)   Is there anyone who (before they started) actually thought "I really want to smoke when I'm older?"

Serious answers please, I'm interested in the reasons people start, I suspect for most people it's peer pressure.

[El D]

'What other pleasure is a single mother on a council estate going to get from life' :)

 

But seriously, it still has a certain image of not caring, of a certain attitude. I have tried smoking and gave it up. To be honest I have no idea why - all of my immediate elder family (aunts/uncles) smoke as well as my dad. Part of me liked the image, part of me liked the taste, part of me liked the effect. I was never a heavy smoker nor did I want to be one. Curiously, I can't give a 100% answer to that one. Have to think about it more.

[saxo_boi]

best question ive seen on here i reckon, people know what harm it does them, how much moeny it costs, etc etc, but why keep on doing it. i dont know one person who actually like the fact that they are a smoker, all off them complain about it and want to give up, so why do people keep doing it?!

[Englishbird]

I'm 29 and started smoking when i was 15 - and as much as this makes me cringe - the true reason i started smoking was to p*ss my parents off.  I'd had a row with them and went to a party, was offered a cigarette and knew it was the one thing they would absolutely hate.

I also have this belief that people are either smokers or non-smokers.  You get smokers that don't smoke - and non-smokers that do smoke. I know that sounds weird.

Smokers are also pre-disposed to have somewhat of an oral fixation, they are also apparently more inclined to prefer 'crunchy' food - crisps, toast etc. So maybe it is more of a predisposition than a choice.

And no, I would never advise anyone to smoke - aside from the obvious health issues, the cost alone makes me wish i didn't.  Having said that, at the moment, i have no desire to even try to give up.

[hectic]

I think a lot of people start in school because their friends do it or out of pure curiosity.  Mine was a bit of both.  Still goin strong today, not wearing a patch today either to see how that goes!

[desertrat]

I was the youngest in my family and my entire faimily smoked. I didn't like the smell but I thought if they all did it then there must be something in it. When I was 14 or 15 I tried it for a couple of weeks and just gave in assuming that anyone who smoked must need some professional help. I also believe that peer pressure plays a large part in it. I was fortunate that my main group of friends didn't smoke or else I might have tried harder to start. Thank goodness I didn't.

[Englishbird]

Yea, that's the other weird bit - it actually takes effort to start smoking.  There's the (generally) underage task of actually buying fags, getting used to smoking them without coughing, and trying not to get caught by your parents.  It's a wonder why or how any of us perservered.

[andy hughes]

I tried it when I was thirteen because my older sister and her friend did it. Never inhaled - I nearly choked to death when I tried! My mum found a packet of cigs in my pocket - cue WW3, and I've never had one since.

I never fell for peer pressure - I'm not a peer pressure person, as a teenager never drank, never had long hair. As an adult, grew hair to see what it was like, still never drank.

I wonder if it is still peer pressure. Think about it. Smoking is entirely learned behaviour - watch people smoking, everyone does it in exactly the same way, with younger and more inexperienced smokers making a big deal out of ash flicking, dragging, and so on.

I'd have tobacco and alcohol banned tomorrow - I don't care that some people 'enjoy them responsibey', that applies to anything that's bad for you.

Funny, when I was the only teenager I knew who didn;t smoke, and really stuck out as different because of it, i was tolerant of smokers, but as an adult, i think it looks stupid, it smells disgusting, and it's selfish - which doesn;t really reccomend it to anyone.

[becks]

I started smoking when i was 16 because my boyfriend did, he offered me a cigarette and i took it. I had tried smoking before but didn't really like it, got into the habit  but gave up last year (i'm 24). Just got bored of it to be honest and didn't need any patches or anything, just managed to give up. my boyfriend now (a new one, not the old one) doesn't smoke which made it easier and i found that on days where i hadn't smoked i could run twice as far at the gym. That really hit home, you hear the horror stories and you'll get cancer wah wah wah but you never think it'll happen to you.

Then when i could actually FEEL the effect smoking was having on me i didn't like it anymore - before i always liked smoking and wouldn't have given up for lover nor money. i always said i'd stop when i was pregnant.

i now haven't smoked during the day since i can't remember when, the hardest time is not smoking in the pub, but seeing as i do that about once every one or two months i don't really care, and to be honest they make me feel sick now so i can't really be bothered.

[milly143]

For me I believe there are two factors as to why I smoke. A) because it was 'cool' to smoke when I was at school, b) I was bought up in a family of 7 children where both my parents smoke and in the end so did most of the kids.

My parents would threaten death if they caught us smoking but then you carry on just to be rebelious. I didn't stop smoking when I left school and went to college because everyone else on my course smoked, it therefore became a social thing (sad as that is).

As well as the fact that smoking is addictive I think we don't want to quit because most smokers feel like they would be giving up some huge thing in their life. It's like a chocoholic saying they were never going to eat another bar of chocolate ever again.

[Little Lady]

I started smoking to look cool i think alot of kids do, now im nearly 22 and wish i had never started i even thought it this morning in all honesty but i enjoy it too much to do, although i have thought that when the ban comes in i may give up i have done so twice for nine months at a time for no reason just to see if i could do it really i guess so i dont think i will have a problem if i do quit. Most of my mates smoke and my boyfriend to so it would be harder this time round but i would never in a million years recommend it to anyone. I think it is a good thing that they are bringing a ban. Im suprised with our government that they are bringing in a ban with the amonut of tax that is on the ruddy things but atleast it shows they are bothered about our health, hmmm saying that they do want to bring in 24 hour bars dont they, maybe they reckon that will make some of the money they will lose back.

[milly143]

forgot to add - I would NEVER advise anybody to start smoking.

[OBonio]

Started when I was 16 when I went to college. Mainly because a lot of my mates did. Also because that was the time I discovered sex, drugs and rock and roll (again, because my mates did too). Have smoked silk cut ultra for the last 3 years in preparation for giving up. How miffed was I when they told everyone they're just as addictive and as bad for you as normal ciggies. Not given up yet due to enjoying it (sort of). Will give up before my little one is born. Only an idiot would recommend smoking to anyone else. Unfortunately there are a lot of idiots out there!

[ll_billym]

I am 26, I have smoked since I was 18.  I started because I liked the feeling it gave me when I was drunk, light headedness, relaxation, etc. Most of my close friends of that time did not smoke and used to make fun of me for smoking but I did it anyway.  After a while I would start buying cigarettes the next morning and it just went from there.

I continue to smoke as I find it relaxing and I don't really want to give it up altogether but I smoke about 25 a day and I wish I could smoke 2-3 a day.  I've got to work on that.

[Scarlett]

This is a very good question- does it have an answer? I teach lots of logical, sensible, nearly adult students, most of who, are singers. I can guarantee that within a few months of being at College they have started to smoke. Surely at 17 they are past the peer pressure stage? And of course they know the risks and costs. I never smoked in my life and never felt pressured to, but I know that I was certainly the exception.

[toecrusher]

started smoking when i was about 14, am 49 now, have stopped several times,  twice when i was pregnant and didnt miss or crave at all. following this used to have the odd one socially, when having a drink. stopped again in 1996 following a breast lump scare, then started again in 1999, following devastating news about my youngest daughters health, since then have gone through a rollercoaster of emotions, childs health, work(being self employed) husband having a nervous breakdown, losing our business and a hell of a lot of hard earned money, taking on an 85 yr old immobile father in law full time ,(he now lives with us), so its all very well asking why do people smoke, my answer in my case is ongoing stress, to add to this i think its a disgusting habit, do not smoke in the house, cant stand the smell of stale fags, would go bonkers if my children tried it, none of our friends smoke, and i never smoke if we are out with non smokers and i cant bear to be in a smoky atmosphere! explain that one if you can.! i stand at the back door in my "smokers corner" away from everyone else and just enjoy a fag, it keeps me calm, gets me through the day, and i'm not bothering anyone. i get nagged constantly by kids and husband, but think so what, its my only fault!!!

[gazzawazza]

Thanks very much everyone for all your answers, sorry but I can't rate them for some reason (haven't quite got to grips with this new layout.  Gazzawazza.