Cigarettes

[vaporcloud]

Ok own up, who smokes them or was once a smoker?

I've never been into tobacco but did use to mix it with my herb when living in Australia (crazy ockers). But I always found a cig would make my head spin and hurt to inhale and exhale. Both my parents were pack-a-day users. I once had a girlfriend who use to light up after sex. I'd rather be reaching for a bong or pipe after such a pleasurable activity . Or now a vape

 

[Skuzzer]

I don't, have smoked a few here and there, and with a beer I sometimes enjoy a smoke (rollies only though), but could never see myself taking the habit up full time - some people are surprised because my gf and her brother (both of whom I live with) smoke.

They make my head spin and I don't enjoy it, can't stand it when people 'spin' their weed to make it go further.

 

[Clear_Dome]

hahaha I still smoke cigaret some time ,but not on a regalr base ....I had smoke a lot when I was younger and I must say it's realy hard fully stop ....when I'm drunk I love to smoke LOLLL.....it was my lil secret ...

 

[max]

I smoked for a long time. It was much more common to be a smoker when I started. Seemed like most people did it. It made me dizzy for quite a while when I started. I should have listened to my body. It was trying to tell me 'quit putting this poison in me'. But I had to be cool, so I kept at it. Then when I quit (I was 25), it was so easy I didn't think anything of it when I started back up two years later. Why worry? Quitting was easy. Well it wasn't easy the 2nd time. Took me a long time to quit for good. I'm glad it's a lot less socially acceptable to smoke now. Nasty, harmful habit that can be a real bitch to break.

 

[vtac]

Started around grade 7, we used to lie upside down on power boxes and smoke. Huge headrush.

Killed that habit for good at least 7 years ago, second hand only now. yuck

CD you should try out those e-cigarettes. Come on, you're on the forefront of vapor tech.

 

[Acolyte of Zinglon]

ive tried cigarettes, found them to be disgusting and not worth the miniscule buzz, ill grow my own tobacco some day and toss it in the vape, the cancer shit comes from all the chemicals they add in processing

 

[DigitalDavinci]

I smoked from ages 16 to 28. I wanted to smoke since I was a kid. Once my uncle threw a cigar down from the roof as he was repairing it. At the age of 4 I picked it up and began smoking it. I stole cigs from the age of 12 from my family. Always wanted to do it. I guess the need to be a part of a family tradition overcame common sense.

EVERYONE in my family smokes on my mom's side. (The side I genetically take after, and relate to the most) About three years ago I began to wake up feeling like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I ran out of breath running accross the street. I'd smoke a pack a day minimum, and begin coughing up black phlem in the morning. Usually not stopping for an hour. I'd yawn in the morning like everyone, but I just couldn't catch my breath again afterwards.

My mom has battled cancer twice and won. Now she has it for a third time, and unfortunately it will be that last. She will be gone within a year without another remission at 58. After thinking about all of that I started to realize that no one on my moms side of the family lived past 64. In fact, her father died at 53 of 7 types of cancer.

All that really opend my eyes, and after realizing that my lungs were only getting better slowly...I looked into vapeing, and here I am. Amazing how much energy you have when you stop smoking. I ride 15 miles a day now, and lift weights. Never could of done that while smoking cigs.

DD

 

[Vicki]

I quit smoking cigarettes June 16th, so it's been a little over 3 months now.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

I can count all the cigarettes on one hand, even if I lost a few fingers. I fucking hate the things, and why anyone would bother smoking them and start the habit, truly beats me.

 

[Acolyte of Zinglon]

I can count all the cigarettes on one hand, even if I lost a few fingers. I fucking hate the things, and why anyone would bother smoking them and start the habit, truly beats me.

qft, my thoughts exactly

 

[partially veiled]

I fucking hate the things, and why anyone would bother smoking them and start the habit, truly beats me.

I'm with you man, and I can mostly agree...from my vantage point now, smoking and by extension smokers seem pretty silly.

BUT...you could say the same thing for over-eating, drinking too much, driving too fast, whatever you want to, really. It's easy as pie to stand on the outside and say "look at those people and what they're doing...don't they know any better?"...but being the one in that situation is totally different. Many smokers who started any more than 8 or 10 years ago were starting their habit in a very different world...it doesn't excuse the decisions we made, or the foolishness of what we did to our bodies... Yet it still is not as easy as looking at the situation and seeing the truth, right there on the surface. Often the issues have run much, much deeper than "surface level". I hope you don't think I'm attacking your argument, as like I said I totally see where you're coming from and I find that's where I'm looking from these days as well: cigarettes are madness and smoking is clearly a bad choice, which I would advise anyone away from.

Still...as a previous smoker, nothing made me more angry than people pointing out how foolish our situation was. Smokers are not necessarily stupid people, and they often are completely aware of the damage they're doing to themselves...but getting out from underneath that addiction is no easy feat. It doesn't help to have the world that bred you to be a smoker, that fed you the advertisments and social expectations which got you started in the first place, turn around and point their finger at you and laugh at the stupid decisions you've made. Remember that cigarettes are literally designed so that you can inhale enough nicotine within the first cig to be addicted. This has been scientifically proven (and I will dredge the internet to find the study, if I have to): you can become addicted to cigarettes within the context of your first smoke. So, we've got a world full of people who started smoking long before they knew what they were doing, and were addicted before they knew that they had to quit. Once again, it does NOT excuse smokers or their decisions...but we as the "enlightened" should try to have some compassion, I guess. Didn't mean to rant against you dude; it's so not personal...I'm just a touchy little whiner.

grow my own tobacco some day and toss it in the vape, the cancer shit comes from all the chemicals they add in processing

Actually, that's not true. I would agree that the processing which commercial ciggies go through is where they get like 95 percent of their disgusting, dangerous qualities...nothing that's treated in enmbalming fluid should be going into a living body . Since that's only the tip of the iceberg...yeah, I would say commercial cigarettes and all the chemical treatment they've brought along with them are MUCH worse than plain tobacco leaf...but...tobacco itself is still quite dangerous. Specifically, tobacco contains carcinogens which contribute to cell mutations and cancer formation. Untreated tobacco was causing cancer, tooth decay, blood pressures issues, etc. long before companies like Philip Morris came along (that one's for the Canucks among us ). Tobacco is a member of the Solanaceae family (includes Potatoes, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Tobacco, Daturas, Mandrake, Belladona, etc...), and most plants of this family are poisions to some degree. I would love to try untreated tobacco myself, and have plenty of seeds in my fridge...so maybe one day I'll throw some in the ground. It should still be respected, however...since whether it's treated or natural tobacco is a powerful, potentially dangerous plant.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

No worries PV, I have to disagree with you on a few things though.

For some time now it's been common knowledge that cigarettes are bad for you, so why someone would start up the habit (or keep it) willingly, and knowingly really makes no sense to me. Maybe they truly do like them, and that's fine, it's their body -- not mine. However, I certainly don't have any compassion for someone who smokes cigarettes, that's their reckless decision which I won't condone or condemn, but they certainly get no compassion or sympathy.

They made the decision, and they can get themselves out of it. They don't need my pity but they have my support. Millions of people have done it and I have faith every single cigarette smoker is capable of quitting. It's a question of how much you really want to quit.

 

[DigitalDavinci]

Nothing good was going to come from my rant, so I removed it. My personal feelings got the best of me. Lets just say I have a different outlook on addiction and helping others. No need to kill everyone elses buzz just because mine was just ruined.


DD

 

[Purple-Days]

 

[Acolyte of Zinglon]

ROFL!!

 

[vtac]

Since everyone's posting youtube vids,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DbFBu_I_lA

And most people smoke a 600+ a month.

 

[max]

That was one disgusting video vtac. I wish every smoker had to watch it.

 

[vtac]

Have you seen the cigarette packs in Canada?

http://www.smoke-free.ca/warnings/Canada-warnings.htm

Smokers laugh at/ignore that shit. :/

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Yeah, I remember when we took the Alaskan Highway home I saw cigarette packs in the stores and couldn't believe what they had on them.

My older brother is a smoker and I remember he bought one that had the 'limp cigarette' on it.... very poignant.

 

[marvel]

Have to admit I've never smoked a cigarette in my life. Never been tempted, either. In fact I felt guilty smoking marijuana, the anti-smoking campaigns they hit us 80s kids with really worked on me, smoke = bad. So glad to have found this forum and my Extreme vape. I see a lot of fucked up older folks with emphysema, all broke down on oxygen and still smoking five packs a day. Never seen a marijuana user in that state... Still can't figure out why the better, safer alternative is illegal and not the other way around.

 

[Costanza]

I believe that everybody should be as educated as possible on any and every subject. More so now on the hazards of smoking due to its acceptance and integration within our society generation after generation.
But I also feel that people should stop the vilification of smokers simply because our culture finally decided it was bad for you. Not directed at any of you, just a side-note observation. Spread knowledge, not hate!
I'll be honest; I used to criticize cigarettes because of the negligible high when compared to the significant health risks (& $$$). And my mother's smoking over the years only added to my distaste.
However, I'm the type of person who craves knowledge and experience. So figuring that there must be something beside peer pressure and pure addiction that fuels this industry, I gave 'em a shot.
Having smoked weed regularly beforehand, I inhaled rather than creating the mouth vacuum. But once I got the method down I could definitely see what all the hype was about.
That?s not to say that I condone smoking. I knew it was something I was going to experience but that?s just me. Nobody needs to experience cigarettes. And for most it?ll likely prove to be a huge waste of money and time (literally).
The feeling is fleeting and there?s a point after smoking for a while at which it brings you to normalcy through satisfying an addiction rather than giving you an actual high. That?s what you want to avoid.
I consider my body a monocracy, with my conscious mind as the supreme ruler. So I was disgusted whenever I felt a real urge to smoke. Once that business started I decided it was time to quit the habitual smoking.
To me, smoking was always the cherry on top of a night. It does compliment physical exertion and/or other drugs quite nicely. But not worth much else. That?s why nowadays I save smoking for after certain kinds of sex and/or certain hard drugs.

 

[max]

I used to criticize cigarettes because of the negligible high when compared to the significant health risks

I guess it depends on your definition of 'high', but in all the years I smoked cigarettes I never looked at the effect as a high. Any high that's involved is just the body's reaction to all the poisons being introduced. When I started smoking as a teenager, I had to overcome the dizziness I felt. If anyone perceives that feeling as a 'high', well, let's just say it wasn't a pleasant 'buzz' for me. I should have listened to my body at that point. I feel like any pleasure I ever got from smoking was psychological, a calming effect (from the deep draw, not the smoke itself), or satisfying the nicotine addiction. At the end of my smoking days, all I felt was the addiction and the physical damage that cig smoke was doing to my heart and lungs.

My older brother is a smoker and I remember he bought one that had the 'limp cigarette' on it

Indeed. One of the lesser advertised effects of long term smoking is impotence.

But I also feel that people should stop the vilification of smokers simply because our culture finally decided it was bad for you. Not directed at any of you, just a side-note observation. Spread knowledge, not hate!

I don't think 'hate' is what gets directed at smokers these days. It certainly shouldn't be. A lot of us who have quit or never smoked do tend to have a superior attitude and look down on smokers to some degree. I think smokers deserve the same compassion that's given to any other person who's dealing with an addictive behavior that's compromising their health and/or relationships with others.

 

[Costanza]

I used to criticize cigarettes because of the negligible high when compared to the significant health risks

I guess it depends on your definition of 'high', but in all the years I smoked cigarettes I never looked at the effect as a high. Any high that's involved is just the body's reaction to all the poisons being introduced. When I started smoking as a teenager, I had to overcome the dizziness I felt. If anyone perceives that feeling as a 'high', well, let's just say it wasn't a pleasant 'buzz' for me. I should have listened to my body at that point. I feel like any pleasure I ever got from smoking was psychological, a calming effect (from the deep draw, not the smoke itself), or satisfying the nicotine addiction. At the end of my smoking days, all I felt was the addiction and the physical damage that cig smoke was doing to my heart and lungs.

I can see why you wouldn't use the word 'high'. I'm sure a lot people don't appreciate the physical effects of smoking. I only used it as a general term for the intended effects of a drug. That's why I approached cigarettes, as a drug to experiment with.
While those effects may only be seen as negative or neutral side effects of any other drug, they are the primary effects of cigarettes. And one of the major reasons why people smoke.

But I also feel that people should stop the vilification of smokers simply because our culture finally decided it was bad for you. Not directed at any of you, just a side-note observation. Spread knowledge, not hate!

I don't think 'hate' is what gets directed at smokers these days. It certainly shouldn't be. A lot of us who have quit or never smoked do tend to have a superior attitude and look down on smokers to some degree. I think smokers deserve the same compassion that's given to any other person who's dealing with an addictive behavior that's compromising their health and/or relationships with others.

You're right; hate is a strong word. But even being supercilious towards strangers is inappropriate in my eyes. I also don't believe they should all be shown compassion either. Not unless they express some loss of control over their habit, incapability to quit, or any desire to at all. I know some people would find it unnecessary and perhaps disparaging to be shown compassion for a 'problem' they don't have. Just as a person who happily enjoys his excess booze, gambling, or fatty foods might.

I'm all for less smoking in the world, especially because it was popularized in a time when people didn't know how it was affecting they're bodies. I only mean to say that the individual by-choice smoker is being negatively affected by this stop-smoking campaign. Its good that information is becoming more readily available; but its also doing a good job of portraying smokers as disgusting people. Its getting to be borderline propaganda.