Highly technical question

[SteveL]

Last cig was last night, patches on this morning, no cravings yet. I managed to stop last year for about 7 months, but started again just after I broke the whole company network in London by doing something dumb, and I couldnt work it out. Went outside, was offered a cig, took it, smoked it, reaalised what the problem was, wnet back and fixed it.

Lets see how badly I do at this. Last time I ended up having 4-5 a day when trying to stop, and eventually it went down and down until one day I "forgot" to have one...

[peonic]

Good Luck mate!

[Whippy]

Last cig was last night, patches on this morning, no cravings yet. I managed to stop last year for about 7 months, but started again just after I broke the whole company network in London by doing something dumb, and I couldnt work it out. Went outside, was offered a cig, took it, smoked it, reaalised what the problem was, wnet back and fixed it.

Lets see how badly I do at this. Last time I ended up having 4-5 a day when trying to stop, and eventually it went down and down until one day I "forgot" to have one...

You know it makes sense mate. I've got one of those 'give up smoking in an hour' books if you want to borrow it. I don't know if it worked for me but it didn't make it any worse, that's for sure. Just think of the extra money you could spend on astro gear!!

Here's a pic of what you could treat yourself to..

Tony..

EDIT: Hm, you could get yourself two and have the best binoviewers on the planet!! (not sure what happened there..)

[James]

I haven't really been there, btu I don't see why it should be so hard. It only needs 1 second of willpower to throw away a fag or even a pack in a puddle (make it dustbin - more eco-friendly...!) rather than smoking it.

I've supported a friend through getting over his rather heavy smoking habits and whilst he had no shortage of willpower its not that just one second is needed to throw the fag away, its more that one second's willpower is needed many many times a day and after a while it becomes exhausting and even the strongest can waver.

I've smoked perhaps 4 cigarettes in my entire life and rather more cigars but have never been hooked on them (chocolate & caffeine are more my problem) but having watched many people trying to throw the habit I can only say it is hard to do and those that try deserve support!

James

[beamish]

I think for me it was a case of just "not wanting to smoke any more" and stopped.

Good luck Steve !!

[tenbyfifty]

I never could figure out how a hobby like smoking got started, when it makes you cough and stink and die.

Speaking as an ex-smoker, the amazing thing is that smokers don't notice themselves coughing all the time, don't notice that they stink a room out when they've just had a ciggy and certainly don't entertain the notion that its going to kill them, even for a microsecond, even when they know all the risks. In short, smoking is one vast exercise in delusional thinking and the greatest hypocrisy in the history of human civilization is that the heads of tobacco companies aren't treated like criminals the same as mafia drug barons.

[Kenny_10_Bellys]

The best of British to anyone giving up smoking, you know it makes sense.

As for me, my willpower kicked in early. It took willpower not to give in to peer pressure and join in with all the other idiots taking up smoking to look big and clever. The actual not smoking was easy, you take a drag, cough yourself inside out and then throw it away as a disgusting bit of nonsense.

You addicts might try hypnosis, my mate had one 25 minute session and never smoked again. The guy primed him so that when anyone asks him if he wants a fag he immediately says "no thanks, I dont smoke." Better that than saying "I gave up" and then having the fellow addict try to tempt you again.

[daz]

I had hypnosis 4 years, 9 days and 57 minutes ago - and don't miss it in the slightest!

[Ant]

I had a fag last mid september last year!

I decided that I wasn't going to have any more... From that moment on I haven't. I don't (as a rule) ever feel like I want one. Don't even give it any thought.

My wife still smokes and smokes in the car next to me - and it doesn't bother me.

I have no problems giving up at all - but you've got to WANT to give up.

Like the red flamed lighers though...

Ant

[GazOC]

I had hypnosis 4 years, 9 days and 57 minutes ago - and don't miss it in the slightest!

As long as nobody clicks their fingers....

[daz]

Or says "SLEEP!"

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........................

[Jamie]

I don't see why it should be so hard. It only needs 1 second of willpower to throw away a fag or even a pack in a puddle (make it dustbin - more eco-friendly...!) rather than smoking it.

Andrew untill you have experienced the hell that someone thats addicted to nicotine has

maybe it would be better to keep your thoughtless comments to your self..

[GazOC]

Or says "SLEEP!"

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........................

'You're back in the room'...*click*

[GazOC]

I don't see why it should be so hard. It only needs 1 second of willpower to throw away a fag or even a pack in a puddle (make it dustbin - more eco-friendly...!) rather than smoking it.

Andrew untill you have experienced the hell that someone thats addicted to nicotine has

maybe it would be better to keep your thoughtless comments to your self..

As a non-smoker I know its just something I could never understand, it seems so easy but so many people find it hard or fail to give up that I think its fairly obvious that its a damn hard thing to do.

[Whippy]

Look into my eyes, only my eyes, not around the eyes.....

Tony..

[Andrew*]

I don't see why it should be so hard. It only needs 1 second of willpower to throw away a fag or even a pack in a puddle (make it dustbin - more eco-friendly...!) rather than smoking it.

Andrew untill you have experienced the hell that someone thats addicted to nicotine has

maybe it would be better to keep your thoughtless comments to your self..

Thanks Jamie.

Thoughtless is a bit harsh, as I did think it through. I mentioned it to my brother who has tried countless times to stop. He liked the idea and had never thought of it and said he would try it, so I thought I would mention it...

I do not deny that it is hard for a minute - I just can't understand it, which is probably the case for most non-smokers.

Andrew

[beamish]

I seem to recall reading that nicotine addiction is easier than heroin but not as crack cocaine. Even scientists working for the big co.s eg British and American , Philip Morris did their own research years ago to discover just how much nicotine would be reqd in a single fag to create an urge for another(addiction), it was ridiculously low, less than 0.9 mg. But it's not the nicotine that kills you-it's all the other Rubbish and nasties and carcinogens that do that ! including CO, arsenic, benzine (for **d

s sake!)

sorry getting on the box again- I'll get me coat !!

Karlo

[daz]

'You're back in the room'...*click*

See, told you "MOOOOOO!!" you wouldn't "MOOOOOO!!" hynpnotise "MOOOOOO!!" me

[Andrew*]

But it's not the nicotine that kills you-it's all the other Rubbish and nasties and carcinogens that do that ! including CO, arsenic, benzine (for **d

s sake!)

Even cyanide!... :shock:

That's the thing that I really hate aobut smoking. The carp they shove in your fag to help it burn easier. Rollies with Organic tobacco and decent papers are the way to go to dodge most of the cancer inducing madness.

Andrew

[cygnusx1]

But it's not the nicotine that kills you-it's all the other Rubbish and nasties and carcinogens that do that ! including CO, arsenic, benzine (for **d

s sake!)

Even cyanide!... :shock:

That's the thing that I really hate aobut smoking. The carp they shove in your fag to help it burn easier. Rollies with Organic tobacco and decent papers are the way to go to dodge most of the cancer inducing madness.

Andrew

Actually, that's a myth, rolling tobacco contains as many harmful substances as normal cig tobacco.

That's just a sweet dream ppl who roll like to believe, unfortunately.

I should know, i smoke!

[Kenny_10_Bellys]

Lets not kid ourselves people, there's no such thing as harmless tobacco. Lighters are cool though, love those jet flame things and huge Zippos are fun. As for being thoughtless and not knowing your pain, you are right to a certain extent. We dont know, because we never did and never will. It's also kind of hard to muster huge amounts of sentiment for a self-inflicted wound. Sorry.

[Whippy]

Thanks for that.

[The Warthog]

I smoked for ten or twelve years. My peak was when I worked as a jail guard, and smoked a pack a shift. Eventually, I tapered off and finally quit altogether when the insurance agent told me I could get a better rate if I quit. So, sometime after I quit, they gave me a medical and refused to insure me at all because I am diabetic. It's enough to make you want to take up smoking!

[tenbyfifty]

It's also kind of hard to muster huge amounts of sentiment for a self-inflicted wound.

From one point of view you can say smoking is a self-inflicted wound but in a wider context the main reason people smoke

is because they've grown up in a culture which has promoted and endorsed smoking for decades. Fifty years

ago a large chunk of the population smoked, and smoking is as much culturally transmitted as chemically.

When I was a boy I sat in a room with my father and brother smoking like chimneys and nobody in the 70s

batted an eyelid. I went to the cinema where smoking was shown in films and advertised before the flick.

I watched smoking in tv programmes. I saw school teachers smoking in the staff room. Surprise, surprise I ended up as a smoker. Only by de-bunking the myths around smoking and developing a stronger sense of self-preservation have I managed

to go nearly 3 years without the wicked weed. People who are still actively involved in promoting smoking anywhere in the world are total scum IMO!!!

[Kenny_10_Bellys]

I'll be 40 next year and I guarantee you that my generation knew well that smoking was bad for you. I grew up with one parent who still smokes and one who gave up, and a load of other uncles, aunts and grandparents who died off one after the other thanks to their habit. I saw the smoke in the staff-room, suffered pubs filled with inconsiderate swines who smoked like beagles and I still never took it up. I tried it and it was rank rotten, simple as that.

It's my firm belief that the only reason people smoke is because of peer pressure. They wanted to be part of the gang, to be cool and hide behind the sheds tasting the forbidden fruit that only adults were meant to 'enjoy'. They wanted to look older, and now many of them look very old. Being a nerd I was never that susceptible to doing things purely to fit in, something I'm glad of now.