i wouldnt worry _tom_ most smokers are less irritated by trivialities such as ‘part time’ smokers

perhaps its the nicotine?

Is smoking considered anti-social?

Probably some bias in the study as it was sponsored by the NHS…

Lol, all this chatter about smoking is making me want to light up. I’ve been smoking for the past 14 years and started because I was working at Wimpy and all the smokers were going out for a fag break. I just wanted the extra break so thought I’d do it. Plus this girl I liked at the time was doing it too so I thought it’d give me a bit of a chance with her. I never pulled her in the end ‘cos I was too shy.
Well, I’m still smoking….two roll ups a day. I used to smoke at the most 8 cigs a day but find them a bit harsh on the throat and really expensive now.
I ride 125 road miles a week and have done consistently for over a year now and that excludes the mountain bike miles I clock up at the weekend. I feel as fit as I have ever done riding the 12.5 miles to work in 32 mins on a good day. I smoke at lunch and because I work in a safety critical role at work it’s my release. If my company had a gym and gave me an hour and a half for lunch I’d be working out Instead I have 45 mins. A convenient amount of time to just eat my lunch then go for a rolly.
To be honest, in this safety conscious nanny state we live in, I get thrill from smoking just as I would riding a motor bike without a helmet on. I know my obligations when it comes to not endangering the lives of others but when it comes to mine then that’s my business.
Oh, I also have a good opportunity to ditch the losers at the work christmas party and skulk off outside.
Anyway now I’m gonna have my third roll up of the day….see, d’ya see what you lot have done to me!

i’m one of those ‘annoying ex smokers’. Started on the funny smelling ones at 13, but when I gave that up at about 19 I ‘party’ smoked cigs intead of a zoot or two. By the time I stopped at 36, I was on more than a pack a day and probably two packs at the weekend. Tried stopping a few times, but party smoking got me started again. I read Allen Carrs book too and although it is a bit annoying in places, he made a a lot of good points about how as a smoker you defend smoking, fail to quit, justify it to yourself and others, addiction, habit & triggers etc. In fact you could probably print out the pro smoking points from this thread and find them somewhere in the book- we’ve all said them at one point.

Being a tight Jock, I’d rather put the £4k I save per year in the biscuit tin 🙄

I can understand ‘party smokers’ to a point but can’t understand those that smoke less than 10 a day, I’d just spend all my time thinking about my next one- I was till very recently nearly 20 a day- sort of enjoyed it, those ones first thing in the morning, those after exercise, those after meals but those that you’re having without even realising just to get the nicotine fix are the ones that have made me want to stop.

As for funny ones, at least there’s a point to those:)

Elfinsafety – Member
… It’s my choice. I enjoy a nice juicy ciggie…

Not really. You enjoy delaying the withdrawal symptoms and stoking your addiction 🙂

I read the Allen Carr book as well and quit 3 1/2 years ago after 20 years of 20 a day. Started putting on a bit of weight so started cycling. My 2 boys started wanting to ride with me and before we knew it we were doing more and more. This weekend my oldest now 16 will be racing for GB in the UCI World Cup in Belgium(Cyclocross) Cannot believe how transformational giving up has been.

8)

8) indeed!

Elfinsafety – Member
… It’s my choice. I enjoy a nice juicy ciggie…

Not really. You enjoy delaying the withdrawal symptoms and stoking your addiction

He can convince himself or non-smokers, but you can’t kid a kidder. We’ve all been there, mmm lovely tab after dinner or post-coital… wait the now i think i’m talking myself back onto them.

you can’t kid a kidder

LOL!
much trueness!

MikeWW – Member
I read the Allen Carr book as well and quit 3 1/2 years ago after 20 years of 20 a day. Started putting on a bit of weight so started cycling. My 2 boys started wanting to ride with me and before we knew it we were doing more and more. This weekend my oldest now 16 will be racing for GB in the UCI World Cup in Belgium(Cyclocross) Cannot believe how transformational giving up has been.

Very well done all of you!

That’s awesome mikeww, well done you and good luck to your son too.
I take your point elfin really I do but I genuinely don’t think people understand what smoking will eventually do to them regarless of how much they run or cycle, until the doctor sits you down and says ‘well, it’s like this’…. And then you start to suffer. It’s a fairly touchy subject for me purely because I was born with a lung condition that smokers usually end up with after a 40 year 40 a day habit so I know how miserably gasping for breathing an coughing up a lung is every day, and I can probably ride just as far as you on a bike. Doesn’t make feeling like there’s a breeze block on my chest any easier though. It’s not me having a go, I genuinely would like to prevent anyone else having to put up with that’s all.

I gave up smoking again at the beginning of the year funy ones as well, head couldn’t cope anymore as well as having two kiddies which help with the giving up.
Have replaced the need to ‘relax’ with the need to ride all good although i do find myself popping out to the shed to get my fix of my bikes more than i should 😮

Effinchafing can fool himself all he wants. He’s been doing it for years. Only he knows what a loser he is. 😐

FROGLEEK – Member
I gave up smoking again at the beginning of the year funy ones as well, head couldn’t cope anymore as well as having two kiddies which help with the giving up.
Have replaced the need to ‘relax’ with the need to ride all good although i do find myself popping out to the shed to get my fix of my bikes more than i should

Well done on the giving up and don’t feel embarrassed about turning your addiction to the two wheeled variety (unless you end up on one of these Bank of Mum and Dad type programmes 😉 )

It’s a fairly touchy subject for me purely because I was born with a lung condition that smokers usually end up with after a 40 year 40 a day habit so I know how miserably gasping for breathing an coughing up a lung is every day,

Ok, I can see where you’re coming from.

I don’t smoke a lot. My GP doesn’t think my smoking is of serious concern. I don’t have a ‘smokers’ cough’.

I don’t often crave tobacco. I feel the ‘need’ for a cig occasionally if I’m in a stressful situation, but otherwise I just have one when I fancy it. Which isn’t even every day.

Not really. You enjoy delaying the withdrawal symptoms and stoking your addiction

Whatever. Can’t be bothered arguing.

(Blows smoke in DD’s face, causing him to cough and then vomit copiously. Laughs)

This thread makes me want to smoke. The ritual of rolling one (Cutters Choice ta) is not replaced by chewing on this bloody gum!

I’ve smoked on and off for 10 years now.

There have been periods of up to six months or so where I’ve quit, but I’ve always returned to it in the end.

For the last two and half years I’ve been working night shifts, my smoking has escalated markedly in that time. I can smoke a dozen or so over a 12 hour night shift with ease, almost all of my night shift colleagues smoke too, which doesn’t help.

I caned through about 20 last Saturday night (my 31st birthday) and felt bloody awful the next morning. I had promised myself that I’d quite when I turned 30, but my relationship ended at the same time and I just lost all willpower generally. Well, no cigarettes for 72 hours now which isn’t much, but it’s a start.

What I need is a nice non-smoking girlfriend.

I ride 125 road miles a week and have done consistently for over a year now and that excludes the mountain bike miles I clock up at the weekend. I feel as fit as I have ever done

yeah but if you didn’t smoke and did the same you would be fitter

To be honest, in this safety conscious nanny state we live in, I get thrill from smoking just as I would riding a motor bike without a helmet on. I know my obligations when it comes to not endangering the lives of others but when it comes to mine then that’s my business

honestly does smoking really give you a thrill, i can understand riding without a helmet or free climbing to give you more of a rush or a feeling of freedom but smoking?, not the biggest anti establishment action you can make

nothing against smokers if you enjoy it, i did for 20 years and eventually just didn’t want to anymore for a number of reasons, still enjoy a funny one but have not had one of those for 6 months

I used to smoke roll-ups but now I smoke … a pipe.

Two bowls that’s all and no craving for roll-ups. Pipe is so much better.

I smoked a pack a day for about 15 years. Now I use Swedish Snus and never feel the urge to smoke. I know the Snus has its dangers too but its way safer than the cigs and has no effect on fitness.

10 or so a day and 2 bowls in my pipe in the evening.

Mmmmm, lovely fags. 🙂

What I don’t understand- got a matey who works in the diving industry, tests all the new kit etc and has asthma and also smokes. 😯

Being hooked is irrational.

The anti-smoking critics- keep it coming. We shouldn’t make it acceptable at all. Do you think the makers of Cigarettes CARE about your health? Why do they add additives to make cigarettes taste nicer?

Sorry, I wish someone had been negative to me and the smoking ban came into force when I was a kid. Evil, nasty habit.

This thread makes me want to smoke. The ritual of rolling one (Cutters Choice ta) is not replaced by chewing on this bloody gum!

I’m on the gum, tastes awful, I’m concerned about swapping one addiction for another BUT they do stop cravings and not felt the urge to smoke……….pub tonight though 😮

I started smoking at school and smoked Marlboro (red) for years. First think I did in the morning was put the kettle on and spark up.

Then I got a bike – realised I could go faster if I stopped smoking.

Used to wear expensive clothes – got pissed off with having to have them cleaned/washed all the time because they stunk.

Had long hair then – hated the smell of smoke in it.

Hated washing the net curtains/walls/furniture/ashtrays.

Hated the dogbreath.

Hated the feeling of needing a fag – didn’t want to be controlled.

I read a book (think it was Allen Carr), I got acupuncture (small pin in my ear). Gave up. Haven’t smoked for years and years and years, don’t miss it, have no urge or curiousity or desire.

It can be done, TSY and others – stick with it!

108 hours and counting…

The gum is hurting my teeth though 🙁

stopping smoking when you ‘actually’ want to, is easy. No really, it was.

It’s a mental thing, you either want to stop or you don’t, it’s that simple, I didn’t want to smoke any more, so i stopped, once you realise that, there’s no point in trying to stop until you really really want to. But when you do, it’ll be easy, ’cause you actually look forward to not smoking, and not resenting giving something up.

thats the comment most like my experience too. started smoking at 11 to look big at school. tried a few times in early twenties to stop for various reasons, health, save money blah-de-blah. but it was a case of still wanting to smoke but realising i shouldnt.
then one day it finally hit home how pathetic it was. i was sort of mentally asking myself “has anybody noticed im actually smoking this fag? nope, its just taken for granted. if they look at me do they think i look cool smoking it? er…probably not. why am i smoking it? dunno. im just breathing in some smoke for some reason. havent a clue why, whether its to make me look good or whatever, cant answer that”

and i just stopped there and then. and sounds a bit daft, but what a rush that gave me. i just knew id stopped for good. i wouldnt struggle to pack in cos i felt so strong about it.
i was actually excited about ridding myself of it and knowing id done it.

but i dont preach to others, thats annoying. i know how hard it is to pack in cos id been there, but i also know how easy it is to pack in too. like has already been said, youll do it if you want to, not if you think you should but dont really want to.

just read that back and sounds a bit of waffly doesnt it 🙂 was just typing my thoughts.

cheers

The Southern Yeti – Member
108 hours and counting…

The gum is hurting my teeth though

Stick with it mate!

It does get easier, honestly.

Gave up two years ago – tough going for a while. Now have a holiday rule where I only smoke on holiday ( or when I’m so drunk that I don’t remember/care about the rule).

Not sure if this is true but I read somewhere (over 10yrs ago) that drinking pure orange juice helps leach the residual nicotine out of your body.

Remember its nicotine craving that gives you the hardtime. So I drank circa 3-4litres a day

The anti-smoking critics- keep it coming. We shouldn’t make it acceptable at all. Do you think the makers of Cigarettes CARE about your health?

Probably about as much as I care what you think! 🙂 I know it’s probably going to kill me. I know it makes me slower on a bike. I’ve accepted that. I still choose to smoke. Get over it.

People who bleat that they are creating more income/tax by smoking than what they cost the NHS are funny.

You’ll be on longterm sickness benefits, enjoy the use of a mobility car scheme and have various health officials and tablets are your disposal long before you finally kick the bucket.

I really do hate smoking. I hate the fact that its in blatant-view of the sweets counter in newsagents in a cynical attempt to subliminally win new customers when the existing ones start to die.

“I smoke but I don’t want my children to smoke’.

You have no choice, you are at the mercy of big business peddling death to you and then your children.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://sdfs.ucps.k12.nc.us/images/Smokers%2520Lung.JPG&imgrefurl=http://sdfs.ucps.k12.nc.us/images/Lungs.htm&h=2014&w=1872&sz=218&tbnid=a1TtmlVrDvDcVM:&tbnh=233&tbnw=216&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsmokers%2Blungs&zoom=1&q=smokers+lungs&hl=en&usg=__p6hngmOmGCgWU8c225AmVG0tVRQ=&sa=X&ei=Gt7sTKPzL8GEhQexz7TYDA&sqi=2&ved=0CCAQ9QEwAg

ouch!

Black as the ace of spades! Yuck!

Very scary, however over time the lungs will heal.

The sooner you stop the more years of life you will have to spend with your loved ones.

The way things are going in this country and the world, they will need you in thier lives for as long as possible.

Smoking – highly addictive. Ingesting a cocktail of highly toxic carcinogens seems like madness to me, but addiction sweeps away rational behaviour. SHAME on the purveyos of such poison!

In the early days, this habit was percieved to be a bit posh, thus giving you social status. Perhaps this is why so many lower classes got hooked on it. How sad!

Smoking wrecks others’ lives too, the relatives/dependants, passive smokers.

The smoker also gets treated as a special case in the work place, by being able to wag off several times for a puff, while the rest have to carry on working – totally unfair and bad for team efficency, team morale.

At least smoking is banned in public places now. In the past, I would be in places where the smoke was so thick that my eyes would sting, but every time i’d been in a smoky environment, it was in my clothes, my hair – disgusting and offensive!

Basically, smokers are bunch of selfish feckers coz they couldn’t care a hoot about the harm and inconvenience they cause.

The overall cost is phenominal.

To those who say it’s hard to kick the habit, my message is grow a pair!

Walk round Rochdale town centre during the day and you’ll notice everyone looks like they’ve been dragged through a bush along with having a fag planted on their lips.

Funny how the ill-educated smoke isn’t it?

Why do you want to share something with those that are abit thick? 🙂

To pick up on Hora’s point of people smoking now a days are idiots because they know the effects… I don’t think that’s strictly true. (apart from smokers with low IQ’s)

Quality of Life over quantity, everyone assesses risks and place them relative to themselves… that’s why some of us like downhilling and others like xc, some wear helmets some don’t.

It doesn’t make the extreme the idiot it means they accept the danger and take their chances. Some people have chemicals inside them that make this thrill more desired than others admittedly… and adrenaline is a bit of a craving in its own right.. just so happens that this “good and bad” (which however doesn’t exist as the theory of good and bad is bs) perception of smoking is an easy target to swoop to opinions on with the high horse cavalry.

Everyone makes choices and everyone’s choices aren’t the same… surprise? because people are different, but to judge someone for a choice that is not your own… well I think that’s more questionable of idiot qualities.

Why do you want to share something with those that are abit thick?

I quite like sharing STW with you Hora, the simplicity of your replies often makes me feel better about myself. 😆