Why do People Smoke?

I started smoking at age 12, sneaking a few here and there, but now I'm 30 and smoke 2.5 packs a day. If I'm drinking i can kill a whole pack in a couple hours.

I've noticed I just can't do mountain biking or rock climbing like my friends. It really holds me back. I have friends who are competitive in marathons and I can't even hardly start one, much less finish one, so please don't start!

I really don't understand why people smoke, even though they are aware of the fact that smoking is detrimental to the health. I am so glad that am in the non smoker bunch. I am blessed!! I am someone who cannot even stand passive smoking!

I used to smoke for fun, but never really get hooked on it. Now, I'm feeling so much stress lately. For such a long time i could handle the stress by working out and sports, but now i feel like i can't handle it anymore.

my blood pressure is so high (148 over 89) and I'm only 25. Right now, just thinking of smoking makes me relax. I'll just try to do other things and if my blood pressure won't go down i guess I'll try smoking. if that won't work then i don't know.

I have been smoking since I was 11. I'm now 24 and I feel short of breath some days.

I love the smell of a rich blend tobacco and its taste, but I can no longer afford it health wise and money wise. I won't gripe or 'babble.' I still haven't quit, but when I have, I won't haunt you for smoking. I'll just walk away.

The main reasons people smoke are: 1. Peer pressure as a kid, 2. Influence from tobacco advertising (in the past this was very prominent, not so much today) and entertainment (smoking in movies and tv shows), and I think the main one is 3. Having friends who smoke and wanting to fit in with them. Does it make you look or feel cool? In a way, it does. Psychologically it can be calming in a social situation to have something to do with your hands and your mouth while talking and meeting with others. Chewing gum can have a similar effect.

Cigarettes have been called "pacifiers for adults." When I learn that someone I admire is a smoker it makes me think a little less highly of them, to be honest. I admire people who are rational, intelligent and non-conformist, and I think of smoking as the antithesis of all those qualities.

If you're thinking about starting smoking, I recommend you talk with someone who is suffering from lung cancer and ask them what their life is like.

My main proposition to non-smokers is stop being so opinionated. Every smoker knows what they're doing is bad for them, and there's a lot of reasons why they keep doing it.

I recently quit smoking so I see all the advantages of quitting, but it's such a pleasurable activity.

The point i want to make is that smoking is often more deep-rooted than just liking to smoke, so all you non-smokers need to stop judging!

I'm fine with smokers, just as long as they don't do it around me. I don't want to stink and die from second-hand smoke! My whole family is composed of nonsmokers and I am very glad they don't.

I choose not to smoke for many reasons. The main reason is that I don't want to die! I would be so angry if I were to get lung cancer because of something I did to myself. I think drinking is much worse, though, because it has a negative effect on people and makes them act like fools.

Comment 231 is ridiculous. Smoking is not the most pleasurable thing in the world! And how dare you say that nonsmokers should try it? Of course they might like it because of the nicotine. You must be demented from all those cigs!

comment 225 makes me laugh. Reformed smokers denying themselves enjoyment. Yep, looking back, i used to love stinking. It was really cool to have to go and sneak a smoke at work, and i especially loved it when you saw someone light up you had to join them, like part of a special little club.

I feel so denied now that i can walk up a flight of stairs without getting puffed, and i feel so denied that i can really enjoy food and drink now to its fullest. I feel denied too, because whenever i get drunk, i don't get anywhere near as hung over. Yep, no doubt about it: I'm missing out.

I'm 13 and I've smoked a few, had a bowl. And i still like weed but I'm done with cigs. i didn't like them so i stopped. it wasn't that they were gross or anything but i just didn't like them anymore so i quit. it's not that hard if you want to quit, but i don't care whether people do it or not.

Why do I smoke? Let me first ask you this question: Why do you care what I do?

If I smoke in my home, or my car, how does it affect you? In short it doesn't. Now if I smoke in a public place, in front of you, then you have the right to ask me to put it out for your health.

I have known the dangers of smoking since I started in 1978. The warning labels were there. I watched my Uncle die from emphysema. It didn't stop me.

Some of you seem to think that smoking should be illegal. Well go ahead and make it illegal, and then the United States Government can pay for your child's health care by adding more taxes to you non-smokers, instead of us.

But even if it goes illegal, I'll order my cigarettes from countries where cigarette smoking is in no danger of being made illegal and I'll still be smoking and killing myself as is my God given right.

You see, from 1920 to 1933, the United States tried to do the same thing with alcohol and what did it accomplish? It created nothing but more places to drink, and caused a rise in criminal activity, including and up to murder over the illegal "drink".

Maybe if people would dust off the Constitution of The United States and read it, they would understand what it really means. There are rights given to the people, rights given to the states and rights given to the United States government.

Now let me educate some of you who haven't read it since Civics class in high school or American History.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Now, in Section 9 of the Constitution, pay close attention to this passage.

No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.

Yet, every state that produces tobacco, has to pay some sort of tax on tobacco. So that tax is passed on to the consumers.

Now, let me be honest in another way. The reason that smokers have to pay for a child's health care, is because you got a bunch of people out there who can't (or more than likely, won't) get a job, have babies they can't afford to pay for, then the smokers have to pick up more of their health care costs.

How about, instead of taxing us smokers to pay for these "breeders", that we tax everyone equally, and send these people back to school, and help them "find" a job and actually become tax payers themselves?

Sorry, got off topic there. But the fact is, I smoke because I choose to. Just like you do whatever you do, drink, overeat, stick your nose in other people's businesses or just get on these sites to give yourself 15 minutes of fame. Just a thought.

I used to smoke, sense I was about 15 years old. I wasn't a light smoker, in fact smoked a pack of day. When I was a teenager I loved smoking! As I matured, smoking wasn't making too much sense to me, why am I puffing away almost every move I make?

It's not because it's the freedom of choice. in fact most of my cigs smoked were because of the headache I developed from nicotine withdrawal. I remember every time I didn't feel right, I would get nervous that it was a health condition due to smoking.

I tried to stop for years on and off, and to this day I relapse every so often, but I get back on the non-smoking horse again, because the truth is you finally go back to your natural state as a human being without that nagging voice saying "let me have a cigarette."

I was so addicted that it consumed my every thought and action, I was hijacked from a normal, healthy life. I look at others that smoke, I was in their shoes too. the truth is many smokers that smoke want to quit, but they use denial and tell themselves that they enjoy it, to forget for a while.

I felt like I was slowly killing any ounce of vitality and life I had when I smoked.

If people want to smoke, that is their choice. the people who do enjoy it are the ones that don't have strong addictive personalities, in my own personal opinion, because they aren't totally consumed by it. Nicotine is the addiction, the drug though and that is why you are taking that puff. when we realize that we are addicted to something as we mature and grow spiritually, we want to grow as a person and try to be the best person we can be through being a non-smoker and dependent on outside things for our happiness that really starts from within.

I've been on both sides of the fences when it comes to smoking. Smoking was OK when i did it, and i thought nothing wrong of it when i smoked. Over 13 years of smoking, and then i just decided to quit. Now it's fine too. i think it's one's decision.

Of course, I'm happier now because i just lowered my chances of getting diseases, cancer and whatever health problems, but hey, one doesn't think of that when they are a smoker. Whichever way, i don't think no one should have a problem with it as long as they're not asking someone else to maintain their habit, or putting you down for whatever you choose to do.

Smoking is the most pleasurable thing in the world and i feel that everyone should give it a try to see if they like it. This would give non-smokers a basis for their opinion that smoking is terrible.

People who do not smoke will obviously say that it is terrible because they have never tried it and they just cannot fathom why people do it. Yes, smoking is bad, but, you only live once.

Just give it a try non-smokers. Then people who do smoke may find it a little easier to listen to your incessant babble about smoking. At least you would have a basis for your opinion that smoking is terrible.

I think the reason smoking hasn't become illegal yet is because the state gets so much money from taxes. Marijuana is going to become legal soon and although i feel that marijuana is better than cigarettes, either way they are harmful to the body. I mean i wouldn't willingly inhale smoke from a fire, so why from marijuana or tobacco?

Even though smoking gives you that rush after finishing it, it's not worth it your giving up your life and ability to play sports which isn't worth it. i regret smoking when i was a teenager a lot of times.

it seems that everyone, whether smoker or nonsmoker or anything, always has to look down on their opposition to make themselves feel assured that their choices are good and the other is bad. when it really comes down to it, it is just another distraction from bigger problems that can't always be solved. live life. do not dwell on the unknown.

Uhhh smoking is a disgusting awful habit! You have ugly teeth and bad breathe. It's disgusting! You're paying to kill yourself!

I love smoking. I think the main reason I still smoke is twofold.

First, no, I do not believe the lies about smoking. If it were that deadly, it would have been made illegal already. Drugs are illegal. why not tobacco if it poses such a "threat"? Everyone knows in their heart of hearts, the risks are minimal.

Secondly, I love to tick off reformed smokers who think because they quit, I should quit. Sorry buddy, you want to deny yourself enjoyment that's your thing. don't tell me how to live.

I think that sometimes there is a little too much thought put in to the whole topic of smoking. Smoking to me is something that some people enjoy and others don't. And it's only lately that is so frowned upon. Yes I'm sure this is due to the the many anti-smoking ads, and the extensive research and information available on smoking.

But to get to the point that I wanted to make: a lot of people smoke simply due to their job or lifestyle. I am a soldier and at times I have to work very long hours and it helps keep me awake after not sleeping for days. There are times I have been in the field and I have been standing in the rain for hours and have had no sleep and cold rations to eat and that cigarette is the only piece of sanctuary I have in the world.

I'd like to state that cigarettes kill you by causes such as cancer, heart disease and more. They also cause serious health related concerns such as asthma to worsen for people who already have it, and it could cause you to begin to feel the symptoms.

Now that I have listed some of the effects of smoking (without disrespect to anybody, might I add) I'd like to get to the rude part. Many smokers are depressed, and use a vent (smoking) as some of you stated "to get away". I deal with stress in my own life by taking time to relax. How hard is that to do? Sit down on the couch and listen to the calming silence of the room. It not only helps me calm down, but doesn't hurt me in any way, shape, or form.

Lastly, a lot of the people who read any of this page and smoke (if you noticed) were very offended. They chose to get "angry" just like every other smoker, because they are so incapable of managing their own life without a smoke, that the only way to deal with problems aside from smoking are getting mad.

I want all of you to realize that, although smoking is not illegal (yet), that it is more addictive than marijuana, and depending on your personality, crack/cocaine.

These people are acting stupid, and don't think about what they do to other people such as the ones who have asthma and cannot breathe when they decide to fill the air with unappealing, horrible smelling cigarette smoke.

Well, I don't agree that people who smoke live a sad and depressing lives. My father smokes, and he is living his life perfectly fine! Well I smoke too, but I don't do it every day.

I admit I do smoke when I'm bored and I also smoke with friends. I used to smoke a lot, but I've kicked the habit. To me, smoking is a habit. Once you get it out of your routine, it's not hard to quit (unless you're terribly addicted).

And I strongly agree with the anon18834!(comment 22) Despite quitting, I still smoke sometimes, but only as a "reward". So I guess the best way to discourage someone to stop smoking, is to actually provide them with encouragements such as, "come on! you can do it!"

I don't think its very nice to laugh at smokers for smoking. Some smokers really do wish they didn't start and badly need help quitting.

Why don't you non smokers take a look in the mirror? I am sure others will have issues. Truth is, too many people are trying to run the lives of others, instead of just. I am sure all of you non smokers are very perfect people with no problems at all.

to - 211: I don't smoke, but I'm just looking this up for some of my friends. That was possibly the most stupid comment i have ever heard. Just because somebody smokes doesn't make them redundant in society. There are so many brilliant people who smoke, if you got rid of all of them you would be losing a vital part of society. Some great artists smoke, some great scientists smoke. i cannot believe you are naive enough to think that smokers are useless pieces of crap in society.

and then there is of course the very valid point which #217 brought up. smoking kills people slowly. on average it reduces life span up to 14 years, and considering that the average age is roughly 84 that means they live up to 70. that really isn't going to solve the over population problem.

There are far more effective ways to stop overpopulation. how about you try and enforce birth control in LDCs? the amount of births made there are by far more than the deaths caused by smoking. Allowing people to kill themselves is just a stupid act.

Whats the point of starting if you're going to quit later?

Oh my, I feel bad for people who actually smoke, they lead a unhappy and depressing life. I smoked for a while and quit as soon as I knew it was going to be bad for my health and lungs. It was a little difficult in the beginning, but I could control my impulses of craving some cigs and actually quit for good before bad things could happen with my body.

To #211: Thank you, but are you saying, "Hey, everyone, start smoking!"? Just because of the world's so-called "overcrowded population"? You see, smoking is a very slow death so it's not going to solve this problem very quickly.

And yes, I have read things that say smoking is good for you, reducing Alzheimer's and all, but if you're a lifelong smoker, will you even be old enough to get these diseases? Smoking shortens your life by a few years, but not dramatically, if you don't get any cancer from it that is.

So, here's the question I pose to you: You basically want some of the world to die from smoking to make less overcrowded? If you took all those people they might as well commit suicide then. Everyone dies eventually, so why does it matter if a few people die sooner?

what if you're a person whose life is completely miserable and there is no escape, but the only way to cope and to keep on hoping for a better tomorrow is to relax your brain with a smoke? i know it's a very extreme example, but some people do smoke to help cope with very stressful lives.

whoever thinks smoking is a good idea should think again. It is a vile habit. It corrupts the person and pollutes the air. it also contributes to children dying of cancer when they at an early age.

To #211: Thanks for your extremely condescending response; I'll take this opportunity to tell you that my "simple-minded psychology" and I are getting along just fine.

The reason I took up smoking is because of people like you, and your evident need to contradict the decisions of others so flippantly (and I guess I'm doing the same thing now, so that levels the playing field). You do things every day that I'm sure would make your whole approach a paradox, so it must be nice to listen to yourself, right? Pat yourself on the back for me.

Your life must not be exceedingly difficult if you don't need an outlet to vent some of the frustrations caused by interacting with other humans (unless you're a total shut-in).

I'm not saying over-indulge, and I am a strong believer in maintaining some form of self-restraint, but if we were to live our lives as dictated by your demeanor, I think the world would be more of a miserable place than it already is.

I'm not oblivious to the implications of smoking (and I certainly could have chosen a healthier alternative, so I'm not defending the relevance of smoking by any means), but if I did not smoke, I'd be doing something else that you'd probably have an issue with.

Get over yourself. For someone who uses the term "narcissistic" so loosely as a method of incrimination, it really seems to reciprocate back on you. Cheers, mate.

I think smoking is great. If you want to smoke, please don't quit. It causes 33 percent of cancer deaths, the second highest death rate in the UK. It also contributes to arteriosclerosis and heart disease, the leading cause of death in the UK.

The world's way overpopulated now and is an unbearable burden on the environment. We've already damaged so many ecological systems far beyond repair, so it's a good thing that people who smoke, who are also more likely to drive cars and make other irresponsible decisions like having children, serendipitously weed themselves out because they need a "pick-me-up" and can't deal with the realities dealt to them or handle their own simple-minded psychology.

If there is a better pick off consumer-minded, polluting, narcissistic, change-fearing slaves of habit than allowing them to indulge in that habit to their death, I can't think of it.

Thank you for your information. it really helped me in school.

It seems most of the people on this post have a very high sense of self worth, a wonderful thing. However, it becomes creepy when they allow this to to filter over toward being so critical of the habits and personal choices of others.

I abuse myself by smoking and others may abuse themselves by drinking beer or eating a little too much. So what? Please lower the ego and concentrate on improving what you can control: yourself.

I hear smokers say it's my life and i can do whatever i like, but in reality they're spreading second hand smoke. To me it seems almost 90 percent of smokers don't smoke in designated areas which then affects my life. I'm not a hater but please smoke in privacy or away from other people. Non-smokers find it very rude when smoke is blown on our faces. peace

I am still very baffled by the question, but even more by the answer! "People smoke because they're addicted." Well I say "Why did they start in the first place?" I hate to see parents with their kids and even babies in the car smoking with the windows shut. Poor kids don't stand a chance.

My next door neighbors (in apartments) smoke so much their (previously) white vertical blinds are now brown, and I mean really brown. I'm surprised my landlord still lets them live here. Ugh.

People who smoke are harming others, and most smokers smoke do it in public with others around. they expose others to second hand smoke, which makes non smokers get cancer more easily. if you want to smoke, fine, but do it in your own home. I pass smokers every day when I go on a walk, and there are just so many walking on the sidewalk and in front of their offices, they are exposing me and my three year old to cancer!

thanks guys for all your thoughts and stuff. I needed info for school and that really helped me out.

Smoking should not be allowed in school, period!

We need to set a positive example for our younger generation. What do they think when they see teachers, adults and elders smoking? Some kind of positive example the school is setting for us?

If they are going to smoke, they should at least smoke somewhere where all the younger people aren't around. If you ask me, I think it's flipping ridiculous how you tell us not to smoke when all these teachers are smoking right in front of us at their smoking area. Aren't they supposed to set a positive example for us younger people? There are role models but they are the ones telling us what not to do and what to do? But who are they to tell us to stop smoking when they smoke themselves?

We need to help the younger people. Smoking is one of the most difficult addictions to break. Scientists estimate that cigarettes are more addictive than cocaine, heroin, or alcohol.

I believe we people have a choice on what to do and what not to do, but not in front of our future generation. I understand that no one can force an adult to quit smoking, and that some people do not want to quit.

We all know smoking causes heart problems, black lungs, gum cancer, and also lung cancer. We shouldn't be smoking in front of the younger generation, because it is sending the wrong message. I believe if the school really cared they would ban smoking, period!

The little kids see the teachers, adults, and elders smoke. What's the difference if we smoke? They are trying to make us stop? Who are they to tell us to stop smoking when they smoke themselves?

To all the smokers out there, when you are smoking, you are taking away most of your life and if you are a mom or dad then you are hurting your child(ren) and yourself.

I'm going to stop smoking today.

I agree with #196. Ann

As a smoker, I can definitely tell you that I don't smoke to give myself cancer; the feeling mellows you out, and the convoluted lives we all live demands some kind of pick-me-up from time to time.

You think smoking is disgusting? Then don't smoke. For those of you, on the other hand, who feel it is necessary to campaign against the people who do smoke, well, go away. When you can call yourselves absolutely perfect (oxymoron), you may criticize all you wish, but until then, you are contradicting yourselves, which only leads me to believe that you're driven by chauvinism and enjoy hearing yourselves talk.

You want to call me biased because I smoke? I'll put the cigarette down then, and my point will remain justified.

The majority of you will drive a car at some point in your life.

Now do I get time to have a moan about how you're damaging the world through emissions and illegal wars? Get a grip.

I hate it when people smoke! my dad smokes like a chimney. i asked him to stop and he said I'll try, but it will be hard. my mum did but she quit. I'm looking at this website because i need info for a school project. thank you for the information!

I think these smokers are idiots! No offense, all you smokers out there.

A summary of smoking cigarettes is inhaling smoke. Really, you're that dumb to inhale smoke?

I don't have many family members that smoke, just my aunt and great aunt that I know of. My grandma quit some 30 years ago, and I feel glad for her. But I have a friend online who smokes illegally, and he says he wants to kill himself smoking!

He is only 16, and I said he can do himself a favor by buying some nicorette.

I have looked at articles on smoking online and it's grueling. I even found a definition for smoking in a children's dictionary, made for second graders! It's amazing how much information is available to young children on this terrible habit.

Sure, smoking can make you feel better. Make all the excuses you want. The truth is, smoking causes lung cancer, and makes your breath, clothes, hair and everything on you smell like smoke!

Now to smokeless tobacco. Sure, there's no smoke involved, but that doesn't mean there aren't any health problems involved. My uncle uses chewing tobacco, and I think he's insane. Really, he wants mouth cancer?

And now to other smoking methods. I know someone who smokes a pipe, and I've just always been worried about him. One time I didn't want to get near him due to the smoke. And I saw someone in Washington, D.C. smoking a cigar, talking to a person, and I was thinking, "Really,you're two feet from a person's face, smoking?"

Yeah, sure, use all the excuses you want. "Oh but you don't inhale smoking a pipe or cigar.".

Really, just don't ever consume tobacco, or smoke anything.

OK, all you people keep complaining. I won't deny that I complain too, duh! But my point here is that smokers and non-smokers are complaining about each other. Both sides won't let the suggestions of the other in because both think they have to defend themselves. What rubbish!

Try and build up understanding and don't be so biased. I don't actually care what you do with your life but I mean use common sense and then decide what and why you will do something. This is not just referring to smokers but also other things in life, good or bad.

This is in response to post # 187. Smoking causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. That is a sentence that most people just ignore because they don't know what it means.

To people who treat the disease, it has a very real meaning. Every day we watch people who have smoked gasp for every breathe they take while drowning in their own secretions and when you smoke for too long, there is nothing that is going to stop that from happening.

So, if that is how you choose to leave this world, gasping and feeling like you are drowning, with a hole in your throat so you can breathe a bit easier, then by all means go ahead.

So by all means, enjoy your habit now. You are job security for me!

this is a bad thing to do.

In essence to what this bulletin board should be:

I smoke because fascist nazis like all of you stress me out. If you weren't nagging about people smoking and pushing your opinions onto others, you would just find something else to babble about.

My body is mine, and I'll do what id like to it. If you do not like what i am doing, get away from me. So please mind your own business and go back to destroying your own bodies with food, and texting while you drive.

Then go home and realize nobody can stand you - they just put up with you to be polite because you're a condescending 'know-it-all'.

i am a heavy smoker and cannot stop.

i absolutely hate it when people say other people smoke because they think they'll be cool. Bullcrap. People smoke because they want to. Sure there are some people who smoke because they think it's cool, but if they don't like it then they won't smoke again.

people smoke because you guys are stressed out, or you just smoke because your friend does, or you just want to be cool but you're really not. You have to be yourself.

i tried it because i wanted to see what it was like because girls like me want to. what it is like because i'm trying my best to make him quit.

people smoke because they want to smoke. my brother smoked like three times in this month and just said that crap's not addictive; it's the idiots who think it is.

I don't smoke or drink or take drugs, neither do my family and friends. so, is smoking really good or really bad?

What a bad invention! Cigarettes cause so much harm to the human body.

Smokers should think twice when they smoke because they are harming people which they do not know. They are making people who smell like second hand smoke from them and die faster then them. (Please be more considerate when you smoke).

Smoking is really stupid. It's a slow suicide. No point. Smokers make up excuses to get out of looking bad.

We should value our lives, not be harming ourselves. I don't see what joy there is in it. I'm only 13 and I have more sense than all of the smokers put together. You don't need those chemicals to be happy. Think about the people around you in town. Someone could be pregnant and you could be harming their baby. Does that make you feel good?

Any smoker who reads this: quit for your friends, families and for yourself. You only live once and you should cherish your health, bodies and life. Good luck!

smoking can get you off alcohol and actually save your life if you want to don't listen to the idiots here who don't understand. also, sleeping drugs are illegal. drink should be illegal. spirits like it used to be.

smoking is something that help us to relax when we are too stressed, but people should not abuse smoking cigarette due to it's bad effects. as i just mentioned above, smoking helps to relax but there are many other way to relax like doing sport, etc.

i love smoking cigarettes. I researched "why people smoke" to see why other people decide to smoke. If i wanted to be scolded and told to quit i would have looked up "persuade me to do something i don't want to". Yeah. i don't want to quit. I don't know what this article has to do with why people smoke when it's all mainly about quitting.

Actually, nowhere in this article does it mention or even suggest reasons why people smoke.

Sorry you can't rely on people's comments, because people can mess with the system just like they do online.

I'm only commenting on this because i'm on my half hour food break at work and can't find anything worth doing.

What if we all die young?

I wish people would stop smoking because I'm tired of all the whining and begging for attention and pity when these smokers get cancer.

And they do get cancer, anywhere in their bodies, not just lungs. All the wasted time, money and energy going to take care of these idiots, just because they didn't want to stop smoking.

Now they're being a burden to their families and everyone else with their many diseases that are caused by smoking, diseases that last sometimes for many years, causing horrible symptoms and costing literally a fortune to treat!

It's a disgraceful waste of money! Not only are these selfish, stupid people hurting themselves but others around them with their second hand smoke, which has been proven to be more harmful than first hand smoke, even to the smoker themselves!

So stop smoking! You are being a pain, a nuisance and a physical, emotional and financial drain to everyone around you, including yourselves!

Smoke weed, not cigarettes. It might be twice as bad for you, but you don't smoke a whole pack of joints a day. You just have to think about it. Plus weed gives you a much better feeling than cigarettes.

I am currently 12 and I looked this up because my grandma smokes a pack a day. I can't even look at her without a cigarette in her mouth.

I don't even want to get close to her or even hug her without the smell of the cigarettes on her. It makes me want to throw up all over her!

And the fact that she's so careless that she's killing herself. It pains me to watch. She doesn't even care that she's hurting me. For the rest of my family, they don't even care. They don't smoke at all but they say it's her choice and whatever. That's a load of crap.

My dad and I are the only ones actually trying to stop her. It is a disgusting habit. She almost killed my uncle from the secondhand smoke. She never even apologized for her actions. It makes me sick to my stomach.

And for all you smokers, I can't believe how ignorant you are. Do you even care that you are killing yourself and hurting others and loved ones? Do you think that we actually like watching you having precious years off your life?

I often go to my room and fall asleep crying because my grandma won't even talk to me because I am trying to get her to stop.

Even if you do smoke and you won't listen to any of the warnings please don't smoke around anyone that doesn't smoke or young children. They are too young to understand any of the stuff you are doing so they will try and do what you are doing.

I was at a BBQ once and it was for my dad's work and there were about seven adults smoking. There was one 18 year old who was just starting smoking. And they were all teaching him. Like they didn't even care that this habit will eventually shave 14 years off his life.

There were little kids there about four years old. They saw that the adults were smoking so they thought it was OK. They started picking up sticks and pretended to smoke.

I could barely stand any of that crap there so I waited in our car for two hours just to get away from the smoke and the horrible scene.

We also have to pay taxes for your health care. If we didn't even have smoking in the world it would be better in a lot of ways. All that money that you use to pay for tobacco products we could donate to charity or donate to hospitals to help with dying people who have done nothing wrong and are dying from natural causes.

They have never smoked and yet that is what they get, but instead we have to pay for you horrible smokers' health care.

Now would you rather live a healthy life where you don't waste money and time on cigarettes or live a disgusting, unhealthy life where every cigarette you smoke you lose 14 minutes of your life and in the long run about 14 years?

Also for all you people trying to stop smoking we are all here for you! We would love to support you in kicking that nasty habit to help you live a nice life. If we all come together we can stop this madness!

I'm trying to quit, because of the fact that when I need a cigarette, my stomach feels like someone is using a knife to tear open my stomach over and over again.

It also makes you relaxed to man,so don't go blaming stuff on people just because they smoke. That's rude.

Cigarettes are bad for you, and they do cost the NHS a lot (even though the government gets a nice chunk of money for every pack you buy, vendors generally get about 5p)

But smoking has been around for thousands of years, so chill out and spark up.

Smoking~ Generally everyone has their reason right, and in most cases, their excuses. Smoking isn't just a physical problem, but a mental problem.

One thing I'd like to say to strangers and basically everyone who smokes is that you're truly being selfish.

You're making people pay tax for your personal health problems from smoking every single year.

You're paying tax to the government. money that could be saved by you. Think about the amount of money you could be saving yourself. Stop saying you're broke or whatever. Just cut the bad costly habits.

Think about the people around you. when you smoke you could be giving off passive smoke. I hate it when people who smoke say "i don't smoke around friends or family" because that's just stupid -- another excuse. Particles get released into the air, ones that you can't see, such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide etc. They get released into the air, it does bad things to the environment, rivers, ecosystem and people who inhale these particles. People like everyone in this world.

Another thing, think about the people who you love and who love you. Would it be a good thing for them to see you die from smoking, or maybe get seriously ill from it, like cancer. I think not.

Most importantly think about yourself. You're not doing your body any good.

These are just the mental things smokers need to think about. The physical ones are worse.

Stop making excuses to yourself, stop making excuses to people who don't smoke and want to know why you're smoking, like me, for instance, not that i know who you are. It doesn't matter.

And most importantly, stop making excuses to yourself, even reasons maybe. Cut the crap, cut smoking out of your life, long term effects are best.

Do whatever you can to replace smoking, any other means of relaxing, being with friends, getting stress out. Try other things.

And for those who want to quit, god bless and good luck. If you set your mind to it, you can do anything. --Teresa

If 70 percent of smokers who quit start again then i am the 30 percent who quit for good.

i have a project about smoking. "smoking should (or should not) be strictly banned in all public places,conveyance, and other campuses"

and by your thoughts, i had an idea that smoking should be really banned. thanks for all you comments about smoking. it really helped my argumentative statement. hein

Stop smoking, people! It's killing you! It contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds and at least 400 toxic substances! It causes so many diseases,like: 1) atherosclerosis; 2) coronary thrombosis; 3) heart attack; 4) stroke; 5) high blood pressure; 6) kidney failure; 7) lung cancer; 8) angina; 9) mouth cancer; and 10) bladder cancer.

If you don't want to quit for yourself, do it for the people who love you, people who care about you: Your wife, daughter, sister, brother, girlfriend, parents. Jana S.

Smoking is one of the most dangerous things to health.

smoking is not cool. one minute you're smoking. another minute you have lung cancer, then the next minute you're dead.

Number 152: First, you need discipline for both.

Try and cut down just like that because that makes it faster and i know someone who did it that way and who hasn't smoked since.

If that really doesn't work out for you, try and cut down slowly so you get used to the fact of not consuming nicotine so much.

Good luck- also for anyone else out there who tries to stop smoking.

Believe me if no one out there is being proud of you, I will always be because it's just so great that someone had the discipline and will to stop, so i'm proud of you.

yes i know i will die by smoking, but the question is: who wants to be alive in this cruel world?

this is my way of suicide.

Okay, What is smoking? It's something totally retarded. But you know what is ironic about smoking? The fact is that people pay to kill themselves and other people!

If you think that paying to kill yourself is cool, you seriously need help. So if your friend or someone offers you a smoke, you can simply reply, "No thanks, I don't enjoy smoking because eventually, I'll start paying for that crap when it's going to end my life 60 years earlier than I would have if I didn't smoke."

i started smoking when i was 20 and now am 24. i smoke almost 20 cigs a day now and would like to quit smoking. my question is which way is better, to cut down smoking and slowly quit or quit just like that?

You know, I understand that smoking is a personal choice. However, what about the people who love the person smoking? We get no choice in the matter of watching them kill themselves. How is that fair?

Smoking is just a crutch for those who are having trouble in their lives. If they would just look to the ones who love them for guidance then maybe they wouldn't need cigarettes. Seriously.

I have smoked since I was 15 and I am now 28.

If there was one thing I've tried it is to quit. It is all in your mind, and I am hoping if I can show others I did it maybe they will do it to. Everyone has a weakness at some point in their lives.

If you love yourself and other people you will try with all you have to quit, and if you can dream it then you can do it.

It is easy for non smokers to judge and really that is fear enough, but until they go through it they will never know nor understand why people smoke or give up.

I smoke for a reason and when that reason goes away then I won't smoke anymore.

smoking is stupid. you are paying to kill yourself and others through passive smoke.

and to those who believe it is cool, get over yourselves.

if you want to be relaxed and have time to think, go for a walk. now that's good for everyone.

stop killing innocent people through your selfishness. Make smoking illegal!

Hello my name is Storm. My cousin smokes and he said it was to get away from all the crap in his life. If you read this and you smoke and you’re like, "well I like to enjoy my life and you’re going to die any so whatever" well look at this.

The combined destruction of AIDS, World War II, and outright homicide accounted for fewer deaths than cigarette smoke over a 75 year period. Horrific. 34,075 people were killed by tigers in India from 1875 to 1912. An average of 41,975 Americans die each year in automobile crashes. 1,056,296 lives were claimed by murderers in the U.S. during the last century. The AIDS virus killed 11,700,000 people from 1981-1999.

Roughly 56,125,262 human lives were ended during World War II. But about 71,000,000 people were killed by cigarettes between 1930 and 1999!

And remember whenever you say that smoking is just, whatever, remember it’s the nicotine speaking. And if you do it to get away from the crap in life, then go for a good walk, or just hold the anger in and go beat up the person you’re angry at. At least there is a smaller chance of dying from that than from smoking. And if you do get killed by letting your anger out, then it’s quick.

I believe one who smokes is a person with a very low IQ. I wish they killed themselves by just taking some pills so no other innocent people would get harmed with their poison. The world would definitely be a better place.

I have no pity for the ones who develop cancer due to smoking and I reject paying their hospital expenses with my tax. There is no use of explaining the dangers of smoking to these people because simply they don't have the capacity to understand so save your breath. If I had the power I would abolish smoking in one day forever.

One thing I've noticed about the comments is that smokers tend to compare their habit to other things, like alcohol or obesity. I think that's kind of silly. They're different things and if alcohol and obesity didn't exist, then how would you defend your point besides saying that you don't care if you're killing yourself (which I think is just an awful thing to say).

i think that smoking is stupid. i mean, if you want to kill yourself just get a gun. don't waste all that money slowly killing yourself!

by smoking, you not only reduce those precious moments from your life, but also you take the precious moments away from the people who love you.

i would plead with all smokers, to please stop smoking, not only for your sake, but also for the sake of people who need you and love you.

To all of you smokers, my thoughts are as follows. I read a small number of the articles above and article 124 caught my attention. I can't help but think how truly ignorant you are. You sit there and say how you don't care how it negatively affects you and you think the statistics are all a bunch of crap. But then, when it comes to if you think other people should start smoking, you say you don't recommend it!

My question is, if you like it so much and you think the statistics are crap, then why would you tell others not to start?

Seriously I don't want to be the one judging but I think smoking is weak. This is just my opinion, so don't get hung up on it. But whoever smokes is a weak person.

I mean just think about it, people know smoking is bad. Well OK, yes, people don't die from it as much as anything else. Well actually, hardly, but still it's kind of bad, right? So whoever takes a smoke for the first time, either out of want or pressure means they are just plain weak -- in my opinion.

I'm Lydia and I am 16, and will be 17 this year. I have been smoking for about five years now, perhaps a bit less as I have had breaks from it, for research purposes, sounds lame, but I like to do that. (:

I smoke rollies, and occasionally just plain cigarettes from a pack. I really enjoy a cigarette when I'm bored and when I'm with friends. Yes, it does give me confidence and a buzz, but only from time to time. I don't smoke a lot, probably about 1/2 a pack day, maybe not even one, depending on my mood and where I am/who I'm with, or vice versa.

Even though smoking has a bad effect on people I really don't care for myself when I do it, nor do I for others. I am totally okay with it, I can stop whenever I like, I just choose not to and when I do, I will, but there's no doubt I won't pick up a cigarette after a short break, 'cause that's what I do.

The worst is when people despise you, have a go at you or even take your fag and break it, i actually hate that. I mean I know you care for some people, but if they want to smoke, it is their choice.

Plus, don't we all have pre-cancerous cells? All it needs is a trigger, and not just smoking, there are a lot of things in the world that can cause it, sometimes not even doing anything can trigger it. I like to live life to the fullest. As anon59409 quoted, "Better one day of free life than 40 years of slavery and jail." I do indeed agree with this and I will enjoy my smoke every now and again. :)

I smoke occasionally. I buy packs sometimes when I go out to a party to share with people that do smoke, and some days I question myself because I find myself picking up a cigarette and not even wanting one. Sometimes cigarettes make me feel like crap.

Everybody in this world has different genetics. Some people die from 50 years of smoking? That makes me laugh. I know people who have died in their 60s of regular death related diseases without smoking. Just because you smoke cigarettes doesn't mean you are going to die or get cancer. I quit smoking and haven't for four months. My head is clear and I feel healthier.

Why smoke when you can drink coke? Coke rhymes with smoke.

Im a smoker of about 10 cigarettes a day. I smoke because:

1. Since the discrimination of smokers started few years back and now you can't smoke inside and you a forced to take a great refreshing break from the numbing activities in your everyday life (like work, tv, etc).

2. It's a great way to meet people (really it is).

3. Its a great thinking tool.

4. I don't care that I may be shaving some years off my life, I care about living good quality years (not that you can't live a quality life without smoking but quality means different things to different people).

A nice greek saying comes to mind: "Better one day of free life than 40 years of slavery and jail."

btw: I don't think the benefits of smoking outweigh the negatives (I'd like to see someone really do the research one day) - just adding my two cents worth.

Thx,

Phoebus Melbourne

I smoke about a half a pack a day. I really enjoy smoking. For anybody tells me its bad for you, Duh! But so are a multitude of habits. This happens to be a bad habit I enjoy like drinking and gambling and women. Marlboro's FTW!

Jon: have you thought about a support group? The American Cancer Society offers stop-smoking support groups. My mom had smoked for 50 years, but the ACS support group helped her quit. No drugs or anything--just the desire to stop and help from the support group. I recommend it highly.

My name is Jon, and I am a smoker, but I honestly don't even know why. I'm almost 19 and I've only been smoking about six and a half months.

The first time i smoked a cigarette was at my senior prom when a friend offered me one, i had a pretty good buzz from some drinks so i just took it. I don't drink anymore because that actually caused me a bunch of problems.

Anyway, i had a great job that i loved but i wanted a drink so much i asked a guy to buy me some beer (where i worked which was the stupidest part of it all) and he told on me. Needless to say, i got fired (which i really don't think was an appropriate consequence, but i am lucky they didn't involve the police).

I said earlier i don't know why i smoke but i do know why i bought my first pack. The night i was fired i was kind of pissed off and thought, "well i can't buy alcohol, but I'm 18 and i can buy cigarettes", so i bought a pack, kind of dumb right? no, really dumb. But now, after only about half a year, I'm already tired of it, but I'm also already hooked.

I've tried to quit probably about 10 times by now, but i can't. I'm not an emo or nothing, and i really don't know why i did it, but when i was younger i cut myself for a long time, but i haven't done that in years. I'm including this because my thinking is, if i can quit that stupidity, why can't i quit smoking? It's just as stupid if not more, and i know nicotine is just about the most addictive substance in the world. I guess I'm just posting this as a sort of confession. Also, i would like to ask if anyone knows of a way to help me quit, not some miracle drug, nothing crazy, but something down to earth, a realistic way to quit that helped you or someone you know.

To anyone who replies with a suggestion on how to quit, thank you, and God bless to all. and please, no negative comments on the cutting thing. I know it was stupid and i deeply regret it.

Yes I'm a smoker and i really don't care about what anyone thinks of me. I know this may sound childish but 100 percent of all non smokers die.

p.s. My other line is my body is a temple -- occasionally it needs incense.

Honestly, people who don't smoke, mind your own business. We all have our reasons and we don't pick on you about your bad habits.

I am not a regular smoker but yes, once i start, it goes at least 15-20 days, then one good day i realize that it may harm me. I stop doing hell with a stick.

But yes i am not able to stop smoking completely.

I hope one day will come when i will leave it for forever.

Looking at the editor's reply to #3's comment, I can see that it's highly likely they will not post my comment because I am not a self-hating smoker.

So I will try to keep it as brief as I can, considering my rage.

How dare I- a "disgusting" smoker be enraged by the comments of non-smokers?

Let me explain with a quote from Nietzsche:

"Whom do you call bad?" - "Those who always want to put to shame."

"What do you consider most humane?"- "To spare someone shame."

"What is the seal of liberation?" - "No longer being ashamed in front of oneself."

Yes, reading generously (extremely generously) I can see that the better part of the intention of the article - and of some of the comments- is to ask why people engage in an irrational behavior like smoking, which, by the way, at the age of 38, is now starting to cause some frightening little physical symptoms (nose hairs are coming out like crazy- not good).

Also, I suppose I can understand the passion of those anti-smokers who have had someone close to them die from it.

But for those of you who: a) think people started smoking to "fit in" or supposedly "be cool,"

My answer is: What tween-targeted canned-laughter moralistic sitcom of a universe do you think we are living in? I started smoking at 16- at a CYO gathering (catholic youth organization- the only one I ever went to). Me and my friend and a couple of guys went outside and tried a cigarette. I really liked it. It didn't make me cough. No one pressured me.

Six months later, on a whim, I popped into a store and bought a pack of smokes. Why? Partly boredom, partly, I was on a diet, partly, more importantly, it was part of an image. Not a sophomoric image, of "popular" kids, but an intellectual image. I wanted to be a writer. My heroes were Camus and Sartre. When my parents went away, I would get out the typewriter, and a glass of whiskey and one of the cigarettes I hid behind my well worn copy of "The Idiot".

I would pretend to be a writer. And smoking suited that.

Once a month I would take one of my cigarettes and go for a walk through the hydro fields and smoke and think about the meaning of life. It went with reflection, philosophy, and sweet solitude.

So, stop homogenizing us. we are all different and you do not know why people started smoking.

Next: anti-smoking started to symbolize everything I hated about health -- moralism ("healthism") engaged in by fairly stupid yuppie snobs who had nothing better to do but gentrify and sterilize every inch of the world I lived in: a class thing.

B) For those of you who believe every shocking stat thrown at you? Grow up; Stats are always manipulated. Always -- by everyone who uses them.

Yes smoking is dangerous in the long run and I do not recommend starting. But tone the moralism down, because no one ever got a mental illness from smoking (pot) or came home and beat up their family because they smoked a pack of smokes (alcohol) or let their pimp molest their child (heroin/crack) or ran over a pedestrian and smogged up an entire cit and ruined neighbourhoods and communities (cars)

So, yes # 121, I can tell you to shut up because you are only 13 (I can tell by your writing) and do not know that there are worse things in the world than smoking.

If you haven't smoked a significant amount, it is extremely difficult to understand why others continue to smoke. Most smokers are aware that what they're doing is bad for their health; telling them so will have no effect on their decisions.

Deciding to quit smoking is a choice that only one person can make. Acting as though smokers are unaware of what they are doing is foolish. They are very aware.

Let me tackle this from a different angle - why smoke? For a packet of cigarettes you can buy a six-pack of beer, half a stick of weed or, over a year of smoking (depending on how heavy the habit is) a gram of cocaine. And let's face it - cocaine, like cigarettes is highly addictive and will damage your health, but, hey, at least it feels absolutely amazing.

As far as drugs go, any good feeling from cigarettes is infinitesimal compared to even coffee, let alone booze or weed, let alone cocaine. There's no high, no intoxication, just a vaguely energized feeling, which is weaker than that resulting from a cup of coffee. If you're going to kill yourself, at least get some pleasure in the mean time. Nicotine is a lame drug.

which is exactly why you shouldn't start in the first place. You smokers can say I'm a wimp for not smoking and you can say I'm uncool, but seriously you know smoking is killing you on the inside. You know how your life is hanging on a thread and how you are dying a slow and painful death.

Cigarettes are cancer on a stick for an illegally high price. but don't worry smoking isn't illegal, and i don't want it to be, because the U.S. gets rich from your kind buying those things. did you smoke to try to get friends? were you lonely because you had no friends and so you tried to "fit in" by smoking?

seriously. if you want friends, smoking isn't the answer. and don't tell me to shut up or be quiet because I'm not, and if you do you are taking my freedom of speech away from me. i don't know how hard it is to stop, i don't know how long it will take for you to quit. I'm just asking that you try to stop, try to gain control your life again.

If what happened on your inside happened on your outside, would you still smoke?

Holy smokes!!! #110 is absolutely right. I now understand why you smoked so many while reading that. I smoke and want to quit but the back and forth on this blog makes me want another one, because I can. If you've never smoked, you shouldn't write on this blog. That's like me telling someone how to raise their child when I don't have on. Looks like I'm damned if I do or don't leave a comment here but #103 is nuts. Thanks #110 for sticking up for common sense. I lost my mind half way through that fricken novel. All of you who wrote a novel here needs to get a life or write your own damn book.

honestly smoking is sweet and cool. if you don't smoke, you're lame.

I am a smoker. Once addicted, it's extremely difficult to quit, your life will depend so much to it.

You might think that you can try then quit because so many people did it. That is unreal, simulated by anti-smoking organizations to help us quit, but less than 0.01 percent of people actually succeed. Hiding the truth makes things worse, I believe.

As a smoker, I advise you not to try one single cigarette even if it's for fun or social reasons.

P/S: non-smokers advised me as if it is easy. It is almost like someone advising girls not to shop when they never been a girl.

its so ridiculous when someone says smoking is good thing. you are laughing at yourself, because all we know it's a bad habit. and it began by imitation then showing off then ends in addiction.

if you want to smoke, do. it's your health and you know what is the best for you but do not be selfish and damage others with you.

you have to remember that there are some people who care about you like your family and your friends.

health is gift from God. you don't know its worth until you miss it and have given it up, for you first, and people who care about you second.

People smoke because they're doing the world population a favor by reducing it when they die of smoking-related diseases.

Smokers are selfish, it's as simple as that. They smoke to make themselves feel better without considering the damage they'll be doing to their family when they die an early death later down the track. Not only that but the amount of smokers who throw their butts out of windows and pollute the environment with the stuff is disgraceful. Try going to work and have to sit next to two smokers who smoke in the car. I don't smoke but passive smoking is just as harmful and it's not even my fault.

i have a family: my dad, my step mum, my mum, my grandma. even some of my friends and i'm really young and they're all around my age. i can't go anywhere without seeing a single person smoke! it's bad. you think its OK. you think you're not hurting anyone. you have family and they have you. there are a lot of people here in this world who wish they never smoked. others who say it's cool. you are just oblivious to what it's really doing to you! i may not know you and you may not know me, but i'm worried about everyone who is wasting their lives to this stupid thing. find other stuff that calms you and helps you. it's the worst thing in the world to lose your life and your family and friends so stop, or don't start smoking! please

Comment 103 is the craziest thing I've ever read. I simply cannot believe someone took the time to write all that on a message board -- it truly blows my mind. In the time it took me to read that, I smoked 47 cigarettes, and burned nine plastic bags, huffing the fumes through a straw. What an epic waste of my life (both the smoking and reading whatever insane manifesto that was against smoking).

People can die anytime and it is relative. Smoking yes can kill you, but not for a long time. If i die at least i know enjoyed the pleasure of life with no regret, but some may and that's too bad for them and should try their best to quit. Smoking may take life away, but it could also save life if you think more about it. Smoke all you want. It is up to you how you want to live your life.

i'm doing an essay, so why is it that people start smoking in the first place?

Respected people who smoke are people who don't think about their family (whether they are rich or poor). this activity shows their family status and they think they are mature. God has given you a very beautiful life. Don’t waste it. Use it in a proper place and enjoy your family members. --Pramod Sharma

I think people smoke because they want to live as much as they want to die. We have always been fascinated by fire and it became so useful in our lives that we felt it was a part of us. Smoking is no new thing. I have to remember that! It has been around for thousands of years. I hate smoke from cigarettes. Smokers if you're in a car with someone else who does not smoke don't smoke! We may not say anything because we're your friend and we don't want to hurt you. You can argue that we should tell you because it would be saving your life. Man if you're a smoker and you're in a car with a non-smoker don't smoke, don't even think of lighting up, don't touch it. If your friend doesn't thank you well believe me he does thank you!

Thanks, people. 'im doing a project on people who smoke. This is all very interesting. Thanks again.

Wake up people! I did six years ago. A little over a year ago I lost my dad to cancer that started in the lung with a tumor. He went through the radiation and chemo. the tumor shrank considerably and we were looking at the option of dissolving it with further medicine, finally a ray of hope! But soon he was admitted to the hospital again because of his white cell count wasn't right. More tests -- oh my God -- the little cancer that was left from all the chemo and radiation treatments had spread through the blood to his brain! The brain leasions caused him to freak out and revert back to his childhood, causing him to flail his arms around like he was fighting someone. I never saw my dad like that ever! They had to sedate him and the final treatment only to make him comfortable for the last month of his life was another round of radiation to "make him comfortable" one last time. We brought him home to die two weeks later. He smoked for almost 60 years! He could not stop, even if he had, the damage was already done, so please, please: those of you that think you're all hot and all that, nothing can harm or hurt you, I hope reality hits you one day when you lose a relative or dear friend to this wasteful nonsensical habit because that's all it is. I no longer have my dad because of this!. My mother and I had the brains enough to quit and we are no longer shaving years and precious time with friends and family off our lives anymore. life is very, very precious. Think of what your family means to you, and your friends, if anything. think of what you mean to them! I just think it's really retarted to waste $5,6,7 in some places to make yourself stink like an ashtray and smell up your house or car and clothes and pollute your body and the air around you that others have to breathe just to get a buzz from a cigarette. Get a real life -- and when you do that you don't need anything but life and those around you that you love and love you to give you a natural high! Think of all the cool stuff you could have if you didn't 'burn up' your money on silly cigarettes. You could save up for a trip, a vacation, a car, anything that you enjoy, unless you like to line the pockets of those that own the cigarette companies! They don't care anything about your health, they don't give a hoot about you at all. All they care about is sucking you into spending your hard earned income on making you 'stink' like an ashtray and making you broke. The 'glamor days' of smoking are way far away in the past. I just hope you don't have to go through the pain of losing a loved one, family or friend to this idiocity. Smoking is retarded! No. 1: it sucks money out of your purse or wallet that you might as well just set on fire anyway and watch it burn away and watch the ashes blow into the wind. No. 2: More and more people are 'waking up' and quitting than ever before. No. 3: Smoking is being banned from just about every public establishment out there practically. No. 4: Smoking is not 'vogue' anymore, it is not glamorous or sexy at all. it is gross, stinky, unhealthy and a waste of time and money, and it lowers the resistance of your children for those of you that have precious children that are gifts given to you and your spouse by God to care for and raise up that have been entrusted to your care have no choice but to breathe the 'polluted air' in your home! or car! shame on you! did you know that smoking also weakens the immune system? proven fact! people that smoke get sicker more often than those that don't smoke! thus more doctor bills. the damage just keeps piling up! the smoke actually burns away the cilia, the tiny hairlike things in your airway that are there to naturally 'sweep away' foreign particles from entering your lungs but forget about that you have burned them all away and killed them when you started smoking! oh they will grow back if given half a chance if you ever decide to quit. Within 10 or 15 minutes of your last cigarette your body immediately starts to repair itself of the damage you have done to yourself, and the helpless others in your family! Just think of all extra minutes you could have during the day to get other things done that you don't because you have to have a 'cigarette break' The only thing you're breaking is your wallet! and this is all coming from an ex-smoker (me). watch out for us. We’re all out there! One day you may wake up, (or not?) when you start having breathing problems or develop bronchitis, emphysema, or yes even cancer. these potentially smoking related diseases don’t care who they affect, and most of the time people don't know something’s wrong with them before its too late, like my dad, God rest his humble soul. smoking excites the nerves and then deadens the nerves that’s why you can't feel it if something is wrong -- or if you do it may even too late to reverse the damage! I had a sore throat for several days when I quit smoking. Gee I wonder why? I was practically burning my throat and airway with every puff I ever took on a cigarette and you are too, except you can't feel it because the smoke acts as a 'anesthetic' or nerve deadening agent. every time you take a 'hit' you burn your throat again and again but you can't feel it 'burning' because every time you do you deaden the nerves that would tell you its burning, over and over and over again every time you light up! So go ahead, think you're so smart and cigarettes are good for you --not! how would you like me to come around with a vacuum cleaner and suck 5 or 6 bucks out of your walled or purse every time you need a pack? that’s really smart isn't it? I think the cigarettes have already eaten away some brain cells because that sounds pretty retarded if you ask me. well you didn't ask me but I'm telling you anyway. Ha! Ha! But it’s your life, it’s your money, it’s your car, your house, your kids (poor kids!). think of how many people could be helped or saved around the world by everyone that smokes if they quit and spent the same amount of money on a pack(s) of cigarettes every day and channeled that money into charity. How much faster new treatments or cures for different diseases could be found! or people brought from pure poverty to a level of standard of living much more higher than so many in your neighborhood or around the world! we could wipe out homelessness! If everyone that smoked today quit, think of the money saved from buying cigarettes that could go to the homeless people! To build houses! Apartments! We could get them off the streets and provide rehabilitation for them, send them to school, train them to be respectable, upstanding, productive, citizens of this great country. Think of that the next time you light up -- the money you are burning away that could go towards the health and well being of your 'neighbor. ' Think of that the next time you pass a homeless person and think to yourself, “How sad. I wish I could do something to help them. ” You can and you just don't know it! instead of sticking another cancer stick or 'coffin nail' (my grandmother called them that) and that’s exactly what they are --coffin nails. every time you light up its like you are driving in another nail in your coffin. you're getting it built and all ready for you to lie in when your time is up! This is not a time to be a dummy, unless you want to be one. Instead of lighting up another smoke or buying that next pack that you 'need' -- you don't need it, your body just tells your brain that you 'need' it -- why not just take something out of a toilet and stick it in your mouth for a while and suck on that? I don't know what’s grosser: doing that or sticking a cigarette in your mouth the next time you see a homeless person or one of those commercials like save the children which I am a proud sponsor of a little boy now, think about the money you are 'wasting' every time you go to the drug or party store or gas station to buy another pack. think of the homeless and these poor children and families around the world that really 'need' help. they aren't just people stuck somewhere out there far, far away and you can't just unimagine that they are there. they are your brothers and sisters for God’s sake! We are all a big family in this world whether you want to face that fact or not. Think of how many people are dying every minute because you are so selfish you are going to go out and buy another pack of 'cancer sticks' to shorten your own life. isn't it bad enough that these people are starving and dying helplessly but you go ahead and slowly do the same thing to yourself and actually you are 'buying something' you are paying for a company to make and sell a product to shorten your own life? how ironic is that? you think you would want to 'pay' someone to help improve your life or to help improve someone else’s? instead it’s backward. you are actually paying some one else to help kill you. its actually assisted suicide in a sense. then if it’s against the law for Dr. Kevorkian to help others commit suicide, shouldn't it be against the law for cigarette companies to 'sell death and disease' and help others to also commit suicide? Hmm… makes you think doesn't it? All you non-smokers, you know where I am coming from with this! uuhh-huh! so why is it wrong for a man to assist someone to commit suicide but it is not wrong for cigarette companies to sell disease and death (slow suicide) to their 'customers' tell me that?! Its basically the same thing! When you really sit there and think about it. oh well I have rattled on and on long enough. if you have gotten this far you are lucky. maybe you learned something from all this gibber jabber I have done! Maybe you're not quite ready to hear it just yet, that’s OK.. everything happens for a reason and at just the right time, I am a firm believer in that. I just hope and pray that you too can quit one day before its too late. my dad always said he was going to quit one day, well sorry to say, he was right, but neither I or him knew it would be his last day with us. please people I am serious, I am not a meanie or a bad person. I'm just a concerned individual that cares for you. yes you heard me right, I care for you. Why, I don't even know you, I don't even know your name or anything about you for that matter but all you have to do is share the same planet with me. that’s enough for anyone to care for their brother or sister. please look at what you are doing to yourself and the others around you that really, really care! I know you're hooked, I know its hart to quit, I know, I've been there, done that! It’s not easy but it can be done! and you can do it too. weigh the pros against the cons of smoking or quitting smoking for yourself. think of your 'non-smoking' spouse that has to 'put up with' your nasty habit, think of your kids that have to breathe in that 'slow suicide' potion every time you light up in the car or your home. they are smoking right along with you. you are not only contributing to your own unhealthiness but of those who are the closest to you as well. you can do it, you can quit, it is possible and hundreds if not thousands are doing it every day! Join the millions who have already quit successfully and who have stayed 'clean'! If I can do it and harp and harp on it as I have to you because I really care for my fellow man, then you can do it too! Its not as easy as it looks or seems. nothing is really easy, anything worthwhile takes effort, motivation, perseverance, positive outlook and attitude. if you think you can't quit then you won’t ever quit but if you make it up in your mind to do it and 'psyche yourself out' to do it you will succeed! Think of it. is your health worth it? is your family and loved ones worth it? are your pets worth it? have you ever heard of a smoking dog or cat? or ferret, or pet rabbit? or how about the fish in your aquarium. you are not only affecting yourself but your pets suffer the effects of second hand smoke even! yes! I’ll bet you never thought of that! about now you're probably thinking, gee this guy really is onto something here! do you think if I didn't really care about all this smoking stuff that I would have wasted all this time typing all this stuff out? heck no. I would have been gone a long time ago. I wouldn't have thought twice about any of this but I have! And you are thinking. gee there is someone out there that I don't really know that cares enough to write all this stuff! Yes! that’s the whole point! because I care, that’s all. I care because you are there reading this now. you can turn your life around. you can do it, you can do it, you. The magic words in that statement are you and can. I will be praying for all of you that spent your precious valuable time getting to this point. if you think your time is precious. think of every minute added up from the time you started smoking, think of all this time you wasted, taking minutes, hours, even days or years off your life and harming others in the process. what would you do with all that wasted time and money today if you could have it back. But! You can’t have it back, its gone forever! But --you can do something about the time you have left here in this life! how important is that husband, or wife, your partner, and your children and grandchildren. . are their lives valuable enough for you to quit smoking now? how about yourself. don't you want to be around to see your kids achieve their life dreams, their careers and even have their own children, your grandchildren? don't you want to be around for them? Is $5. 50-5. 75 or $6,7 a pack worth burning to shorten your life for them? I know it sounds backward doesn't it? or wouldn’t you rather spend that extra $5-7 a pack on them. buy the kids or grandkids a new toy! buy your dog, your best furry friend a new toy! buy your good friend lunch at your favorite restaurant! save for so many worthwhile things you can do with that 'cigarette' money! get a jar or container or buy a cheap bank. Every time you would normally go to the store and 'buy a pack' take that money and put it in your 'bank'. check it after a month, or several months. (this is after you have quit). by the way I quit 'cold turkey'. in other words one day I just 'quit' just like that. no patches, no gum, no Zyban, no Chantix. none of that crap. I'm not saying any of that stuff is bad or anything, I'm just saying I didn't ever need any of it. some people can just quit just like that without thinking about it ever again and some people need a little extra help. that’s OK, whatever works best for you, but never quit quitting! Some times it takes 'getting into the habit' of breaking the habit. a lot of people don't quit and stay quit the first time around. some do, it all depends but don't give up! You can do it! I know you can! Have faith and believe in yourself. you didn't become addicted over night so you won't be a smoke free person overnight either. you need to take it one day at a time! That’s all God gives us anyway, is one day at a time, because he knows more than we do, that that’s all we can handle at one time is one day! Maybe this is your day to say, I can't do this anymore. I can't make my kids sick or I really feel bad when my husband or my wife or my roommate or my friend or whoever sees me light up and they have to 'put up with my habit' maybe today is your day to say to yourself mainly, this is all about you by the way. others may experience the effects of your behavior but you ultimately have to deal with yourself everyday! You have to wake up to yourself and go to bed with yourself every night! If this is your day, Amen! I believe in miracles. there’s someone out there that wants you to live longer than you are taking time off of your life every time you light up. there’s someone out there, maybe a higher power that is telling you, you need to be around for your kids. Or you young people: think not that you are invincible and nothing can ever happen to you! We all never know when 'our time is up' here. Maybe you will be needed to help take care of your parent or parents one day when they and you become older, like me. I have had to care for my grandmother, and then my dad, rest his soul, and now my mother. she is in a nursing home now because I can no longer manage her care on my own anymore. but there will come a day when someone you know is going to need you. why are you shaving time off of your life now? why do you want to make your life shorter? Come on people, Life is a gift from God. what you do with it and how you live it is our gift back to him. why do you want to 'shorten' a blessing that God gave you to live to the fullest? smoking cigarettes isn't living your life to the fullest. it is a selfish, self-centered habit that only shortens life and causes disease, sickness, disability! The only 'benefit', if you can even call it that is that it makes you feel good, feel relaxed, feel energized etc. you know what? you can experience all those things by eating a well balanced diet everyday, and exercising, 'taking in nature'. go to a park and take a walk instead of lighting up that next cigarette. find other 'rewarding, uplifting' things to do to replace that 'cigarette break'! you can live without cigarettes. you did before you started, before you got 'hooked'. life couldn't have been all that bad before you started now c'mon.. the key to quitting and staying off them is to restructure your life and replace healthy new habits with those of your past smoking life or routines. think about your health and the health of your family and friends affected by your smoking. does it help them or hurt them. I know you know deep in your heart the real answers to that question! You know it and I know it. don't just say, well I smoke because I want to.. that isn't being considerate of others now, is it. and if the feelings and lives of those around you matter enough to you, you will ask yourself that question over and over again until you find the true honest loving answer. I have to go now, but I will be praying for all of you that stuck with me and made it to this point. I congratulate you!. that shows that this whole quitting bit must really mean something to you, and if you think that I just sat here with nothing to do and just made all this stuff up today you're wrong. there is a 'higher power' with us today that inspired me to write all this stuff for you to read.. because there is a higher calling in your life that you need to fulfill and you can't do it by 'puffing your life away' into the air. every moment you consider quitting or even thinking about it is worth the try. you owe it to yourself most of all, you owe it to your family and friends, your wife, your husband, your partner, your room mate whoever, you owe it to yourself to consider it at least -- and i know you can do it! If i can do it anyone can! I need to go now. I may never see you or meet you or anything like that but at least we made a connection through this comment section of this website and hopefully you learned something. something about the value of life and the lives of others around you that you care about and that care so, so much about you! Take care, God bless and my prayers are with you all, because I do really care! Please, put down that cigarette and that lighter and think. really think before you light up that next one. it's not all about you anymore, it's about you and everyone around you.

smoking is good for your body. I am a 20 year old man who smokes three packs a day. Why do people even care if we smoke? It's not them we're killing.

you know, cigarettes cost a lot so the people that are addicted to smoking are like broke in no time.

I can't control anyone's life. Do what you will, I cannot stop you. Have fun while it lasts, soak it up, because whether you like it or not, every puff shaves precious minutes from your life.

Stop smoking.

people need to stop smoking beacause when you take a puff you are killing yourself, so stop smoking.

I smoke, from choice. I am tired of being told by those in power what I can and can't do. You can't eat this, you can't do that etc., etc. I am a free thinking individual who was brought up by my parents in the 70s to become a person with my own mind. The taxes we smokers pay would have to be found somewhere else if we all quit tomorrow. They would come from *your* taxes. In the UK and I imagine in the US, obesity kills more people than smoking. So what are all you non-smokers suggesting? That obese people have to quit eating? Maybe people who drink alcohol to excess should be *made* to quit. The A&E departments of UK hospitals are over-run with muppets on a Friday and Saturday night who couldn't handle their drink. They are a huge drain on our medical and welfare resources. As a smoker, I don't ostracize fat people, meat-eaters, vegetarians, gays, ethnics or alcoholics. Live and let live, I say. I wonder how many terrorists, murderers and child molesters are non-smokers. How many of you non-smokers drive gas guzzling 4x4s? When you all give up driving and heating or cooling your homes, I'll give up smoking. Till then, spark one up for me!

I'd say smoking doesn't just hurt the person doing the smoking, it hurts a lot of people. My brother smokes, and my entire family hates that he does. We all love him so much, but to see him hurting himself like that is hurting all of us. I can't tell you how many times my mom has cried, saying her son is cutting his life shorter and shorter every time he takes a "relaxing" puff. I know that my heart aches every time I see him sneak out of our house, saying he's going for a walk or going to talk on the phone. We all know exactly what he's doing. No one even wants to be around him. You say you smoke because you're lonely? Sad? Angry? Well keep on smoking for the rest of your life, and see how much smoking helps in you in the end. I promise you, nothing good will come of it. Only more heartache, loneliness, pain and eventually, an early death.

Great info! Thanks so much! Smoking a cigarette is good, but smoking a joint is good for you!

I needed help on this exact question. all your information helped so much. Thank you all :)

Why do people smoke? It is stupid. It kills. So why do people do it? They want to fit in. How stupid. People know smoking kills. Also smokers are not considerate to non-smokers when the smoke blows in to someone's face. You have been wasting your time. Take up a hobby instead.

i smoked for the first time, and it rules! I mean that it is gross the first time, but it relaxes the muscles. i think you are missing on a lot of fun. themonster525

Smoking is all good people. take it up.

The ignorance of #86 and #87 is astounding. It is not just your body you are harming -- it is your friends, family and people around you. It is disgusting, and not cool at all. I hate when my mom smokes in the car. I can't stand it and second hand smoke makes me want to throw up.

Here's my take on smoking: it's not fair to the non-smokers around you. We may choose not to smoke for our health *or* the cigarette smoke may affect us in a negative manner immediately. I am upset because I have tried to help a disabled friend by living with her so she won't have to be alone at night. Her promise is not to smoke inside. It causes my nose to immediately stuff up, and my skin to feel as if it is burning. Yes, even if I am asleep, this starts happening. The worst part is that after awakening from the stuffy nose, the stink of the brand she uses (the worst I've ever smelled) and the burning skin, eyes and nose, she says, "I wasn't smoking in the house." (she was at the door and tossed the cig out when she heard me get up.) Why do some smokers lie to non-smokers about things like this? What could she expect to get out of lying about it? Am I supposed to think I am wrong about the smoke that woke me and made me unable to sleep at 4 am? I've had other smokers tell me that my symptoms aren't from the cigarettes. What's the deal with that? Why does she (and sometimes other smokers) want to tell me I can't smell their cigarette smoke? Or more importantly that it doesn't cause me the symptoms that it causes me? Any insight? (P.S. I am moving out though. I can't resolve the situation when she is going to lie straight to my face.)

i am nearly 16 and I have been smoking for three years. i did it on my own accord and didn’t really have a reason. i just wanted to. but i don’t see what these snobby non smokers are chatting on about, because at the end of the day if we want to harm ourselves and waste our money we will, so how about you lot stop gabbing and mind your own business!

if you want to smoke, smoke. if you don't, then don't. i don't know why there's so much fuss over it. your body, your choice.

Granted I've drunk a bit of wine prior to writing this entire passage and the main reason I'm even writing this is because of the experiences I've dealt with recently.

First off, I'm an ex-smoker. I quit smoking in November 2008 and throughout the past months I've had about a handful of cigarettes (as opposed to the pack-a-day I used to smoke). My cravings came at the worst times, mostly when I'm out drinking with my friends, some of which whom still smoke. I am weak when I drink, and am vulnerable to temptation, and I give in. Unfortunately, I've experienced withdrawals in the past few months worse than I went through in November when I decided to quit for good (I smoked for about 2 years).

I don't know, I hate smoking, it's a horrible habit that will eventually destroy a person. Whether it is emphysema or another cancer of body, smoking contributes in no way at all to the overall health and well-being of a person. Living in a socity where the mass media is so highly praised and marketed, it's no wonder we have such an abundance of smokers. Tobacco kills, end of the line. The last time I had a smoke was a few days ago when a co-worker offered me one on a delivery. I felt regret the day later when I was craving smokes and had to stop myself from buying a pack.

If there is any message that can be stated, probably repeated a few times, but still the general populace will not heed it. Is to *never smoke*. Do not ever inhale the smoke from a cigarette, avoid the cigarette at all costs and never fall victim to its effects. Nictone is one of the most highly addictive substances in the world. I've read that it's harder to quit then heroin or cocaine! What does that mean for you? It's smarter to never try smoking then to try and quit. I once thought smoking was cool, hip and the thing to do when you're young. Reality is however: it's expensive, detrimental to your overall health, messes up your lung capacity and it smells like crap.

Bottom line, don't smoke, unless you want to die prematurely.

i have a drama and debate project. do you people think the smoking in movies influence children to start the habit to smoke?

Smoking is good because it helps thin out the useless population. Most smokers are chronic losers anyway. My only concern is that my taxes will have to pay for their care. I don't believe any health care system in any nation should have to pay for these people. If only smoking killed people sooner. So that is the problem: Smoking doesn't kill enough or fast enough.

I, like so many others, thought smoking was ridiculous when I was younger. I had so many friends that smoked, though, I tried it a few times. It was nasty every time except for one. When I was 17 I met a guy and started dating him. He smoked, and eventually, so did I. Perhaps it was his influence; I'm not sure. I'm 26, and I still smoke.

Almost all of these years, I've really enjoyed smoking. It's nice to have one after a meal or with a glass of tea. After nine years, it just feels normal.

Starting last year, however, I really wanted to try to quit, because I started getting bronchitis. I've had it two or three times in the past couple of years, and it scares the poop out of me. I don't want to get COPD or emphysema, but I know that's exactly what I'll get if I don't quit. It just seems unreal. I'm only 26. It feels unfair because I thought I'd be able to enjoy smoking longer before I had to quit.

Believe me, I know how stupid that all sounds. It smells bad, it's *so* freaking expensive, and you develop a cough that isn't very pleasant.

My problem is that now, in this past year and a half that I've really taken the thought of quitting seriously, I think about it every day. And because I do that, the thought of living -- just doing anything -- without a cigarette quite literally terrifies me.

I see other people who don't smoke just going about their lives, and I envy them. I think, How do they do it? Aren't they bored? I know the answer is No. They're just not addicted to what you're addicted to. So much more than the physical cravings, which suck, but can be dealt with, is the enormous psychological dependency I have on it.

Maybe therapy will help. Either way, I'm trying to quit. It just seems so hard.

So, please, guys, we were all non-smokers at one point. Not all of us are rude and flick our butts everywhere. Some of us are really trying to deal. However, I still support people who want to continue smoking. It is their right to do with their bodies what they wish.

It's really none of your damn business when it all comes down to it. The last time I checked, it was smokers who can hardly go anywhere and be able to smoke, so I'm a little tired of that secondhand smoke complaint. Go somewhere else. That's what we do!

I am an ex. smoker. I will be 55 years old this month and I quit smoking at age 32. I smoked off and on since I was 16, taking several years off at a time. It was the smoking triggers that would start me again. Emotional stress was number 1. What triggered the big quit, and I have quit, was my 6 year old son coming home from school and asked why I did not love myself? I said what makes you ask me that? He said at school there were several films about smoking and its deadly hazards, and a speaker who said people who smoke know better, but they do not love themselves enough to give up the bad habit because there was a pleasure they got from the deathly habit. My son had a handout sheet. Well, I took my chance at quitting the next national smoke enders day. A friend at work sponsored me and my family supported me. I quit and really quit 23 years ago. It is as if I never smoked and I am so grateful. From my son's innocent mind and heart I found the love I guess I did not have for myself on my own, but do now to not only not smoke but to lead a healthy life in as many ways I can and keep open to any new ways to be a healthy, happy human. Love really is the answer to ending all bad and unhealthy behaviors, just find your love connections and they will fill the places in you that the bad unhealthy habits once did. 55 and feeling wonderful!

I started smoking when I was 17. I'm still a smoker, I just haven't had a cigarette in 1 year, 4 months, and 3 days which was roughly 5 years after I started smoking in the first place. To be honest I don't even know why I started. No one ever pressured me, I didn't think it looked particularly attractive, and the one time I smoked pot I got incredibly paranoid which made the idea of a buzz not too appealing either. It just felt like the right thing to do, and as I soon learned, it does take the edge off of things. The problem is how the addiction settles into your life.

What non-smokers don't realize is that I never thought "I can't get cancer." The only thing I thought was "I won't get cancer before I quit." I can't compare how addictive nicotine is to heroin or cocaine because I've never touched that, but I can say addiction is nothing like school said it would be. When I didn't have a cigarette I didn't break out into a sweat or start rocking back and forth with my hands shaking, all that would happen is I would want to smoke a cigarette. I didn't realize that this "want" was all the addiction was. I crave chocolate cake from time to time but that never meant I was addicted, so why should it be different with nicotine? So what if I smoke another cigarette? If I went too long without a cigarette though, I realized that wanting cake was nothing compared to how badly I wanted a cigarette.

What non-smokers don't understand is they can flap their mouths to a smoker all they want about how bad smoking is and so on and so forth, but ultimately the *smoker* is the one that quits. When I finally admitted I was addicted, I didn't stop for another 3 years. It took me so long because I wasn't ready to stop until then. I knew how much money I was spending, I knew the health risks at hand, I knew how I stood out and smelled, the problem was I wasn't ready. Smokers know the facts, there is no need to tell them what they're doing is unhealthy. If you really want someone to quit, tell them you're disappointed they've smoked for so long, and you're there for them when they're ready to quit.

i'm only 15 and I just started smoking two weeks ago. it's an addiction I can't get over and I m not proud of it nor do I think its cool to smoke, but once you just get used to it... yes it will kill me some amount of years from now but i'll be old so what do I care for, huh? nobody in my inner family is a smoker, not my dad or my mom but my uncle was and he died already from being overweight and smoking i think it's weird that you people literally sit there and talk about this stupid stuff. let people smoke. it's their choice and their money.

I think it is great that people some people smoke. After all, the world is vastly overpopulated. It is a wonderful way to "thin the herd". Plus, I enjoy reading the comments of those who try and justify such a stinking, nasty habit. I especially love to hear "everybody has to die of something". Well, what I have observed in my many moons on this earth, is that usually, smokers get the added enjoyment of experiencing lung disease or emphysema prior to your untimely death. I am sure it is a joy to behold, spending those last years of their lives hooked to an oxygen hose, struggling every single second, of every single minute, of every single day of their remaining lives, fighting to do something as simple as breathe. That will be tons of fun for those people.

i think taking drags on a poxy cigarette to calm or relax you is just a load of crap. i'm sorry for everyone who smokes but that's the way i feel. and as much as i hate it, i don't think it should be banned because it's a free world and smoking just kills you anyway!

When i was 17 year old i was addicted to smoking, alcohol, porn, lies and many bad things. the age of 23 in 2008. When i believed in Lord Jesus that He died for my sins and rose again to justify me. By His grace i was cleansed with His precious blood. I thought it was impossible to quit this addiction. But Jesus made me whole. Thanks to Him! He is alive forever. He will also deliver you from bondage of sin and all addictions. Just come to Jesus by faith.

I think that people who drink and drive are stupid. My cigarette smoke may kill me and you slowly, but at least one night when you are driving home I won't be the one to take your life in a matter of seconds. Seriously get over yourself! I bet half of the anti smokers smoke weed or drink. Or worse drink and drive. Hmm... let's see: smoke a few cigs a day or pay a lot of money for medicine that will calm my nerves. That is hard to pick. With smoking no side effects (in my opinion). If i take this small pill every day that may cause side effects the doctor will just give me another pill that will stop that. Hmm. So hard. I think i will take the cigarette. Also look how expensive it actually is to quit smoking if someone can't quit on their own. it costs $40 for a pack of gum or the patches. They're not guaranteed to work, so people like me think, "why bother?" A few of my friends actually tried the patches and gum you know what happened? They got more addicted from them. Maybe the patches are just a scam like the cigarette company that add stuff to make people addicted. Yes i agree smoking is stupid to people who don't do it, but people always say don't judge a book before you read it.

I think people who smoke are dumb. i'm srry but that's how i feel. it's so stupid. people do it to relieve stress, but that's just an excuse. it just numbs it and it comes right back. you either want to do it or you don't, and that's all she wrote. my fiance smokes and i give her hell about it. i got her to quit but whenever we have a little fight she goes behind my back and smokes. she told her dad that she smoked and he hasn't told her not to or anything. and it's also a huge waste in money. that's 5 more dollars in gas or on food. people are so stupid its unreal. whether you want to addmit it or not you are killing yourself.

smoking was nice from the first drag, might not believe it, but it's the truth. Guess i was just destined to. lol. gotta die of something right?

Its nasty. we should ban smoking altogether.

if one who smokes clearly knew the reason why is he smoking.just like the ash and smoke rings, the reasons also seem too vague...i don't understand why people buy their own death and that too knowingly..

ive smoked since i was 12, but i was really depressed, cutting and everything, really wanting to die, and then my friend said that having a smoke would help, make me want to cut less, think more. it did help. i haven't cut since i started and in fact, im smoking right now, maybe we shouldn't smoke right next to people who don't like the smell, the ashes, can't do much about that. i smoke about 10 cigs a day and i like it. maybe it seems like a waste of money but its not for the people who need it. if you don't like when we're smoking beside you, maybe you should move, or even ask us to move over a bit so we don't get our ashes on you, like, whats the problem with being polite? And no matter how much you nag us we're not going to stop for you. and I've smoked weed, not addicted. i was hooked on pain killers. when i want to pop a few, I smoke, all better. it saved my life. :]

i guess i don't mind smokers that much but when it blows in your face and you get burned by the ashes because the wind blows that's not very fair.

and you say you do it to relieve stress,

sorry but to me that's crap. that is what therapy and massages are for

and someone said that you shouldent say stop smoking to family and friends

well what kind of friend or family member would you be if you let them kill them selfs like that?

ohh and don't say anything about my spelling because i know its wrong and i guess that i don't care about my spelling like a lot of you smokers don't care about your lives

I've never thought smoking was cool, but I've smoked and I liked it in moderation. I'd rather smoke than drink because I feel I make stupid and rash decisions while I'm drunk.

im fifteen and have recently started to smoke, i tried my own cigarette by myself that i got from one of my dad's packs.. i started smoking purely on my own accord and i don't do it to 'look cool' or because i was 'peer pressured' it's purely just because i'm going through a stressful time and the rush of having a cigarette makes it feel better and i also didn't start because my dad smokes because i don't live with him. i smoke from 1-2 cigarettes a day, if that and that's all i need. i smoke silkcut and they are a lower tar and nicotine brand.. still not a good excuse but better than smoking something like mayfair superkings.

Even I have stopped seeing my friend as much because he smokes cause I don't want to be within range of second hand smoking. I hate the smell of it and it could also drive others away too...

Also that bit where it says 'Smoking reduces the sense of taste, so many people who smoke simply eat less because they don't enjoy food as much', might be true as he doesn't even eat much when I see him do.

The amount of money spent on those things...

It's like you're paying to die...

If people didn't smoke, imagine the amount of money they would be saving.

Interesting comments all around. But I would add one point to the argument about 'smoking is different because it affects the lives of non-smokers' - well, innocent people are killed through other people drinking alcohol (violence, road deaths, etc), than smoking - so perhaps if we really wanted to protect the innocent then alcohol should be banned first...no wait...they tried that didn't they?!

Smokers, if you don't want to hear it, don't come here looking for it! *Why* must you harass the others? It's like jumping into the ocean and then complaining loudly that "that stupid ocean got me wet. How dare it?!"

Stop complaining.

I don't have any problem with smokers. They can do what they like with their bodies. But for those of us just innocently standing by, who end up receiving ash or second-hand smoke in the face, it's not fair. Just take your smoke where it can't hurt anyone else.

My gramps smoked for 73 years. He died of natural causes at 90. He was up to 4 packs a day during his heavy drinking stage which lasted around 20 years.

I can't explain why that is, and why some die young. My only conclusion is that your born with it, and perhaps worrying about it, activates something which allows the dormant virus to take over.

I'm no specialist but the entire anti-smoking campaign is nearly as bad as the war on drugs.

Yet they remain a part of our everyday lives, and people think they have a right to complain and demoralize people who may chose to smoke.

How 'bout you try to help people by helping the governments change the laws, instead of acting like your some shining knight riding the high horse, or some specialist on how the body and DNA/Genes work.

Even the so called 'experts' don't have answers for that, but we have answers for banning tobacco companies process of adding addictive substances to their products.

Tobacco has been used for thousands of years by the Mestizo Indians, The Vedans, and found buried in the graves of subarctic lapland shamans.

Please study more, no comment here is worthwhile.

If smoking really kills and people strongly want to encourage this non-smoking exercise, why don't they just ban cigarettes?!

Well, anon30712, if you'd stop smoking in front of us or outside while let's say... When we're on a bench waiting for the bus and the wind blows your cigarette smoke in our faces.. Then we'll stop.

You can live unhealthy but we don't need you taking us down with you.

Let's see us smokers smoke cause we like it. It's a time passer and a stress reliever. We also know that it is bad for us and could kill us which we hear from all of ya'll non smokers everyday. So I would like it if all the non-smokers just stop telling us all these facts cause we pretend to listen but really you are just making us want to smoke another cig.

stop smoking man its not *cool*

Yea, smoking kills but seriously it isn't your life to judge what other people do so stop nagging on people to stop because even if you don't want your friends or family wasting their lives' on it but everybody is going to die one day. Might as well live your life to the fullest? I've smoked before and it's great. It relieves your stress and if you think people just do it to look cool then you clearly don't know their reasons?

As a non-smoker, I don't have a problem with smokers/tobacco users as long as you are respectful of non-smokers. You can start by considering the following:

1. Shower! Please don't come near me smelling like a chimney or a pile of ashes! This includes marijuana residue that may be lingering on your body/clothing. Don't try to mask this stench with cheap cologne/perfume. It doesn't work!

2. Stop spitting, snorting mucus, and coughing around me! Not only do you sound gross and make people want to run away from you, but you also make people think you're sick-literally! The first thing I think when I see a smoker coughing and hacking is that he/she has lung or throat cancer and I need to get as far away from that person as possible. I do not want anything from your lungs or throat landing on me!

3. Stop smoking in non-smoking hotel rooms! Get a smoking room or go out to the back of the hotel and puff away. But don't pollute the non-smoking rooms.

4. Stop littering! Throwing your cigarette butts out of the window of your automobile onto the streets or dropping them on the ground/sidewalk is nothing short of littering! That's why you have an ashtray...use it! The toilets/urinals in the public restrooms are not for cigarette butts!!

5. That nasty filthy coke bottle that you tobacco chewers spit into has to go! I don't want to see your discarded mucus, spit, and whatever else is in your mouth preserved and sitting on the floor next to me. Do your "chew" at home and keep your "chew juice" in your refrigerator along with your beer!

6. Stop justifying your habits based upon other risky behaviors. Someone going skiing or riding their 4-wheeler doesn't affect me; however, that "stream of death" that flows from the end of your cigarette into my nostrils does affect me. And it makes me want to puke!

tobacco kills. that's a fact.

Why would people even buy cigarettes? It's a waste of their money. Smoking isn't cool. You can die by smoking.

I don't smoke, and don't understand why people do.

Let me give a life changing reality to all *non*-smokers. I'm 17(almost 18) and have been smoking for about a year and a half now. I don't *want* to quit. I love it. Most smokers do. Why else would you do it?

Say you were in a restaurant and your food tasted bad, would you say oh well might as well just eat it or would you send it back? Obviously you'd send it back, now why would a smoker smoke if he didn't like it, *why* would he even start if he didn't like it the first time?

i smoke when i feel sad

i smoke when i feel lonely

i smoke when i feel angry

i smoke when i feel hopeless

i've been smoking since twelve, my story and feelings are irrelevant, but come on, someone who smokes does it for their own reasons, you know? and we all know that it's bad for us, so stop ragging.

So smoking kills more people than any disease in the world. I didn’t wait no day, I quit right away. I thought the faster I do it, better for me. It was hard, especially first few days, when my hands were just reaching for the cigarettes. My mind was begging for one, my body seemed to get bigger. My mind started to play games with me. I had to fight. First time in years I had breakfast, because I felt hungry, It felt so awkward. I usually had coffee and cigarette in a morning instead of breakfast. Smoking reduces the sense of taste, many people who smoke simply eat less because they don't enjoy food as much.

It’s thirty two days now, for me without cigarettes. I see so many changes, and I know everyday is going to be better. Sadly but true, that smoking really is nasty and persistent habit, that is so unbelievably hard to leave behind.

We spend every day from that first taste of smoke, regretting it so much. I understood it just now, really got it just now. How beautiful life is without cigarettes. How many of formal smokers, knowing what I know now, would have smoked that first cigarette? None of them. Trust me, now I know. I’m very proud of myself, I reached my goal. I achieved my dream. I did it.

Guys quit smoking, you will see, its so much easier to breath, really, a lot of things changed in my life after i quit.

Started at 8 1/2 years old. Neither parent was a smoker, but I had my (own earned) money in my pocket, and I was hanging around with other boys before, and after the part-time job! Already a singer, I went for an audition to record professionally with a children's group at 9. My pitch was fine, volume, everything (I was 1st soprano- in a boy choir; that's like really high) but the lady said coldly, "Thank you!" and that was it! She could already hear the "haziness". The cigarettes had done their damage, noticeably in only half a year. And we're talking maybe 3-4 a week.

I continued as a paper boy, having my "own money" so I kept smoking. Must've tried to quit 25 times.

I actually *did* quit from 11 1/2 to 13 years old, but then came *more* peer pressure and more time to kill (we had to wait every day for the newspapers to come) and the advent also of Alcohol.)

Quit again at 23 cold turkey when I joined a Christian group full time, but then began again, for periods of 2 and 3 years when I had no peer support, and was around smokers, though *still* a Christian, even though it was neither allowed nor accepted by my group.

Then one night, I was singing in a place where it was full of people and almost everyone had a cig. going and I just couldn't get any air. I really couldn't! I had to decide "Am I going to sing, or am I going to smoke?! I can't do both!!" And that was the last time I ever smoked, 28 years ago! Thank God! Without any therapy, or any help (well maybe from *upstairs*). I just had to find something I wanted to do more than smoking.... and *do* it!

I have never been sorry! What did the dumb cigarettes do for me anyway? Make me smile? Nah! Mae me happy.. Nope! Give me something to *help* someone in need?... Nothing!

Now if I could only kick the coffee!

PS. I'm *still* singing and I'm 60!

Wish you success! Grit your teeth and dig in! Hate it with a passion like the subway ghost in "Ghost". You'll do all right!

I started smoking cigarettes right after highschool though, I'd been smoking weed since 8th grade. The weed never became addicting, I picked it up and let it go randomly with no thought behind it but the cigarettes were a different story. I joined a band. I was the youngest member at 18 and they all had at least 6 years on me and all smoked. During rehearsal we'd take breaks so they could smoke. It seemed stupid to me cause we were paying for this rehearsal spot by the hour and about 40 mins of each hour would go into breaks! So I started bumming them... To kill time... Then I bought some and started killing time between other meaningless wait periods... This is the core of my habit. I get bored, I have to wait... I smoke. It's only becoming clear to me now. Almost 8 years later. I smoke to kill time. I have a flu right now and whenever I get the flu my body gets disgusted with anything bad for it.. Cigarettes included... I am starting day 4 of no squares and though I'm starting to feel better and crave burgers and fries again, my chest and back still hurt and I feel short of breath... I think I'm going to try kicking this habit again. I did once before and when I failed I started up twice as bad so I hope this time I keep it up... All I need to do is find out another way to kill the same about of time and get the same kind of satisfaction.... Hey inventors... GET AT IT! lol

ps: If you are about to start smoking I strongly suggest you don't... Weed is fine, but try not to become enslaved by a substance.. Seriously.. It sucks.

OK here's my two cents. I have been smoking since I was 15, now i'm 21. I have quit many times as long as 6 months. I am planning to quit again on New Years. But non-smokers, just shut your mouths. Period. I know it's bad, I hear it everyday, it's annoying. I don't go around telling people not to jet ski cause it kills more people every year than cigarettes do. Smoking is not something you just pick up, usually friends pressure you into it. You get addicted, know it's bad for you. Wake up in the morning smoke, get coffee smoke, drive to work smoke. It's a bad habit we all know. I smoke socially, I smoke when i'm alone. When i'm bored at work I smoke to kill time. When i'm early for something I smoke to kill time. When i'm done eating I smoke to finish off the meal. It's easy for people to say just put it down you don't need medications at all. But truthfully some people do. If I don't smoke for a period I get angry, REALLY angry. I can't sleep, I can't focus. When I use patches I don't have cravings, I work harder, I am happier. But stop telling me smoking is bad, or i'll tell people to stop having fun, like racing, jet skiing, running, walking, working out.

easiest way to quit is carry a few lemons around with you- put a small hole in them, and squirt the juice into your mouth any time you have a 'jones' for a cig.

The nicotine leaves the body in NINE DAYS- so addiction?? A rather short term addiction, if it even qualifies as one, in reality. Addiction is simply a state of mind, in truth.

All these 'kits' to quit are just another leg of the medical industry- they are unnecessary if one wants to quit. But again, it is about free choice.

So now smoking is looked upon as 'not cool', and it is being pushed sooo heavily that everyone 'should' quit- it is enough to make a person ill just listening to all the jibber of these who wish the world would quit for their convenience. Why should it matter? I don't necessarily like the smell produced by people passing gas, but I certainly wouldn't ask them to quit. It is a matter of choice. Period. It is your body- do as you wish. Anyone with any sense knows that our conscious mind can alter ANY matter- which means that we can alter any 'bad' substance into a life-giving substance with a bit of thought. We have free choice about what we do, and NO one need change that. As far as kids following parents that smoke- bunk- promoted by the anti-smoking folks,kids! There are more kids who have come from smoking households who choose not to smoke. Look around. Tobacco is a natural substance- it is the chemicals the large tobacco firms add to it and put in the papers that cause harm- not the tobacco itself. Interesting how they have a monopoly on controlling it all,as well. Now that USDA has their hands on the industry- we'll see even more control issues. As far as cancer goes, they've had cures for it dating back to 1938- but it is a huge money making industry, so they continue to bleed people 'seeking a cure'= Balderdash. They should be ashamed- but they are not- they are in it for the $, and now that medicine is bigger money than the tobacco industry- well, you get the picture. Don't ever think you know what's right for the other guy- the other guy just might start thinking he knows what is right for YOU.

i read every post, i found it all very interesting. I am 15 years old, i have been smoking for a year, I know it is bad for my health, i smoke ONE cigarette every day or two, i am not very addicted but i feel that smoking one cigarette every day or two is worth the health risk. They say 1 cigarette takes 8 minutes off your life. That means 8 minutes every 2 days about 60 days a year. I am trying to quit but i feel as if it is worth it !! :) wish me luck in trying to quit, but smoking tastes good, smells good and is relaxing, also its a social thing, not a 'cool' social thing but a good way to sit down, talk and unwind with you friends.

Hey thanks guys i was here for school but i mean cmon y do we care if they smoke as long as you're not doing it just let them be.

Don't you people have anything better to do. I am not a smoker and am only here for a assignment. But it makes me sick how much the anti smoking campaigns spend and how much people like Bill Gates donate to them.Everyone know its bad for you (not nearly as bad as they want you to think but still terrible) when you tell them it just pissed them off they are aware! Spend your time on something worth while. And if you don't like someone smoking leave its rather simple. A few of my friends smoke and i do not care just not in my truck.

I started smoking at 17. Ive worked out in the woods my whole life and we used to smoke a lot back then. Today I believe that people have a bad view of tobacco. I smoke american spirit which is additive free and organic and I've never had problems from smoking. My grandfather smoked his whole life and never had a problem. Smoking for me is a way of life and im not addicted. Im a hard worker, and smoker and ill never stop.

I am 19 years old and i recently bought my first pack. I have smoked weed before just to try it. I was 17 and i haven't smoked weed since then. I bought my first pack just to satisfy my curiosity, or more of a experimentation so be precise. I smoked about 6 consecutive cigarettes. I didn't start feeling the affection until i stopped. I did all this in solitude of course. The last thing i want is to someone see me smoking because i believe smoking is a sign of weakness. People smoke to feel relaxed because they have fear in something whatever it is they fear i don't know. Also the taste is nasty and this is the last time i will buy a pack and smoke.

Why do you smoke? They cost a lot of money, also, it smells bad, and it damages your lungs. Why do it? Quit it, before you start!

I started smoking cigars, because many great men in history smoked cigars. I enjoyed them so much, I now smoke cigars, a pipe, a hookah, and kreteks (the clove cigarettes) and enjoy them all thoroughly. I also smoke cigarettes when time is no available for the others, and although I don't enjoy them nearly as much, they're not bad. Those who smoke with me on campus enjoy their cigarettes very much. Some of us like smoking. Get that into your skulls.

Sure smoking does give you a buzz at times and it does help you relax and also feel sleepy. But it makes you want to stop what your doing and sit or lie down and it makes you cough up nasty stuff and also makes you wake up congested in the mornings. I know from experience!

I started smoking when I was 19. Not because it was cool, or because my friends did, but because I had horrible migraines. I know it was stupid, but at the time, very little was known about the causes of these types of headaches, and how to prevent them. A friend of mine offered me a cigarette one day when I felt the headache coming on. It worked better than any of the medications that I had been on for three years. Once in a while quickly became addiction. I am now 42. I am a health care worker. I am not in denial. I don't think I have an oral fixation, I smoke because I am an addict. I know that smoking will kill me. An addict is an addict. that is all. I have not smoked in 5 days. Wish me luck!

I first started smoking because I was dating a guy who smoked a lot and I would often get ditched so that he could go off with older girls/guys to have a smoke. It felt terrible, so I picked up on it. I got addicted pretty quick and I loved the head rush it gave me. I haven't tried to stop yet, as it is a social thing.

I don't believe in the fact that smoke makes one cool! but then it's true that the nicotine can give kicks which helps oneself keep troubled thoughts and anxieties out of the head.

I started smoking in college after i broke up with my girlfriend from high school, and it helped me to keep things which troubled me out of my head. Later on i started liking it, though i control the number of fags i take in per day to 1 or 2.

If you like nature and rains, nothing like sitting in your porch or the terrace on a rainy day and smoking.

Hi there...I would like to share my comments as to why people smoke...

In school I never used to to smoke...i looked down on smoking and considered it really bad...i remember having written an article on the harmful effects of smoking, vis-a-vis, cancer..

when i entered college..even when people around me smoked..i took a few drags as a trial....i never liked it...but then...in a few months....i started to feel lonely...loneliness was hitting me hard......i needed some good quality company which i wasn't able to get...i then started to take a few drags...and then..it dawned upon me that..smoking helped reduced the pangs of loneliness.....it was good company for me....now i have started to buy packs...hence i agree with the point that loneliness is one of the reasons that leads people to smoke....i am not addicted to nicotine...or the cigarette..but i am dependent on it when i feel lonely....and need some help...

I started smoking at the age of 15 - my friend eventually talked me into smoking, as she was rather bossy and a couple of years older than me. At first I HATED it, but eventually you become hooked, and this no doubt dispels the fact that it stinks, is bad for your health and can age your skin. I have now been smoking for 13 years, about 10 or more a day. Here are some truths about smoking...

1. Smokers actually wish they didn't smoke

2. Alcohol makes smokers smoke even more.

3. Smokers mostly smoke due to boredom or as a reward (e.g, you've finished painting a wall in your house, so to have a break, you'll smoke instead of just sitting there doing nothing - because you deserve it after all your hard work!)

4. Family, friends and strangers passing negative comments about smokers will never be enough to make them quit.

Ut's hard to sympathize with a smoker if you've never been one yourself.

Smokers trying to give up need support and encouragement.

It's easy to attribute why people smoke unilaterally to either a weak will against advertising or against peer pressure. But, it can be more complex than that. None of these reasons really justify why someone would elect to inhale burning material when we all know that the respiratory system does NOT like foreign material in it.. but they do explain how cigarettes act as a stand-in for some basic human needs, desires, and inabilities to simply be at peace with ourselves.

1) As a "reward" - Like a sweet treat or a drink cigarettes are used by people to reward themselves for their efforts. It's kind of like pounding yourself between the legs in response to a job well done, but once the smoker is addicted then feeding the addiction is rewarding.

2) Oral fixation - Some people receive gratification through oral stimulus. Obsessive eating can be the same. At the risk of sounding Freudian, oral pleasure can be similar to sexual pleasure. People like the stimulus of putting something in their mouth.

3) To pass the time - Many, if not most, people are uncomfortable simply "being" without anything to do. They can't sit and let time pass as they wait for a bus, or for a meeting, or as the minutes tick by on break. Smoking creates the illusion that one is doing something "productive" (i.e., giving themselves a reward, "calming" themselves, etc.) while doing "nothing." People can't just sit back and watch the world go by. They have to be engaged in some activity, and smoking addresses that inability to just be at peace with one's self.

4) Loneliness - Fire has always been a primal companion of humankind. It chases away the dark, and with it the cold, fear, and loneliness associated with it. The burning ember of a cigarette may be a link to that primal companion. Much like the reward aspect, lighting up a butt makes one feel somehow less alone when they are by themselves. Similar to the inability to pass time just "being" without anything to do, smoking may make the smoker feel wrapped up in a cocoon of companionship and self-absorption. When we just "be" we are vulnerable. With the companion of fire, or in a state of self-absorption, we close ourself off from the world and achieve the illusion that we are not vulnerable.

This may also be why many smokers are such self-absorbed people that they cannot (or can and just won't) recognize and admit that their addiction/habit has far-reaching effects that affect the quality of the environment of those around them. Their need to withdraw from the world and feel less vulnerable perpetuates a cycle of thinking that fuels further self-absorption and a refusal to admit they are affecting others adversely, or a refusal to care, because to care is also to open one's self up to vulnerability.

Furthermore, brand loyalty among smokers suggests that they get a sense of a greater identity from what brand they smoke. Smoking makes them part of a community - one that is now ostracized by many in the same way that many people feel ostracized by society. So they do not feel alone if they feel part of a select group, such as the community of smokers or also smokers of a particular brand. It may also be a kind of elitism, such as in the case where people will refuse a smoke until they can get "their brand."

5) "Fear of living" - Many smokers like to think of themselves as the type that laugh in the face of Death. Some will freely admit that they would rather die an early, painful death than face the ravages of old age. These are the people I truly pity. While it may be true that they do not fear death the sad truth is that that is only the case because they are afraid of living and the inherent risks that living a full, meaningful life present.

These are but a few reasons people take up smoking and continue to smoke. It's not only the chemical properties that make it addictive, but the psychological ones as well. It's sad that people can't look inside themselves to provide the senses of relaxation, security, connection to other beings, and purpose in idle moments. It's truly sad that people would rather engage in a fully recognizable self-destructive activity than develop themselves as human beings. But, such factors also make it evident as to why it's hard to quit. When we ask someone to quit, we're not only asking them to give up their chemical addiction but to find purpose in their idle time, to face the demons of loneliness and primordial fear of isolation, to face the struggles of daily life without the overblown sense of entitlement that all unpleasantries inherent to life must be balanced out with some kind of reward, and to stand on their own two feet as a human being of developing potential. Unfortunately, most humans don't find it in themselves to do this on their own, so they turn to crutches like cigarettes, other drugs, and alcohol.

all i want to know is why in the world would people smoke??? i have tried it once and it is disgusting and i have never smoked again in my whole life!!!! as if you would smoke... its not like it's cool to die as a smoker with lung cancer or some other cancer!!! all the people that do smoke are crazy!! no offense to anyone who does smoke but...

I have one question...I have been a smoker for 47 years...and I am quitting cold turkey...only way for me...my problem is that I am unable to stay awake..I sleep watching TV..reading a book...on the computer...and even driving a car for any distance...

What ingredient is in cigarettes that causes this..is there some type of pill that I can take that will stop or reduce me from sleeping so much?

Well, I really like smoking and I think there is a little bit of hysteria around that habit. Indeed, smoking has a lot of positive effects: alertness, better memory and is good to share with friends!

What about poverty, war or eating too much fat? But people have time to loathe cigarettes... sad but true.

I'm here for a smoking assignment as well. Thanks for the information! It helped me a lot! :]

My parents smoke and I hate inhaling their second hand smoke. Usually, I am irritated by it but it doesn't physically repulse me or make me gag...well it didn't until I joined the gym, and started exercising. It's like the smoke tastes 10 times more potent than usual and I never use to have to walk so far away from my parents when they smoked. But today at the park I was walking far away from my mum because I could taste her smoke in my mouth. I wonder why exercising makes smokes more repulsive? Mum said herself, when she use to be into exercising, smoking repulsed her...she should have kept exercising!

hi i am doing a school projest on why people smoke... and any help would be greatly appreciated! thanks..:)

plenty of people smoke but they do not know smoke. maybe peer pressure maybe psychological maybe stress maybe relaxation. Everyone should ask this question Why do I smoke?

the only reason i started smoking was i would get peer pressured when i was drunk, it got to a point where i'd be chain smoking while intoxicated... but when i'm sober i don't have to smoke!

its not to looook cool. whenever i smoke i am by myself or with 1 or 2 of my friends. i tried it in eighth grade when i was just curious. i like the smell so i do it every once in awhile but not so often, it's easy to get them too...

Hello fellow readers! I was born in a developing country and a friend of mine started smoking when he was eight years old. Up to this day, he is still a regular smoker. Personally I started at eleven, quit at twelve, started again at 15, quit at 19, started at 22 and quit at 22. I think that the Industry has to take responsibility for people who start smoking before 18 or even before 21. But the Industry knows that those who start smoking early on in their lives are also those who will most likely be "hooked for life". Why do people smoke? Another interesting question is: why do children smoke? Thank you for your attention, I hope the debate lives on.

omg i'm a teen and i know that a lot of people don't do it to look cool, yes they try it maybe because their friends are doing it, but most of the time it is just curiosity! Lots of people tried it and liked it, so they continued doing it, which is dumb, but it's their problem when they get lung cancer. I think people who smoke weed though do it for different reasons. Some people haven't smoked a day in their life, but then one day get a painful illness, and use weed as pain relief. I can understand that because it makes you feel good and relaxed. But seriously, i hate it when people say teen are dumb, "they get pressured into doing it", "they do it to look cool" well i'm here to say no that's not true. My friends and I go to school with some major dealers and i have tons of people that smoke, and they have never asked me or my friends if i wanted a smoke, and have definitely not pressured me into it. Plus even if they did teens nowadays know that it's bad. Also if you haven't noticed the amount of teen smokers has gone way down from the past 10-15 year!!!

I don't quite understand why people smoke. I've tried it, but it didn't do much for me. The odor it leaves upon you is absolutely putrid. I convinced myself that I looked "cool" smoking, but it really isn't cool at all. No, not at all.

i agree with "olittlewood" on his or her article, because smoking is a disgusting habit. though many adults smoke, it is a very childish, and immature way to try and fit in. people say that they guarantee, that as soon as i get into high school, i will start smoking. i disagree because my entire life my parents have told me that smoking isn't cool, and have been my entire influence on how bad smoking can affect your body as well as your reputation, if my parents smoked today, i probably would to. i give them total credit in giving me this positive attitude.

i've always wondered this, because having taken a puff or two off of a random cigarette to see what all the fuss is about, smoking is GROSS! it tastes bad, smells bad, and you kind of look dorky doing it. i know that some people think it looks sophisticated and sexy, but you're blowing toxic smoke out of your nose and mouth people! anyhow, i had a friend who smoked in high school, and she said that honestly, she had to make herself get hooked on smoking. she did it because everyone else was doing it, and she MADE herself smoke to fit in. my sister, who i've been trying to convince to quit smoking, told me that she and her friends do it "to have something to do" while they're sitting around hanging out. you know what they say about "idle hands..." i think that not starting is the best policy, so to all you kids out there--find some other way to pass the time and spend your money on.