Do you smoke

[SCUBAJENNIFER]

Without reading the last 2 years of posts...I'll just say NO, I do not. Forgive me those of you who do, but it's a nasty habit IMO...:shakehead

I'm with you...it's the smell that gets me...:yuck:

 

[Sasquatch]

I've got to say I'm surprised by the results of this poll. It appears that most of the voters are American yet the poll would indicate that among ScubaBoard divers 24% of you smoke.

I think the national average is lower than that. Interesting...

The national average is actually 21% or 44.5 million Americans according to the CDC. Further it's notable that smoking is more common among adults living below the poverty level (even though smokes run an average of $4.11 a pack).

It's estimated that Americans spend $82 billion a year on cigarettes. Tobacco industry only spends $15 billion on advertising. Pretty effective return.

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/factsheets/AdultCigaretteSmoking_FactSheet.htm

 

[SKIPPY3]

I am a diver that has never smoked. I have been a physician for over 30 years. Some of the issues that smoking divers should consider are: Smoking dissolves the cilia in the respiratory tract causing mucus, phlegm, and other inspired particles to remain. Only coughing brings them out. Smoking can result in formation of blebs(alveoli coming together). This can result in blocked off passages resulting in decreased ventilation with trapping of CO2. The increased CO2 from smoking along with the increased CO2 produced by heavy exertion at depth can lead to an increase in respiratory rate. Descending usually allows gasses to enter most of the respiratory tract. Gasses in the alveoli need to exhaust on ascent. The gasses in blocked areas of the lung expand and may not be expelled. We all know what risk breath holding poses. I would expect blocked alveoli to pose a risk of micro air embolism. Most smokers get away with smoking and diving, however (for me) the risks associated with diving do not need to be increased by behavior that is unnecessary. Both of my parents died from lung cancer.

 

[fire_diver]

Come on, every now and again, a post dive Cuban (cigar) is a truly lovely thing. It's almost as bad for you as a Whopper w/cheese.

Oh, but it's SOOO good! I haven't had a stogie in quite a while. Need to go buy some more.

 

[fire_diver]

I'm with you...it's the smell that gets me...:yuck:

Actually, that depends a lot with me. People who smoke the high quality tobacos, don't bother me at all. The people who smoke the cheap-*** generics make me want to puke. Those nasty things contaminate everything around. I can smell the stench of cheap cigs if the smoker walked through the room 5 minutes ago, after smoking outside the building.

FD

 

[chad-purdy]

is it realy a big difference if you smoke or not and dive i dont think i have ever had a problem but then again i have never not smoked and dove

 

[SCUBAJENNIFER]

Actually, that depends a lot with me. People who smoke the high quality tobacos, don't bother me at all. The people who smoke the cheap-*** generics make me want to puke. Those nasty things contaminate everything around. I can smell the stench of cheap cigs if the smoker walked through the room 5 minutes ago, after smoking outside the building.

FD

I guess i've never encountered anyone with quality tobacco...it all smells bad to me.

 

[RichLockyer]

To those of you who have quit, I applaud you and beg you to tell me your secrets.

Don't buy anymore.

Seriously, that is what I did. 20 years of anywhere from 1 to 4 packs a day.
I finished the last carton and didn't buy anymore, refused one when offered (tell everyone that you don't smoke)... if they aren't available, you can't smoke them.
I kept a tin of Altoids in my shirt pocket and when habit made me reach for my pocket, I'd realize "Oh ya, I don't smoke anymore" and I'd have an Altoid.

Again... tell everyone that you "don't smoke anymore". Don't tell them, or yourself, that you "are quitting", as that implies a process. You aren't quittING, you have QUIT. The process was complete when you put out the last one and decided that you would not have another.

The thing that kept getting me the 8 times that I "quit" was after a month or so, I'd get to the point of "okay, I can keep a pack in the truck and have one every now and then"
Ya... "one" every now and then turns into one a day and within a week it's back to 1 an hour.


The mental aspects were far harder on me than the physical aspects. I smoked Camels, and I had no headaches, nausea, or any of the other symptoms that people claim when quitting. To me, there was no apparent physical addiction... it was simply an oral habit.

 

[Brewone0to]

Everyone is aware that this thread is over 2 yrs old.
While it may serve as usefulfor some.
Perhaps someone should start a fresh one.
It took a year and a half to get 81 posts
and now it has 249 posts.
Heck, some of the earlier polled people
may have changed if they do or don't.

Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now.
Just my 2 psi.

 

[deeper thoughts]

My wife and I quit 5 yrs ago after smoking 2 pks a day since our teens.
Just quit unfortunately there is no secret elixir. What I did do was put my cig money in a jar and watched it grow instead of the state/cities tax coffers