Do you smoke

[Cacia]

here in LA, there is this odometer thing coming into Beverly Hills on Santa Monica Blvd, put up by the AHA, ACA, ALA and it says "Smoking deaths this year" and you can watch the numbers changing....very powerful.

Alexa and I very impressed with the "in your face" public health messages here.

"Family by choice, not Blood" (HIV) etc. Great art...powerful images on buses. Someone is doing a good job here with the message delivery.

 

[Kim]

BTW....This thread was started 2 years ago...someone should resurect the Poll as there are many of us newbies that were not around then.

I've re-opened it. Knock yourself out!

 

[dlndavid]

here in LA, there is this odometer thing coming into Beverly Hills on Santa Monica Blvd, put up by the AHA, ACA, ALA and it says "Smoking deaths this year" and you can watch the numbers changing....very powerful.

Alexa and I very impressed with the "in your face" public health messages here.

"Family by choice, not Blood" (HIV) etc. Great art...powerful images on buses. Someone is doing a good job here with the message delivery.

Are the messages in Spanish too?

 

[scubapolly]

Not a smoker.

I used to wok in a lab, and one of my co-workers was a VERY HEAVY smoker. We were in the middle of the building (no windows) about 7 floors up, and about every hour or so he would disappear for about 20 minutes to go outside and smoke. After watching this for a while it started to piss me off that he got to go outside when I was usually locked in the lab from sun up to sun down. So I went out and bought a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, kept them on my desk, and at least twice a day (when the weather was nice) I'd head out for a "smoke break". Sit on one of the benches, enjoy the weather. I was always more than happy to let the smokers bum a smoke from me. I had the same pack of cigarettes for almost 2 years.

I have nothing against smokers personally- I'm sure it is an addiction, I am sure it is tough to quit but to say it doesn't affect non-smokers is a bunch of bull too. I don't go out to bars anymore (and before some one jumps on the drinking and driving thing- I am usually the designated driver, and don't drink when I go out) unless it is summer time and it is an open air establishment. I can't stand getting home and my clothes, and my hair smelling like smoke. I've already mentioned the smoking co-worker, who was taking lots of "breaks". Not to mention the health problems of smokers contributing to the rising costs of health care. Others have already mentioned the littering aspect- I appreciate those of you who make sure your butts get in a proper place, there is a small group of smokers who have given you guys a bad name for these things, just as there is a small group of drunk drivers who have give a bad rap to those of us who occasionally want to go out for a drink with friends.

For those of you looking for more reasons to quit: a 40-year-old pack-a-day smoker who quits and puts the savings into a 401(k) earning 9% a year will have $250,000 by age 70. You can read the complete article here.

 

[Jon C]

I used to have a cigarette or two during gigs when I was playing in bands in L.A. I never felt them calling my name...it was just a part of the ritual of being at the clubs. I have to believe that I gave myself every opportunity to get "addicted" but it never happened. Sometime during that period, I went out and played basketball and sucked wind. I couldn't believe how quickly I got tired after just a couple of trips up and down the court. I quit that day and never looked back.

I personally believe it is more addictive to some than others. One of the most intelligent people I know smokes constantly. I asked him if he could not use his "smarts" to just turn off the switch. He said "maybe" but he didn't think so. I (of lesser mental gifts) needed very little effort to stop. Go figure.

Given the nature of our sport, I have to believe it is a distinct advantage to not smoke.

My humble story and 2 cents.

 

[DandyDon]

I always keep up with my used butts, get them to a trachcan on stick them in a packed for later. The trashacan can be difficult to get to on some boats, and the latter stink up said pockets.

Now I throw a couple of tablespoons of baking soda into a zip lock and stash the butts in it until the end of the day. Did that today touring in New Mexico. Just put the butt out first. I thought the baking soda would put it out fine, and it did - after I burned a hole in the baggie.

Oh yeah, NEVER try to bring unused baking soda back to the US in a ziplock. :shakehead Nah, I didn't.

 

[shark.byte.usa]

Yeah I had a co-worker; actually he was my boss but we had a more casual work relationship [one of the nicest guys I've ever met], anyways... he used to go outside and have an "air break" as he called it when I had a smoke break.

One day after a break, where we were laughing and BS same as always, I went to my office, he went to his, 5 minutes later he dropped dead, I found him. Later found out it was a blood clot. He was a non-smoker, non-drinker, etc; just turned 40, slightly out of shape, etc.

When it's your time it's your time.

As a smoker I am painfully aware of the risks medically and otherwise and the amount of money I waste and have spent over my 20 years of smoking. I think all smokers are [aware] and rarely if ever need reminders from others. Some smokers truly enjoy it; for me it's just a nasty habit, I no longer and haven't for a long time gotten any perceived joy from the act. I've attempted to quit more than a few times; once got as far as six months, just always seem to go back. Sure I can justify in my mind what went wrong, but fact of the matter is I just wanted a smoke at that moment and once I choose to have one; it's over. Next time I get it in my mind to quit, I'm going to give hypnonsis a shot. I wish they made antibuse for smokers, I'm sure after getting violently ill and barfing everytime I had a smoke I'd definitely quit. Thing is most smokers have to give up their "triggers" as well to have a chance, things like caffeine and alcohol, I was going to say sex, but let's not get carried away . It's usually not just the one thing we have to stay away from, I have to swear off coffee [I seldom drink alcohol] and watch my weight so I don't end up looking like the stay puff marshmallow man [anymore than I already do], your metabolism takes a major nose dive when you quit, because it's used to being fed stimulants, losing one health problem for another is not my idea of a benefit.

Well enough of a rant from me...:new_gmorn

 

[vox]

I quit smoking in September 2005.

Got certified in January 2006.

Cause and Effect.

I always wanted to dive but just could not rationalize the smoking with diving.

No smoking - No problem.

Quitting was most likely one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. And this wasn't the first time for me to try.

 

[H2Andy]

we need a category: used to smoke but then got married

and of course:

didn't smoke but then got married

 

[theatis]

I'm not a physician and i wouldn't dare contradict pros like TSandM but i wanted to make a couple of points about earlier posts in this thread. I am aware that this is very old and has been resurrected but it seems to have sparked an interest even today so I think the comments are still pertinent.

There were some posts doubting the potency of nicotine addiction, especially the oft-quoted comparison to heroine and cocaine. That specific comparison is generally attributed to the 1988 Surgeon General's Report: The Health Consequences of Smoking where it is stated on p.4: "the pharmacologic and behavioral processes that determine tobacco addiction are similar to those that determine addiction to drugs such as heroin and cocaine." For anyone who may still doubt the validity of such statements (which indeed sound kind of shocking) all reports published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, including the one cited above, are available online at: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/index.htm.

Some who doubt phenomena such as the above often confuse the mechanism (and possibly the strength) of the addiction - especially as that is generally perceived in society - with the processes of withdrawal and overcoming dependence. As an example, many would intuitively consider heroin addiction as much worse than alcoholism. Yet withdrawal from alcohol (especially with the cold turkey method that some used above from their own experience of quitting cigarette smoking as some kind of validation for the claim that smoking isn't as bad as "other" addictions) can lead to the phenomenon of delirium tremens which can be life-threatening. Here's a brief description by the National Library of Medicine: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000766.htm.