Dunno about anywhere else.. but here in the UK the government are thinking of putting the law on tobacco up from 16yrs to 18yrs. What age does the law state in your country? -Mike
yep 18 here in the u.s and for those of you that say that you will stop later on stop now while it is easy because later o it will be a b1tch to stop
good advice; i'm getting patches in the mail soon. i may wait a day or two to get psyched before i take the plunge. the patch worked for me before, keeping me away from smoking for 5 months and i started up again, it will be interesting to see what happens this 'go round.
thanks my mom told me about a free program for West Virginia residents http://www.ynotquit.com/ i bet there are programs for other states, too
I just applied my first 14mg patch. I want to say it's working already, but that's probably just the "placebo effect". I lit up 2 old butts so I could get a little headsteam going into it. I was going to wait 'til morning, but I ran out of cigs so I guess now's as good a time as ever. It's hard to imagine never smoking again, I mean [bold]NEVER, EVER again.[/bold] I can only hope my chemical cravings subside and I'll probably have to work hard on not going for a cigarette as a way to kill time, or otherwise. This is, of course, AFTER I'm done the nicotine treatment. I hear it's bad to smoke while wearing the patch and I AM trying to quit. I stopped to proofread, and I really think it's penetrating (the patch) because I feel really relaxed now. The patches came priority mail so I'm happy to get 'em after only a short wait. Well, I guess that's it, I'm a little sad like I'm losing a friend or something. Man, that sucks. Ok, here I go!
i used to smoke like 2 packs a day no exaggeration but it was a big consuption of money so i a very proud of myself to now be smoking 1 pack in a WEEK! i smoke less and less a day but i am bringing myself to stop completely
I think that ppl are pre-programed at birth wether or not they are going to be smokers (gynetics). Or if you grow up breathing it maybe you become addicted befor you ever actually start. ppl try it and dont like it=not already addicted ppl try it and and notice they feel better= may already be addicted. I started smoking at age 9 (im 19 now). by age 11 it was a pack a day (pack in canada is 25 cigs.) I do want to quite but i cant, iv resisted having one while read this thread and im almost crying cause i need one so bad. (literally) im shaking and i cant breath ( the irony) im going to die and be burried with a cig in my mouth. (extremely sad i know) (BTW my heart is now pounding and my ears are popping i need one so bad.) Im in Canada and a pack of 25 costs $8.75 EACH. I smoke Export A Green (BTW the brand i smoke has been called GREEN DEATH for a long time up here. usually only ppl over 60 smoke them cause there so strong) DONT START SMOKING!
BTW, im also addicted to caffine.... it has almost the same withdrawl symptoms as sigs for me. i drink about 1 litre of coke a day.
ADDICTION: The National Institute on Drug Abuse identifies nicotine as perhaps the most addictive drug known to man - and the only drug that is used willingly all day long, every day. Heavy smokers keep a level of nicotine in their blood to avoid pangs of withdrawal. Many smokers are also "addicted" to the physical process of smoking. FEAR: There is an element of fear in the decision to change any habit, particularly one like nicotine which is often used to ease stress, anger and frustration. Many smokers fear that without cigarettes, they will not be able to control these emotions and that the emotions will control them. In addition, weight gain alone is a major concern for many. STRESS: Stress is associated with smoking in two ways: first, many smokers use cigarettes as a crutch to help them through stressful situations; second, the physical symptoms and cravings that occur with withdrawal can cause anxiety. Quitting smoking means finding other ways of facing anxiety, and refusing to use cigarettes as a stress-reliever. WITHDRAWAL: Because smoking is a true physical addiction, quitting causes genuine withdrawal symptoms which include changes in body temperature, heart rate, digestion, muscle tone, alertness and appetite. Emotional symptoms include irritability, anxiety, craving for tobacco and sleep disturbances. All are similar reactions to withdrawal from illegal drugs. TRIED BEFORE: Those who have tried to quit, experienced withdrawal symptoms and gave in to the craving, often using it as an excuse to continue smoking. Their previous failure confirms the seeming hopelessness of successfully quitting. But millions have found a way to quit, many after multiple attempts. I'm one of them, a past near 3 packs a day habit for over 33 years! If you want to, you can, that's all there is to it!
$25 Million: The amount the tobacco industry spent per day on advertising and promotion in 2001. It's as hard to quit smoking as it is to quit using heroin, cocaine or alcohol. 2,000: Number of young people under age 18 who become regular daily Marlboro smokers each day. More than 600 of them are likely to die prematurely because of smoking. Smokers who switch to lower-nicotine cigarettes inhale more deeply and more often, so they still get the same amount of the drug. Before the matchbook was invented in 1892, matches were highly explosive, and smokers preferred to light up using an oil lamp or a burning ember from the hearth. The first American to grow tobacco to sell was John Rolfe, the husband of Pocahontas, in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1612. More than 400,000 people die of tobacco-related illnesses in the U.S. every year--more than from AIDS, car crashes, alcohol, suicides, homicides, fire and illegal drugs combined. Many people mistakenly believe that smokeless tobacco (snuff and chew) is safer than smoking. But it can cause oral cancer, stomach ulcers and many other diseases. Inhaled tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, including carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, arsenic and lead. Almost four dozen of these chemicals are known to cause cancer. Every 8 seconds, somewhere in the world, a person dies from tobacc-related causes. More than 14% of high school boys use smokeless tobacco. For women, possible side effects of smoking include infertility, spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, small babies and premature menopause. Almost half of all men in the world smoke. During WWI, cigarettes were handed out to soldiers with their rations. Richard J. Reynolds and James Buchanan Duke, founders of the R.J.Reynolds and American Tobacco companies, never smoked cigarettes. About 90% of all tobacco users start before age 18. Between 1911 and WWI, free cigarettes and trading cards were given out at baseball games. This helped set up the first full generation of smokers. The invention of the matchbook in 1892 doubled the consumption of cigarettes by making smoking more convenient. More than 46,000,000 adults in the U.S. smoke cigarettes. 3,000,000: Number of teens and children in the U.S. who smoke cigarettes. If you're 18 and you don't smoke or use other tobacco products, chances are you won't ever start. $7,300: Amount of money the typical smoker spends on cigarettes in 5 years at $4 a pack Soon after new smokers begin smoking regularly they may notice more coughing, more respiratory illnesses and decreased physical fitness. After 15 years, a former smoker's risk of death returns to nearly the level of a person who has never smoked. When cigarettes sales lagged at home, the U.S. tobacco industry increased advertising & promotions in developing countries. Secondhand smoke has higher concentrations of toxins than inhaled smoke. it causes lung cancer and premature death in 3,000 nonsmokers each year. Tobacco companies have paid millions to the movie industry to have actors use their cigarettes in feature films. 88% of teen smokers smoke Marlboro, Camel and Newport cigarettes, the 3 most heavily advertised brands. More than 6 in 10 teen smokers are still smoking 7 to 9 years after they start. 9% of 8th graders and 18% of 10th graders are regular daily smokers. 226%: Increase in sales for Philip Morris's international tobacco trade between 1989 and 1999. General Frederick D. Grant followed in the footsteps of his famous father Ulysses by becoming a heroic soldier--and a heavy cigar smoker. Both men died from throat cancer. Each year 3.5 million smokers in the world die of tobacco-related causes. People under age 18 buy at least %75 of the cigarettes youth smoke, even though it's illegal to sell tobacco to minors. Tobacco products are the only legal consumer products that are harmful when used exactly as the manufacturer intended.
The goverment make so much from tobacco companies.. yet they want us to stop smoking. How hypocrytical can you get.. -Mike
