Smoking

[rcne]

I can't quit, I've gone 6 weeks without one before. Then that little voice rationalizes that you can have one as a treat - bam back to the habit.

When the vaccine comes out (5-6 years) I'll try that also. My problem is I just enjoy smoking to much.

Quitting cigs is harder than any other addiction I've ever tried to kick.

[Gorgo]

"Can't" is one of the things that you tell yourself. "Addiction" is another. Smoking is something that you do. Every puff is a choice. Smoking is difficult. You spend a lot of money. You are always thinking about smoking or when to smoke or where to smoke or where is my lighter or where is my pack and it slows you down and makes life harder.

If you enjoy it and don't care about the potential for danger, at least tell yourself that. It's not easy to quit, but it's not easy to continue, either.

[gr8fuldaniel]

If I can quit, ANYONE can quit.
I was a hopeless pig. Nicotine is harder to kick than heroin, but not as bad as crack. Crack addicts will beat their own mothers to get money for crack. I have stolen cigs from mom, but I would never raise a hand to harm her physically.

Dont give up on quitting, each time you try, you learn more about your addiction. Keep track of your successes and failures. They are all stepping stones to freedom. Your next attempt may be a transcendance.

[Gorgo]

Quote by: gr8fuldaniel Dont give up on quitting

That's the idea. Practice, practice, practice. Pay attention to what you tell yourself, both in words and feelings and where you tense your body. I realized that I would tense my throat muscles when I wanted a cigarette. It helped to then relax my throat muscles and change my thoughts. I don't "need" a cigarette." "No one ever died from lack of a cigarette." Things like that.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: Gorgo "No one ever died from lack of a cigarette."

Words to live by!!

[gr8fuldaniel]

This helped me...."The Marlboro Man"...
Before:

After....

I hope this isnt too shocking.......
This is the stuff Big Tobacco doesnt want you to see, but it happens thousands of times a day. Smoking is an Unnecessary Evil.
I actually lived with a man who died from cigarette poisoning, for 3 years. This isnt his picture, but this is exactly how he looked when he died in my arms. He helped me start Nicotine Anonymous meetings in Southern California, but couldnt stop smoking himself, until they put him on oxygen and morphine.
It was a horrible way to go. What a great man though. he was an American Indian, my spiritual advisor. He was sober 27 years, but stiil couldnt kick cigs.
If you want to quit smoking, maybe visit a cancer treatment center?
Nothing works like a reality check.

[Dieval]

Why does the kid in the before picture look older than in the after picture?

I quit smoking about 5 years ago and it was probably the best thing I ever did. I actually had a special motivation to quit. A friend of mine had her tooth pulled and smoked afterwards, ending up with dry socket and an infection that was heading up to her brain. Very bad. She could barely open her mouth. She did get over it, but it was a very bad situation. Anyway, a little while later I got a tooth pulled and they said don't smoke for 7 days and seeing what it did to her, I wasn't about to smoke durring the 7 days. Anyway, after that, there wasn't a great urge to go back to smoking so I never did. I've had one cigar since then, but that's about it.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: Dieval Why does the kid in the before picture look older than in the after picture?

That could just be a different camera angle, or it could be his little brother. Notice the picture the dying man is holding? Its the before pic.

I am glad you were able to "kick it", Dieval

[Dieval]

Quote by: gr8fuldaniel That could just be a different camera angle, or it could be his little brother. Notice the picture the dying man is holding? Its the before pic.

I'm betting that both pictures are unrelated, but someone thought the half mummified guy looked like a smoker and the kids looked similar so the second was doctored slightly to include the first pic.. but oh well, it makes a statement..

[Pooeypants]

I reckon it's a photoshop jobbie on the second picture, but like you say, it's there to make a statement.

[Gorgo]

I thought that it was years later, and that's probably his grandson. Wouldn't you say?

[gr8fuldaniel]

Who said they only had one son? The 2nd picture could be one year later, with little brother.

Why cant it just be an honest depiction of what really happens every day?
I found the pix at unofficial nicanon (Look in Marlboro Man folder).
These people are trying to save their lives! I doubt anybody is trying to trick anyone.

[abub]

I love smoking.

[Gorgo]

Without an explanation, we'll never know for sure, but it takes years to get cancer from smoking and this doesn't look like a real young man and woman, so I assumed the pictures were years apart. I don't know why people are assuming that because he looks so different it must be a fake. Could be, don't care, we all know what happens. Everybody's seen it. My father-in-law died of lung cancer. It's one of the many things that my father died of. My father had emphysema when he was a teenager.

In other words, smoking cigarettes does not promote good general health.

[castille]

I've never smoked, but I don't oppose smoking either.

In the army I often traded cigarettes for officer-class food. Without smokers, how could I have gotten so much free roast duck in orange sauce? Thinking about it makes me hungry.

[tinybear]

Wow, which army were you in, castille? The PLA?

[Lora]

I smoked once. I hated the taste. I decided not to do it again, I haven't. What I don't get is when you taste the foul tar for the first time, why light up again?

[Samildanach]

Well generally it comes down to when people try smoking it is usually with some kind of strong tasting drink which covers that 'tar' taste. Then eventually you start to associate that drink with the ciggarette and then you might try some other drink with a ciggarette and before you know it you are having cigarettes with coffee, milk, tea, beer, jack daniels and wine. That said they are terrible for you and that ash taste is really yuck when you wake up the next day more than anything. Im trying to give up AGAIN...I always seem to fold after six months....I have no idea why that is either.

[Lora]

People don't try it for the first time in a park with three friends, Dr Pepper and your dog then? Ok.

[Samildanach]

Not typically....although a Dr pepper could qualify as a strong enough drink to drown the taste. But hotdogs dont go with smoking....yuck...