The Kingdom Key Forums: Smoking - The Kingdom Key Forums

I know, I know, I know. Terrible for your health. Yet so many people still do it. I, myself, do so incredibly sparingly. Since I smoke Black and Mild cigars, I actually keep the plastic mouthpieces of the ones I fully smoked on display in plain sight (Of course not in the presence of company) to keep track and remind me to keep them as low as possible. Another thing I do is, I try not to smoke casually. Usually only lighting one up after a bad day at work where I don't hit quota, or before to administer and unhealthy dose of giveashit if I'm stressing because I know it's going to be incredibly difficult day ahead (Like yesterday when I knew I'd have to run everything by myself and process TONS of ultra-sensitive paperwork, deal with insufferable people while negotiating, and remember countless steps. Even so, I still forgot to send my closing numbers --VERY important-- to my regional manager because I had to clock out an hour late to finish and correct paperwork) In total, I try to limit myself to anywhere from 2-4 a week. Plus maybe sneaking in half of one for a casual every now and then.

So, my question to everyone is, where do you all stand on the idea of smoking? For me, it's not so much a death-gripping habit, so to speak, than an occasional unhealthy tool.

I don't smoke. Never struck me as something I needed. I dont care if others smoke, but its just not my deal.

I don't smoke but a lot of people in my family do. It never seemed like anything I'd like to do and besides I'm too poor and cheap to pay for cigarettes.

I think it's absolutely disgusting, and it really bothers me. I've never tried, and never will. My mom smokes and always did around my sister and me. I don't ever want anyone smoking around my baby... I'm just not okay with that.

I don't smoke, nor will I ever. I have a minor form of asthma, I'm scared I'd lose a lung if I tried. Basically EVERYONE in my family smokes except for me and my older sister (who also has asthma). I hate it, because my parents smoke around me and my sister, though they've tried to keep away from us when they light up because we complain about it. We're just so sensitive to the second hand smoke, it's suffocating. Also, because my parents smoke all day every day, the hose smells like it (to outsiders) and all of my clothes ALWAYS smell like it, too.
I have a lot of friends who smoke, and even though my mother does it, she always disapproves of my friends doing it. She says she regrets ever starting, and she never likes seeing young people smoking because she doesn't want them to get addicted like she did. She's been wanting to quit for years, but it hasn't been easy. My dad is slowly cutting down.
My mom always jokes with me that it's my fault that she can't quit smoking because I always provide new stress for her, what with all of my international journeys and my 5 surgeries over the past 4 years.
Either way, I've been conditioned from a young age to associate smoking as an unwanted act. Though my parents smoked around us as children, they always taught my sister and I to avoid cigarettes (along with other drugs and alcohol as we got older).

Both of my parents smoke, my brother smokes, one of my grandpa's smoked, and some of my friends smoke.

To me, smoking was always one of those things where I knew I was happy not doing it. That doesn't mean I don't know if I'd be happy doing it, I just might be. I'm a musician though, been playing clarinet for 8 years, (Along with other instruments, but Clarinet is one of my majors). I've heard stories of musicians smoke, they're fine.

I probably would smoke. Right now, money's tight, and I need another money-sink like I need a gunshot to my head, so until that changes, it's a no.

I could definitely see myself smoking though. Casually, once in a while. Not habitual.

I don't smoke, but I abstain from all intoxicating stuff so it's kind of logical that I wouldn't.

I don't have a problem with people doing it, though. I find it actually kind of adds to the atmosphere, in a way. Not the literal atmosphere, but the...figurative.

I don't find it attractive in girls, though. Not at all. It'd be like making out with a barbeque. Or would it.

DUN DUN DUN.

My mom smokes cigarettes, has since she was 12, and most people in my family do. My mom quit when she was pregnant with my brother, but not for me. I turned out just fine though thankfully.

I recognize why people can start, either to be cool/rebel or because of stress, but its something I never hope to do.

Perhaps later in life if I'm super stressed I'll smoke when I feel that I really need to relax a bit. But I'll never do it enough so that I get addicted or more than 2 or 3 times a week. Even then, after a few weeks of 2 or 3 times a week I would be sure to lay off for a few months.

I think I've brought this up at least once before, but there actually was a point where I smoked. It's not something I'm proud of at all, but considering that's not who I am anymore, I don't really have a problem discussing it.

I remember for the longest time I abhorred smoking and the people who did it, but towards the end of freshman year my mind started to shift viewpoints a bit. I tried my first cigarette when I was 14, but it didn't become a regular habit until I hit 15. Somewhere in the middle of 15, I think. (Generally that's the more "rebellious" stage, isn't it? I don't know, my freshman and sophomore years are a blur to me.) But I did a lot more sneaking out during that time and would take any opportunity I could to light up a cigarette. I had at least one a day. Every time I had one, though, I had this thought in the back of my mind that what I was doing wasn't me. Somehow it didn't fit right in my mind. I thought it relaxed me, but it took me a while to realise the entire "relaxed" feeling I thought I was experiencing was just psychosomatic.
Come to think of it, I think it was the sneaking out I enjoyed more than the actual cigarette. There was just something indescribably soothing about sneaking out at 1 or 2 in the morning, walking to an empty church parking lot down the street, and sitting underneath the trees and the stars. In retrospect, I could've been without the pack in my pocket and I still would've felt relaxed just because of my surroundings. I actually regret not cherishing that as much as I should've now that I've moved and I can't really do that anymore.
Anyway, I didn't realise how badly it affected me, especially when it came to school. During class I'd burst into uncontrollable coughing fits that were not only embarrassing but became increasingly worse. There was even a point where it got so bad that one day I had this unbearable chest pain in the middle of Biology, and I had to go to the hospital because of it. Afterward, though, I thought nothing of it and continued smoking anyway. I went to class smelling like smoke and I'd skip classes just because I could and instead chose to go to the bridge outside of school to smoke. Typing this all out, I can't believe how stupid I was. Smoking in the first place was stupid.
Now, I'm not saying that people who smoke in general are stupid, but it was stupid of me to do it because of the fact that I was well aware of the consequences of smoking, and considering I have a mild form of asthma, it was stupid of me not to care what would end up happening. Then one day, out of nowhere, I decided just to quit cold turkey. This happened some time at the beginning of the year almost two years ago, and I haven't had one ever since. I haven't had any problems staying off smoking, because in all honesty I don't miss it at all.

Hah. Even talking about it now, this doesn't sound like me at all, nor can I really connect with the content of this post save for the part about not missing it. It's as if I'm reading someone else's experiences. I don't know if I've come a long way from it, but I'm more than positive I'm not going near another cigarette again. As for other people smoking, I don't mind, that's their business. I just don't really like being around them while they do it because I've grown to hate the smell of cigarette smoke. I can't stand it.

EDIT: Welp, this turned into a huge wall of text.

Well, don't feel too bad about it. High school is the time where you grow into an adult. So you're sure to start off completely different than you'll turn out.

I think the act of smoking is really disgusting. I mean, you are inhaling smoke into your lungs willfully. But like I said I can understand why someone would start. The world can be a really stressful place, and any relief from that world even for a few minutes is going to appeal to a lot of people.

A lot of people I know smoke. My mom, my aunts, some of my friends, my boss and co-workers. I don't mind it that much. I don't smoke and I never will. I tried my first cigarette when I was about 10 years old and haven't had one since. I'm around second hand smoke all the time, especially at work. My boss and I will go outside to have a "Manager's meeting" is what we like to call it, but it's just a smoke break were we just talk and relax. Again, I never smoke but he does and it's kinda nice. I've been trying to get my mom to quite smoking but it's been tough. Oh well.

Nobody in my family or workplace smokes.

But one of my neighbors does

I've never actually tried a cigarette so to speak-- Cigars are my bag. But the whole "At least" one a day thing sounds a little worrisome (Though in the past four days I've had 3 3/4th) I really would hate to ever get to a point where it becomes so incredibly impulsive it starts to seriously effect my health or time management (SERIOUSLY NEEDING A CIG RIGHT NAO) And another thing I'm SERIOUSLY opposed to is being an asshole with secondhand smoke. Growing up, my mom pissed me the fuck off how she couldn't even be arsed to go out-fucking-side to not poison her child with her habits. When I first learned that there were parents in the world who DIDN'T smoke around their kids, you can bet I was hella upset about it. I went to elementary school having kids make fun of how my clothes smelled all the time, not to mention my slightly below average cardio all throughout my life (Ironic, considering physically I'm quite above average in just about all other aspects of fitness, which only leads me to further believe I have someone to thank for that). So that's one thing I'm certainly not for. Hell, I'll even go to the living room or some shit, or maybe even to the backyard for some target practice while I light one up if Adam's over. At any rate, I'm courteous enough to not smoke around anyone it bothers.

And another thing about smoking itself, is just how much intake some people are capable of. In my not so vast experience, I'm pretty happy with taking my time; taking short, moderate, relatively shallow inhales for each go. One cigar usually last me quite a while, which is why I tend to maybe smoke one half to three fourths in one period and I'm good. I find that taking strong, deep inhales multiplies the effect to pretty undesirable levels (For me at least) It's actually almost equatable to getting ever so slightly high. It just slows me down and dulls my overall acuity, which I don't like. Especially when trying to hit a 2inx5in target 40 yards away.

I will never smoke. And I try to avoid people who are smoking when at all possible; I end up going in a coughing fit whenever I ever so much as smell the slightest hint of cigarette smoke.

I find smoking to be an incredibly disgusting and unattractive habit. I have never had, nor will I ever have, the urge to pick up smoking.... cigarettes.

I've never smoked and I don't intend to. Like Ben, I abstain from smoking, drinking, etc, and it's never really been an issue for me. My brother smokes and his dad smoked, so I was kind of raised around it to a point, so I can tolerate it socially, but I generally dislike it.

I can be standing around with people who are smoking and just chat if we're taking a break during class or something, and I'm not tempted at all, really. The whole peer pressure thing has never been much of an issue... someone will offer and I just politely refuse, and we go about our conversation. The one time I was ever pushed was when a girl in my class wanted to go smoke some weed in her apartment between classes or something, and she was really persistent about getting me to come. I realized it was probably a good opportunity to, uh, get some but I refrained. XD (sad thing was, I was totally into her until she brought up drugs...)

in general, intoxicants are a pretty big turn off for me, but especially smoking. If I see a cigarette in a girl's mouth or hand I almost immediately lose all interest. I know the smell of cigarette smoke well and have no desire to willingly come into direct contact with a mouth that's spewing the stuff out like a chimney.

My best friend went into the Army National Guard right after high school and came back from Basic smoking... it had been like 6 months since I'd seen him, but he changed so much over that time, it was like I didn't even know him anymore. I never had pictured him as the type who would pick it up, and it really kinda shook me when I found out. I guess that added on top of the general personality shift kinda drove a bit of a wedge between us, and we've not really seen a whole lot of each other for the past year or so.

tl;dr- I don't smoke, I don't really like smoking, and if I see a girl smoking, I lose all interest.

I remember one of my ex's started smoking while she was in the navy. I remember getting really mad and upset at her. It's amazing how your feelings change over time, now I'd be perfectly fine with it.

She ended up cheating on me soon after, so maybe I continued to associate smoking with bad deeds for a while. In younger people, anyway. My dad smoke and I didn't think less of him as a person.

Both my parents, and three of my older brothers smoke. My mom didn't bother quitting while she was pregnant with any of us.I don't like the habit I think it's disgusting, I'd never date anyone who smokes. I especially hate people who stand RIGHT NEXT TO ME at bus stops and smoke, it's rude and annoying and I don't wanna stink like your cigarette, or weed.

Meh, never tried smoking. I don't think it's a wise thing to do, so I never even dabbled in it. I don't think less of people that smoke, but I am that lame guy that will go to a party full of people smoking and be coughing the whole time, and I hate that.

badboy, on 23 May 2011 - 10:38 PM, said:

Haha, I know the feeling and it's just kind of well... awkward as hell. It's like being at a party and everyone's drunk off their asses and you're the only one within your own wits.

For the longest I didn't smoke or drink-- or if I did drink, I didn't really go hardcore about it-- But nowadays, with my life sort of in this transition phase, I just don't really care so much anymore. I still have my reservations and limits. But I'm much more prone to say "Fuck it" and do something a little different just for the experience. I believe it's okay to do some pretty out-there shit every once in a while, so long as you don't start to let it define you. That's when I think it starts becoming sort of...how shall I say: Unpleasant to one's eyes. Like those people you go to school or work with who're always just itching like crack addict or some shit just for their next cigarette, joint, or shot of vodka. Don't think I ever want to get that bad.

As for how the whole subject relates to women as most of the guys here are bringing up. As far as my perception of that goes, I suppose I've just gotten a bit lax there too. The most amusing way I can put it is "I ain't trying to marry the bitch". I'm more capable of overlooking things that five months ago I wouldn't have for someone I'm in one way or another involved with-- but at the same point, I'm, sure as shit not going to be seriously involved with a chick who's blazed out of her mind 24/7. I just can't see someone like that on equal with myself, and just as equally important, nor would I have someone like that represent me. After all, it's often said that you're defined in one way or another way by the people you surround yourself with. And I can assure you, the closest person to my heart isn't going to have THC coursing through her veins all hours of the day.