Regular Smokers

[AIAW]

So I have been a smoker ever since college... a while now. I've really been contemplating quitting (again X2), but work stress combined with other factors keep me from attempting again. Last time I quit for 9 months and I gained a fupa - luckily that's not a problem now. It's a social thing for me mainly, but evidently I lack the willpower to overcome that, hehe.

Wondering how many here are currently full-time smokers?

 

[my human host]

Yep. Just about 20 yrs now.

 

[Rthur]

Smoked for 25ish years.
Quit 12/31/13
Still chew some, looking to be done with tobacco this year.
I had some luck with the patches, if you want some funky dreams leave it on over night.

R

 

[AIAW]

Smoked for 25ish years.
Quit 12/31/13
Still chew some, looking to be done with tobacco this year.
I had some luck with the patches, if you want some funky dreams leave it on over night.

R

Nice! I have heard they will do that. Chantix evidently makes people want to snack on a pistol I have heard... I'll take the messed up dreams!

 

[101stinfantry]

A good friend of mine watched his FIL snack on a pistol while taking Chantix. I don't smoke, but I'm pretty sure smoking is much healthier than eating bullets.

 

[EddieNFL]

A good friend of mine watched his FIL snack on a pistol while taking Chantix. I don't smoke, but I'm pretty sure smoking is much healthier than eating bullets.

I'd take the bullet over how my dad died.

 

[101stinfantry]

Eddie, I don't know how your dad passed (my condolences sir), some ways are better than others.

 

[Michael]

As a non-smoker I really feel for you guys trying to quite.
I understand giving up meth is easier.

 

[Nik H]

Never tried Meth but quitting is easy....I do it all the time.

In all honesty, I have smoked for about 20 years...have tried lots of the aids but never made it more than 3 weeks. Don't know anything about Chantix other than what my doctor says...he says no...too many undesirable side-effects.

My toughest times for craving is when out having a drink with friends...

Going to try again...using the patch as it actually got me to 3 weeks. This time I am also going to lay off the booze for 30 days to see if I make it that far.

When you really think about it; smoking is silly and does nothing positive for you. It is $$$. It makes you stink. It robs your health. I am the only smoker in my shooting circle. My buds make fun of me.

We should start a quitting thread and see how many of us make it through

 

[EddieNFL]

My dad was born in '31, fought in Korea and came home to start a family. Smoking was as natural as breathing. If you pulled out your Pall Malls on the church steps, it was rude to not offer to your friends.

Naturally, I wanted to be like my dad so I started sneaking cigarettes at an early age. I remember ads on TV. Really great commercials. I remember when the warning label was added to the packages. Stationed on Okinawa in the '80s cigarettes were about $2.00 a CARTON.

In my late twenties I realized i wasn't helping myself, so I quit. Fast forward 20 years and I watched my dad die from cancer that had invaded virtually ever part of his body. Get the gun close to my hand.

With what we know now, I wonder why anyone would ever pick up a cigarette...or use tobacco at all.

 

[Tucker301]

I smoked from age 14 through my mid 20s.
After several attempts at cutting back, I finally quit cold turkey.

After quitting, the urge to smoke again lasted for several years. It was especially strong after eating and when alcohol was being enjoyed. It's a long and conscious fight in which one moment of weakness can create a full reset, and going back can make you smoke more than ever before.

For YEARS after quitting I would dream that I was smoking again, and wake up hating myself for allowing it to get the best of me.
I quit around 1983, and I think my last dream about it was somewhere around ten years ago.

Now, I can't stand the sight of it or the smell of it. Smoking has kept me from attending countless parties over the years, because I knew people would be smoking at them.

I won't bore you with the science of it, but there are numerous videos and articles explaining how nicotine affects receptors in the brain's pleasure centers. I cannot imagine having something like heroin get a hold on me the way nicotine had me. The brain has to be retrained to believe that something it thought it enjoyed is actually something you despise.

FACT: Everyone who smokes wants to quit, whether they admit it publicly or not.

Quitting takes will power and determination, and it is worth the fight, but trust me, it is a FIGHT.

 

[101stinfantry]

Eddie, same thing happened to my Grandpa, almost the exact same story except, born in '24, and WWII. You know its funny someone mentioned meth, a guy that works for me used to be a meth head, he said the exact same thing, and he still smokes. I tried it for a bit when I was young (smoking not meth), mostly when out drinking with buddies when I was in the military, it just never was my thing. Now get me a can of Copenhagen and I'm in!

 

[bogeybrown]

I started at 21 and have been a solid 2 pack a day guy since. Some days in Afgh were good for 3-4packs. I've quit twice for about 2yrs each time but life and it's bullshit keep dragging me back.
Ive sat with several family members, including both parents, as they died of cancer. I've come to accept that unless/until I can change my life, I'm not going to alter my life's habits.

 

[oneshot86]

i am the poster boy for chantix...
worked EXACTLY the way they said it would...it was VERY easy...
i wish i had the balls to try it years before i did...
i never thought i would be able to quit...
chantix should be free and the guy who invented it should get a noble prise...

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I managed to quit with very little stress. I remember it clearly, having my last smoke while waiting for the ambulance. I was having some trouble breathing and had called them because I thought I had a case of pneumonia. No pain at all. Christmas Morning, 1:00 AM, 2004.

About an hour later I was in an induced coma on the way to the regional trauma center. Four days after that, I awoke to a Cardiac Intensive Care Center with a Quadruple Coronary Bypass Graft of my very own. BTW, I had no med insurance at the time. Somehow, everybody got paid; it ran around a quarter of a million. No biggie.

So if you want to skip all the trepidations and cold turkey schtuff, just keep right on smokin'.

You'll eventually get to the same place. If you're lucky...

Greg

 

[ArmyJerry]

I quit Aug 12, 2016 after 35 years, I tried all the tricks, chantix, patches, gum. What finally bought me to quit is HATRED, absolute hatred is a great motivator, I hate Obama, he was head of the Government I hate with all my heart and sole. That mother fuker taxed my ciggs, he made money off me smoking, so every time i voluntarily smoked a cigarette that marxist mother fuker was taking 20 cents from me and using it to fund an all powerful machine that is slowly but progressively enslaving me and my fellow citizens. Then the bitch Hilary was looking like she would win the election so that would mean civil war. In a civil war I would have to get in better shape to destroy all the communists I can.This meant I needed to cut funding to my enemies, Hilary, Obama, the unconstitutional federal government, which is about 95% of it, and start getting in fighting shape. Well, since the election, I realize how right I was with all the melt downs and the attacks on Trump and our Constitution, I am continuing to defund the enemy, get in shape and staying ready to destroy all communist enemies of my country. You never know how far these leftists will go to get rid of trump, and take control of DC and the federal apparatchiks, civil war could start suddenly, stay ready my friends. Every time I think about smoking I buy 100 pieces of brass or an 8 lb jug of powder. Quitting for freedom is what I call it. Hatred is a great motivator, dont under estimate your enemies, they want to enslave you and your kids, stay ready at all times. Turning Butts into Bullets program for quitting by ArmyJerry.

PS, every time you light up, the government buys 4 bullets to enslave you, quit for all our benefit.

PPS, Chantix did mess with me mentally, a little, wuld not recommend to others because of that. Hatred is a better path to quiting,

 

[Just Macca]

That was a fuckin' roller coaster and I loved it.

 

[roggom]

I started when I joined the Navy at 17 years old. Was the only time to get a break so why not. Back then we could smoke everywhere. I would be working on the hospital wards writing my charts about old timers with COPD who were on their last days, smoke in hand, Didn't phase me. Fast forwards 12 or so years and it started taking its toll. Could run for shit always out of breath. I weened myself off over 6 months and that was that. Was tough when going to the bar because the pint and smoke went hand in hand.

Nowadays I could never go back to that. Smokes here are $6 a pack. I'm sure you can find them cheaper but a pack a day is over $2k a year. I'd rather get a Kimber master carry with that money.

Best of luck to you guys who are trying. Whatever you can find to motivate you. I/e hugging you grandkids or eventually seeing them get married. Call it what you want but it's slow suicide.


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[Threadcutter308]

Quitter here......December of 2005. Was 1.5 packs a day, not heavy by some/most standards. Didn't use any patches/pills etc., just did it. I finally figured out that I was paying someone (handsomely) to poison me and that was, well, really stupid. I had been buying cartons of Marlboros on the res for $27.00 a carton, which was cheap then, particularly nowadays. So, I smoked my way through the last cigarette of the last pack of the last carton, wadded up the empty pack, threw it in the garbage can and that was that.......DONE! I remember it very clearly. Also, the liberal democrats in Washington state did me a favor (the only one they've ever done) by continually raising the taxes on smokes. The res wasn't paying the state any taxes, but they wised up a long time ago and raised their prices to coincide with the state taxes going up.

I really don't know how I managed to do it without some form of help. I consider myself very lucky that I was able to do so and am humbled when I consider how many people struggle with quitting. I suppose the prevailing thought that went through my mind was that of the SOBs making the stuff, profiting off of it and me killing myself in the process. Made me angry. I do empathize with those that haven't been able to quit. It's hard. I was lucky, I think I had it easier than many others when it came to quitting. It isn't always just a simple matter of "don't buy them". The industry of cultivating and feeding addiction(s) among the populace in this country is big business. Those who stand to profit the most will do just about anything they can to keep the money coming in.

However, I don't mind a blast of S/H/S once in a while. But, I absolutely refuse, under any circumstances, to pick up and light a cigarette or cigar ever again. The minute I do that, all the hard work goes right down the drain. I worked too hard to quit, I'm not going to flush that for anything.

 

[Maser]

Well, I have asthma and while not an actual smoker, I did try it a few times as a kid and my parents and older brother both smoked so I was subjected to second hand. Anyways, from age 12 to 15 I was addicted to another more dangerous substance and while I wouldn't say I was totally controlled by it, I was using it everyday. What made me quit was when I found out my wife (girlfriend at the time) was pregnant with our first boy. It was an overnight thing and I stopped cold turkey. Looking back now, I'd say the incentive to quit was very easy just due to the fact all that was going through my mind was bringing that little boy into a decent life. So yeah, I feel that if the incentive to quit is strong enough like it was for me, then it's pretty easy. Problem is there's so many addicts out there that don't have any real incentive to quit and that's why they keep failing.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Smoked cigars since I was 16... Swisher Sweets back then. Now it's good cigars about 2 - 3 a week... In fact, that's about all it ever was, except for a 5 year period in the '90s when I gave it up. The cigar boom was on and quality went to crap while prices went through the roof. I never inhale the smoke (intentionally, anyway.) It's my 'quiet time' with no distractions. For those 2 - 3 hours a week, it's me and smoke rings and total relaxation. So I figure I've done more good through the relaxation over the years than damage due to cigar smoke. Since my biggest smoking buddy is a cardiologist... I claim that as aircover!

On the other hand, I've planted a dozen friends over the last few years who were heavy cigarette smokers. I would never go through what they went through in their last months.

Dating back to pre-Colonial times, Tobacco was a medicinal herb.... used in small quantities, it has benefits. But if you put industrially-produced versions of anything in your system (ranging from Marlboros to paint thinner to brake dust to artificial sweetener) for decades.... it's going to take a toll.

Moderation... it's the key to enjoying everything.

Cheers,

Sirhr

 

[Erud]

I smoked from 13-27, quit in 2001. For those of you who are regular, pack/day or more smokers, how far can you run without stopping?

 

[gunjunkie45]

I smoked two packs a day from age 14 to 23. I quit cold turkey. I don't recall it being easy but not utterly terrible either. Took me a couple trys and then I stuck with it. About two years after I quit smoking I took up Copenhagen. That for me is a much harder addiction to quit. I'm currently in my third week without and I still miss it. I was chewing constantly for 15 years. If I wasn't sleeping or eating I had a dip in. The nicotine gum is helping and I'm hopeful this is the last time I quit.

 

[jbrand11]

Pack a day since 21 and now 54, tried to quit several times over the years, going thru a divorce now and plan to try and quit again as part of starting over.

 

[thejeep]

If you want to quit don't buy anymore.

 

[ArmyJerry]

Exactly what I did, 300+ per month spare cash, I bought a Yammy YZ450 FX new with the spare cash. Now back to buying shit tons of powder bullets and the new goddam lapua 6.5 creedmoor brass. Just stop buying them, I had 2 packs in my tour pack on the harley for a few months after finally i just left them at the smokers section at work in the garage.

If you want to quit don't buy anymore.

 

[JMGlasgow]

I quit smoking with the help of chantix. Having quit cold turkey before, it isn't the chantix that makes people suicidal or have weird dreams. It's the nicotene withdrawal, and the predisposition of suicide. Any drug withdrawal can cause physical and mental side effects. Chantix works, it did make me sick on full doses though, so I took the lower beginning dose. And I only was on it for 1 month. Haven't touched a cigarette since 2010.

 

[amateur9er]

good luck to you when you try to quit

 

[diverdon]

Been free of that monkey for 16 years not. You gotta decide that you are done. No matter what you are done, then pick the tools that will work for you. First decide that you are done. If you can't make that decision then notice how many of the funerals you attend were caused by tobaco, look around and see how much the loved ones hurt. Do you really want to put your loved ones through that?

 

[oneshot86]

i had a bad hack, i coughed at night when i slept, so much so my 5 year old would tell me...
i am thankful i was able to quit, side note, i dont get lung sick anymore...no bad upper resp, nothing anymore, since quitting smoking, nothing...

 

[The Angler]

Chewing something really minty kinda has the sensation of inhaling smoke, so try eating a shit load of tic tacs when trying to quit. It helped me; other than that, cold turkey. Drinking just makes it harder, but if you can quit both...good luck


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[Sendit6.5]

I smoked for 28 years. Quit twice for brief periods of time. Once cold turkey, about 25 years of age. Once with Chantix when it first hit the market. 5 years ago I tried Chantix again and it made me feel crazy. So, I tried vaping. Haven't had a cigarette since. Took me a year to reduce to 0mg of nicotine and about 6 more months to reduce my vaping to almost never. I'm 5 years cigarette free and I probably puff on a vape 20 times a month - sometimes I don't take a single puff for a month. Best thing I've ever done for my kids and my wife and for myself. Can't believe all the money I wasted on cigarettes. Ugh! All the rifles I could have bought with that money!



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[thejeep]

And remember just beacause you quit doesnt mean you cant ocaisionaly buy a pack for those times when really need them. Ie sitting by a fire drinking beer,after you walked 2 miles in the dark, with no flashlight, in the rain, in flip flops. (Spur of the moment bar vs rock overhang slolitude)

 

[Victory]

Everyone seems scared to try Chantix, well try Wellbutrin instead. It doesn't fuck with your dreams like Chantix does. It's a NDRI and will up your sex drive, so if the old lady isn't ready for it, be careful because you will find yourself drifting to find some action. Worked amazing for me.

 

[BearNaked]

I smoked for seven years through some hard times in my life. It took a very beautiful women that told me, "you want this. Quit that!" So I tried and failed. My rule was if I started then I would finish the day smoking and start the following day without. Always told myself that a weak day is just that. Don't let it ruin the rest of your life.

Every time I grabbed a beer I lit up and couldn't shake it. So I switched to vodka and never needed a smoke. I did this cold turkey. As someone else said, think about it all the time. Every so often I fall into its grasp for one night then I wake up and feel like shit. I always want the relief I used to get but now all I get is pure disgust.

Still smoke cigars but I don't need them. Don't inhale but we all know you still do.

Good luck guys and never give up. Weakness only lasts a day. Stay with it.


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[04JRB]

I used to be a 2.5 pack a day smoker while working in the field as a pipefitter. got promoted to management and dropped to 1 pack a day. 10 years later, Im about half a pack a day and Im still at that level. Its about time to do the patch and quit for good. My dad has cancer, his brother (my uncle) died last week of cancer, and another uncle on the other side died 6 months ago of cancer. Neither was smoking or tobacco related though. I don't want to get the patches until I can HONESTLY say to myself that Im ready. Unfortunately, I enjoy smoking for some reason, Like two heaping lung-fulls of sunshine. (its the single stupidest thing I have ever done in my life!).

 

[308220]

I dont smoke, but most of my family does. My parents have a $300-$400/mo habit. My dad has been smoking 2 packs a day for over 50 years. Hes 62 now. Cancer free. I chew, but only at work because I can get bored. When Im at home, or anywhere else besides work, chewing never crosses my mind. Nicotine doesnt have ahold of me. My grandpa chewed Levi Garret all his life. Died at age 82. And it wasnt from cancer. I think cancer effects each individual differently.

You have a higher chance of getting colon cancer (on the rise) now days from all the different shit they put in your food.

 

[FuddLord]

I picked up smoking in the Army, Steady half a pack or so a day.
Then I deployed and when cig cartons became $7 each my habit sky rocketed to two packs a day for 15 months.


I smoked for a solid 5-6 years.
As it stands today I'm 1,383 days without a cig.


I say stop man, the money you'll save alone is enough, not even discussing the health benefits

 

[gatorbait308]

I'm twelve days out cold turkey, from 1.5 to 2 packs a day for 30 years, costs to much in to many ways. it's time to spend that money in a much more positive manor. a new gun, yeah that's the ticket. in a 308, let the flaming began.
Day 29, new bartlein 5r. ten twist arrived thursday .

 

[Srgt. Hulka]

I started smoking when I was in 5th grade. I quit smoking when I was in 5th grade. That's right...one cigarette. It was disgusting, so I never started. Everybody in my house smoked though. The house was always full of smoke. I'm now 55 years old, and, I'm figuring because of being addicted to the second hand smoke when I was younger, I occasionally get a craving for a cigarette. Nothing serious, but every. Ow and then it pops into my head that "if I smoked, now would be a good time for a cigarette."

You guys trying to quit, good luck and keep at it. I try to encourage everybody who's trying to quit.

 

[txfireguy2003]

I never smoked other than one drag when I was about 14, hated it, never tried again. Now, dipping snuff, that was a whole other thing. I had a can or more a day habit for quite a while. I tried patches with no luck, then the lozenges.... which was just like dipping except no spitting and nobody knew...... got MORE addicted to nicotine since I could literally have a steady flow 24/7.

Then I finally gave up and tried Chantix. It worked great for me, and in fact, I noticed that I was less irritable and in a better overall mood with less stress and anxiety when taking it. I'd recommend Chantix to anybody, but like any psychological drug, it has risks and different people react differently, so if you notice that you are having bad thoughts, stop taking it. I didn't even have to finish the whole script before I just had no more desire to dip. Everyone talks about cravings, I don't have them. Occasionally, while hunting or working on a car, I'll think, "I'd normally have a dip right now." But it's not a craving for a dip, just a memory. Some studies have shown that people quitting cold turkey or with a placebo are actually more likely to attempt suicide. The real issue, according to these studies, is with patients who already have an underlying psychological condition, in which case, Chantix does increase the risk slightly. I wonder if big tobacco companies aren't behind some of the publicity off the increased suicide risk.

Another drug that's been shown to help people quit is Welbutrin, and, if anyone's wife needs to quit, Welbutrin is a great choice there too, as it benefits you as well. It's been shown to increase sex drive, win win.

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[oneshot86]

Never tried Meth but quitting is easy....I do it all the time.

thats real funny right there, between quitting and procrastination, i am a busy mother fucker...

 

[oneshot86]

seriously tho, i smoked almost 30 years, loved it, just wasnt right for my bod...
chantex helped me and i am super thankful...really...
do what you can, if you get anouther 9 months, hey its 9 smoke free...hopefully in some day your body will say enough is enough and something like chantex will help you finish off the quitting deal...
good luck...

 

[QuickNDirty]

If you want to quit smoking but don't __really__ want to quit right now, try vaping.

I smoked 1-2 packs a day of red 100s for 10 years, got a decent vape rig one day for ~$120 with batteries, coils, charger, tank, box thing, and juice because I had to hop on a 4 hour long flight, and that's the last time I smoked a cigarette.

You can vape pretty much anywhere if you're careful about it.

I started with 18mg/ml nicotine juice, did that for 2-3 months, dropped to 12mg/ml for another 4 or 5 months, then 6mg/ml for a few more months, then just quit without much craving at all. Been about 2 years now.

It takes a little getting used to at first, but from that first drag off the 18mg/ml stuff, there's 0 desire to smoke anything else for a while. (a while is something like a period of time where I would have otherwise smoked 2 or 3 cigarettes)

The vape does a great job satisfying the need for nicotine.

The rig is the main thing, though. Gotta get one that can crank out some decent sized clouds.

 

[mheimer_45]

To you guys that have quit congrats and to you guys trying keep it up. Ive maybe had 10 cigs in my 30 years but i was a hard drinker for the past 10 yrs. I quit cold turkey 4 days before i asked my gf on our first date. That was 1 year and 1 month to the day ago. Havent slept more than 4-5 hrs a night since. I once thought damn im spending 30 dollars every 4 days for a bottle id have alot more money if i quit. Now im just buying shit to tinker with to keep my mind occupied.

And now she wants me to quit chewing.........


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[fx77]

Having watched my mother smoke 4 packs of unfiltered a day for 50 years, setting the bed on fire twice, no lungs left at the end...no one else in my family ever smoked.
As a kid I had to ride my bike to the store to by a carton for $2 ....just so she would not run out.

 

[fdkay]

14Oct1985 at 3 am.
I only smoked for about 7 years.
I was never a smoke first thing in the morning guy, I would get up, shower, shit and shave, eat breakfast, then have a smoke with my coffee.
I was stationed in Guam in '85.
Living in the barracks, my roomie was also a smoker.
We had a three day weekend and had been up all night drinking and eating pizza.
My roommate had passed out and I fired up the last cigarette in the pack.
I smoked Camel non-filters and had smoked an entire pack that night while partying.
I lit that last smoke, and it tasted like shit (I had cottonmouth from all the cigarettes I had smoked), I decided right then that that was the last one I would ever smoke.
I didn't even finish it, I put it out and never smoked another.

One of the things that I am convinced enabled me to quit is, I didn't say "I'm going to try to quit", I said to myself, I quit, I'm not going to smoke anymore it was a definitive statement. As Yoda says, "Do, or Do not, there is no try".

For years afterwards, I would have an occasional, very realistic dream, that I had smoked again.

 

[corey4]

started chantix today

ive been smoking for 15 years. i started when i was 21, and a pack would last me a week or 2. this went on for 5 years. then when i took a job as a tree climber and was able to smoke any time i wanted, plus all the other guys smoked, along with the 10 hour adrenaline rush every day (something about swinging around a tree 80' in the air with a chainsaw attached to your hip trying no to die kinda gets your blood pumping). then i got the bright idea to start my own tree company, and i went from 1 pack a day to 3, that lasted for a few years. when i ruptured a disk in my back and my workers comp went up $50k a year, i had to give up the company. i immediately went from 3 packs a day to 1 because of the lack of stress. really my only stress trigger is my wife (aka "tha warden"...yes i spelled the with an A on purpose).

but i hate those fucking little white sticks. ive quit for 1.5 years, 9 months and then 6 months. the patches, gum, and little candy things just make the nicotine craving even worse. im ready, ive been ready, i just hoping the chantix helps. i was always worried about it because i already have a hard time sleeping (been that way for as long as i can remember) and i didn't want it to mess with my head. but i figure a few months of being weirded out is better than those stupid darts.

sorry for the rant

 

[oneshot86]

all you can do is give it your best shot...
if it works for you as it did for me, it will just happen, dont sweet it, keep smoking like they suggest...
i woke up like day 8 and was undeniably done, truly, it was as if i forgot something that morning when i got up
i kept that pack of half full cigs in my pocket for a couple months and would open them and sniff them just to tease and test myself...

 

[plh]

Just got back from Navy DCOIC with no coffee ( 5-6 cups/day stronnnggg X 40 yrs.), and no tobacco (1.5-2 cans Long Cut/day x 40 uninterrupted yrs.). Was more concerned about the sudden stop than all else combined. Ended up being a complete non factor. Was delightfully surprised at how much clearer and concise my overall mental function became within 36 hrs. I mean early 20's like, (now 58). Also easy uninterrupted restful sleep, SCORE!! I'd forgotten what that was like.