What made you start smoking?

Question

With all the warnings about the possibility of getting cancer/lung disease why on earth did you start to smoke?
How old were you?
Did you start just to be cool?
Why is it you won't stop?
Do you ever smoke in front of your kids?
Did you ever consider the effect your smoke has on other people?
Did you ever condsider all the money you could save?
Are you nuts?

Answer 1

I don't smoke because I'm not retarded.

My grandfather smoked for 30 years, and died of Lung Cancer 5 years later after quitting. He was in showbusiness, so it was "the thing" to smoke.

His left lung collasped, and was living on 25% of his right lung for 4 weeks. He finally died suffocating. He was in the ER for weeks.

Answer 2

What made you start smoking?

I tried to start smoking at least a couple of times in my life. When I was a teenager I tried it. I still remember my mother discovering and acting disappointed in me. There was some smoking with my relatives. My grandfather smoked pipes and cigars. Some of my Aunts and Uncles smoked cigarettes sometimes. At the time I was suffering from a lot of ignorance and immaturity. Fortunately, my parents did not smoke and I quit after high school. After high school I joined a Hare Krsna center and learned a few things about that devotional cultural tradition.

I tried smoking again around 1981 because my girlfriend at that time was a heavy smoker. When I broke up with my girlfriend I stopped smoking again. I haven't smoked again since.

With all the warnings about the possibility of getting cancer/lung disease why on earth did you start to smoke?

When I was a teenager we didn't have the extent of educational media readily available as we do today.

How old were you?

I will be fifty soon.

Did you start just to be cool?

I guess that was part of it.

Why is it you won't stop?

Luckily I was able to stop. Now I give smokers a difficult time when I tell them I can't be around secondhand smoke which may contain cyanide poisoning. Cyanide is what they used during the WWII to exterminate people in concentration camps.

Do you ever smoke in front of your kids?

I have one child and never smoked during that time. I had a child around 1988. I never spanked her nor abused her in any way. I'm not saying I didn't have any problems. But, I was working very hard to straighten my life out. Anyway, there were some weird things going on back then and that is another story.

Did you ever consider the effect your smoke has on other people?

I wasn't really aware of that during my earlier years in life. Now I try to make a point to be up on these things. The internet has been a real miracle with the information available. Otherwise, there is the public library.

Did you ever consider all the money you could save?

My second wife's family had a smoking problem. And did they ever waste money on cigarettes. Unfortunately I could not do anything more for them and now am divorced. That is another story. I sometimes wish I could have done more to help them get their lives straightened out.

Are you nuts?

Some people may think that. I could elaborate if need be. I am trying real hard to keep my head straight.

Answer 3

With all the warnings about the possibility of getting
cancer/lung disease why on earth did you start to smoke? When I started smoking 22years ago, I do not remember seeing a warning.
How old were you? 15
Did you start just to be cool? sure thing
Why is it you won't stop? I quit 1 month ago
Do you ever smoke in front of your kids? i used to
Did you ever consider the effect your smoke has on other people? yes
Did you ever considered all the money you could save? yes
Are you nuts? yes

Answer 4

I'm thirty years old and I have three kids and I started smoking right after high school. I started smoking cigarettes because I stop smoking weed to start my career. I never smoke when I was pregnant, because of fear of complications and birth defects. It's hard for someone to explain to someone that never smoke the desire and the need to smoke a cigarette. I personally think I smoke for the purpose of having something in m hand when I'm bored and also for the relief situation. I know there are plenty complications due to smoking, but there are people who have been smoking for 50 years and never had cancer. You shouldn't judge anyone that smokes cigarettes.... I'm sure you do and have done things that you could be ridiculed for. If you feel that strongly about people who smoke, then just pray for them and ask God to give them the strength to stop!!!!

Answer 5

I started smoking when I started drinking a lot.
I was 18.
No, I did not do it to be cool. I don't think anyone does it for that reason after they are out of high school.
I want to stop but it is ADDICTING.
No, I do not smoke around my kids. Nor does anyone else.
I don't smoke around others who don't smoke, so I don't care about people who ***** about second hand smoke. All of the inflated lies about second hand smoke do not phase me.
I know I could save a lot of money if I didn't smoke. Do you know how much money you could save if you got rid of your internet, cable, and all of the other unnecessary evils in your life?
Whats the point of this question, other than to try and insinuate that smokers are ignorant of the effects and cost of smoking?

Answer 6

I started to smoke because I was interested in it.
I was 15
I did it because a lot of the people around me were doing it and I wanted to try it.
I stopped because I became pregnant.
I dont have kids yet but I would not smoke in front of them.
I was very cautious of smoking around people.
I always thought of the money I could save.
I'm not nuts anymore :-)

Answer 7

I was a 16-year old waitress, and the cook kept saying, "C'mon! Just try one cigarette." I kept saying no, but finally I tried it, and it was fun. That was 1971!! Long story short, I smoked off and on until I was 29, and then my wise husband got me to quit!! (Cold Turkey.)
Today I'm 53 and have Pulmonary Fibrosis, and have had to live on oxygen since age 48. They tell me it was a good thing I quit when I did.
I must say that in 1971 we didn't know what we know now. No one ever asked me to please not smoke in their presence. I had no children.