Smokers Unite! Part Dos

[LordOMud]

I remember, a while back, there was a smokers thread. I thought I'd reopen that discussion without becoming one of those dreaded thread necromancers :smallbiggrin:

Edit:
Here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=168169&highlight=smokers+unite)'s a link to the first thread by Ponderthought

[grimbold]

i am not entirely sure what to say...
have fun i guess...

[Lateral]

What is this I don't even.







...Actually, on second thought, this may be a good idea. They've got threads for everything else, why not smoking? Just keep in mind that some people have to avoid smokers for medical reasons.

[xPANCAKEx]

kind of pointless starting a thread when you've not actually brought anything to the proverbial table to discuss

this is why the old thread died

[IonDragon]

Pros: Legal drugs. Wooo!

Cons: One of the worst one's for your health.

When my friends and I get together and get to drinking we usually break out the hookah. It's fun, it's social and it's some of the most mild tobaco available.

[RabbitHoleLost]

I occasionally smoke hookah, when my friend Leo suggests it. It makes me feel like the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland :smalltongue:

In othercases, though, not a huge fan, thoooough, with my recent obsession with (and roleplaying of, actually) Beetlejuice, its become a whole lot less icky to me and more...eh. Just a habit.

[LordOMud]

Just wondering, but does anyone on here smoke pipes? I thought about starting and I was wondering if there is any difference between a normal pipe and a corncob pipe? Does it change the quality of the smoke?

[Dr.Epic]

I used to smoke; wouldn't say I quit, just a longer period until relapse. It has been several months since my last cigarette.

[Trog]

*a troglodyte wanders in packing a pack of Coffin Nail™ brand cigarettes against his hand with a staccato beat*

All the other threads sent Trog over here. Trog assumes this is where the ashtrays are located?

*mutters to self as he lights up* No ashtrays... barbarians.

[CynicalAvocado]

*a troglodyte wanders in packing a pack of Coffin Nail™ brand cigarettes against his hand with a staccato beat*

All the other threads sent Trog over here. Trog assumes this is where the ashtrays are located?

*mutters to self as he lights up* No ashtrays... barbarians.

i don't use ashtrays...

i use my boots

[Xyk]

Salvia's gonna be legal for me on Wednesday. I'll probably try smoking that! :smallbiggrin:

[CynicalAvocado]

Salvia's gonna be legal for me on Wednesday. I'll probably try smoking that! :smallbiggrin:

dooood, i once did that, and i spent what seemed like an eterneity trapped in a red bouncy ball

[The Extinguisher]

I smoke waaay to much. But I'll never stop. It's so good, and just looks so cool.

[factotum]

and just looks so cool.

That's seriously a matter of opinion--I don't see what's cool about it. (Maybe because I come from a family where both parents and most of my siblings smoked, and it kind of loses the coolness when you see your mother smoking in an old dressing gown :smallsmile:).

[Inhuman Bot]

Salvia's gonna be legal for me on Wednesday. I'll probably try smoking that! :smallbiggrin:

Where do you live? :smalltongue:

I'm not sure I'd recommend it, as a lot of people find it unpleasant.

[Kjata]

About the salvia, it is VERY intense. It has the potential to freak you out in a variety of ways, including severe itching. However, it goes away after 10 minutes. I say go for it. If it kicks you in the nuts swiftly, well, you'll be fine.

Anyway, on to cigarettes. I love em. An excellent ice breaker, they are. I just love the community between smokers. We can talk about anything around the ashtray. That's actually why I can't quit. It's missing being able to walk outside at a party and be around other smokers. Less noise, just one on one or a small group. It's like our own little private party.

[Serpentine]

I once dreamed that I was smoking an awesome several-piped hookah with a couple of hobbits.

Not really in the spirit of the thread, but my dad, after being a smoker for longer than I've been alive and trying to quit about half my life, hasn't had a cigarette for a number of months :3

[Inhuman Bot]

About the salvia, it is VERY intense. It has the potential to freak you out in a variety of ways, including severe itching. However, it goes away after 10 minutes. I say go for it. If it kicks you in the nuts swiftly, well, you'll be fine.


On the upside, it's hilarious for everyone else.

[Winter_Wolf]

I used to be a smoker. I did a lot of cigs in my time, but I didn't have experience with pipe tobacco. Well, one day a buddy comes to visit on his way back from college and had a pipe, so I decided to give it a try. No one thought to mention that you DON'T inhale a pipe the way you do a cigarette. :smallyuk::smallannoyed: "Thanks, guys." I had to sit down for a while until the world stopped spinning quite so much!

I have found that American cigarettes are really, really harsh. For smoothness I found a brand two brands of cigs in China that were quite mellow and nice. For all that, I'm much happier now that I'm not smoking two packs a day. :smallredface: Good smokes ain't cheap!

[Syka]

So question...why start smoking?

I understand having trouble quitting because they are addictive, but why start in the first place?

Maybe it's because I have asthma and react poorly to cigarette smoke, but I just never saw the appeal. Same deal with alcohol. Except I've tried a variety of drinks, but never any that A. covered the taste of alcohol in a pleasant manner AND B. that warranted the cost/pleasure ratio. Granted, this is also personal, but I just don't understand why one would spend such a significant amount of money* on something known to harm your health if one has not yet begun it. Alcohol I marginally understand more, since people DO like the taste and the result, as well as drink it in moderation. It's more smoking that confuses me.



*I work at a pharmacy where we sell cigarettes and alcohol. I've seen people scrounge pennies out of their wallet/purse/pocket to make up the change for one pack of cigs. When they can't afford their normal brand, they go for a cheaper brand. Sometimes if we don't have their brand, or I can't sell them the loose cigarettes as a carton, I get yelled at. I get people complaining about the increased prices while still coming in to buy 4 packs every few days. It's just beyond me why someone would start to do something damaging to their health that results in such an addiction, particularly with as expensive as it is.

[Xyk]

Where do you live? :smalltongue:

I'm not sure I'd recommend it, as a lot of people find it unpleasant.

I'm in Texas. Wednesday is my 18th birthday, which is when it's legal to buy. I think it would be legal for me to have anyways if a friend bought it for me, but I'd rather not take the chance.

[LordOMud]

dooood, i once did that, and i spent what seemed like an eterneity trapped in a red bouncy ball


I'm in Texas. Wednesday is my 18th birthday, which is when it's legal to buy. I think it would be legal for me to have anyways if a friend bought it for me, but I'd rather not take the chance.

Ah, Salvia, much akin to smoking bad shrooms. I like it though, it's . . . trippy

[MartytheBioGuy]

So question...why start smoking?

I understand having trouble quitting because they are addictive, but why start in the first place?

Maybe it's because I have asthma and react poorly to cigarette smoke, but I just never saw the appeal. Same deal with alcohol. Except I've tried a variety of drinks, but never any that A. covered the taste of alcohol in a pleasant manner AND B. that warranted the cost/pleasure ratio. Granted, this is also personal, but I just don't understand why one would spend such a significant amount of money* on something known to harm your health if one has not yet begun it. Alcohol I marginally understand more, since people DO like the taste and the result, as well as drink it in moderation. It's more smoking that confuses me.



*I work at a pharmacy where we sell cigarettes and alcohol. I've seen people scrounge pennies out of their wallet/purse/pocket to make up the change for one pack of cigs. When they can't afford their normal brand, they go for a cheaper brand. Sometimes if we don't have their brand, or I can't sell them the loose cigarettes as a carton, I get yelled at. I get people complaining about the increased prices while still coming in to buy 4 packs every few days. It's just beyond me why someone would start to do something damaging to their health that results in such an addiction, particularly with as expensive as it is.

Honestly, not everyone smokes two and three packs a day. I smoke maybe one cigarette a week as a way to unwind and socialize with my friends on a Wednesday night. We all get a buzz, loosen up, talk a lot, and enjoy each other's company outside where it's nice and quiet. My one friend gets great deals on massive amounts of cigarettes and isn't afraid to share, so we're basically covered, especially for how little we actually smoke. Plus, I love the feeling of a good buzz. I'm a real lightweight, so even one cigarette is enough to have me stumbling over myself and happy as a clam. It's a good time, really.

[CynicalAvocado]

i smoke maybe 1 or 3 a month.

[fimzo]

Well, I haven't smoked, and I won't be for a while, but what is the least health-detrimental tobacco product?

[Fifty-Eyed Fred]

I'm happy just remembering the hilarity of the previous thread. Pages upon pages of pure, mod-scrubbed, inflammatory fun.

[Inhuman Bot]

I'm happy just remembering the hilarity of the previous thread. Pages upon pages of pure, mod-scrubbed, inflammatory fun.

Yet despite half the conversation about salvia, nothing's been scrubbed here yet. :smalltongue:



Well, I haven't smoked, and I won't be for a while, but what is the least health-detrimental tobacco product?

Probably none of them.



I'm in Texas. Wednesday is my 18th birthday, which is when it's legal to buy. I think it would be legal for me to have anyways if a friend bought it for me, but I'd rather not take the chance.

Make sure to tell us about it!


-snip-

I can't really speak for cigarette smokers, but I'd imagine things such as peer pressure, curiosity, and stress can figure into it.

[CynicalAvocado]

i do it for 2 reasons
stress and socialization, with stress being the most likely

[LordOMud]

Well, I haven't smoked, and I won't be for a while, but what is the least health-detrimental tobacco product?

Um, perhaps chewing tobacco? Though, you could lose your jaw . . . I would try pipe smoking if I were you. Or Cigars. Seeing as you do not inhale with either. Here are some articles:
Pipe Smoking (http://www.notsoboringlife.com/pipe-smoking/pipe-smoking-guide-art-of-smoking-a-tobacco-pipe/)

Cigar Smoking (http://www.notsoboringlife.com/random/how-to-smoke-a-cigar/)

[KuReshtin]

I grew up in a family where my father smoked cigarillos and occasionally a pipe, and both my grandfather and my uncle on my mother's side smoked pipe as well.

They usually did so when playing cards or watching the saturday afternoon football games on tv, and at that time, I hung around them quite a bit, so I assume I got a she-load of second hand smoke from that.

I've never smoked, though. A few occasional drags to test it out when I was a kid and asked my dad what it tasted like, and he let me try his cigarillo, but nothing more than that.
I believe that his attitude that it wasn't taboo or not allowed made me think that I didn't have to try it after those first drags made me cough and sputter from inhaling the smoke.

I usually don't mind it if people smoke around me, although it can be too much if it's a lot of people smoking in a very small, enclosed area.

[Syka]

If you want a less-health-detrimental tobacco product, I recommend checking out e-cigarettes. Basically it's nicotine infused water vapor, if I'm not mistaken. Like a hookah. All I know is that (as an asthmatic who has the double whammy of being allergic to tobacco), the smoke is a non-issue. You can even smoke it inside. And it's flavored!

Other than that, if you are also aiming for a low-impact on others in your vicinity, chew. Chew is kind of icky when you realize someone is spitting it out, but done discretely it's not bad. A recent group mate of mine uses chew and I had NO idea he chewed until months into the semester. He just always kept a plastic bottle around and would discretely use it to spit.

Cigarettes are probably 'better' than cigars etc in some respects, as long as you get a filter. In regards to ingredients, you are probably 'healthier' opting for a pipe, cigar, or rolling your own cigarette.

If it makes a difference, I find I react far quicker to cigarette smoke than I do cigars. The only thing we can come up with is the increased amount of chemicals in cigarettes compared to cigars. Filters probably reduce the amount of tar, though. Don't quote me, I'm not a doctor.


Actually...I'd go talk to people at a local smoke shop to get their opinions, too.

[LordOMud]

If you want a less-health-detrimental tobacco product, I recommend checking out e-cigarettes. Basically it's nicotine infused water vapor, if I'm not mistaken. Like a hookah. All I know is that (as an asthmatic who has the double whammy of being allergic to tobacco), the smoke is a non-issue. You can even smoke it inside. And it's flavored!

Other than that, if you are also aiming for a low-impact on others in your vicinity, chew. Chew is kind of icky when you realize someone is spitting it out, but done discretely it's not bad. A recent group mate of mine uses chew and I had NO idea he chewed until months into the semester. He just always kept a plastic bottle around and would discretely use it to spit.

Cigarettes are probably 'better' than cigars etc in some respects, as long as you get a filter. In regards to ingredients, you are probably 'healthier' opting for a pipe, cigar, or rolling your own cigarette.

If it makes a difference, I find I react far quicker to cigarette smoke than I do cigars. The only thing we can come up with is the increased amount of chemicals in cigarettes compared to cigars. Filters probably reduce the amount of tar, though. Don't quote me, I'm not a doctor.


Actually...I'd go talk to people at a local smoke shop to get their opinions, too.

I totally agree, except on the matter of cigars. Cigars are much healthier then cigarettes. Not only that, they smell better too

[Syka]

As I said, some respects. If I have to be around a smoker, I prefer cigars because it doesn't trigger an immediate reaction. Granted, I pay the next morning*, but hey. *shrug*

Still, e-cigs (for the time being until they find some sort of uber problem with it) are probably the 'healthiest' option.


*Spent several hours one night with a friend who was smoking a cigar. Down wind. No ill effects that night. The next day I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. :smalleek: It was worth the hang-out time I got with him, though. He also had a really nice humidor.

Pro-tip: If you are smoking, cigars are the classy option.

[CynicalAvocado]

Pro-tip: If you are smoking, cigars are the classy option.

gonna have to diagree with you there. pipes > cigars

[Syka]

Very true.

Cigars are a tad easier to come by, even if they aren't of the highest quality, though. At least from what I've seen (aka, just going to a regular store, not a smoke shop or the like). Our pipes are...well, we only have a corn cob pipe. And it definitely doesn't hit the cool factor.

There is a wide selection of loose tobacco, though. :) The cherry and vanilla one's smell good, even if they make me sneeze.

[CynicalAvocado]

Very true.

Cigars are a tad easier to come by, even if they aren't of the highest quality, though. At least from what I've seen (aka, just going to a regular store, not a smoke shop or the like). Our pipes are...well, we only have a corn cob pipe. And it definitely doesn't hit the cool factor.

There is a wide selection of loose tobacco, though. :) The cherry and vanilla one's smell good, even if they make me sneeze.

i have 3 briar pipes

[TigerHunter]

If you want a less-health-detrimental tobacco product, I recommend checking out e-cigarettes. Basically it's nicotine infused water vapor, if I'm not mistaken. Like a hookah. All I know is that (as an asthmatic who has the double whammy of being allergic to tobacco), the smoke is a non-issue. You can even smoke it inside. And it's flavored!
While the water vapor likely is better less bad for you (they haven't been studied enough to say definitively), most of the e-cigarettes on the market have serious quality control issues (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101203141932.htm). Just putting that out there.

[Zeb The Troll]

So question...why start smoking?

I understand having trouble quitting because they are addictive, but why start in the first place?

<snip>

*I work at a pharmacy where we sell cigarettes and alcohol. I've seen people scrounge pennies out of their wallet/purse/pocket to make up the change for one pack of cigs. When they can't afford their normal brand, they go for a cheaper brand. Sometimes if we don't have their brand, or I can't sell them the loose cigarettes as a carton, I get yelled at. I get people complaining about the increased prices while still coming in to buy 4 packs every few days. It's just beyond me why someone would start to do something damaging to their health that results in such an addiction, particularly with as expensive as it is.It's a generational thing, largely, I suspect. My father smoked, and many of his friends, probably because when they were growing up John Wayne was advertising for it and the ads even went so far as to claim they were good for you. So by the time I was old enough to want to be like him, that was one of the things I wanted to mimic. I started very young (not quite a teen).

To make it further problematic at the time, when I started, premium brand cigarettes could be had for $1.25 a pack, and the generics for as little as 80 cents. So there wasn't the financial burden added to the addiction. (And gas was sometimes less than a dollar a gallon too!)

I can't answer to why people start nowadays, with the costs being so high in addition to what we now know about the health risks. I'm happy to see it on the way out though, and I'm happy that my daughter never picked it up from me.

As for the salvia, it's legal in most places so there's no reason to scrub the discussion about it unless someone starts talking about how they're going to break local laws to get it. So don't.

[KuReshtin]

It's a generational thing, largely, I suspect. My father smoked, and many of his friends, probably because when they were growing up John Wayne was advertising for it and the ads even went so far as to claim they were good for you. So by the time I was old enough to want to be like him, that was one of the things I wanted to mimic. I started very young (not quite a teen).

To make it further problematic at the time, when I started, premium brand cigarettes could be had for $1.25 a pack, and the generics for as little as 80 cents. So there wasn't the financial burden added to the addiction. (And gas was sometimes less than a dollar a gallon too!)

I can't answer to why people start nowadays, with the costs being so high in addition to what we now know about the health risks. I'm happy to see it on the way out though, and I'm happy that my daughter never picked it up from me.

As for the salvia, it's legal in most places so there's no reason to scrub the discussion about it unless someone starts talking about how they're going to break local laws to get it. So don't.

I believe that there are several different reasons why people start smoking nowadays, and they all add up in their own way.

1. Peer pressure - If people see theie friends smoking, that may be a reason for them to start, to fit into the gang. (See also: Social Smoking)

2. Rebelliousness - Smoking has been proven to be dangerous to your health, and still it's legal to buy cigarettes/cigars/tobacco, so it's easily available while being a statement that the person is 'non-conforming'. (Often accompanied by the quote: "Smoking is cool.")

3. Tradition - it's a poor word to describe it, but instead of Peer Pressure, this is the influence from seeing family members smoking and wanting to imitate them.

4. Advertising - Not so much anymore. I'm not even sure if it's allowed for tobacco companies to advertise their products anymore. Then again, even if the advertising of cigarettes are banned, it wasn't too long ago that Formula 1 cars (McLaren, if I'm not mistaken) had the distinct Marlboro packet design as their colour scheme, even if they didn't actually have the name written on the cars.

These are a few reasons i believe can contribute to people taking up smoking. And even if one of the reasons might not be enough to get someone to start smoking, they can add up.

Just a theory. It makes sense to me, at least. :smallwink:

[Zeb The Troll]

4. Advertising - Not so much anymore. I'm not even sure if it's allowed for tobacco companies to advertise their products anymore. Then again, even if the advertising of cigarettes are banned, it wasn't too long ago that Formula 1 cars (McLaren, if I'm not mistaken) had the distinct Marlboro packet design as their colour scheme, even if they didn't actually have the name written on the cars.It's getting harder and harder for them to advertise for it. First it was outlawed on television, then billboards (I think). Now they're pressured not to even be associated with anything that people follow (i.e. when was the last time anyone heard the term "Winston Cup"?)

[KuReshtin]

It's getting harder and harder for them to advertise for it. First it was outlawed on television, then billboards (I think). Now they're pressured not to even be associated with anything that people follow (i.e. when was the last time anyone heard the term "Winston Cup"?)

Tobacco advertising has been outlawed in Sweden for probably 20 years or so, but the tobacco companies circumvented that ban for a while by introducing products that were not tobacco related, but used the same colour schemes and fonts for their branding as they did on the cigarette packets.
So, you could have a sun screen lotion called something very similar to the cigarette brand, where the packaging of the sun screen lotion was pretty much identical to the cigarette packet.
However, since there was no mention of tobacco or cigarettes in the ad, they got away with it.

For a while, at least.

[Zar Peter]

Just wondering, but does anyone on here smoke pipes? I thought about starting and I was wondering if there is any difference between a normal pipe and a corncob pipe? Does it change the quality of the smoke?

Having tried corncob pipes once I can say the smoke is much more intense and sharper then briar pipes. And the pipes don't last very long. On the other hand they are very cheap.

The best smoke comes from Meerschaum, I have one and you really can taste the difference, it's very smooth. It's the most expensive, though.

Oh, and I tried two years cigarettes but I'm very happy dropped them completely. Haven't smoked a cigarette for more than 13 years now.

Here in Austria we have a new law which should encourage bars and restaurants to establish a no-smoking area which is bigger than the smoking area and is physically seperated from it. I know bars where the small smoking area is crowded full and the non smoking area is completely empty. And I know bars which are braking the law otherwise they bust. Well, I also know a restaurant where it's functionating.

[Gorgondantess]

Em, y'know, everyone's asking why people start smoking, and maybe it's not peer pressure or advertising or anything like that. Maybe they just want to smoke. Has anyone ever considered that? I don't smoke because I'm addicted, or because my friends want me to, or for socialization, or for stress. I smoke because I enjoy smoking, and if somebody were to offer me a brand that I don't enjoy smoking (for example, Camels) I'd turn it down summarily, even if I felt like a smoke.

[CynicalAvocado]

Em, y'know, everyone's asking why people start smoking, and maybe it's not peer pressure or advertising or anything like that. Maybe they just want to smoke. Has anyone ever considered that? I don't smoke because I'm addicted, or because my friends want me to, or for socialization, or for stress. I smoke because I enjoy smoking, and if somebody were to offer me a brand that I don't enjoy smoking (for example, Camels) I'd turn it down summarily, even if I felt like a smoke.

hey, i like camels:smallannoyed:

but same story for me

[Lady Tialait]

Barring any of my friends bumming a smoke from me, or a really good gaming session. A single pack of cigarettes will last me six months.

My habit is not that bad at all. I mostly smoke menthol to clear the gunk from my whole head.

[Gorgondantess]

hey, i like camels:smallannoyed:

but same story for me

Oh, no, just personal preference. I just don't like all the additives- I mainly smoke Nat Shermans.:smallbiggrin:

[CynicalAvocado]

Oh, no, just personal preference. I just don't like all the additives- I mainly smoke Nat Shermans.:smallbiggrin:

i like them because of the taste.

[Xyk]

So, today I'm 18 and this discussion becomes relevant to me. I'm not trying Salvia today as I said I might before, but i do have plans to go to a hookah bar with some friends. That'll be fun!

[CynicalAvocado]

So, today I'm 18 and this discussion becomes relevant to me. I'm not trying Salvia today as I said I might before, but i do have plans to go to a hookah bar with some friends. That'll be fun!

hookahs rule

[TigerHunter]

Dunno about other people, but I first tried cigarettes (I'd smoked cigars, hookah and other stuff with friends, but nothing habit forming) because I'd heard they help you sleep - I'm legitimately an insomniac. They didn't, but since I still had a whole pack I started using them to relax after class - one of my favorite things to do when I'm bored is go out into the forest behind my dorm and have a cigarette while I read. I also find that having a smoke before starting schoolwork helps me focus.

I started almost two months ago, and I just finished my second pack of cigarettes ever before coming back from school (too cold to smoke here at home), so I don't feel like I'm hurting myself too badly.

[LordOMud]

So, today I'm 18 and this discussion becomes relevant to me. I'm not trying Salvia today as I said I might before, but i do have plans to go to a hookah bar with some friends. That'll be fun!

Well, first off, happy birthday. And second, I'd give it a try if I were you. It is quite fun.

[KuReshtin]

Em, y'know, everyone's asking why people start smoking, and maybe it's not peer pressure or advertising or anything like that. Maybe they just want to smoke. Has anyone ever considered that?

Sure, they may have started because they just wanted to smoke, but what made them want to smoke in the first place? They must have gotten the inclination to want to try it from somewhere.

Most people don't just decide to randomly pick something up, set it on fire and then inhale the smoke.
If they do it because they see people doing it on tv or in films, or see other people doing it, then I would class that as being part of a social circle, even if they don't have any close friends that smoke.
If they've seen anyone in their family smoking and thought about it from that, then that would be part of a family tradition, of sorts.

You can't know that you'll enjoy smoking before you've tried it, so something will have had to make you want to try it in the first place. You may have continued smoking because you enjoyed it, but that's the effect of smoking. Not the cause.

Just saying.

[Inhuman Bot]

So, today I'm 18 and this discussion becomes relevant to me. I'm not trying Salvia today as I said I might before, but i do have plans to go to a hookah bar with some friends. That'll be fun!

Lame. :smalltongue:



I don't smoke because I'm addicted,
Every single time I have heard that the person was addicted and in denial.

[Gorgondantess]

Sure, they may have started because they just wanted to smoke, but what made them want to smoke in the first place? They must have gotten the inclination to want to try it from somewhere.

Most people don't just decide to randomly pick something up, set it on fire and then inhale the smoke.
If they do it because they see people doing it on tv or in films, or see other people doing it, then I would class that as being part of a social circle, even if they don't have any close friends that smoke.
If they've seen anyone in their family smoking and thought about it from that, then that would be part of a family tradition, of sorts.

You can't know that you'll enjoy smoking before you've tried it, so something will have had to make you want to try it in the first place. You may have continued smoking because you enjoyed it, but that's the effect of smoking. Not the cause.

Just saying.

Yeah? And you can understand that something might feel good and then start doing it because of that. It doesn't have to always be so dependent on external sources- I'll try new things because I think I might enjoy them, not because an advertising company says I should. My smoking is irrelevant to both advertising and family. It's because, hey, some people say it feels good, why don't I give it a try? It wasn't to impress my peers, it wasn't peer pressure, it was self satisfaction: I understand, from a reliable source, that this feels good. Therefore, I'll try it. And if it didn't feel good, I would've stopped right then and there. I'm sure it's the same for at least hundreds of others.
Beyond that, the terminology you used is why people start smoking, not why people try smoking. Big difference- not why someone tried their first cigarette, but why they began smoking on an at least semi-regular basis.



Every single time I have heard that the person was addicted and in denial.
Are you insinuating that I'm addicted? Because, frankly, that's laughable. I smoke about 1 cigarette a week, if that.

[Xyk]

Lame. :smalltongue:


I will get to it! But the first person who offered to do something with me offered Hookah. So I'm going with them today. :smalltongue:

[TigerHunter]

I will get to it! But the first person who offered to do something with me offered Hookah. So I'm going with them today. :smalltongue:
Hookah is the funnest thing to smoke, hands down. Salvia's more for when you're bored and want to do something crazy than celebrations anyway.

[factotum]

Em, y'know, everyone's asking why people start smoking, and maybe it's not peer pressure or advertising or anything like that. Maybe they just want to smoke. Has anyone ever considered that?

That might well be the reason you smoke NOW, but think back--what encouraged you to go started in the first place? You can't possibly have known you would like it before you lit up for the very first time!

[Drakevarg]

I doubt I'll ever smoke, due to a combined dislike of the smell, being addicted to anything, and lung cancer, but I must admit the idea has crossed my mind before. Mainly because I have an oral fixation and I just like the physical motion of smoking. Indeed, I'm using a mechanical pencil as a substitute right now.

So quick question: is there any way to get the good (the motion, an excuse to light something on fire), without the bad (the smell, the addiction, the cancer)?

[Xyk]

So I'm back from my Hookah adventure. I was surprised by the chill demeanor of the lounge. It was really comfy and everything! Then I did some other (more secretive) smoking...and now I'm home again. That's how that happened.

[Gorgondantess]

That might well be the reason you smoke NOW, but think back--what encouraged you to go started in the first place? You can't possibly have known you would like it before you lit up for the very first time!
No, but I understood from some reliable sources that it's an enjoyable experience. So, I wanted to try it- not because my friends wanted me to, but because I thought I might enjoy it. It's always good to try new things.:smallbiggrin:


I doubt I'll ever smoke, due to a combined dislike of the smell, being addicted to anything, and lung cancer, but I must admit the idea has crossed my mind before. Mainly because I have an oral fixation and I just like the physical motion of smoking. Indeed, I'm using a mechanical pencil as a substitute right now.

So quick question: is there any way to get the good (the motion, an excuse to light something on fire), without the bad (the smell, the addiction, the cancer)?
Well, that depends on a lot of factors. First of all, the addiction is all a matter of willpower. If you don't want to smoke, then you don't have to. As for the cancer, well, so long as you're not smoking more than one or two a day, you should be fine. 'Course, if you have an addictive personality, then there's some brands you'll want to stay away from.
That leaves us with a few things: the smell, the motion, and lighting something on fire.
E-cigarettes will lack the smell and give you the motion, but it's not lighting something on fire. They also cost upwards of $50 just for the starter kit.

You might want to try spiced cigarettes- Djarum Blacks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djarum_Black), for example. They smell like a succulent spice rack. However, it still definitely has a tobacco-y smell to it, and they're as addictive/carcinogenic as any other cigarettes.
I'd personally advise Nat Sherman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_Sherman) lights (there's a few different varieties... I like the short, wide ones- I'm pretty sure it's MCD or classics, but I haven't gotten any in a while, so I don't remember). They have a very inoffensive smell, and are 100% natural tobacco, no additives, so they don't have that "hook" that some cigarettes have (I'm looking at you, Mr. P. Morris) and they aren't as bad for your health.
That, or you can always try flavored cigars. They're pretty trashy, but there was this one brand of grape flavored cigars I found that both taste and smell like a grape jolly rancher. Beyond that, you're not supposed to inhale them, so it's not very addictive nor carcinogenic. A quick wikipedia search tells me that they are called Phillies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillies_(cigar)). Then you also definitely get the motion, and definitely get the lighting stuff on fire.

[Marnath]

Well, that depends on a lot of factors. First of all, the addiction is all a matter of willpower.

I can't emphasize enough how inaccurate that statement is. It's not a matter of willpower when there are real physical changes to the way your brain chemistry works.

[Gorgondantess]

I can't emphasize enough how inaccurate that statement is. It's not a matter of willpower when there are real physical changes to the way your brain chemistry works.

Yeah, but it's still your brain. Your brain is hardwired to crave food, and yet people still manage to starve themselves. Your brain is hardwired to desire life, and yet people can still kill themselves. Thus, I don't care how addicted you are, you can control your smoking habit. It's all a matter of willpower.

[Marnath]

Yeah, but it's still your brain. Your brain is hardwired to crave food, and yet people still manage to starve themselves. Your brain is hardwired to desire life, and yet people can still kill themselves. Thus, I don't care how addicted you are, you can control your smoking habit. It's all a matter of willpower.

If that was true it wouldn't be so hard to quit. But since the vast majority of smokers fail to quit when they try, it is not a simple matter of willpower.

[Gorgondantess]

If that was true it wouldn't be so hard to quit. But since the vast majority of smokers fail to quit when they try, it is not a simple matter of willpower.

I believe the vast majority of smokers you hear about who try to quit and fail have addictive personalities and don't have the willpower to just put it down. How can it be anything but a matter of willpower? What else is there but willpower? I genuinely want to know. It may not be a simply matter of willpower, but isn't it then a complex matter of willpower? You do agree that we all have some level of control over our own compulsions, yes? And some people have more control than others? What would you call that other than willpower?

[Drakevarg]

If that was true it wouldn't be so hard to quit. But since the vast majority of smokers fail to quit when they try, it is not a simple matter of willpower.

Or it's a matter of willpower, and the average person simply doesn't have enough of it.

[MartytheBioGuy]

As a BioGuy, I'm going to have to agree with the many that if you get to the point of chemical addiction, which does not take much to establish, it is more than a matter of willpower. You can establish some boundaries for yourself using a strong will, but after a certain point, you develop a chemical dependence that is really, really real. And hard to eliminate.

That said, I really don't like that this thread has apparently become a magnet for people who want to put down and convert smokers. I like to smoke, and I know the consequences, and that's my problem. :smallmad:

So yeah. On another note, how awesome is a good, smooth smoke? I love the feeling. :smallsmile:

EDIT:


You might want to try spiced cigarettes- Djarum Blacks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djarum_Black), for example. They smell like a succulent spice rack. However, it still definitely has a tobacco-y smell to it, and they're as addictive/carcinogenic as any other cigarettes.

AMEN! Oh, Blacks...... tastiest, smoothest smoke in the world.

[Zeb The Troll]

I believe the vast majority of smokers you hear about who try to quit and fail have addictive personalities and don't have the willpower to just put it down. How can it be anything but a matter of willpower? What else is there but willpower? I genuinely want to know. It may not be a simply matter of willpower, but isn't it then a complex matter of willpower? You do agree that we all have some level of control over our own compulsions, yes? And some people have more control than others? What would you call that other than willpower?No.

The science suggests that there is a physical chemical alteration that happens. It's worse in some people than others. It's not the same as deciding you're overweight and need to stop eating sweets. My mother-in-law has been a pack a day smoker for more than 20 years. Even her husband having a heart attack hasn't been enough to get her to be able to stop for more than a few days. This isn't just a matter of deciding "you know what, this is bad, mmkay?" and putting them down forever. If it were, there wouldn't be the industry there is for stop-smoking therapies and products, including prescription medications developed solely for this purpose.

[Amiel]

I tried smoking when I was around five; I can't recall any exact details, but apparently I decided to inhale after being told to dispose of dad's still smoking cigarette butt.
That put me off smoking for life, which isn't helped by the fact that dad still smokes.

[IonDragon]

Just wondering, but does anyone on here smoke pipes? I thought about starting and I was wondering if there is any difference between a normal pipe and a corncob pipe? Does it change the quality of the smoke?I don't think anyone ever answered your question so let me give you my (inexpert) opinion. My cousin smokes pipe cuz he's an oddball. It's really funny to see a metal head with long hair and a big beard bust out a 100 year old hard wood pipe and hand pack it. Anyway, it effects the flavor and how you are supposed to smoke it. Like I said, he has an antique hardwood pipe and in order to preserve it you have to be mindful of the temp in the bowl. In order to smoke a full bowl he often lets it go out as many as 3 times allowing it to cool for about 10 min at a time. I imagine you wouldn't be so careful with a corncob pipe.


Well, I haven't smoked, and I won't be for a while, but what is the least health-detrimental tobacco product?Step one: Grow your own tobacco. It's both cheaper and you know you washed off all the pesticides and didn't add anything that will kill you to the mix.
After that it doesn't make a big difference. IMO probably hookah but not because it passes through the water. You should be aware that many people say this 'cleans the smoke' but it really does not to any appreciable degree. I'd say hookah because in my experience it tends to burn slower and cooler creating a more mild smoke.


Em, y'know, everyone's asking why people start smoking, and maybe it's not peer pressure or advertising or anything like that. Maybe they just want to smoke. Has anyone ever considered that? I don't smoke because I'm addicted, or because my friends want me to, or for socialization, or for stress. I smoke because I enjoy smoking, and if somebody were to offer me a brand that I don't enjoy smoking (for example, Camels) I'd turn it down summarily, even if I felt like a smoke.Exactly. I don't smoke cigarettes at all. Ever. I've had a cheap cigar once and I'm never doing that again. I smoke cigarillos. I don't know if it's a regional thing, but they're little cigars and the brand I buy tastes great and it about $2 cheaper/pack than name brand cigarettes.

[KuReshtin]

Yeah? And you can understand that something might feel good and then start doing it because of that. It doesn't have to always be so dependent on external sources-

I feel you're getting a bit too hung up on the few reasons I listed above in the thread when trying to prove me wrong in your specific case. I did specify in that first post that those examples were but a few of the reasons why people might take up smoking.

Also, you're contradicting yourself:


It's because, hey, some people say it feels good, why don't I give it a try?

That's an external source.


My smoking is irrelevant to both advertising and family.
I never claimed it was.
You're taking this way to personally. I was making a generalised statement of a personal belief of mine. I do not claim that this is universally true for everyone.


It's because, hey, some people say it feels good, why don't I give it a try? It wasn't to impress my peers, it wasn't peer pressure, it was self satisfaction: I understand, from a reliable source, that this feels good. Therefore, I'll try it. And if it didn't feel good, I would've stopped right then and there.

Again, that's external influence. Not peer pressure, but still someone's actions influencing you to try it.


I'm sure it's the same for at least hundreds of others.
Hundreds of others? Out of the millions, possibly billions of people worldwide who smoke.



Beyond that, the terminology you used is why people start smoking, not why people try smoking. Big difference- not why someone tried their first cigarette, but why they began smoking on an at least semi-regular basis.


Starting to smoke begins with the first cigarette/cigar/hookah/pipe. For some, it stops right then and there, but if you continue, I'd personally attribute the reason for that first drag as the primary reason for the continuation of the habit.


No, but I understood from some reliable sources that it's an enjoyable experience. So, I wanted to try it- not because my friends wanted me to, but because I thought I might enjoy it. It's always good to try new things.:smallbiggrin:


So, again, you're saying that it was curiosity fuelled by external influences that got you to try it.



That said, I really don't like that this thread has apparently become a magnet for people who want to put down and convert smokers. I like to smoke, and I know the consequences, and that's my problem. :smallmad:


If any of my posts have come across as trying to discourage anyone from smoking, I apologise. It's not my place to tell anyone how to live their lives.

[Gorgondantess]

No.

The science suggests that there is a physical chemical alteration that happens. It's worse in some people than others. It's not the same as deciding you're overweight and need to stop eating sweets. My mother-in-law has been a pack a day smoker for more than 20 years. Even her husband having a heart attack hasn't been enough to get her to be able to stop for more than a few days. This isn't just a matter of deciding "you know what, this is bad, mmkay?" and putting them down forever. If it were, there wouldn't be the industry there is for stop-smoking therapies and products, including prescription medications developed solely for this purpose.

There's also an industry for putting down sweets (or, well, the effects thereof). There's also an industry for a number of other things. The fact of the matter is, most people are susceptible animals and need a crutch- and moreover, need to blame their self-destruction on something else than themselves. I don't care if there are physical alterations in the brain. I'm sure there are. I'm not denying it. There are physical alterations in the brain when you eat junk food too! That just makes it harder to overcome. Yes, it's hard. When it's reached a certain level, it's not a simple matter of willpower anymore, but it sure as hell is a complex matter of willpower. You'll admit that one can still possibly overcome it, yes? Everyone has that power in them. It's just a matter of willpower. What else is it? If you're going to respond to this post at all, respond to that- what else is it than willpower that lets even a heavy smoker with all their brain alterations put down smoking? I've seen it myself in my great grandmother, so don't say that's impossible. She smoked a pack a day for 40 years and then, when she realized it would kill her, put it down without looking back. She's a very strong woman, though- some people just don't have the strength she has to do that.


I never claimed it was.
You're taking this way to personally. I was making a generalised statement of a personal belief of mine. I do not claim that this is universally true for everyone.
Then excuse me- I was under the impression you were making a blanket statement for all smokers. I'm sorry I misunderstood you.


Exactly. I don't smoke cigarettes at all. Ever. I've had a cheap cigar once and I'm never doing that again. I smoke cigarillos. I don't know if it's a regional thing, but they're little cigars and the brand I buy tastes great and it about $2 cheaper/pack than name brand cigarettes.
Oooh, where do you live and what cigarillos do you buy?

[TigerHunter]

No.

The science suggests that there is a physical chemical alteration that happens. It's worse in some people than others. It's not the same as deciding you're overweight and need to stop eating sweets. My mother-in-law has been a pack a day smoker for more than 20 years. Even her husband having a heart attack hasn't been enough to get her to be able to stop for more than a few days. This isn't just a matter of deciding "you know what, this is bad, mmkay?" and putting them down forever. If it were, there wouldn't be the industry there is for stop-smoking therapies and products, including prescription medications developed solely for this purpose.
I... don't see how this (or any of the other counter-arguments that have been put forth) contradict anything Gorgo has said. "It's a matter of willpower" doesn't translate to "it's super easy and anyone can do it, no problem!" or "there's no such thing as addiction!".


I can't emphasize enough how inaccurate that statement is. It's not a matter of willpower when there are real physical changes to the way your brain chemistry works.
All your thoughts, desires and compulsions are a matter of neurochemistry, what difference does it make if your neurochemistry isn't the same as everyone else's?


So, again, you're saying that it was curiosity fuelled by external influences that got you to try it.
You can put it that way if you like, but I don't see why you're acting as if trying smoking is somehow different than trying anything else. "Curiosity fueled by external influences" is an accurate description of what got me into gaming, smoking, and any number of other things.


I tried smoking when I was around five; I can't recall any exact details, but apparently I decided to inhale after being told to dispose of dad's still smoking cigarette butt.
That put me off smoking for life, which isn't helped by the fact that dad still smokes.
If it was literally down to the butt, you got a lungful of burning asbestos. I don't blame you for finding it off-putting.


You might want to try spiced cigarettes- Djarum Blacks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djarum_Black), for example. They smell like a succulent spice rack. However, it still definitely has a tobacco-y smell to it, and they're as addictive/carcinogenic as any other cigarettes.
Can you still get those in the U.S.? Spiced cigarettes were banned last year, but I'm told they're still sold as cigars and cigarillos. As mentioned earlier I'm not smoking at the moment, but if a shop near me sells them I would buy a pack in a heartbeat. Hands down the best cigar(-ette/-illo) I've ever smoked.

[Marnath]

That said, I really don't like that this thread has apparently become a magnet for people who want to put down and convert smokers. I like to smoke, and I know the consequences, and that's my problem. :smallmad:


Oh come on, you know that isn't true. When you smoke, it's the problem of everyone in range of the smoke who has to breathe it. Secondhand smoke is bad for you, and you don't even get the benefit of choosing it.

[TigerHunter]

Oh come on, you know that isn't true. When you smoke, it's the problem of everyone in range of the smoke who has to breathe it. Secondhand smoke is bad for you, and you don't even get the benefit of choosing it.
Which is why I always smoke either on my lonesome or with friends who smoke themselves. At worst, someone may get a whiff as they pass me on the mostly-deserted sidewalk.

[Gorgondantess]

{scrubeed}


Can you still get those in the U.S.? Spiced cigarettes were banned last year, but I'm told they're still sold as cigars and cigarillos. As mentioned earlier I'm not smoking at the moment, but if a shop near me sells them I would buy a pack in a heartbeat. Hands down the best cigar(-ette/-illo) I've ever smoked.

Yeah, Djarum blacks are clove cigarettes, and they just sell them as clove cigars. That's all.

[TigerHunter]

Yeah, Djarum blacks are clove cigarettes, and they just sell them as clove cigars. That's all.
Are they sold at most cigar shops? There's one nearby that I've been meaning to visit.

And to me the actual health risks are immaterial to the fact that before I started smoking, I hated the smell with a passion and would actually hold my breath until I was safely out of range. So I try to afford others the same courtesy I wish I'd been afforded.

[Marnath]

{scrubbed the original, scrub the quote}


{scrubbed}

[MountainKing]

Oh, no, just personal preference. I just don't like all the additives- I mainly smoke Nat Shermans.:smallbiggrin:

ASFADGDGADGAD Where do you live? Is it really easy to find those where you are? I have such a Hellish time trying to find Nat. Shermans :smallfrown: I've thus far only found one smoke shop in my "area" that carries them, but that's 30 minutes away. More if traffic is bad, or if it's a nice day and the students are out in force (it's in the middle of a college campus town). :smallfrown::smallfrown::smallfrown:

I will slightly disagree with you, though. I myself don't like the Lights. Not sure what it is, but any "Light" cigarette always feels far harsher to me than normal flavors. I muchly prefer the Nat. Sherman menthol varieties, *especially* the kings (I forget the exact flavor, but it's a menthol, and it's not a 100); those are seriously like smoking candy. :smallbiggrin:

There were a couple other Nat. Sherman flavors I tried that were non-menthol that I really enjoyed too; the one with dark brown paper was especially tasty. Maybe we're weird, but my friend and I agreed that at first, it was like smoking nothing, and it slowly got stronger as it burned through. Very subtle change, but definitely a thicker smoke... kind of like comparing steak to chicken, I guess. I'm failing a bit with my descriptive words; too hungry to talk good. :smalltongue:

[Greensleeves]

I've started smoking very, very occasionally in college. Mostly just socially, but a few times outside of parties as well. Considering the limited time I've smoked and limited amount of times I do smoke, I can't really say that I care what brand I smoke, but the Nat Shermans mentioned above do seem like they might be worth giving a look. :smallwink:

Why did I start to smoke at times? I guess due to this guy and anime (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nftxDrStny8&feature=related). Sad as it may be, I'm fairly certain that's the reason.

Just a quick thing about the second-hand smoking thing: both of you are citing what I'd consider very biased sources. I'd also consider it common courtesy not to smoke with people who don't like smoke, for health reasons, smell reasons or otherwise.

[Nosferocktu]

Started smoking when I was 18 on my first deployment to the gulf. Im a cook and it was the only small break besides the bathroom and food that we got to take away from the galley. After the deployment, I stopped after 1 week, didn't smoke for almost 8 months till the next deployment. Afterwards, I completely quit. I just had one after I needed to get away from my superiors yesterday. 3 1/2 years free. It didn't taste the way it used to. Smoking has never become a need or want for me. I quit or do it whenever I want. I just choose not to. That and I have children. :smallsmile:

[MountainKing]

I've started smoking very, very occasionally in college. Mostly just socially, but a few times outside of parties as well. Considering the limited time I've smoked and limited amount of times I do smoke, I can't really say that I care what brand I smoke, but the Nat Shermans mentioned above do seem like they might be worth giving a look. :smallwink:

Why did I start to smoke at times? I guess due to this guy and anime (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nftxDrStny8&feature=related). Sad as it may be, I'm fairly certain that's the reason.

Just a quick thing about the second-hand smoking thing: both of you are citing what I'd consider very biased sources. I'd also consider it common courtesy not to smoke with people who don't like smoke, for health reasons, smell reasons or otherwise.

Nat. Shermans are delightful, especially the long, thin menthol ones. You'll be tasting mint on your lips after every puff. :smallbiggrin: I will warn you though, they're expensive (at least, they are where I buy them :smallfrown:), and like I mentioned, the only place I've been able to find them is a relatively upscale little smoke shop I was introduced to by a friend. I say it's relatively upscale, because it stocks nothing that the owner wouldn't smoke himself, and you will not find commercial cigarettes there like Marlboro or Camel.

[Syka]

I promise I wasn't deriding smokers or trying to convert them. I'm honestly curious. I know plenty of reasons to KEEP smoking, but I've never asked any of my peers who smoke why they smoke even knowing the risks. No matter how little you smoke, there is still an increased risk.

The only friend I know an actual reason for took up smoking to help counteract the effects of some anti-psychotic meds he was on. Maybe it was the ritual (he was the cigar smoker), but it helped reduce the amount of tremors he had and generally get him to come down.


I don't smoke for personal health reasons. Both my parents smoked at one time or other, and I have a few friends who smoke. I don't have anything against them as long as my health concerns are taken in to consideration (understanding if I can't be in a house where smoking is, or having to move away if we are talking outside and they light up...being upwind isn't enough sometimes, either). But I don't think smokers are stupid or whatever. I'm just honestly curious.

[MartytheBioGuy]

Oh come on, you know that isn't true. When you smoke, it's the problem of everyone in range of the smoke who has to breathe it. Secondhand smoke is bad for you, and you don't even get the benefit of choosing it.

And for the record, I smoke at night, with a group of fellow smokers, out in the middle of the practice fields in my rural US university. So yeah. There's literally no one around to care about it.

And regarding blacks, they are sold legally as cigarillos here in the US since they stared wrapping them with tobacco instead of paper, and mailed gifts (but not purchases) are allowed from other countries, and my roommate has an out-of-country friend who gifts him a lot of Blacks fairly frequently. And all of us are really happy about it! :smallsmile:

And to those who think they might have offended me... Sorry. I'm on a steroid medication as I'm recovering from mono, and I get moody. But really, I was very antismoking until I tried it in college, and I would have been doing the same thing as you are, and possibly not as respectfully, so you're cool. For real.

[CynicalAvocado]

And for the record, I smoke at night, with a group of fellow smokers, out in the middle of the practice fields in my rural US university. So yeah. There's literally no one around to care about it.

And regarding blacks, they are sold legally as cigarillos here in the US since they stared wrapping them with tobacco instead of paper, and mailed gifts (but not purchases) are allowed from other countries, and my roommate has an out-of-country friend who gifts him a lot of Blacks fairly frequently. And all of us are really happy about it! :smallsmile:

And to those who think they might have offended me... Sorry. I'm on a steroid medication as I'm recovering from mono, and I get moody. But really, I was very antismoking until I tried it in college, and I would have been doing the same thing as you are, and possibly not as respectfully, so you're cool. For real.

i like the wood tipped blacks

[Gorgondantess]

I promise I wasn't deriding smokers or trying to convert them. I'm honestly curious. I know plenty of reasons to KEEP smoking, but I've never asked any of my peers who smoke why they smoke even knowing the risks. No matter how little you smoke, there is still an increased risk.

The only friend I know an actual reason for took up smoking to help counteract the effects of some anti-psychotic meds he was on. Maybe it was the ritual (he was the cigar smoker), but it helped reduce the amount of tremors he had and generally get him to come down.


I don't smoke for personal health reasons. Both my parents smoked at one time or other, and I have a few friends who smoke. I don't have anything against them as long as my health concerns are taken in to consideration (understanding if I can't be in a house where smoking is, or having to move away if we are talking outside and they light up...being upwind isn't enough sometimes, either). But I don't think smokers are stupid or whatever. I'm just honestly curious.

I think the song from South Park says it best:

I like to have a cigarette every now and then
It makes me feel calmer when the day is at an end
And if it gives me cancer when I'm 80 I don't care
Who the hell wants to be 90 anyways?

The fact of the matter is, smoking will deteriorate your health. So will eating junk food, and so will leading a sedentary life. But people still do it because it feels good. That's... really what it comes down to.


Started smoking when I was 18 on my first deployment to the gulf. Im a cook and it was the only small break besides the bathroom and food that we got to take away from the galley. After the deployment, I stopped after 1 week, didn't smoke for almost 8 months till the next deployment. Afterwards, I completely quit. I just had one after I needed to get away from my superiors yesterday. 3 1/2 years free. It didn't taste the way it used to. Smoking has never become a need or want for me. I quit or do it whenever I want.
Amen to that.:smallbiggrin:


Just a quick thing about the second-hand smoking thing: both of you are citing what I'd consider very biased sources. I'd also consider it common courtesy not to smoke with people who don't like smoke, for health reasons, smell reasons or otherwise.
That's probably true- I just pulled from that source because it's specifically a good article.
Whether or not secondhand smoke is a significant health threat, though, I'll say that smokers should be courteous to those around them. Please, people, don't smoke near people who you aren't sure will be OK with the smell.


Nat. Shermans are delightful, especially the long, thin menthol ones. You'll be tasting mint on your lips after every puff. I will warn you though, they're expensive (at least, they are where I buy them ), and like I mentioned, the only place I've been able to find them is a relatively upscale little smoke shop I was introduced to by a friend. I say it's relatively upscale, because it stocks nothing that the owner wouldn't smoke himself, and you will not find commercial cigarettes there like Marlboro or Camel.
That's actually pretty funny: I recently bought a pack of the long, thin menthol ones. HATED them.
Still, they were less than $7, so no big loss. And on that note:


ASFADGDGADGAD Where do you live? Is it really easy to find those where you are? I have such a Hellish time trying to find Nat. Shermans I've thus far only found one smoke shop in my "area" that carries them, but that's 30 minutes away. More if traffic is bad, or if it's a nice day and the students are out in force (it's in the middle of a college campus town).

I will slightly disagree with you, though. I myself don't like the Lights. Not sure what it is, but any "Light" cigarette always feels far harsher to me than normal flavors. I muchly prefer the Nat. Sherman menthol varieties, *especially* the kings (I forget the exact flavor, but it's a menthol, and it's not a 100); those are seriously like smoking candy.

There were a couple other Nat. Sherman flavors I tried that were non-menthol that I really enjoyed too; the one with dark brown paper was especially tasty. Maybe we're weird, but my friend and I agreed that at first, it was like smoking nothing, and it slowly got stronger as it burned through. Very subtle change, but definitely a thicker smoke... kind of like comparing steak to chicken, I guess. I'm failing a bit with my descriptive words; too hungry to talk good.
I live in a... upper-class(ish) suburb of southern california, so it's kindof natural the more pricey cigarettes would be readily available. It gets less common as you go into lower income areas.
Still, they're no more than a dollar more per pack than a Marlboro or a Camel. Just how much do they run where you're getting them?
Anyways, I never liked the thin ones myself... they feel very posh and all, and they're good stuff, but they always go out on me right when a few more puffs would make the nicotine levels perfect, and by the time I get it re-lit it's all out of whack. Very annoying.:smallyuk: And as for the menthols, I'm not sure what it was, but they really roughed up my throat. I've always found the lights to be... well, just perfect. They feel like you're smoking hookah- no roughness, no sputtering or jolt, just nice, smooth, cool-burning, delicate smoke. The high you get from them isn't like a Camel, or a Parliament, or anything else packed with additives- that really energetic, forced rush. Instead, they're perfectly relaxing, smooth and delightful. Calm. Flowing rivers. Kitties.:smallbiggrin:

[Salbazier]

Well, sorry if this doesn't fit the spirit of the thread as well, but how smoking feels good? I honestly wonders, because I always feel like choking whenever I smell cigarette smoke.

[factotum]

Well, sorry if this doesn't fit the spirit of the thread as well, but how smoking feels good? I honestly wonders, because I always feel like choking whenever I smell cigarette smoke.

The actual smoker is getting the benefit of a nicotine high which the second-hand smoker doesn't generally get (leastways, if you DO get a nicotine buzz from second-hand smoke, you really need to find somewhere less smoky :smallwink:). It's a legal drug, effectively, just like alcohol.

[MartytheBioGuy]

Well, sorry if this doesn't fit the spirit of the thread as well, but how smoking feels good? I honestly wonders, because I always feel like choking whenever I smell cigarette smoke.

Ah, see, there's a lot more to it than the smell of smoke. After you get a significant amount of the stuff in your lungs, and by extension, into your veins, you get a buzz. You feel lightheaded and happy. It's relaxing, oh, so relaxing, and you feel a little more open and good about yourself. That's my experience. I also get weak in the knees and stumble around like an idiot, but I am a self-professed total lightweight. It's funny really, because I totally can't smoke and walk most of the time.

And! There's a lot of other sensations that add. Many smokers, myself possibly included, who have an oral fixation, and just having the cigarette there by the lips is pleasant, the act of smoking is fun. And there's the awesomeness of having plumes of smoke billowing from your face. I've been a fan as long as I've been smoking. It feels more than a little BA.

That's just the cigarette end, of course. The pipe and cigar crowds will talk about the class, which is a good point, and the flavors and things. Which can be a good point if you are in an area where flavored cigarettes are legal. I for one think kreteks are the most amazing things that you can inhale besides air. Too bad the USA is being silly about that right now.

So yeah.

EDIT: I just realized that you are from Indonesia, where all of the best kreteks can be found! Oh my goodness, find a clove-infused wonder and just smell it! It's like a good spice rack. And it tastes good, too. :smallsmile:

[CynicalAvocado]

Ah, see, there's a lot more to it than the smell of smoke. After you get a significant amount of the stuff in your lungs, and by extension, into your veins, you get a buzz. You feel lightheaded and happy. It's relaxing, oh, so relaxing, and you feel a little more open and good about yourself. That's my experience. I also get weak in the knees and stumble around like an idiot, but I am a self-professed total lightweight. It's funny really, because I totally can't smoke and walk most of the time.

And! There's a lot of other sensations that add. Many smokers, myself possibly included, who have an oral fixation, and just having the cigarette there by the lips is pleasant, the act of smoking is fun. And there's the awesomeness of having plumes of smoke billowing from your face. I've been a fan as long as I've been smoking. It feels more than a little BA.

That's just the cigarette end, of course. The pipe and cigar crowds will talk about the class, which is a good point, and the flavors and things. Which can be a good point if you are in an area where flavored cigarettes are legal. I for one think kreteks are the most amazing things that you can inhale besides air. Too bad the USA is being silly about that right now.

So yeah.

EDIT: I just realized that you are from Indonesia, where all of the best kreteks can be found! Oh my goodness, find a clove-infused wonder and just smell it! It's like a good spice rack. And it tastes good, too. :smallsmile:

funny story,
i read somewhere that in the states, clove cigarettes are illegal, but "filtered clove cigars" aren't

ION handrolled cigarettes, what do y'all think about them?

[Fri]

Just wanting to wave hands, because my father works as an administrator at a Deli Tobacco plantation, one of the rarest and most expensive tobacco out there :smallbiggrin:.

I don't smoke, but my father collect cigars that use his tobacco as the wrapper, and occassionally smoke them with his friends, though he only do that very rarely.

I'm used to tobacco smell since my childhood, and actually rather liking it, though I don't actually like the smoke.

[Semidi]

Me on smoking:

I don't smoke regularly, I don't have cravings or any of that nonsense. I smoke occassionally when I'm drinking (cloves usually), I do huka when I'm camping, smoke good tobacco when I have a chance, and I find pot to be kind of boring.


ION handrolled cigarettes, what do y'all think about them?

Depends on the tobacco being used. It can go really well though. Also, trust me on this, when you're at a party and everyone goes out to smoke, pop out some quality handrolled stuff and you're immediatly awesome. Only thing better is if you have a pipe.

[Salbazier]

Ah, I got it. Thanks for sharing




EDIT: I just realized that you are from Indonesia, where all of the best kreteks can be found! Oh my goodness, find a clove-infused wonder and just smell it! It's like a good spice rack. And it tastes good, too. :smallsmile:

Despite my dislike of smokes, I'm happy you love my homeland specialty :smallbiggrin:. I love clove (and pepper) smell & taste so much so I won't dispute its goodness :smallwink:

[ryleah]

I suffered from OCD for years. I was on Prozac, I went to therapy, I had no friends, the whole shebang. One of the things that I remember most about my little bout with mentle illness was the weird anger I'd feel when someone would tell me to just quit. Anyways, I eventually hit bottom and decided I was going to find a way to make a change, so I made up a routine of immersion therapy and meditation and spent two years off my meds and hating myself as I got over my problems. (Don't try this at home folks, it sucks worse than the disease and is remarkably hard to pull off)

A few years later I picked up smoking, because A) a phobia of cancer had been one of the whips my demons had used to drive me, and B) plumes of smoke billowing from your face. (thanks, MartytheBioGuy) One of the things I've noticed since I started smoking is the way smokers feel when people tell them "quitting is a matter of willpower" is the same sort of anger as I used to feel towards the people who told me to stop being crazy. My theory on that subject is that I assume you don't know. You aren't addicted the same way I am, and you probably never where. You presume to throw around words like willpower when you've never had yours truly tested, and you're wrong.

Why do we subconsciously defend our addictions like that though? I have an ill informed theory on that as well. You see most smokers identify with their addiction. I smoke, I'm a smoker. Smoking is cool, I'm cool. It may be killing me, but at least it's mine, and if you think it's ok to talk down to me from a high horse, my addiction is more on my side than you are, so go away. Smoking is cool, I'm cool.

I've quit smoking for months at a time, just to prove I could, so I know tobacco doesn't own me, but think of how scared all of those people who couldn't quit must be. How would you react if someone told you that quitting the thing that's killing you and poisoning you friends is just a "matter of willpower" and you must have something wrong with you if you can't quit.I'm actually rather shocked at the civility of this thread since the anti-smokers joined in. If Somebody said something like that to me while I was frightened I don't think I'd be able to respond politely.

Anyways, the clove ciggarillos are no-where near as tasty as the old blacks. They make you a bit woozy, and the sauce isn't nearly as robust. That's why I bought a cig press and started rolling my own. Sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in 150 proof vodka on the filters makes for an excellent substitute for djarum's blacks sauce

[TigerHunter]

've quit smoking for months at a time, just to prove I could, so I know tobacco doesn't own me, but think of how scared all of those people who couldn't quit must be. How would you react if someone told you that quitting the thing that's killing you and poisoning you friends is just a "matter of willpower" and you must have something wrong with you if you can't quit.I'm actually rather shocked at the civility of this thread since the anti-smokers joined in. If Somebody said something like that to me while I was frightened I don't think I'd be able to respond politely.
When I agreed that it's a matter of willpower, I never said just a matter of willpower. It is an addiction, and there's no shame in having difficulty or needing help to break it.

[Inhuman Bot]

Well, that depends on a lot of factors. First of all, the addiction is all a matter of willpower. If you don't want to smoke, then you don't have to.

{Scrubbed}

If you're specifically meaning cigarettes, then it's not quite as bad. Please clarify.



Well, sorry if this doesn't fit the spirit of the thread as well, but how smoking feels good? I honestly wonders, because I always feel like choking whenever I smell cigarette smoke.

I do agree that cigarettes smell gross and wouldn't smoke them myself, but the firsthand people get nicotine.

[Serpentine]

Despite my dislike of smokes, I'm happy you love my homeland specialty :smallbiggrin:. I love clove (and pepper) smell & taste so much so I won't dispute its goodness :smallwink:Come to the Australasia in the Playground thread. It's a real 'straya fest in there at the moment.

[Salbazier]

Come to the Australasia in the Playground thread. It's a real 'straya fest in there at the moment.

:smallconfused:

*read that again*

....

I swear I always read the thread title as Australian in the playground before...

:smallredface:

[Skeppio]

:smallconfused:

*read that again*

....

I swear I always read the thread title as Australian in the playground before...

:smallredface:

We've expanded our business to our neighbouring nations. :smallbiggrin:

[Serpentine]

We kinda have to, 'sthe rulez.
This whole part of the world is welcome, regardless :smallbiggrin:

Smoking... Uh... I prefer eating it?

[Dragonus45]

I figured i would pop into here to celebrate finally buying my own hookah. Because as long as i filter it through water i can pretend its not going to kill me one day :smallwink:

[Inhuman Bot]

I figured i would pop into here to celebrate finally buying my own hookah. Because as long as i filter it through water i can pretend its not going to kill me one day :smallwink:

Not sure what the fascination with Hookahs is, I hate the things myself.

[Salbazier]

What is hookah? :smallconfused:

[KuReshtin]

Hookah:

http://www.longislandpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/hookah.jpg

As far as I can tell, the green container at the bottom is filled with water, and the tobacco is at the very top.
The person smoking uses the mouth piece that's connected through the tube, and the smoke from the tobacco gets dragged down into the water which filters it and cools it down.

Or something.

[Salbazier]

Oh, that's the thing. I've only seen it at movies and comics.

[Serpentine]

Is a bong a type of simple hookah, or are they completely different smoking devices?

[Fri]

A bong is yeah, simply a simpler and more portable hookah. It's similar in purpose and function.

Hookah was quite popular around here a few years ago. For some reason, suddenly every cafe got some hookah. It's still here, but not as popular as two or three years ago.

[IonDragon]

ION handrolled cigarettes, what do y'all think about them?I'm not sure if this is dirrected at me (I don't think so, but I'll assume it was anyway so I don't seem rude by ignoring it). I like the idea of a hand rolled cigarette mostly because it makes people double take at least. Because most of the hand rolled people see is marijuana. Personally I don't think it would be for me (unless I was growing my own obviously) because of the filter.


Is a bong a type of simple hookah, or are they completely different smoking devices?Hookah requires water for the smoke to bubble through differentiating it from a water bong. However, I think it could be said that the reverse is true: a hookah is a more complicated bong.

[MountainKing]

I promise I wasn't deriding smokers or trying to convert them. I'm honestly curious. I know plenty of reasons to KEEP smoking, but I've never asked any of my peers who smoke why they smoke even knowing the risks. No matter how little you smoke, there is still an increased risk.

I have always had something of a fascination with smoking. My dad used to get cigar catalogs when I was younger, and I would read them for hours (it was mostly staring at the lighters, but still). All through high school, I was staunchly anti-smoking, and then after I graduated, I was working overnights at a grocery store. Somewhere in there, there was a girlfriend who smoked, and then a breakup, and eventually a sudden yet inevitable betrayal... and then I realized, it was getting harder and harder to stay on my feet at work. So, one day, I figured, what the heck, I'll try smoking. As a pick me up, it worked pretty well... until one day I realized the staying power I was getting was nicotine cravings, and not the nicotine itself.

After several attempts over a good year, maybe two years, I finally broke the habit, and am proud to say that I smoke now because I enjoy it. The flavors, the varying degrees of robustness, the smell (as long as it isn't stale, ugh). I've even found that the act of rolling my own cigarettes in my free time is very peaceful, and relaxing. :smallsmile:



That's actually pretty funny: I recently bought a pack of the long, thin menthol ones. HATED them.
Still, they were less than $7, so no big loss. And on that note:

I live in a... upper-class(ish) suburb of southern california, so it's kindof natural the more pricey cigarettes would be readily available. It gets less common as you go into lower income areas.
Still, they're no more than a dollar more per pack than a Marlboro or a Camel. Just how much do they run where you're getting them?
Anyways, I never liked the thin ones myself... they feel very posh and all, and they're good stuff, but they always go out on me right when a few more puffs would make the nicotine levels perfect, and by the time I get it re-lit it's all out of whack. Very annoying.:smallyuk: And as for the menthols, I'm not sure what it was, but they really roughed up my throat. I've always found the lights to be... well, just perfect. They feel like you're smoking hookah- no roughness, no sputtering or jolt, just nice, smooth, cool-burning, delicate smoke. The high you get from them isn't like a Camel, or a Parliament, or anything else packed with additives- that really energetic, forced rush. Instead, they're perfectly relaxing, smooth and delightful. Calm. Flowing rivers. Kitties.:smallbiggrin:

$10.50. You lucky, lucky fiend.


Not sure what the fascination with Hookahs is, I hate the things myself.

For being in a thread full of people who like smoking, you're being awfully negative... it's not just the post I quoted either... couldn't you please just let the smoke-enjoying persons have their thread?

[TigerHunter]

Hookah requires water for the smoke to bubble through differentiating it from a water bong. However, I think it could be said that the reverse is true: a hookah is a more complicated bong.
What do you mean by "requires"? That a hookah literally would not work without water? Why's that?

[CynicalAvocado]

I'm not sure if this is dirrected at me (I don't think so, but I'll assume it was anyway so I don't seem rude by ignoring it). I like the idea of a hand rolled cigarette mostly because it makes people double take at least. Because most of the hand rolled people see is marijuana. Personally I don't think it would be for me (unless I was growing my own obviously) because of the filter.

Hookah requires water for the smoke to bubble through differentiating it from a water bong. However, I think it could be said that the reverse is true: a hookah is a more complicated bong.

bong filters smoke through water as well

also ION = in other news, sorry for the confusion

[Gorgondantess]

You're becoming my least favorite poster. :smallannoyed:

If you're specifically meaning cigarettes, then it's not quite as bad. Please clarify.
I'm specifically meaning any kind of addiction, from crack/cocaine to heroin to alcohol to any form of tobacco to procrastination. It's simply my philosophy. I don't necessarily believe it's a simple amount of willpower- for example, a powerful heroin addiction requires more willpower than almost any person alive possesses- but it's still willpower. I believe that humanity, alone, can overcome anything with their own mind, because the human mind is the most powerful and complex object ever created. Which is why fighting an addiction is so hard- half of your mind is fighting the other half. I never said it was easy, nor did I say it could be done in one day, but anything is possible with a human's drive and ingenuity.
That's just my philosophy- take it as you will. No argument will likely tell me otherwise, and I'm sure my arguments won't affect your views.
Anyways, this is becoming a tangent, so let's just get back to the joys of tobacco.:smallbiggrin:


What do you mean by "requires"? That a hookah literally would not work without water? Why's that?
Well it would just be pointless- sortof like a really long pipe, if you didn't have water.


$10.50. You lucky, lucky fiend.
Really? That's just absurd! If you'd talked to me a few years ago I could've directed you to the Nat Sherman website, where you can order Nat Shermans for very reasonable prices- of course, this is if your tobacco store is gouging you. If Florida just has really horrible excise taxes, I don't know what I can say. Of course, due to the PACT act, they can't do that anymore- you can read about it here. (http://www.natsherman.com/customer-announcement-2010.cfm) You can also read about where to find Nat Shermans near you, or get a Nat Sherman representative to call up a tobacco store near you and encourage them to stock Nat Shermans.:smallbiggrin:

[Fri]

Sadly, chemical addiction literally messes your brain physically. It's not as simple as 'willing it.' Hell, a non physical addiction (like to video game or internet), if gone too long and too far, would become a real physical addiction because the natural morphine that your body produces.

Same with clinical depression. In real clinical depression, you can't really 'will it to end' because the chemistry in your head is literally messed up. This is something that a lot of people doesn't get. Telling an heavily addicted people or a clinically depressed people to 'man it up' is like telling someone with bloody knee to 'man it up and walk.' It does indeed can be done, but it's a lot harder than you think. You usually need physical help, like your wounded leg need brace or bandage.

[IonDragon]

bong filters smoke through water as well You're right, I was thinking of something else.


also ION = in other news, sorry for the confusion I know it has that meaning as well, just wanted to be sure.


I'm specifically meaning any kind of addiction, from crack/cocaine to heroin to alcohol to any form of tobacco to procrastination.

This is just plain wrong. Have you ever heard of the term Cold Turkey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_turkey)? Giving up an addiction can KILL YOU. It doesn't kill you simply because you're weak willed, it kills you because of the chemical alterations it has caused making it so your body no longer functions.

[Gorgondantess]

Again, I'm going to say that this is a tangent and I'd like the conversation on it to end. I can't stop you from saying your part, but it really has no place in this thread. If you'd like to continue the discussion on addiction and my views towards it, we can continue doing so via PM.

[LordOMud]

Is a bong a type of simple hookah, or are they completely different smoking devices?
Well, IMO, I've always thought that a hookah is a type of bong, but a bong isn't a type of hookah.


Just wanting to wave hands, because my father works as an administrator at a Deli Tobacco plantation, one of the rarest and most expensive tobacco out there :smallbiggrin:.

I don't smoke, but my father collect cigars that use his tobacco as the wrapper, and occassionally smoke them with his friends, though he only do that very rarely.

I'm used to tobacco smell since my childhood, and actually rather liking it, though I don't actually like the smoke.
I love Deli! That's pretty cool

[Inhuman Bot]

For being in a thread full of people who like smoking, you're being awfully negative... it's not just the post I quoted either... couldn't you please just let the smoke-enjoying persons have their thread?

Hey, it's the smoker thread, not the cigarette thread.


-snip

Please don't say this face-to-face with someone who is addicted. It's extremely rude. You've said you're not addicted, so you really can't understand what it's like. It just comes across entirely the wrong way.



Again, I'm going to say that this is a tangent and I'd like the conversation on it to end. I can't stop you from saying your part, but it really has no place in this thread. If you'd like to continue the discussion on addiction and my views towards it, we can continue doing so via PM.

Addiction is a reality involved with smoking, so I can't see why it wouldn't be related to it.

[MountainKing]

Really? That's just absurd! If you'd talked to me a few years ago I could've directed you to the Nat Sherman website, where you can order Nat Shermans for very reasonable prices- of course, this is if your tobacco store is gouging you. If Florida just has really horrible excise taxes, I don't know what I can say. Of course, due to the PACT act, they can't do that anymore- you can read about it here. (http://www.natsherman.com/customer-announcement-2010.cfm) You can also read about where to find Nat Shermans near you, or get a Nat Sherman representative to call up a tobacco store near you and encourage them to stock Nat Shermans.:smallbiggrin:

Welcome to Michigan, where we hate our smokers. :smallsigh: It's also a smoke shop on a college campus; personally, I'm glad they're not *more* expensive.


Hey, it's the smoker thread, not the cigarette thread.

Addiction is a reality involved with smoking, so I can't see why it wouldn't be related to it.

My bad, I totally forgot, you're s'posed to chew your cigarettes. :smallannoyed: You know, you remind me an awful lot of that one fellow... I think it was Renegade Paladin? The one who went on terrible rants in drink threads about how awful alcohol is... I forget the poster's name proper, but, the point stands: his negative reaction to anyone daring to post in a thread about enjoying a drink was counter-intuitive, and rather destructive, to the thread.

This is a thread for people who enjoy smoking; whether that be cigarettes, hookah, pipe, or what have you, the point is that those of us who like what we're doing, regardless of how harmful it is, want to talk about it with each other. Gorgondantess has the right of it; if you want to talk about addictions and how terrible smoking is, I'm sure you're welcome to do so via other channels. We enjoy something and you don't; that's not a reason to rain on our parade.

[Inhuman Bot]

My bad, I totally forgot, you're s'posed to chew your cigarettes. :smallannoyed:

You seem to have entirely missed my point. There's ramifications towards smoking, and that's a part of being a smoker.



This is a thread for people who enjoy smoking; whether that be cigarettes, hookah, pipe, or what have you, the point is that those of us who like what we're doing, regardless of how harmful it is, want to talk about it with each other. Gorgondantess has the right of it; if you want to talk about addictions and how terrible smoking is, I'm sure you're welcome to do so via other channels. We enjoy something and you don't; that's not a reason to rain on our parade.

You, of course, are doing no such thing. You're just protecting this thread from people who want to talk about smoking in a fashion other then "THIS IS MY FAVORITE BRAND"?

It'd be like making a thread about hockey and refusing to allow discussion about skating or fighting.



I
For being in a thread full of people who like smoking, you're being awfully negative... it's not just the post I quoted either...

I really doubt the accuracy of this statement. Unless you only read the posts I've directed towards you and Gorgondantess. In which case, nevermind I guess.

[Gorgondantess]

But this isn't "the smoking discussion thread", this is the "Smokers Unite!" thread. As in, for friendly discussion about the joys of smoking, not the serious discussion about the drawbacks. Short tangents are fine, but this is getting out of control. If you'd like to continue this, I'm really the only one defending my point, so you can continue it with me via PM. Please.

[Inhuman Bot]

But this isn't "the smoking discussion thread", this is the "Smokers Unite!" thread.

WELL PLAYED. :smalltongue:



but this is getting out of control. If you'd like to continue this, I'm really the only one defending my point, so you can continue it with me via PM. Please.

I don't feel like it's quite as bad as you're saying, but I'll drop the point.

[MartytheBioGuy]

So...

Can anyone here blow smoke rings? My older brother tried to teach me when he bought me my first cigar at 18, but I just can't get the hang of it. I've also heard, but thus far have no reason to believe, that it's easier if you smoke a pipe? I just don't get the physics of it I guess.

[MountainKing]

Alas, the closest I've ever come is on a few occasions, I found that by flicking my cigarette a certain way caused it's smoke to rise in rings. My attempt to do it with a pipe (when I still had one :smallfrown:) was deeply hindered by a sneeze, which, let's face it... Sneezes ruin everything.

[Inhuman Bot]

So...

Can anyone here blow smoke rings? My older brother tried to teach me when he bought me my first cigar at 18, but I just can't get the hang of it. I've also heard, but thus far have no reason to believe, that it's easier if you smoke a pipe? I just don't get the physics of it I guess.

I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter what you use, there's just a different technique. I don't smoke cigars, though, so this is just "Or so I heard".

[IonDragon]

I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter what you use, there's just a different technique. I don't smoke cigars, though, so this is just "Or so I heard".

You know, I was just trying this not half an hour ago before checking this thread, and no I can not. I'll probably check youtube later tonight and see if there's someone there who put up a "howto".

[LordOMud]

So...

Can anyone here blow smoke rings? My older brother tried to teach me when he bought me my first cigar at 18, but I just can't get the hang of it. I've also heard, but thus far have no reason to believe, that it's easier if you smoke a pipe? I just don't get the physics of it I guess.

My girlfriend can do it, she wont show me how though :c

[TigerHunter]

Found a convenience store downtown that sells blacks. $2 for a Bic lighter. Damned sin taxes.

[CynicalAvocado]

Found a convenience store downtown that sells blacks. $2 for a Bic lighter. Damned sin taxes.

the blacks at my local roadrunner are around 6 bucks for a pack of 5

[Gorgondantess]

the blacks at my local roadrunner are around 6 bucks for a pack of 5

...The blacks at my local cigar store are six bucks... for a pack of 12...:smalleek:

[TigerHunter]

...The blacks at my local cigar store are six bucks... for a pack of 12...:smalleek:
That's how much mine were too...

[Eldonauran]

So...

Can anyone here blow smoke rings? My older brother tried to teach me when he bought me my first cigar at 18, but I just can't get the hang of it. I've also heard, but thus far have no reason to believe, that it's easier if you smoke a pipe? I just don't get the physics of it I guess.

It is sort of similar to whistling, your tongue has a lot to do with how the rings form, along with how you use your cheek muscles and lips to roll the smoke out of your mouth.

You can get a basic understanding by sticking your tongue past your teeth and touching the inside of your lips, pulling it back slowly and pushing the smoke out of your mouth starting at the back of your jaw or throat. That should get you a 'ring-shape', or more precisely, a small cloud of smoke with a temporary hole at the center. Do NOT exhale!! That is the trick. Only push the smoke out of your mouth.

Anything more if just a matter of practise.

[MartytheBioGuy]

Thanks! I always wanted to know this, so I'll practice it as soon as I get back to college!

[IonDragon]

Found a convenience store downtown that sells blacks. $2 for a Bic lighter. Damned sin taxes.

Use matches. They're free pretty much everywhere, and they preserve the flavor of what you're smoking.

The other week I asked for matches and the gas station attendant said they were out and gave me a Bic for free.

I also like Zippo lighters. I don't use them for smoking, but they look cool and they're dirt cheap to refill if you use them even semi often. Of course, if you don't use them the fuel evaporates and is wasted. It's something like $10 for a quart tin of fuel and it only takes about 1 TBSP to fill a lighter.

[Gorgondantess]

Use matches. They're free pretty much everywhere, and they preserve the flavor of what you're smoking.

The other week I asked for matches and the gas station attendant said they were out and gave me a Bic for free.

I also like Zippo lighters. I don't use them for smoking, but they look cool and they're dirt cheap to refill if you use them even semi often. Of course, if you don't use them the fuel evaporates and is wasted. It's something like $10 for a quart tin of fuel and it only takes about 1 TBSP to fill a lighter.

I used to use matches myself, until I got my sleek n' sexy zippo lighter.:smallwink:
Half of the coolness factor of that thing is the sound when you flip the top. Priceless.:smallcool:

[CynicalAvocado]

I used to use matches myself, until I got my sleek n' sexy zippo lighter.:smallwink:
Half of the coolness factor of that thing is the sound when you flip the top. Priceless.:smallcool:

i once refilled a zippo... did a horrid job.

i didn't know the entire lighter and my hand were covered in fuel until i lit it

[IonDragon]

i once refilled a zippo... did a horrid job.

i didn't know the entire lighter and my hand were covered in fuel until i lit it

O.o Epic burn? o.O

[Gorgondantess]

i once refilled a zippo... did a horrid job.

i didn't know the entire lighter and my hand were covered in fuel until i lit it

Yeah... lighter fluid is surreptitious stuff. The same thing happened to me- lit my arm on fire. Good thing that, due to its nature, it doesn't do much harm. Anyways, I always make sure to wash my hands after refilling lighters. >.>

[IonDragon]

Yeah... lighter fluid is surreptitious stuff. The same thing happened to me- lit my arm on fire. Good thing that, due to its nature, it doesn't do much harm. Anyways, I always make sure to wash my hands after refilling lighters. >.>

It has a really low evaporation temp, you could just let yourself dry for a few seconds instead.

I found this guide (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1SoP8W7NnQ) to blowing smoke rings, and I'm going to try it in a few minutes. I have to wait until I hear back from someone before I can leave my desk.

EDIT: I guess I won't be doing this right now. It's basically the end of my shift and I'm just going to go home and try it there :/ Guy never called me.

[CynicalAvocado]

O.o Epic burn? o.O

small burn, bruised knuckles from punching a wall to stop the flames

[Worira]

Fighting fire with fight.

[MartytheBioGuy]

So I'm at my parents' house for the break, and while my dad occasionally smokes a pipe, my mom is so vehemently against smoking that she barely wants my dad to do that. She knows that my brother smokes, and has been trying to force him to quit for some time, but I haven't let her know yet that I occasionally smoke because she'd throttle me. Probably not literally, but I'd rather not press the issue. My mom means a lot to me, but that's another story altogether.

Anyway, I'm surprised to find that since it's been four-ish weeks since my last smoke, which was before I got mono and my life started to suck for a while, I am really craving a smoke. I just wanted to vent this feeling here.

[CynicalAvocado]

Fighting fire with fight.

hey, it worked in chemistry:smallannoyed::smalltongue:

[LordOMud]

To celebrate the new years, my dad bought us all some cigars :smallbiggrin: Sure, They're only black & milds, but they taste good

[Amiel]

Fighting fire with fight.

That should be the new fighting paradigm; set yourself on fire, then punch out a wall. You'll gain XP that way.


But yeah, that's pretty ouch.


To celebrate the new years, my dad bought us all some cigars :smallbiggrin: Sure, They're only black & milds, but they taste good

Were they Cuban?

[LordOMud]

Were they Cuban?

Sadly, no, but it was an over-all enjoyable experience.

[Winter_Wolf]

I am American (this is important to the story), but I live a lot of the time in China. One time way back when I was teaching English, I had a student who owned a cigar shop at the super-expensive mall across the street. She was talking about how she'd chat and smoke Cuban cigars with her customers and I should go for a puff.

To which I said, "I thought Cuban cigars were illegal." :smallsigh: :smallredface: Yeah, that was embarrassing for me. (Cuban cigars are not illegal in China.) Lost face that day.

A fine cigar is a thing of joy, too bad it's so far out of my budget.

Re: smoke rings, I had a friend in college who tried to teach me how, basically what was said above, but he even offered a "cheat": open your mouth and tap one of your cheeks to expel the smoke from your mouth. No matter which way I went, it was a trick I never mastered.

[CynicalAvocado]

I am American (this is important to the story), but I live a lot of the time in China. One time way back when I was teaching English, I had a student who owned a cigar shop at the super-expensive mall across the street. She was talking about how she'd chat and smoke Cuban cigars with her customers and I should go for a puff.

To which I said, "I thought Cuban cigars were illegal." :smallsigh: :smallredface: Yeah, that was embarrassing for me. (Cuban cigars are not illegal in China.) Lost face that day.

A fine cigar is a thing of joy, too bad it's so far out of my budget.

Re: smoke rings, I had a friend in college who tried to teach me how, basically what was said above, but he even offered a "cheat": open your mouth and tap one of your cheeks to expel the smoke from your mouth. No matter which way I went, it was a trick I never mastered.

possesion of cubans is not illegal, just the importation of them, so i've been told

[IonDragon]

possesion of cubans is not illegal, just the importation of them, so i've been told

I was actually told not long ago that importing cigars from Cuba was not illegal either, but I rather doubt the source.

In related news, I can't even kind of blow a smoke ring.

[Xyk]

I have really fun smoke-related plans tomorrow.

Me and two pretty female friends are going to go smoke some non-tobacco before going to see Dark Side of the Rainbow! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Side_of_the_Rainbow)

I am soooo excited.

[LightsOnNo1Home]

I used to be able to blow smoke rings as long as the air was very still, but I had to give up smoking due to money worries, and it was 9 months before I could pick it back up again, and somehow I had lost the ability.

Gutted, because it was quite relaxing watching them.

[Inhuman Bot]

I have really fun smoke-related plans tomorrow.

Me and two pretty female friends are going to go smoke some non-tobacco before going to see Dark Side of the Rainbow! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Side_of_the_Rainbow)

I am soooo excited.

If you mean Salvia specifically, this can only turn out well. :smallcool:

[IonDragon]

If you mean Salvia specifically, this can only turn out well. :smallcool:

Well that was a VERY interesting 45 min of reading. Who knew that stuff was legal in California? If only I had a high enough opinion of my friends to ask them to try this with me sometime... *sigh* Smoking it alone doesn't sound like a good idea, so I guess I won't be trying it any time soon :smallfrown:

[Gorgondantess]

On the mention of salvia: I tried it once, quite a bit in fact, and it did absolutely nothing for me. I believe it was... medium strength? Has anyone else tried it, and have tales of their experiences? And quantity?

[IonDragon]

I am extremely interested in trying it, but payint $40+shipping for something they may or may not send me that may or may not do anything for me seems a bit much. I am waiting to hear back from my friend who is most open to experimentation to see if he has tried it or has any so I don't have to buy way more than I will use in one sitting.

[Gorgondantess]

I am extremely interested in trying it, but payint $40+shipping for something they may or may not send me that may or may not do anything for me seems a bit much. I am waiting to hear back from my friend who is most open to experimentation to see if he has tried it or has any so I don't have to buy way more than I will use in one sitting.

It's sold in cigar stores, y'know. Where do you live in Cali?
Ahhh, central. That's problematic. Anytime you come further south, though, we've got some pretty extensive smoke shops.

[Xyk]

No, what I had was both milder than salvia and probably not permitted on these boards, but it was still a super fun experience.

[Onlyhestands]

I used to smoke a pack a day, but I beat my addiction. I now occasionally either smoke a cigar or cigarillo, or else hand-roll my own clove cigarettes.

[IonDragon]

It's sold in cigar stores, y'know. Where do you live in Cali?
Ahhh, central. That's problematic. Anytime you come further south, though, we've got some pretty extensive smoke shops.

Yeah... We have precisely one smoke shop in town. I have been informed by a friend that they do sell Salvia there. I also know from experience that they gouge prices severely and take advantage of uninformed customers. Not that I blame them, having no competition they don't have to go out of their way to get new customers.

[KuReshtin]

Yeah... We have precisely one smoke shop in town. I have been informed by a friend that they do sell Salvia there. I also know from experience that they gouge prices severely and take advantage of uninformed customers. Not that I blame them, having no competition they don't have to go out of their way to get new customers.

Sounds like a business opportunity.
Give them some competition.