If so, when did you start, how many per day, and why do you do it?
1. Yes I do.
2. I had my first cigarette at 13 when I was naive and "rebelling" after my beloved grandmother died and my "friends" at the time told me to not listen to all the warnings and in fact smoking would be stress relief and help my chubby-at-the-time self lose some weight to look more like them. Stupidly, very very stupidly, I listened. I realised I was a pack a day smoker when I was about 14-15.
3. Just < 25 a day to very > 25 a day (a packet a day). Depends on the day. If it's a very stressful day I can smoke 25 in about 3-4 hours. If I'm chilled I can smoke 15ish cigarettes and be okay.
4. I'm addicted and I don't feel like I am capable of quitting at this time. I've quit other addictions before but this one is like my psychological "blanket". I also know that if you don't want to quit you won't be able to and right now I'm focusing on my studies and don't want to hurt my family. Yes; fluffy, weak excuses you'd all probably say and flame me for but this is honestly why.
Lets face it:
-If money bothered smokers so much, we wouldn't keep smoking.
-If we weren't addicted we wouldn't smoke (except in the case of casual or "party" smokers, whom I just don't understand. This addiction is like a disease for me).
-Most of us know it's wrong yet we still keep doing it because of nicotine's power.
>_< Kill me please... If I ever quit smoking I think I'll die of shock anyway. I'm 21 and have smoked for 8-9 years. I have no memory of being a teen and not smoking. The helplines are not very helpful. I have tried quitting.
When I'm ready I may even go to a rehab clinic to try to quit.
Note: Not every smoker is quite as deeply addicted as I am. There is hope for most of you. No amount of bribes from my parents have been enough.
Call me stupid. In this, I am.
If I quit smoking, my parents have told me they will:
-pay for a gym membership
-buy me a car
-help me save the money from smoking and invest it
-send me away on a round-the-world-trip for as long as I wish with whoever I'd like to go with
-pay for uber-expensive teeth-whitening (mine aren't exactly yellow or anything, but just to keep me from smoking and keep me looking good)
-probably give me whatever I spent on cigarettes as spending money on anything.
If I quit smoking, I will:
-be able to breathe
-be able to sing again
-be able to exercise properly
-not have as bad asthma
-not have as bad bronchitis when I get sick and get better much faster
-have more money
-the benefits my parents said they'd give me
-be far healthier
-probably be healthier
However, I need to find a new way to deal with things. Psychiatrists FTW.
To anyone who doesn't smoke, or smokes casually, please stop while you can so you don't end up like me. Smoking does
not, I repeat
NOT lower your stress levels as it actually increases your heart-rate, stressing you out more. The only "lower stress level" you will experience will be from the dopamine release after getting your hit of nicotine which you were craving.