NON-SMOKERS - what made you decide NOT to experiment with cigarettes?

[FrannyandZooey]

Was there a reason, something someone said to you? I am especially interested in hearing from people who were tempted or who dallied with cigarettes but then decided not to take the risk of continued experimentation. I am cutting and pasting from the other thread I just started, asking smokers what would have encouraged them not to start, but realised it made more sense to ask the people who didn't get hooked - what stopped you?

From the other thread:

I have a friend who is 17 and just starting to have the odd cigarette when out with friends. She feels bad about it, and doesn't want to become addicted, but enjoys trying them and wants to "live life to the full" - experimenting being part of that.

She confessed this to me and I think she partly wants me to have a go at her and make her promise me she won't do it again. What can I say to her? I don't feel that promising another person not to smoke will have any effect, but just worsen her self-esteem if she chooses to smoke again.

I told her I personally wished I had never smoked - told her she WILL get addicted if she keeps having the odd one - and talked about the thousands of pounds I have spent on cigarettes, the wrinkles she can plainly see I have from smoking, and the fact I seem to have some kind of asthma now and for all I know, I will get lung cancer one day.

I also told her it makes you stink and that men that smoke can't get it up so well

I don't see what a lecture will achieve here but I would dearly like to be able to say something that will strike home with her and dissuade her from years of addiction that I had.

I worked as her nanny for several years and now we often go out together as friends so I think she sees me in a sort of big sister type role.

[skirmish]

obviously no non-smokers around tonight

[Aufish]

For me it was watching my grandfather dying from a brain tumour and chain smoking that put me off for life. I was 10 years old at the time and have never ever smoked. Seeing the effects of smoking really hit home for me.

[FrannyandZooey]

Oh god Aufish I am sorry to hear that

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

I am a non smoker and have never wanted to try smoking.

My grandparents (my Mother's parents) were both heavy smokers and had smoked since their teens (this was in the days when the dangers of smoking were simply not recognised). They smoked both filtered and unfiltered cigarettes. They stank their house out with smoke and when we visited with them we also came home smelling of smoke too.

In later years they both gave up smoking thankfully but it was too late for both of them unfortunately. Their long term damage had already been done and it shortened their life expectancies accordingly.

My grandad died from lung and bladder cancer (attributed to smoking) and my Nan died of MDS - a leukaemia related blood disorder. This the cons confirmed was primarily due to her smoking habit (and by that time she had given up smoking 10 years prior). He also commented that she had been particularly "unlucky" to contract this. The risks associated with lung cancer and smoking are well known these days, if my grandparents had been fully aware of the risks involved perhaps they would never have started.

Neither had what I would term a "good death" - peaceful and surrounded by family in their final days. My Nan's passing in particular was marked by a team of people trying frantically to save her when the blood transfusion went badly wrong. My Mum who had been summonsed to the hospital urgently that day was therefore kept away from her.

These two were and remain two of my favourite people in the entire world. My sense of loss at their passing is still acute; infact I have tears now.

[tribpot]

Like Califrau - never so much as wanted to experiment, in fact even at uni, it was only when I moved to Scotland that I smoked on one or two occasions when drunk, at college or not long after.

I might say, try having a smear test the morning after you've drunk a SHED load of champagne and smoked about 5 fags one after the other, and you'll know why smoking is evil

It never appealed to me at all, my mouth felt like a bloody chimney, it was disgusting.

There are so many more important things about life to experience than "what is it like to be addicted to nicotine?" - and she might have more of a life to experience things if she doesn't find that one out.

[raspberryberet]

The fact my parents both smoked had a lot to do with the fact that I don't. I hated them smoking. It made the house horrible to be in - the walls were brown, the curtains held onto the stink of their cigarettes. It made me wheeze, made my eyes sting, and it made me stink. I could smell it on my clothes, my hair, everywhere, and I thought it was just the most revolting thing to do - to make yourself and everyone around you stink and wheeze.

Plus my grandfather smoked like a factory chimney, despite the fact that he had emphysema - caused by the cigarettes. Seeing him gasping for breath and having to use a nebuliser for hours every day was horrible. His hands were stained, and so was his hair - he had a dirty yellow streak at the front where the smoke hit it and he was really embarrassed by it. He died on the operating table when he went in for routine surgery; his lungs couldn't cope because of his heavy smoking.

His smoking also affected my grandma, she had never smoked but when she went to hospital for surgery, the anaesthetist told her off because he thought she had lied - she had told him she was a non-smoker and he had adjusted the anaesthetic accordingly, but having lived with him for years she had the lungs of a smoker and the anaesthetic made her really ill because of the passive smoking.

I briefly went out with a smoker when I was 17. When I kissed him it was like kissing a wet ashtray ... not very attractive.

[DumbledoresGirl]

What is to say we did not experiment? I smoked a few ags when aged 15 on my school German exchange trip. Cigarette machines were on every street corner in Germany in those days and a packet cost 3 Marks which was the equivalent of about 75p but a mark was the exact same size as a 5p piece so we went armed with loads of 5ps and bought packets for 15p!

It was just a bit of fun and rebellion - harmless compared with what so many 15 year olds get up to nowadays.

I didn't take up smoking for good because I had been brought up knowing only too well what physical damage smoking did your body (both parents were doctors and dead against smoking) and I had (have) no desire to damage my health.

[FrannyandZooey]

Ah but many people start that way and end up getting addicted, DG

I think most smokers know the harm it can do and have no specific intention to harm themselves

I agree I think there are worse things but smoking is so addictive, so injurious to health, and this girl has confided her worries in me. I think she wants someone to stop her carrying on.

[choosyfloosy]

sorry, never really tempted either

my dad used to stub out his cigarette in his half-finished boiled egg - while I was eating my breakfast - used to make me heave. And me or my mum were supposed to clear it up, and run around for ashtrays for him. i've heard stats saying children of smokers are more likely to smoke and that amazes me. what better way to rebel against your parents than refuse to take up their foul habit?

[DumbledoresGirl]

Oh don't get me wrong, I think it is an iniquitous habit. By saying it was harmless, I was speaking only of my experience and I meant that, when my friends and I had our little experimentation, we none of did ourselves any harm or got drawn into smoking full time.

TBH, I find it very hard to understand why people get drawn into it seriously in the first place (before they get addicted and need the nicotine as an aid). Surely no-one these days can say they don't know the effects smoking has on the body? I suppose some people just don't value their health as much as others....that can't be right, can it?

[Bink]

I tried to smoke, a bit, but it gave me the runs. Couldn't see the point of keeping trying.

I wonder if there is a correlation between sensitive tum/bowels & non-smoking.

[juicychops]

Ive always hated it the smell, the haggered look some people end up with, yellow teeth, yellow walls in their house, everything about it.

I tried it when drunk one night and deeply regretted it in the morning when my mouth tasted like an ashtray! its gross and uncool and unsexy and just YUCK!!!

[suedonim]

Both my parents smoked, cigs for mum, dad a pipe. My grandad lived with us and he smoked cigs too.

The health issues weren't widely disseminated when I was young so my dislike of smoking was centred on the way it exacerbated colds/sore throats/coughs, which I had rather often (because I was living with smokers??). I could barely breath and I'd get a horrible smell and taste in my mouth, throat and nose, and felt as though I was choking. In addition, my throat would feel as though it was scraped raw.

However, I did experiment once with cigs. I don't ever recall having a yearning to try it but one day my mum was off somewhere and she'd left a butt-end in the ashtray (do you know, I don't think I've seen ashtrays for sale for years!). In an impulsive moment I picked it up, lit it and inhaled a bit. I began spluttering and coughing before I'd even put the fag down again and struggled so much to breath that I was fairly sure I was going to die on the spot, much to my bro's alarm! I've never touched a cigarette since, it wasn't for me.

I know studies have shown that the children of smokers are more likely to smoke than those of non-smokers but out of the four of us, only my sister has smoked. And she's the least likely one to have taken it up as she was fastidious in her personal habits and very prim and proper - but she eventually progressed to rolling her own.

Grandpa died in his mid-80's of some sort of mouth/throat cancer, dad in his 90's, of prostate cancer. He gave up smoking for about the last 10yrs of his life. Mum gave up nearly 20yrs ago, I think, and is now 79yo and minus the hacking cough she'd always had. Sis gave up years ago as well, I suspect at the behest of her children. Oddly enough, though, I don't mind the smell of pipe tobacco, it's much 'leafier' and reminds me of snuggling into my dad as a child. But not enough to make me want to take up pipe smoking!

I think all three of my older children have had a go at smoking but none of them smokes now, afaik.

[sammac]

I hated the look and smell of ashtrays, specially the overflowing ones, still can't bear to touch one which was useless when I worked in a bar as a student.

Also the way the smell stuck to you- used to come home and wash my hair whatever the time.

When I met dh he smoked- I had vowed never to go out with a smoker- but obviously there must have been something about him He gave up years ago thankfully

[hillary]

I did smoke (for weight issues & because I was a rebellious(sp?)) but I gave it up when I found out I was pregnant. Its been nearly 5 years now and there's no way I'd have another cigarette.

I stopped because I'm a mum now and its all very well doing harm to yourself when you have nobody who relies on you but its different now. It effects the babies/childrens health you loose all sense of smell, your clothes stink as does your house & its blooming cold outside in the winter when you need a fag!

Its discusting, I hate to see a mother smoking when they have babies/children

[mammaduck]

Have chronic asthma.

[expatinscotland]

My MIL is the most anti-smoking person I've met.

An only child, she and her mother watched her father die slowly and agonisingly from emphysema.

It took years.

He died when she was 15.

She never, ever smoked.

In fact, when FIL met her, he smoked.

He was mad for her.

She told him, 'Sorry, you smoke. I'm not going out with you.'

So he quit for good.

[twelveyeargap]

Both my parents smoked when I was a child. The memory of sitting in a small car, with no windows open and both of them smoking. Euuuggghhh. The smell. The horrible feeling in your chest.

No way I'd ever smoke.

[Swizzler]

too boring (me, not smoking )

[NutterlyUts]

I've never tried a cigarette, nor wanted to.

My parents smoked when I was growing up, and my mum quit when I was about 5.

I'm not sure why I've never wanted to smoke? The smell doesn't bother me (reminds me of my dad.. in a good way ) and I used to live in a shared house where all the other people used to smoke. I can't even say its down to strong willpower, as its not that.. I've just never felt the need.

I do worry for my dad daily due to him smoking. My biggest fear is he gets cancer, and to his credit he has cut right down from 20 a day to a maximum of 10 a week, but its still 10 too many

[raspberries]

Tried it and didn't like it, didn't see any point in doing it again!

[puddle]

My dad's health was wrecked by smoking. He died of smoking related causes aged 70. He knew my ds for a year and he never met my daughter. He wan't at my wedding and he is missing his four grandchildren grow up. My mum misses him every day of her life. I feel angry with him - I feel he was too weak and he didn't value his life - with us- enough.

One of my strongest memories is when I was about 6 and cut my foot at the beach. The pain was awful. the cut was bleeding badly and I was scared. But I was worried about my dad who had to carry me up a cliff to the car. He was wheezing and puffing - we had to stop several time - I remember being really scared that I would be the cause of his death.

I was the only girl in my group of friends not to smoke. I still hung out behind the bikesheds but I never wanted to smoke - I was just there for the company! I saw what it resulted in. I was always a cool girl - I never needed to smoke to fit in. I have 5 very old good friends from school - they say they envy me, they should never have started. We are all 40 now and three of my oldest friends still smoke. I worry about them all.

[Nightynight]

I was a loner/swot, so no peer pressure.

I believed all the anti smoking propaganda we were told at school.

I was scared of dying of cancer.

I had no money.

My mother let us try a cigarette when we were around 6, it was repulsive, so I had no further curiosity.

We didnt know anyone who smoked apart from a few saddos who rushed off to the changing room loos after our A levels for a smoke, so it didnt seem like normal behaviour.