Smoking - did you? Do you? What are your thoughts on smoking..?

[MorningHood]

Inspired by another thread about smoking around a baby.. I’m curious what people think of smoking in society these days?

Were you a smoker or have you never smoked? Did your parents/close family smoke around you growing up? Do they still smoke? Have you lost family members as a direct result?

Personally I smoked from mid teens till early 20’s, mainly socially, but daily and was definitely addicted. Although it was around 5-10 per day unless I was on a ‘big night out’ where it was more like 20+! I gave up for 2 years in my mid 20’s and then foolishly started again when I was late 20’s, again socially and this went on/off till I was early 30’s when I quit for good.

Both my parents / step-parents smoke(d) and I lost one parent to COPD in their early 60’s. Other parent and partner both smoke and are SO adamant about never stopping to the point it’s caused family arguments as one of them clearly has some breathing issues. They are very good about not smoking around grandchildren and don’t smoke inside the house though (anymore).

I find smoking just utterly detestable now, it truly stinks and it’s hard to get the smell out of fabrics etc. It’s also outrageously expensive.

Never smoked, my husband did and I hated it.
Apart from the money, it's the awful smell and I think in general smokers are quite selfish. I hate walking past a group smoking now, especially outside hospitals, out for a cigarette whilst on a drip.
I may be biased as I've lung cancer, which metastasised from a previous cancer, still affects my breathing though.

Hate it. I’ve never smoked and I’m really proud of that because nearly everyone in my family smoked.

I hated sitting in the smoking area of restaurants and being stuck in the car full of smoke.

Dad smoked until his 50s until he was diagnosed with COPD which we lost him too at 78, awful disease. Mum continued to smoke secretly for a few years after he was diagnosed before she gave up.

I smoked from 18 until I was 34 and pregnant. Then gave up cold turkey.

Grandmothers both smoked. One died in her 70s the other in her late 90s.

The only people I know now who smoke is my DSIS and one of my DSIL.

I hate smoking now, since I was pregnant 20 years ago the smell of it makes me very nauseous and gives me a banging headache, I won't be in the close company of smokers if the have had a recent ciggie as even the smell from their clothes makes me feel ill now.

Never smoked. Not a single cigarette. My parents smoked and I loathed it. I hated the fact that my clothes reeked of smoke. It was enough to put me off for life! It's always struck me as such a stupid, pointless thing to get addicted to. At least hard drugs have some majorly mind-altering effects. All cigarettes do is act as an extremely mild stimulant, make you smell, ruin your health and possibly kill you. Baffling.

Never even tried, grew up where both grandmothers smoked, grandad on one side and my aunt and uncle bloody hated it, felt like a stank, likely did and used to sit at Christmas in a haze of smoke. Revolting never been with anyone who smokes either. My mother tried to smoke near my asthmatic son, total selfishness!

Tried it when I was 13 out of rebellion, then smoked on and off until I was 29.

DM smoked and I despised how it made my school uniform and clothes smell, hated her smoking in the car (amount of times I would have to say wind the window down), she also drank coffee and the smell of coffee, sweat and fags put me off. I think it affected her skin. I always knew I never wanted to smoke in adult life so quitting was not if but when.

She still smokes and will never quit. DB also smokes and I suspect will be diagnosed with COPD at some point as he also smokes cannabis. DM had a lung check and her lungs are the same as a 120 year old. She is 75. Her hands are almost permanently blue.

It's a disgusting habit. Anyone smoking over the age of 35 is storing up health problems.

Unrelatedly I was diagnosed with a rare condition (not linked to smoking although who knows- smoking causes hundreds of gene mutations) and DM still smokes around me. Utter selfishness.

I smoked until 35 or so. Most of my friends smoked. Now my DH is one of only three people in our circle who smoke. The rest have all stopped.

We've all started running marathons instead.

My mum and dad were heavy smokers, they divorced and their partners were also heavy smokers.

My step dad died of a heart attack at 60, my mum died of a stroke at 72. My dad and his partner stopped smoking when they were 60 ish and both still healthy now.

Never. They had a diseased lung in a glass case at primary school....

Couldn't see the appeal, nasty smell and a waste of money. DF smoked a pipe, it was maybe rare for men who'd been in WWII not to smoke at all, but he gave it up - I think perhaps he was starting to get bronchitis so he just threw it out and quit.

I tried it when I was around 14 and didn’t like it. I hate the smell too.
I’d never date a smoker, or a vaper- it just seems pointless.

Never smoked. Late parents in the 50s used to make me go to the local shop (small village,) for cigarettes on tick. Smoking at the table was normal. I used to position the sauce bottles round the ash tray. Late d was disabled often unable to work. They used to collect the cigarette butts in the fireplace and make more. Ldm decided she was quitting and did,df carried on, even smoking in the room when she was dying of lung cancer at 64
Said he was too stressed to stop
He married a non smoker, gave up completely for 6 months, started again always 60 a day. Died of oesophageal cancer! To this day, ashtrays turn my stomach and dog ends.

I smoked from the age of 14 to about 40. Heavily.
I started by smoking my parents dog ends.

I've been stopped ten years now and the smell of cigarettes makes me feel very nauseated. It smells revolting.

Oddly it smells worse now as an ex smoker than it did before I started.

I grew up surrounded by people who smoked - my parents, grandparents, everyone. It never turned my stomach like it does now. I don't know why it's so much worse.

I remember that I kidded myself I didn't smell like a rancid ashtray and I now realise I absolutely did.

My grandparents all lived into their 80s. My dad died of a massive stroke in his 60s. My mum gave up smoking about 20 years ago and her lungs are still buggered.

I've got COPD and all sorts and I'm pretty much fucked.

I smoked for 30 years.
I gave up in 2016.
I honestly could still smoke now ( I don't)
I miss smoking and enjoyed smoking.

I smoked from age 15-43. I'm now 50.

Totally addicted and tried to quit from age 20'onwards. Many, many failed attempts until I used champix.

Both my parents, DH and most people I knew smoked. All but two have now quit.

It's really, really hard to quit and I feel sympathy, not judgement for those who've not achieved it yet.

In my early 50s, never smoked. Not a single one. Grew up in a household where my dad smoked cigars and hated it. Hated the smell and everything about it, just awful. In my uni years and 20s lots of people smoked, in pubs and clubs, in restaurants, in planes. Smoking room in every workplace.

I am so glad that this is no longer the norm. It's a filthy, disgusting habit with no redeeming features at all. I would hugely judge anyone who thought it was appropriate to smoke around people of any age, children even more so.

Yes, I smoke but I live alone and smoke mostly at home. Obviously I can't at work. I wouldn't dream of lighting up if it was inappropriate or unpleasant for other people. I usually sneak off to some far flung place away from everyone.

I did actually give up 9 years ago but my husband dropped dead in front of me in 2016 and I started again.

I started smoking mid teens and from late teens onwards was an enthusiastic and heavy smoker. Facilitated by many years as a student and then freelancer. Tried many attempts at quitting from about 20 onwards. Gave up for around 1.5 years at 30, started again and continued through triathlon training at 32, then finally quit for good at 33.

I am so glad I quit – I am still astounded that I managed to do it and it remains one of my proudest achievements. I really suspected I would always smoke as it seems so unimaginable to be a permanent non-smoker when you’re addicted. Particularly if you’ve smoked your entire adult life.

It punctuates your days and conducts the ebb and flow of your energy. I think you imagine as a smoker you’ll feel permanently deprived when you stop, and it marks the end of being carefree (I always associated it with being young enough not to worry about it, and always thought smokers over 30 looked a bit grim).

I don’t miss it at all and find it hard to believe I ever did it. I sometimes enjoy the smell of second hand smoke in the air, but smokers themselves smell vile – not smoky but chemical-y and nauseating.

I hope it dies out. Such a pointless destructive addiction.

I smoked from early twenties to mid thirties. Now forty. Very much the cliché of an ex smoker. I hate the smell. Just lost a friend in his early 50s to lung cancer. Can't understand why they're still sold. Want to smack them out of teenagers' smelly hands. Etc.

I was a social smoker for years - so the amount I smoked was directly related to how much I was going out at the time. Now mid-40s and I don’t think I’ve had a single cigarette for a couple of years now - I have max one or two a year which I don’t see as being an issue!

I can’t stand the smell of stale cigarette smoke, but the smell of a freshly lit cigarette still gets me.

I smoke. A handful a day.
It's my only vice and ridiculous as I'm so careful about what I eat, exercise regularly and don't drink.
And smoking is obviously so bad for you.
I'd like to give up for my health but I really like it....

Used to smoke regularly but not anymore. Will have the odd cigarette on a night out if someone else is smoking.

My parents smoked around me and mum smoked heavily when pregnant with all her children. I'm pissed off about it although I realise the risks weren't quite as clear then.

I don't and never have smoked around children and never smoked in my house.

When I was a smoker I wouldn't have had a cigarette before spending time with babies or children.

I wouldn't take a baby to the house of a heavy smoker and wouldn't have them around my baby.

It is something I'd sacrifice a relationship with friends/family members over. If they don't give enough of a shit about my child then they don't get to be around them.

I did as a young adult but quit 20 years ago. I'm so glad I did. I've only found out recently that it doubles the healing time for fractures and for some fractures, makes surgery automatic.

I smoked from about 14/15 until late 20s, this was in the 70s and early 80s when a lot smoked, I used to smoke on the bus to work, then most of us in the office smoked so it was probably about 5-10 generally and 20 on a night out.

My parents didn't smoke but my granddad did, he lost his leg when he was about 90 from smoking, though he did well and lived until 95.

Like you, OP, I hate the smell of it now

Thank you for this. I am one week into a hopefully final attempt to quit. I’ve smoked since I was 13, I’m 46 now. I wasn’t a particularly heavy smoker but just knew I needed to stop. I’m determined and starting already to shrink away from the idea of smoking 🤞

I was born in 1989 and have never smoked. I have tried a cigarette a couple of times at school and didn't like it. Neither of my parents are smokers.

My grandfather was a smoker (although he quit about 5 years ago) my grandmother was not. Of their 3 children, one of them is a smoker (my aunt) 2 were not (my mum and my uncle). My aunt's children are both smokers, me and my uncle's children are not smokers.

Both me and DH smoke. My mum smokes. His parents smoked. My dad quit when I was 3. I'm nearly 40.