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.

I grew up in the smoking age but gave up for health reasons. Although I only socially smoked I understand why people do and realise how hard it is to quit.

Disgusting and selfish. I regularly see smokers outside doorways where other people have to walk through, in queues and at bus stops where other people have to wait, outside cafes and pubs where other people want to sit, in playgrounds where little kids can smell it, on the beach where children are playing. They don’t care that they’re subjecting other people including children to their smoke.

Some truly disgraceful people even smoke in houses where children live. I’ve seen people pushing prams and buggies while smoking. The latter two should be illegal.

Smoking
Did I - yes
Do I - no
Thoughts on it - 🤮

Spent much of my childhood living with chainsmoker father. I detested him (not because of the smoking but because he was an abusive bastard) and perhaps seeing him turning the ceiling brown, coughing up god knows what every morning and smelling like fag ash put me off because I have never smoked at all.
He died aged 63 from lung cancer, the type caused by smoking. Well deserved.

Yuck I hate smoking. My job involves removing gangrenous toes and feet from life long smokers. Then watch as they go on to lose legs before dying at 50 or 60.
Yet still they smoke.
It makes your teeth fall out too. If people saw what I see they would never touch another cigarette.
Cancer is the least of their problems.

I think there is still a lot of elderly people who smoke and will never give up...it's too ingrained in them.

I'm in my forties...none of my friends or family smoke. I'll be frank, the only people I see smoking who are my sort of age are the lower classes....

Smoked from age 12 to age 32, on 30 a day when I quit
Now vape

I smoked from teens until getting pregnant at 40. Then cold turkey and now I have DS I will never smoke again. DH gave up this year. We both loved smoking and still miss it, although me much less because it's been a while.

Neither of my parents smoked. It's obviously both stupid and grim. I'm thrilled the law is going to change and my DS will never be able to buy cigarettes legally.

Never smoked but my mum did, my grandad smoked a pipe. Used to be a raft of smoke near the ceiling 😕😕 so I suppose I have passively smoked??? Hmmm

It's enjoyable.

I've never been a smoker. My mum and dad have never smoked either. I tried it once when I was about 16 and all my friends were smoking but I didn't like it.

I find it utterly revolting.

It's a dealbreaker for any future romantic relationship I may have.

I work in a hospital theatre. We can always tell a smoker. Their belongings stink, nicotine stained fingers and they struggle to breath when waking up from the anaesthetic. This then results in them having to stay in overnight when they should have been a daycase.

Disgusting and selfish - smoking affects the health of those around you more than you as the smoker. How dare a person decide they get to make that choice for me (or anyone)?

Never, can’t stand the smell.

I smoked at Uni, then gave it up.

I absolutely hate smoking, and anyone who does it near me. It’s disgusting, and I’ll make a big drama out of it if you smoke near me.

I was young and stupid when I did it. Ultimately you
must bit thick as shit if you still smoke. It’s going to kill you, and affect those around you.

Never smoked, and hate it. I'm asthmatic and it sets me off but fortunately these days that's not a big deal as I don't come across it.

BUT, FIL smokes. Never around us though, he'll go to the garden even in his own house when no one's there (thankfully as it means I can visit without getting ill). I've never had a problem with him cuddling our DDs and I do find some of the threads on smoking relatives and babies a bit OTT. I walked them up and down the main street every day in their prams, a cuddle with their lovely granda every couple of weeks is absolutely fine.

Absolutely abhor it. When I discovered DH smoked (before we married) it was almost breaking point for me. Despite him never doing it in front of me, he knew I hated it.

I have now discovered DS vapes, I have told him to never ever to do it in the house, I recently smelled it and read him the riot act. He is an adult but he needs to obey house rules.

Not really, it’s just addictive. Most people start as children when they don’t know better and are more susceptible to environmental pressures/influences. Once you start, it’s extremely difficult to stop.

You do know lots of Drs / academics / lawyers / engineers / scientists smoke? I suppose it’s just because they’re all thick.

Such a simple view of the world doesn’t demonstrate much intelligence.

No, I’m not a smoker.

Tried it at 13, sat in my parents car with my friend (parents left the packet and left us in the car to nip in B&Q). Made me feel sick.
Parents eventually both quit, as I would follow them around coughing, they would try and leave the room to have a puff but I had other ideas. I can remember my mum bleaching her hands to get the yellow stains off.

Smoked from 14- 25 fairly heavily and then again about 29-31 socially. If it didn't stink, wasn't ridiculously expensive, was socially acceptable and didn't potentially kill you I'd still smoke. I enjoyed smoking.

I've never been a smoker and have been anti-smoking since I was a young child.
I was repulsed by smoking from an early age and never wanted to try it myself.

I was overjoyed when smoking was finally banned in pubs and restaurants and other public places. The next move, I feel, is to prohibit smoking anywhere near to where people are eating, which would include pub gardens, pavement cafés and the like.

Both parents smoked very heavily. In the house, car, everywhere. It ruined everything. Everything stank and was tar-greasy/tainted. Everything out of the house was built around fag breaks and the money spent was ridiculous. I sincerely believe it contributed to the early death of several pet dogs. Now my mum is dying of COPD and my dad is pushing 80 and ok and still smoking and using this as proof it is fine, despite his wife being unable to climb the stairs without a break.

The worst thing of it all has been their attitude. They used to blame us kids for them needing to smoke, could not give 2 shits when we didn't want to go to school or friends' houses with smelly clothes, and would get very aggressive when we begged then to stop or cut down. They genuinely do not belive it smells or is harmful at all. I understand now that that is cognitive dissonance but I also know it has irreparably damaged our relationship and I don't think I have even touched my parents since I was early teens due to the constant stink.

Shit to know you come a vanishing second to smoking.

I am aware I sound a bit unhinged about it! I am hyper aware of it and cannot believe the amount of smoking still going on in tv and films, even discounting period pieces. I work in investment and sadly tobacco companies are still safe investments. So horrible.

Growing up everyone around me smoked, they have all since quit. I smoked from 13-25 when I got pregnant. Post pregnancy I moved to vaping as the cravings were awful due to terrible mental health. I've vaped ever since. I do however smoke when on a night out. I carry around cigarettes with me daily however I bought that pack of 20 on new years eve and there are still 13 left as they are now stale and taste rank but I won't buy more/throw money away, so one after a couple of drinks is enough to stem the craving.

I also get the issue people have with vaping. I have always made sure to never use the ones that make huge clouds, never use hideously sickly sweet vape juice etc. Try and be as respectful as possible with it as I know people love to hate it as much as smoking.

Never smoked, I loathe the stink.

If I was ever going to start it would have been during my severely depressed self-harming phase, so I’m glad it didn’t occur to me.

Both parents smoked. 20+ a day each. They were born in the 1930s so it was the norm by the 1950s. I never did. Had a job working in clubs in the 70s and 80s and the air was just a fog. Clothes in the wash every night. The house interiors were yellow with nicotine.Look at the old films of the 50s onwards. Ashtrays, continual smoking etc. My father did stop after bronchial issues but had a pipe. My mother in her 60s brought 3000 cigarettes home from Spain!!!! They were cheap. I had years of pleading with her to stop. When she got ill and got the diagnosis she stopped but it was too late sadly. Can't understand how people can afford to smoke given the cost and the known issues. I consider vaping to be a similar issue waiting to happen