to think that people with asthma who smoke are selfish?

[quaginty]

People with bad asthma/copd/other lung conditions who cost NHS hundreds of pounds for treatment then fuck up the treatment by smoking.

Wonder why they feel shit then go have another fag at the hospital door then back up for more meds!

It doesn't make it impossible to stop but it does make it much harder and to tackle any addiction you have to be in the right frame of mind which is much easier said than done. The idea that because some can everyone should be able to just doesn't work.

My grandfather smoked his whole life. He used it as a dress buster when ill like many do which was part of the vicious circle which ultimately killed him. He tried and failed to give up many times. I wish he had managed to give up but he didn't. When life is shit because of illness you often don't feel like tackling a demon and making things even worse

Some people can quit relatively easily, lots of people can stop with some difficulty and with varying levels of help, some fail repeatedly for their entire lives, no matter how much help and support they are given - generally the sorts of smokers we are discussing on this thread. For a certain number of smokers, harm reduction routes are their best hope - things like ecigs or 'maintenance' NRT, where someone essentially uses gum, patches etc. very long term (more commonly prescribed than you'd think, especially in MH).

I am very pleased you managed to quit though, well done.

and of course quitting doesn't undo the damage done anyway. My aunt was asthmatic, quit smoking but still died of an attack in her 40s. Life isn't always as black and white as some would like to think.

My brother smokes, he had chronic asthma. He tries and fails to give up. Doesn't help his non asthmatic wife smokes.

My mum and I have tried warning him to no avail.

I can't answer why I give up with giving up - I don't blame mental health issues or anything else really. I'm just weak.
I've stopped for 27 months (3 x pregnant) and restarted a few weeks after every time. I've also tried a few times since with patches but haven't suceeded.
I'm lucky (if you can call it that) in that smoke surprisingly isn't a trigger for my asthma, it obviously doesn't help and I know my lungs would deal with triggers a lot better if I didn't smoke.
I'm determined that I will eventually quit, the thought of emphesema/copd terrifies me.
I've already cut down a lot. There's only maybe 3 or 4 cigs daily that I actually enjoy - the rest because I need one or out of habit.

Sirzy
I always doubt the ' if you haven't smoked for 15 years (or whatever) then you'll have the lungs of a non smoker' I think thats rubbish tbh - yes they will be clearer and more healthy and take in better quality air but I really can't see that they'll ever be like a non smokers.