# Should I take up smoking? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 15, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389 "2005-04-15T00:19:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/21 "2005-04-15T01:00:12Z")
> [@Happy Scrappy Hero Pup](#): > > About six months after I quit smoking, I kissed a smoker. > Oh my GOD, it tasted like licking out an ashtray. > I called every non-smoking ex with whom I was still on speaking terms and apologized. > You will taste like ASS, and women (or men, or whatever you’re trying to attract) will avoid you. > Trust me. Well, if you smoke and you kiss a smoker it tastes good, in fact, during my periods of non-smoking I still kinda liked it. 😃 But to the OP, don’t be a doofus. Starting smoking at your age is a ridiculous notion. However, I think you already know that, so stop being silly. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/22 "2005-04-15T01:01:45Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I like the smell. I always have, despite opinions to the contrary. The fresh smell isn’t so bad, it’s the smell when it’s been soaking into all the textiles in your house or upon your person that’s bad. Unless you like that too, which I guess someone could, but I personally couldn’t understand how someone could. To each his own, I guess. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/23 "2005-04-15T01:04:06Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I like the smell. I always have, despite opinions to the contrary. Incidentally, I love the smell of cigarettes. I used to smoke. It’s like herion, the addiction never goes away. Ever. It’s the worst habit I ever took up, the unhealthiest, and the hardest to break. However, that musty, smoky, nasty smell gets into your clothes, furniture, stains the walls, ceilings… and it stinks. Old smoke stinks. It’s like mold. Blech. If you like it now, you’ll hate it when you try to quit - it will make you sick. ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/24 "2005-04-15T01:05:30Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > It wasn’t a joke thread. I looked at the fact that there seem to be a heck of a lot more smokers than non-smokers and wondered why. Its a combination of nicotine addiction and stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![Kyyrewyyoae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Kyyrewyyoae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyyrewyyoae)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/25 "2005-04-15T01:13:40Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I’ve never smoked in my life, and I know the best way to quit is never start. But the only reason I never smoked was a disaproval of it and it’s effects on human psychology. Back then I was a right-thinking closed-minded fool. I’ve since switched to the left (it was fairly gradual) so I understand vices and the need to have them. I also think each to their own where the particular vice of smoking is concerned. So many peolple seem to do it. > My anti-smoking stance was strong enough that I’ve never smoked and I am in my middle twenties. > > What is the appeal of smoking? Do you (only smokers need reply) think I should take it up? Stay away from cigarettes, to be sure. You may want to try a nice cigar or pipe though. I have a few cigars a month, and I can honestly say it’s not an addiction. They smell and taste good (to me). Lung cancer and nicotine addiction aren’t inevitable with tobacco. Use common sense and moderation. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/26 "2005-04-15T01:16:45Z")
If I thought the OP was sincere I’d respond in more depth, but instead I’ll respond “Your life, wha’ever wha’ever, you do what you want!” ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/27 "2005-04-15T01:26:32Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > In posting, I did wonder, as someone who enjoys heavy drinking, if smoking had an equivalent appeal. It seems it doesn’t. It does to me. I’ve smoked off and on for the past 10 years or so. I’ll quit for a few months, smoke on the weekends, quit for a few years, smoke everyday, back and forth. When I say ‘quit’, I don’t mean I buy gums or patches or chew my nails or gain weight or even crave a cigarette, I just don’t smoke. I found out (accepted) that I have asthma about a year ago, and have since really only smoked a cigarette or two (sometimes more, sometimes none) on the weekends when I tend to drink more. Right now I’m training for a 100 mile bike ride, so I won’t smoke for the next month or so, and haven’t smoked at all in the past 2 or 3 weeks. After the ride, I might not ever smoke again, I might smoke a cigarette at the finish line, I might smoke a pack in a week, or a pack in a month, who knows. Why? Because I like it. It holds nearly the same appeal to me as drinking a beer or a glass of wine. I enjoy it. Sometimes. And once or twice a year or so I’ll crave a cigar, or a pipe, or the hookah. Most definitely not the norm, but for me it is just sometimes pleasurable, not an addiction. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/28 "2005-04-15T01:39:50Z")
While I’d never advocate smoking, and would implore anyone giving it serious thought to give it even more thought, I doubt I’ll ever fully quit. Smoking, aside from all its chemical “niceties” and effects has had one major benefit to me. Almost every friend I’ve ever made at work has been someone I met in the smoking area. For me, it’s been easier to strike up a conversation when I’m just hanging around having a smoke. I smoke much less than I used to - at most half a pack a day, but generally around 5 or 6. If I truly wanted to, I’m pretty sure I could quit, but I have a hard time letting go of the one thing that lets me meet other people. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/29 "2005-04-15T02:17:21Z")
For everyone who says they can take or leave smoking, there are probably 10 or 20 who can’t stop, or stay stopped. A few years ago, my doctor put me on medication and warned me that it and alcohol didn’t agree. I haven’t touched beer, wine or hard liquor since, and I haven’t missed it for a minute. I wish I could say that about going a whole day without a cigaret. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/30 "2005-04-15T02:20:11Z")
For a more sensible vice, might I suggest shooting yourself in the head with an automatic weapon? It’s more efficient, and cheaper for the health care system if you do it right. I love to smoke. Seriously love it. It makes me feel warm and happy and relaxed and gives me somethig to do when an icky guy wants to make small talk in a bar. Alcohol and coffee just don’t have the same level of satisfaction when I don’t smoke along with drinking. But I’d like to live to see my grandkids’ graduation days, so I don’t smoke anymore. But I miss it every single day, because I really do enjoy it. I’ve always said the reason I won’t try heroin is not that I don’t think I’ll like it. On the contrary, I think I’d like it way too much. Same thing goes for cigarettes. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/31 "2005-04-15T02:36:51Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I’ve always said the reason I won’t try heroin is not that I don’t think I’ll like it. On the contrary, I think I’d like it way too much. Same thing goes for cigarettes. Precisely the reason I’ve turned down coke the few times it was offered to me. ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/32 "2005-04-15T03:22:23Z")
I won’t smoke cigs but I do smoke the occasional Cigar (1-5 a month) I can get by fine without a cigar for a long time, then decide I want one. I won’t smoke cig’s because I’m afraid I will get addicted to those ---
**Author:** ![Stillwell\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Stillwell\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stillwell_Angel)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/33 "2005-04-15T03:23:51Z")
I’m five weeks **smoke free**. I smoked for 24 years. Please, don’t even think about it. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/34 "2005-04-15T03:30:50Z")
> [@Stillwell Angel](#): > > I’m five weeks **smoke free**. I smoked for 24 years. Please, don’t even think about it. (Love your screen name) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/35 "2005-04-15T03:38:46Z")
Yo be honest, I have to say that smoking may give you a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction. By and large, that’s what addictive drugs do. I found smoking AND drinking, as combined pleaseues, pretty unbeatable. MHO, though, is that you not do it. Not because of the expense or possible physical damage, but because IMO your underlyubg concept is wrong. You don’r _need_ to have vices, and then choose which ones you have like choosing Pepsi, Coke or Dr Pepper. Lobsang, It doesn’t seem appropriate to continue along this discussion path in this thread, as I’ve given you the opinion you asked for. But I would be interested in discussing your ideas about what is a vice and how one acquires it. I believe it was a former Secretary of Education who denied that he had a gambling vice despite enormous losses. Enormous for you and me anyway – his arguement was essentially that he was so stinkin’ rich that losing those sums had no detrimental effect on him, his family or his lifestyle. So if he blows a million dollars a day at craps, so long as he’s earning 2 million a day through other resources he doesn’t have a problem. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/36 "2005-04-15T06:23:31Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I looked at the fact that there seem to be a heck of a lot more smokers than non-smokers and wondered why. Are you sure about this? Maybe you just notice the smokers more. The numbers (as a percentage of population) are falling all the time. It used to be that \>50% of the population smoked; now the number is down to about 30%. ---
**Author:** ![Shana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Shana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shana)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/37 "2005-04-15T06:28:37Z")
**Lobsang** , please don’t. EVER. I used to smoke and it was unadulterated HELL trying to quit. I was sick all the time. Couldn’t breathe. Awful! I have only known one person in my life who was a successful “social” smoker. I hated it that she could just smoke once in a while. Most people (I fall into this category, damnit!) are hopeless, pitiful slaves to it. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/38 "2005-04-15T06:28:52Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > Are you sure about this? Maybe you just notice the smokers more. The numbers (as a percentage of population) are falling all the time. It used to be that \>50% of the population smoked; now the number is down to about 30%. In fact the number of regular smokers is down to about 17% of the population in Australia according to [this recent article](http://smh.com.au/articles/2005/04/07/1112815652774.html) from the SMH. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/39 "2005-04-15T06:35:11Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > In fact the number of regular smokers is down to about 17% of the population in Australia according to [this recent article](http://smh.com.au/articles/2005/04/07/1112815652774.html) from the SMH. There was nothing remotely scientific[sup]TM[/sup] about the figures I mentioned, although if the numbers for teenage smokers are included, I think it’d be higher than 17%. I was just surprised at **Lobsang’s** perception that there are more smokers than non-smokers. ---
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@Engineer\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Dude)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389/40 "2005-04-15T07:09:18Z")
> [@MannyL](#): > > I won’t smoke cigs but I do smoke the occasional Cigar (1-5 a month) I can get by fine without a cigar for a long time, then decide I want one. I won’t smoke cig’s because I’m afraid I will get addicted to those I’ll have to second that. Macanudo robusto, to be precise. They run at about $8 apiece if you get them from tobacco stores, although you may be able to find them for $5 on the internet or something. I get those whenever I feel the urge to take a walk with a friend and have something to do at the same time (you don’t inhale, which is a plus). If you get those, or some similarly priced brand, you’ll only want to smoke them a few times a month, or for special occassions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-take-up-smoking/299389.md?page=3)