Smokers: brands, tastes, and practical problems

I know little of smoking. My dad quit when I was fourteen, and really, none of my friends growing up smoked. Sure, I know people who smoke now, but I’d rather not bug them. They get a little understandably twitchy when the subject comes up.

So, my questions for you - oh, smokers of the Dope - are:

  • what brand do you smoke and why?
  • what’s a big smoking habit and a not-so-big smoking habit?
  • what are the logistical problems with smoking (other than the obvious of finding a place and people making rude remarks)?
  • do cigarettes go bad? What does one do with stale cigarettes?
  • comparatively speaking, how does smoking a cigar or a pipe compare to cigarettes?

Thanks, guys!

- what brand do you smoke and why?
Kool Ultra Lights. I like the taste and they’re not too strong. Though they’ve just changed the filter - I may have to quit. :slight_smile:

- what’s a big smoking habit and a not-so-big smoking habit?
I’m a heavy smoker. I consider my habit to be big and everything less than me to be not-so-big. (Three packs a day.)

- what are the logistical problems with smoking (other than the obvious of finding a place and people making rude remarks)?
Making sure smokes are available. I took a test one time to see how addicted I was: Do you get nervous when you have less than a pack of cigarettes? My answer was: I get nervous when I have less than a carton.

Making sure I have a light. Making sure I have a metal can to dump butts in.

- do cigarettes go bad? What does one do with stale cigarettes?
Yes, stale. I smoke 'em. Sometimes they’ll be bad because of a bad mix, or stalks; I put those out and pick another.

- comparatively speaking, how does smoking a cigar or a pipe compare to cigarettes?
Can’t help you there.

P.S. If you’re thinking of starting, DO NOT. You’ll regret it when you’re my age, and it’s not as easy to quit as non-smokers like to think. My proudest moment was convincing my little brother not to follow in my nicotine laden footsteps.

Oh, good heavens, no. This is research for a story I’m working on. For myself, I can’t even give up caffeine, and that gives me tachycardias. Believe me, I have no use for another addiction.

Thanks for the info, Frank.

Well, good, glad to hear it. The way your OP was phrased, well, I was wondering.

If you have an idea of how you want to portray your smoking character, people may be able to give you more precise and useful answers. Do you want your character to consider where he/she goes to dinner based on whether they can smoke there? Or puts a cigarette out with a moue of disgust when the solid chunk of flavoring creates a perfumy odor and taste? Or is willing to drive 30 miles to the nearest open store if they run out?

Or are you just brainstorming?

Ex-smoker. I’ll help as best I can.

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  • what brand do you smoke and why?**

At various times, I smoked assorted brands of cloves, Kamel Reds, and Basics. Occasionally I’d have Salems or Kamel Menthol for a change of pace. The Reds I rather liked the whole retro image of, the Basics were cheaper and tasty. (The Reds were tasty too.) Eventually I wound up mostly smoking make-your-own cigarattes, made from Tinder Box tobac with a machine, filters and all. It was very strong, dirt cheap, and tasted much better than anything you’ll buy in the drugstore. Best of all worlds.

- what’s a big smoking habit and a not-so-big smoking habit?

I figure a pack a day to be pretty much an average thing. Two-a-day is definitely getting pretty heavy; half-a-day is light.

- what are the logistical problems with smoking (other than the obvious of finding a place and people making rude remarks)?

Y’know, other than keeping a lighter and smokes on myself, I didn’t really notice any. When I made my own I had to have a case and stuff for them, but still no real big deal.

- do cigarettes go bad? What does one do with stale cigarettes?

Never had normal smokes go stale, though I understand they do. My rolling tobacco did tend to dry out over the course of a week or two that I’d have it… when it got dry, the cigarettes smoked quicker, tasted drier (not a a wine sense, but in the sense of an actual feel to the smoke) and hotter (in the same sense as drier above). Still, I’d smoke it. Sometimes I found the -really- old stuff that’d got lost, and if it was desparate, I’d smoke that too. Ick.

- comparatively speaking, how does smoking a cigar or a pipe compare to cigarettes?

Mmm. First up: As a cigarette smoker, I never found smoking a cigar or pipe to be satisfying for the nicotine urge. In fact, I’d sometimes wind up smoking a cigarette right after finishing a pipe or cigar. That may just be me, though. Cigars are a much richer experience from the point of view of flavour. They also last quite a long time–30-45 minutes at least. Pipes are another thing again… there’s a vast array of pipe tobaccos available, ranging from the aromatics that are flavoured/scented in every possible way (these are what you think of when you think of sweet smellling pipe smoke) to the smoky Latakia blends and the whole variety of Virginias and VA/Periques. Pipes are again a much slower experience than cigs, all the more so because they don’t stay lit very well and you’re thus constantly relighting. A good pipe, though, can be deeply relaxing and satisfying–if I weren’t afraid it’d put me back on the road to cigarettes, I’d be half tempted to try pipes again.

Well, hope this helps.

  • what brand do you smoke and why?
    At the moment I’m smoking something called Ligget Select Lights. The taste is quite acceptable, they’re relatively cheap, and Ligget signed the Tobacco Settlement, so they’re paying into the settlement.

  • what’s a big smoking habit and a not-so-big smoking habit?
    Traditionally, anything over a pack a day is considered a “big” habit. I smoke less, but I can’t quit for longer than a few weeks, so I consider that to be a big habit.

  • what are the logistical problems with smoking (other than the obvious of finding a place and people making rude remarks)?
    I generally don’t smoke indoors anywhere, anymore, so the logistical problem is bad weather. And trying not to littter.

  • do cigarettes go bad? What does one do with stale cigarettes?
    Like Frank, I smoke 'em. Stale cigarets aren’t the big problem. Cigarets with stems or other flaws are the real problem. Sometimes you get one that’s so off you stub it out and light another.

  • comparatively speaking, how does smoking a cigar or a pipe compare to cigarettes?
    How can I put this to a non-smoker? Cigars and pipe tobacco are much stronger - too harsh for a lot of people. Also, they’re best when smoked slowly. It’s like cheap beer on a hot day vs. fine brandy in the parlor.

I can help here. I do smoke the occasional cigarette, but my real tobacco love is my pipe. I also like cigars.

Cigarettes and pipes/cigars are entirely different. The tobaccos are different, for one–I’ve heard that the curing process used for cigar and pipe tobacco tends to remove a lot of the “roughness” associated with cigarette tobacco, and my experience has confirmed that. I think it has to do with the time involved–cigar and pipe tobaccos are cured for months (sometimes years) while cigarette tobaccos are “flue-cured,” which can happen in a much shorter period of time. And, you really do have to learn to smoke pipes and cigars; you cannot just light them as you do with cigarettes. Pipes and cigars will go out by themselves if you’re not careful.

Most importantly, pipes and cigars are not meant to be inhaled, like cigarettes are. Some pipe/cigar smokers do, but the majority of pipe/cigar smokers I’ve met would never inhale the smoke. It’s meant to be tasted, not inhaled. This is why you hear a lot about blending when you get to discussing these kinds of smokes: for example, a cigar roller will blend Dominican leaves inside an Ecuadorean binder, and wrap it in a Cameroon wrapper. Similarly, a pipe tobacco blender will take some Virginia, some Burley, and some Perique, and come up with something that is identifiable by flavour and aroma. A lot of care goes into producing a flavourful and enjoyable blend–why, with this kind of care in blending, would anyone inhale it past the taste buds?

Another way pipes and cigars differ from cigarettes is that they are not meant to be rushed. Depending on the size of the premium handrolled cigar, it can take anywhere from a half-hour to two hours to smoke. Depending on the pipe I choose from my collection and how I pack the bowl, a pipe will last me anywhere from a half hour to an hour. Plenty of time to enjoy a TV show or a good book, but definitely not conducive to having a quick smoke.

There are some answers to your questions. If I have any more later, I’ll post them up; if you have any questions abour pipes and cigars, feel free to ask.

All right, I’ll give my info:

Marlboro reds. Used to sometimes go for a pack of Pall Malls or Lucky Strikes. They’re what I’m addicted to (taste right, proper strength, etc.)

I’m at a pack a day, unless I’m under deadline pressure. Then it’s more. Or if I’m stuck in the office (I generally telecommute; benefit of being a CS grad student), I smoke less. Between 1 and 2 packs a day I consider an average smoker.

Not sure what you’re getting at, other than making sure I always have a pack and a light.

Supposedly; I don’t think I’ve ever really been able to tell. Although I’ve certainly come across a few “bad” smokes in a pack every now and then.

Cigar and pipe smoke is much heavier. IME, it leaves a thick film in my mouth (definitely at least in part because of not inhaling). Never got any satisfaction from pipe smoking (though they smell much better and it’s still fascinating to watch the smoke); cigars always gave me much more of a buzz that I don’t particularly care for.

I used to be a pack-a-day smoker, but have mostly quit, and now just smoke pipes and the occasional cigar. When I did smoke cigarettes, I was a Camel guy, because they were the least craptastic-tasting of any of the commonly-available cigarettes. Nowadays, when I do smoke cigarettes, it’s usually Gauloise or Drum, unfiltered Camels if there’s nothing else available, and Nat Shermans if I really feel like wasting money.

I don’t smoke enough cigars to really have strong opinions about them, but my usual rotation of pipe tobaccos are Dunhill Early Morning and Nightcap blends, and a variety of lakeland-style flakes from Gawith & Hoggarth. The Early Morning is a fairly ordinary English (unflavored) blend, while the Nightcap is 50% latakia, which is a very dark, smoky tobacco that’s roasted over a wood fire and smells like a smokehouse. Lakeland-style blends are aromatic mixtures of virginia tobacco that are topped with various essential oils (rather than the syrupy flavorings that are popular in American aromatics) and usually have a very strong floral/soapy aroma and taste. They’re my favorite style of tobacco, but aren’t very popular in the States for some reason.

Three packs a day is a big smoking habit. 5 cigarettes per day is a not-so-big smoking habit. As a pack-a-day smoker, I had a middle-of-the-road habit. I currently smoke at least 1 bowl a day, and occasionally 2, which is fairly middling.

Not much WRT cigarettes; even if one doesn’t have any, one can usually bum a cig off someone else and ask for a light.

With pipes, it’s a bit more involved, as one requires the pipe, tobacco, a light, and a pipe tool (used for tamping down tobacco). I have an hour of downtime between two of my classes this semester, so I’ll often pack a pipe in the morning and take it with me for smoking during the day.

As I mentioned before, I often smoke flake tobaccos. These are pressed into bricks for aging, and then sliced into flakes about 6 in. x 1 in. and 1 mm thick, that strongly resemble beef jerky. They can be folded and put directly into the pipe, or (more commonly) they’re rubbed out between one’s hands into fine shreds, and then used.

The smoking process itself involves 2 or 3 lights of the tobacco to get it started, and when it goes out one tamps down the ash and re-lights. After the bowl is finished, I scoop and knock out the ash and unburned bits of tobacco, and run a pipe cleaner through the stem until it comes out clean, to get out all the ash and moisture that’s collected in there, and occasionally remove the stem and clean any areas that can’t be reached with running a pipe cleaner through from the outside.

Never noticed them doing so, but cigarettes have humectants in them that keep them from drying out too severely. Cigars and pipe tobacco definitely will dry out if not kept properly (in a humidor or sealed containers). They can sometimes be revived with careful rehydration, but if left dry too long they’re best used as fertilizer.

The earlier analogy to alcohol was a good one. Comparing cigarettes to good cigars or pipe tobacco is like comparing single-serving pre-chilled wine coolers to fine port or Eiswein. The former has a vague flavor, and will get you the active ingredient (nicotine or alcohol) quickly and cheaply, while the latter is all about scent and flavor, with the active ingredient secondary (nobody gets drunk on Eiswein), and meant to be consumed slowly and savored as a very pleasant sensory experience.

I certainly do. In fact, there are certain cities I avoid for that very reason. (A city near me recently banned smoking in all resturants and bars. When I’m there, I tend to drive the extra fifteen minutes to go to a place out of city limits.

I have my limits-- if it’s late, or I’m feeling lazy, I’ll conserve what smokes I have until morning (making sure there’s at least three left for morning.)

I smoke Marborol Light 100s. I simply like the taste of Marborol lights better than any other brand I’ve tried. (Can’t stand menthol-- in fact, if I ever decide to quit, that’s what I’m gonna do . . . just by packs of menthols.)

Why haven’t I quit? Well, frankly, I don’t want to. That has crashed my efforts every time. You gotta have the will to do so, and I just don’t. I enjoy smoking. Yes, I know of the health risks-- my doctor bitches at me every time I see her, and others have promised I’ll regret it. I still can’t make myself do it.

I smoke a pack a day, on average. Depends on what I’m doing, really-- if I’m busy, I tend to smoke less. I’ve vowed to myself that I’ll never get to a two or three pack a day habit, and thus far, I haven’t.

What brand do you smoke and why?
I started on Salem’s (the first cigarette ever was a bummed Marb Red in the Army). I just liked Salem’s ads, but eventually soldiers made fun of me for smoking menthols. So I switched to Kamel Reds, also for their retro image, but they’re harsh. So I switched to Marb 27’s, which are okay. Now, I regularly smoke Camel Turkish Royals, because they aren’t too harsh and taste good. My favorite cigarettes for taste, however, are Dunhills, but I hate the fact that they only come in 100 lengths.

What’s a big smoking habit and a not-so-big smoking habit?
I smoke between a half and three quarters of a pack a day. This is because a pack a day is a big habit, and I don’t want to be one of those people.

What are the logistical problems with smoking (other than the obvious of finding a place and people making rude remarks)?
Cigarettes cost about $50 a carton in Washington, so I illegally purchase mine in Idaho ($26 a carton). I also hate coughing crap up in the morning (which happens if I smoke too much before bed).

Do cigarettes go bad? What does one do with stale cigarettes?
I have never noticed a stale cigarette. But one would smoke them anyway, because smokers are addicts.

Comparatively speaking, how does smoking a cigar or a pipe compare to cigarettes?
I have never smoked a pipe, but cigars take significantly longer to smoke. Cigars tend to taste much better (or, at the least, stronger) but the taste tends to worsen towards the end of the cigar. Also, I have heard that one is not intended to inhale cigar smoke into his lungs, but I do anyway. Cigars tend to give me a bit of a buzz (which I rarely get from cigarettes anymore).

- what brand do you smoke and why?
I usually stick with Malboro Light or Dunhill Balance. Every now and then I’ll buy a pack of Virginia Slims Light or something equally random. Malboro Lights are the easiest to find out of the three here in Seoul, although some stores have stopped selling foreign cigarettes of any kind.

- what’s a big smoking habit and a not-so-big smoking habit?
Erm, dunno. I smoke an average of 1-2 cigarettes a day. Sometimes I’ll go a few days without smoking at all. Some days I’ll smoke half a pack. I don’t feel nervous or anything on the days I don’t smoke, but in certain situations (drinking alcohol or coffee, after a big meal, or after a particularly stressful day) I crave a cigarette.

- what are the logistical problems with smoking (other than the obvious of finding a place and people making rude remarks)?
Making sure I have a lighter. You have no idea how frustrating it is to be in a situation where you have cigarettes aplenty but no way to light them.

Another big problem for me is the fact that I’m a Korean girl living in Korea. You have no idea how much crap I’ve had to put up with because of that. I’ve actually had a parent call the ESL institute where I teach because her kid saw me smoking. “Were you aware that your female Korean teacher SMOKES?” :rolleyes:

- do cigarettes go bad? What does one do with stale cigarettes?
I dunno. I’ve never had them long enough to find out.

- comparatively speaking, how does smoking a cigar or a pipe compare to cigarettes?
Have no idea. I’ve always been curious about cigars.

Hopes this helps!

what brand do you smoke and why?

Canadian Classics King - started smoking them when I was 18. People I worked with at the time smoked Player’s Light and I wanted something different to take up the habit full time (echoing Frank’s thought, don’t start. I almost escaped - been told that if you don’t start before 18, you probably won’t).

what’s a big smoking habit and a not-so-big smoking habit?

Keeping in mind packs are bigger in Canada (25 smokes VS 20), anything higher than a pack a day is a big habit - I’m currently at 3 packs per week, unless I go out with people and have a few beers, then I can smoke a pack in a night. I feel like I’m about ready to die, the next morning, though.

what are the logistical problems with smoking (other than the obvious of finding a place and people making rude remarks)?

Well, when I think of logistics, it concerns draconian smoking laws. Ontario is about to come close to California in that respect - under the new law that comes into effect, I beleive in July, a bar/restaurant with a patio can’t allow smoking if the patio is covered, even if it’s just a tarp covering 10% of said patio - and as it’s written, touching umbrellas count as cover.
do cigarettes go bad? What does one do with stale cigarettes?

No experience here.
comparatively speaking, how does smoking a cigar or a pipe compare to cigarettes?

No experience here.

I’m much too cautious to post about my smoking habits in today’s environment of propaganda and fascism. I prefer to stay underground and not contribute to datum that are seemingly ambivalent but, in effect, subjugate me further.

what brand do you smoke and why?

I used to smoke only smoke Kools when I was in High School because nobody would bum them off of me. :wink:
I gave up on Kools about 4 years ago, and now I play brand bingo. Anything that’s full strength and buy one get one free gets serious attention from me. Living in Cook county Illinois can make one a bargain smoker when you get to the point where you’re not fazed by $7 a pack prices. If there aren’t any BOGO’s I’ll usually opt for Marlboro Reds, as those are almost “classics”. Every once and a while I’ll splurge and get a pack of Players Navy Cuts or Dunhills, but I feel guilty if I get some drinks in me and kill a $12 pack of smokes. The Reds are what I’ve got on me now.

what’s a big smoking habit and a not-so-big smoking habit?

More than a pack a day is pretty heavy (Damn, Frank). Not so big to me is the “I-Only-Smoke-When-I-Drink” kind of smoker.

what are the logistical problems with smoking (other than the obvious of finding a place and people making rude remarks)?

The same things the others have mentioned, as well as figuring extra travel time to work in the morning if I’ve run low, or run out the night before. Also making sure you save that last couple of bucks from a night out to replenish the next day.
do cigarettes go bad? What does one do with stale cigarettes?

Lots of times the smokes you get from the discount places can be “stale” Their stock tends to come from bigger retailers stock that does not sell. They’re nasty, but hey, let’s be honest, we’re in it for the drugs. Forget about Marlboro Country.
comparatively speaking, how does smoking a cigar or a pipe compare to cigarettes?

Well, they’re hotter and contain more nicotine if you do decide to inhale them (most cig smokers I know who also smoke cigars do inhale, if just a little bit). They also seem to be more offensive to non smokers than just cigarettes, as the smell tends to be more pungent. There is also usually a great deal more ceremony with pipes and cigars than there is with cigarettes.

Good luck with your work.

One feels compelled to ask, in all sincerity: what are you going on about?

I just believe that now is the time and environment to remain mum about liberties. Spurious stripping of liberties are based on their excercise…judged within such arenas.

- what brand do you smoke and why?
Winston Lights, in a box. When I was 17 and started smoking, I think I smoked Marlboro Light because that’s what my brother smoked. I mentioned to my cousin (a much older guy who’d been smoking longer than I’d been alive) that I had been coughing alot and he told me that switching to Winston Light would clear that right up. Not sure if it did but it’s my brand of choice now. And I notice it’s cheaper than Marlboro these days.

I buy them in box (hard pack) because I keep the pack in my pocket and it keeps the cigs from getting smooshed.
- what’s a big smoking habit and a not-so-big smoking habit?
Er, I dunno. I think I have a big habit - I feel as if I’m always smoking. But I smoke up to a pack and a half a day, and my dad smokes up to 3 packs a day. We both have a “big” habit but his is … uh, bigger.

- what are the logistical problems with smoking (other than the obvious of finding a place and people making rude remarks)?
I don’t usually have a hard time finding a place to smoke…but I hate returning from said place stinking of smoke. And my house and clothes and hair stinking of smoke. You can’t cover it up or get rid of it very quickly.

Also it seems like when I have a upper-respitory ailment, it takes me twice as long to get over because I can’t keep myself from smoking while I’m trying to get better.
- do cigarettes go bad? What does one do with stale cigarettes?
uh…dunno. I’ve smoked 2 cigs from the same pack and one seemed fine and ther other “off.” I’ve smoked cigs I found when cleaning out my car and didn’t find them “bad.” Cigarettes taste and smell like crap - who can tell when crap goes bad? :slight_smile:

By the way, someone told me to keep my cigs in the freezer to keep them “fresh.” I told them I smoke too fast for them to go “stale.”
- comparatively speaking, how does smoking a cigar or a pipe compare to cigarettes?
I’ve never gotten the same enjoyment from smoking a cigar as I do from cigarettes. I want the smoke in my lungs, not lingering in my mouth. (I’m sure people will say I have no sense of refinement :slight_smile: )

Camel Menthols. I was once a Camel reg smoker but I got sick and switched to menthol so I could breathe (Oh, the irony!).

There’s no such thing as a not-so-big smoking habit. Let me put it to you this way: if you feel like you need a smoke, you’re already in trouble.

Nowadays, the biggest problem is funds. I couldn’t care less about people making rude remarks. I also have a problem with people trying to get smoking banned in bars, rather than letting the owner decide for himself. But that’s another issue altogether.

One smokes them, of course. They’re usually not around long enough to get stale in any case (there are only 20 in a pack). I’m a comparatively light smoker and I still do a few packs a week.

I never did a pipe. Cigars are OK every once in a blue moon, but I never make it more than halfway before I need a cigarette. It’s a different brand of smoking and I never adjusted to it very well.

Allow me to follow up on what Frank said: don’t ever start. You can never quit. Never. You can only stop. I say this because, just like an alcoholic, you are an addict for life, and if you ever have another smoke after you give them up you’re on them again. Smoking is just another one of those insidious addictions that bankrupts you as it kills you and causes nothing but harm down the road. Too bad it’s so hard to stop. It’s been said that kicking smack is easier. I believe it. I did for Basic and most of Tech School, but it didn’t keep. I wasted 5 months of being clean and started again. What can I say? I’m an addict.

No, thank you for making me think about what I’m doing to myself. Having a conscience is a bitch. :rolleyes:

Brand:

Marlboro menthol lights. Used to be reds but my husband smoked these and got me started, now he smokes reds. :rolleyes:

Big habit:
Me in a social smoking atmosphere. Pack and a half or two easy in a couple of hours.
Nomal for me would be a pack or half a pack a day.

Why? Hell the more you smoke the more of that nasty stuff in your lungs!

Problems? I keep mine in my pocket and they get smushed sometimes. Brokens suck.
My husband also always steals my light.
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Go Bad?** Yes, I smoke anyway, ug.
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Compare to a cigar?** Have no idea. My husband smokes both and likes the taste of a cigar but goes to the ciggarette for the fix.