My sister's friend that I hung out with smoked and so I asked for a drag and then in ten days I was hooked I was 11 years old at the time it took me 14 years to quit if you never started good never take the first drag its to dam hard to quit. And weed cost to much if it was free ied say eat it.

Hey all.. I started when I was 18-- when I was little my mom, my dad, my uncles-when I started it was to help w stress( I smoke every once in a while) now I'm up to 1/2 or more a day and I'm trying to kick the habit and its not working very well..

I was 11 and would take a few of my father's Salem cigarettes out and smoke them in the woods. I quit in 1980 when I had bronchitis for 9 months and could not get well. I even had to find a nonsmoking office to work in as well. My doctor told me to quit smoking or find another doctor. Short and to the point. I got rid of the bronchitis and kept the doctor. I was so sick I really didn't go into a withdrawl symptom thing over them either. When you are so sick and coughing all the time it's easy to quit permanently. That was 28 years ago and haven't been tempted since.

I remember sharing a.. woodbine ciggy with some friends behind the public toilets up on the high street, when I was about 13 years old. WE were scared to death that the local copper would catch us and march us back home to our parents... thats how it was then.

Can't say I liked it, but you just went along with the gang at the time. When I was in my 20's occasionally had one with my sister, but didn't really smoke.

The time I really started smoking was when my dear Dad died very suddenly, the shock almost put me over the edge and my brother, who's also gone now ( bless him) offered me a ciggy to calm my nerves.. he said, anyway I've been smoking ever since constantly trying to pack it in... but lifes been hard so I find myself continuelly liting up a ciggy... I wished I 'd never started, I'll beat it in the end.

Please don't start...

Orphan, I understand what you mean about the stress thing playing a big part. I hate that you call yourself Orphan! Would you like a sis? I'd be your virtual adopted sis! :D I'm so sorry about your Dad, Brother, and Aunt. That's a really hard thing to go through. I have still got both of my parents, and all of my siblings, but I know the day will come, and I can't even imagine what you had to go through. I guess we all have to at some point. I've lost some very good friends, and that was hard enough.

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Originally Posted by starbuck8

Orphan, I understand what you mean about the stress thing playing a big part. I hate that you call yourself Orphan! Would you like a sis? I'd be your virtual adopted sis!! :D I'm so sorry about your Dad, Brother, and Aunt. That's a really hard thing to go through. I have still got both of my parents, and all of my siblings, but I know the day will come, and I can't even imagine what you had to go through. I guess we all have to at some point. I've lost some very good friends, and that was hard enough.

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Hi Starbuck8... consider it official, you can be my virtual adopted sis' any time you like,bless your heart.

Unfortunatey we all suffer from losing loved ones, it's when it's sudden with no illness that knocks you for six, especially when two go together... my Mum and my brother.

Sadley there is something in the family medical history that causes this sudden death and there is nothing that can be done to prevent it happening,that's 5 of us now that have gone suddenley, to be told that it could be anyone of us next can be quite scary but the rest of us decided that we would just live the best way we could and hope and pray we're not the next one.

Anyway back to a lighter note... everyone knows cigarettes are no good for you, yet we still do it... this just goes to show what a hold it has on a person, not to mention the cost.

A pack of 20 Lamburt & butler are now £5.13, you can buy a cheaper brand around £4 .00 but over a month that's a lot of money for ciggy, if you maybe buy a pack a day.
When I was a kid the little newsagent that we passed on the way to school used to sell us 1 for 10d, I'm told they still do ,so I can imagine where the kids dinner money goes.

I think I'm going to try and cut down gradually and see if that works, so I'll say bye for now... must go and have a puff...

Thanks Orphan! I'm now your bona fide virtual sis :D, and I know I'm getting off topic here, but I've met soooooo many great friends here! Some I talk to regularly on the phone, some of their kids talk to me and even call me Auntie, and we send letters and emails back and fourth. Call me Starby, as most do, that know me. (or some call me Ducky... long story, lol)

I can't even begin to understand what kind of illness that runs in your family, and yes, that would be a scary thing to have to live with! WOW!

You are right about the money part of it. I can't even fathom what kind of trip around the world I could've been on right now if I would have banked all of the money I've spent on this addictive habit! It's sad isn't it? I'm certainly the first one to admit that, to someone who tells me about the dangers of smoking, but it has been proven to be a harder habit to break than heroin! It's tough!

Any of you kids that are reading this? Just DO NOT START! Take that 40 bucks a week (or more) that it's going to cost you, and put it in a bank account!

I'm 17 and I started last year because it was something to do. Biggest mistake to date. I've gotten good at hiding it from my parents but it was a definite mistake and I regret doing it.

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Originally Posted by happy711

i dont smoke or anything but for the people who do how did you start and was the situation avoidable/ i mean like if it was a stupid mistake and you just can't quit or if anyone has no regrets/

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Teenage stupidity. 30 years later at age 46, I still smoke. I have 10 years left to live at best. I suppose we will all die, I will just die coughing. It's senseless and a waste of time and money. Just like crack or a gun to your head. I think it's a matter of how much you value your life. I know I am killing myself. But I am not married, have no children, and appearently don't care. I don't think smokers are evil people, just addicted. As of yet, I have no will power to quit. But I can assure you one thing, if I ever have a grabber and fall to the floor near death,, I will re-think things. I need a wake up call. A heart attack is not something to look forward to, but just might make me see the light.
It's a habit that is senseless and expensive and just plain stupid.

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Originally Posted by happy711

I don't want to become a smoker. But didn't you wonder what it was like to smoke before you actually had one?

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Stupid teenage curiousity. It was cool or something. Ain't so cool now...

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Originally Posted by Andrew916

i'm 17 and i started last year because it was something to do. biggest mistake to date. i've gotten good at hiding it from my parents but it was a definite mistake and i regret doing it.

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Andrew, You've only got a yr. of smoking under your belt. Do anything you can to try and quit now. I'm like Cosmic123. I have 30 plus yrs of this addictive habit. You don't want to be us. I've heard on many news and health programs, that cigarettes are twice as addictive as crack cocaine, and the longer you are addicted, the more that number increases. They are even opening up rehabs for people who have a cigarette addiction. You are only 17, and you have your whole life ahead of you... if you quit now. Otherwise, it won't be as long as you would have liked it to be. I know I'm saying, do as I say, and not as I do, but do it for yourself. In my generation growing up, everyone smoked, and we could smoke anywhere. In your generation, fewer and fewer kids smoke, and you are banned from smoking pretty much everywhere in public. By the time you start to get older, you will be like the crackhead in a back alley, hiding behind the dumpster, trying to get your fix. It's not worth it. It just isn't. Quit while you're ahead please. Do it for yourself and your future children.

Definitely don't start smoking because I did and its horrible . I'm 14 I've been smoking since I was like 12 right before my 13th birthday. And it happened trying to be cool with this kid that I liked. Don't start. It started with peer pressure and yeah just don't do it. Its now very expensive. I waste all my money on it. Me my sister and my mother are all quitting Monday. Like I went away for a week and I ddint have anny it was out of my system buh when I cam back home I wanted one and it came back in my system and here I am a 14 year old girl smoking. Its preetty bad.

I really hope that the three of you can support each other come Monday, and quit for good. Even if one of you slips up, don't let it slip you up.

It didn't really get back into your system, you got back into your normal surroundings, and your usual habits followed.

Good luck! :)

I would say if you were a smoker. Don't READ THIS. I have been with out a cigarette for about 2 months now and after reading a few posts I am about ready to find one and light up! Haha

Nooooo!! Lol. Lock yourself inside, and give me the numbers to all stores close to you! I will tell them to put up posters of you, with the caption "WARNING: DO NOT SELL THIS MAN CIGARETTES!: haha!

Lol. Everyone's story is so interesting.

I started smoking at the age of thirteen, I'm 15 now. Until 2 weeks ago, I only smoked once in a new moon. But now I smoke up to 6 sticks a day. I'm not hooked, so I'm safe to say that I will stop :).

I started when I was 17. I was depressed but had to hide it from my family and friends because of my social standing within the school. Simple answer is I wasn't man enough to kill myself with a gun so I tried it with cigarettes. Never ever think you'll stop being popular because of a mental condition, it's so much easier to just get help...

I went into the Air Force when I was 17 and because everyone smoked back then I started and continued for 30 years. One day I woke up and knew if I didn't stop it would kill me. I went to my doctor and told I wanted to quit and if he needed to knock me out for six weeks to do it. He wrote me a prescription for the gum and buspar. I chewed the gum for six months but had to give up the buspar because it makes you not give a damn about anything. I have been smoke free for 25 years and did not suffer any ill effects from having smoked for so long. Please don't start.

Well I just started last month I was pressured into it. It all started as me getting a text before school in the morning saying meet me at the park from a friend. Turns out they wanted me to try smoking at first I refused then they kept bugging me about it so after being pressured I finally gave in and accepted the offer. From that morning on I was hooked! Worst idea ever! Now I can't go a day with out smoking. I was raised to always stay away from bad stuff like this but when I hit high school it all went down hill very fast. It's very hard to hide this from family especially when you have them breathing down your neck about what you are doing every second of your life >:/