The Day I Started Smoking

I started at 12 too. Quit a while back for 2 years but sadly, I'm smoking again... trying to kick it again!

I also started with my best friend. We used to steal cigarettes from my mom's open pack on the kitchen table after she had gone to bed.

Unfortunately, she began to notice that there were not as many there when she woke up as when she went to bed.

I tried smoking when I was 12. I didn't like it. I refused to ever do it again. I thought I was so uncool for it. Now I am so glad I never really started.
My husband snoked for 15 years so I do know first hand how hard it is to quit.
Congratulations.
Tiffanie, good luck on quitting.

Keep trying Tiffanie. I had a number of false starts.

Robin. Your mom did you a favor by noticing. (I would have said fortunately rather than unfortunately)

Lots of kids still think smoking is cool Dawne. That's really a shame.

My point exactly Julie. It was so easy to start and so hard to quit.

I started at 13, God I thought I was so cool. I smoked for 16 years. I had bronchitis 6 months out of every year, but would I give them up? No way. 2 years ago we found out my dad had lung cancer. two days after he got out of the hospital he was gone. On Sept 19th my daddy passed away. Am I still smoking? No I am not. I am proud to say that I have not had a cigarette since October 5th 2004. My last "gift" from my dad, he had the whole 10 week supply of Nicoderm CQ patches. You see right before he found out about the cancer, he was going to quit. I took the patches and used them faithfully and broke the habit. I have not had bronchitis since I quit smoking. I feel that was the last gift my daddy gave me. My health. Don't get me wrong I still occasionally want one, especially when I am stressed. But each time I say no to the habit it makes me feel stronger. I don't critisize those who smoke, I know what a tough habit it is to break. I was a two pack a day smoker. If I can quit, anyon can. I have no will power. But I had the want to. And with the help of the patches I was able to overcome the habit. I will never be a non-smoker, I will always be an ex-smoker, or rehabilitated. Because just like with alcohol and drugs, smoking is a habit and with a habit there is always a chance of backsliding. But I am happy to say that I have had 100% success. Good luck to those that are trying to quit.

Congrats on quitting, Linda!

Oh my word
I started smoking at age 16 but no one tried to stop me not even my mother and if she had I would never have done it, but thank God I never smoked much and maybe 1 cigarette a day and aften years I quit because the warning came out on them and I was determined to raise my kids and not die from some horrible disease they would maybe give me and have someone else raise them. But when I told my doctor how long I smoked and only 1 a day he said it didn't count enough to even talk about that and i was fine so I quit at age 26 and and that has been almost 42 years ago now. Sometimes I wonder if we do what we do because others do it and we should know better. Everyone knows they are not good for you. they knew this when cigarettes first came out just like they knew asbestos was harmful to humans but it was money in their pocket so they had little concern for us but I bet they never had asbestos linolium on their floors probably some other kind safer. money has always be what they are after
have you read that the hard plastic cases on CD's can give you breast cancer and the hard plastic water cooler jugs. some chemical they use to make them and somthing in your skin that absorbs it. I read this on webmed and lifescript health for women. so I use glass everything because plastic glasses are hard plastics and who knows whats in them and I alos opt for glass ware to store. I always liked glass better anyway. microwave dishes leave off gasses in your food when used to cook in them or heat i have heard that too but I was already using anchor hocking glass oven ware for that and now don't even use the microwave. I only cook for myself now days and don't really need one
boy, everything is bad for you now days .

I started smoking when I was 17. I started with my younger sister's cigarettes. She was able to quite a number of years ago, but I just can't seem to stop.

I did smoke a couple of times w/my cousin, but we got caught by his mom. We were 12. Thank God I did not get addicted to it.

You did quit. Look on the bright side. Congratulations.

It's nice to know that I am not the only one out there who started smoking at such a young age - 13. I have tried quitting many times. My longest stretch of not smoking was 8 months, my most recent was for 3 months this year. I have to believe that every attempt is practice and one of these days I am going to get it right. Really tough thing though. Congrats to all that have triumphed over the nicotine beast.

I started smoking when I was 15. I still smoke hopefully one day I will quit. My husband started when he was 14. He quit a year ago.

I am glad you were able to quit smoking. My husband and I have never smoked and have never allowed anyone to smoke in our home. Thankfully, none of our 6 grown children smoke.

Good for you for overcoming that, Linda.

Julie - you can do this!

I began smoking during the mid-'60s when I was 14. My adopted mom smoked and we would often have one together. However, my father never knew about it. I have tried to quit many times and spent a lot of money in the efford, but 43 years later, I'm still smoking. I will probably die with a smoke in my hand. lol

Oh, I wanted to add that I used to smoke a pack or more a day. Now, I smoke a pack in three days or so, so I have cut down tremendously. Also, I never smoke inside, so I can breath nice clean air in here.

I salute each of you who has quit, and I encourage each of you who wants to, that one day you will get there. You do have within you the power to be free, and there are products which can help you. FWIW, my dear wife used the mints, Commit, to stop. She still uses the mints, but I don't mind the expense, knowing that even if she uses the mints for the rest of her life, she won't be taken from me by lung or heart disease. That is the saddest part of it, to me - the greiving loved ones who are left behind when a life is cut short or made a living hell by complications of heart and lung failure.
I never nag at anyone to quit; that is not helpful at all. But I DO take every opportunity to give support and encouragement to those who are in the process of liberating themselves. I know they can do it! And I'm so proud when they do!

I started smoking in high school. Never smoked a whole lot - a pack would last me two or three days. But when I went on a university study tour of Europe at age 20, I ran out of cigarettes, went to look for some, found American cigarettes when you figured the exchange rate cost $1.00 a pack. I wasn't about to pay that much money to give myself cancer, I said. I did try European cigarettes but decided I'd rather drink tar so I quit. LOL Guess I'm more of a cheapskate than I thought. :-D

Back when I starfted smoking, the major health risks were unknown. Although I started at age 12, my parents didn't find out until I was fourteen. I had gone to visit my dad's sister who had a daughter my age. My aunt thought she was being a good parent by allowing her daughter to smoke occasionally. She gave us each a cigarette and I got a small burn in my dress.

When my parents heard I had tried cigarettes, my mother gave me permission to smoke in front of her (Only at home) and my dad gave me permission to smoke behind his back (You can smoke but I don't want to see it.).

When I was 18, he asked me for a cigarette (He had quit smoking years before). This was his way of saying I could smoke in his presence. I continued smoking for the next 29 years (until December 25, 1992)

I only smoke when out at the bars, so a pack lasts me 6 months or so. I'm not a very successful smoker.

I am so non-smoking you will probably all hate me. I lost a grand-father, stepfather and adopted mom to lung cancer caused by smoking. I loved every one of these people dearly and their deaths have left a huge hole in my life.
My husband and mother both quit smoking and now they hate to be around smokers. I am so happy that none of my children ever started smoking. In fact they think it is disgusting and they miss their dear "Grandma Sharon" every day and will always hate the way she died.

I understand how you feel Sandra.
Most of us started smoking when we didn't know how deadly it can be. And a lot of people find it difficult to quit. I tried unsuccessfully a few times. But then I wasn't feeling well for a while (something totally unrelated to smoking) and decided to stop smoking until I felt better. My illness was resolved (another long story) but I decided that this would be a good time to quit because I had made it through the first month. That was almost 14 years ago.

Good for you Linda. I know it's hard. It must be hard because Sharon (my adopted mom, I adopted her even though I love my real mom) was dying of cancer and still smoked.When my aunt Jean died of lung cancer she was still smoking. She had to turn her oxygen off to have a cigarette. That's a pretty strong addiction.
To all of you who have quit- congratulations. To those of you who want to but can't, maybe this would work. Take a picture of the person you love the most and put it in your cigarette pack. Every time you want to light up, look at that picture and imagine that person at your funeral. I know that sounds harsh, but I would do anything to get my loved ones back. Including be harsh with them for a change.

I have to admit, I'm a cigarette hater. My grandfather has smoked for years and years and years. His first wife, my grandmother, smoked on occasion. She died a long, painful death of breast cancer. My grandfather has had two bouts with prostate cancer. I now know that smoking increases the risk of nearly every cancer (my Ph.D. is in Cancer Biology). I, myself, decided when I was very young that I would not smoke. My sister and I would stay at grandpa and grandma's once in a while and the first thing grandpa would do every morning is cough and cough until I thought he'd throw up or his lungs would collapse. Now, here in the Twin Cities, several counties have banned smoking in bars and restaurants. I've gotten so used to having no smoke around, I nearly gag when I pass someone on the street smoking. I can always tell if there is a car nearby with a smoker in it, even on the freeway. I even suspect that I am sensitive to smoke as any time I go home to South Dakota where smoking is still OK in restaurants, I find that if I go out to eat or to a bar, I wake up in the morning with a cough and my sinuses are swollen.
I am very glad that so many of you have quit smoking. Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs known to man. In combination with the effect of keeping one's hands occupied, which many people find comforting, it's one of the hardest habits to break. So if you've quit, you've done something very impressive. For those of you who haven't quit, it's understandable. You're facing a very hard challenge.
One thing I don't have tolerance for is people who smoke around their children, though. That, I believe, is endangering your child's health. I won't go into all the details, but I consider it just short of child abuse.
Good luck to those of you trying to quit and those of you trying to stay smoke-free.

I'm glad to hear your quit. It's such a bad habit. I have family members who smoke and I hate to think of what they are doing to their lungs.

I'm the smoker in the family, my husband doesn't smoke. He also doesn't like me very much, though neither does anyone else when I try to quit! I admit, when trying (unsuccessfully) to quit, I am a real bitch, so for now, I'm still smoking and am a nicer person.
Cancer has taken most of both sides of my family, the smokers and the non-smokers. I sometimes wonder what else the contributing factors are, maybe air pollution? Or the chemicals that are now added to the food we consume? In either case, those are things I cannot do anything about, smoking maybe someday I can.... but just not now. Congrats to all who have quit!

I never really started smoking, my grandmother gave me the permission, I bought a pack, and smoked two cigerattes and then just did not want to do it anymore. It just wasn't for me.

Thanks for sharing all the personal stories and struggles. I hope that everyone who is still smoking continues their efforts to quit. I know it isn't easy.

Congratulations to all that have been able to quit, and good luck to all those trying. Any addiction is hard to beat and you have to keep fighting it every day. You have my best wishes!

To all of you who still smoke, but would like to quit I want to say, don't give up. It will happen. On average a smoker will try 5 times before they make it. But it will happen. These days, the additives in cigarettes, things like formaldhyde and the way they breed tobacco plants to have more tar, etc, it is even more difficult t stop than it was when I stopped in 1976. Keep on trying to be healthier, smoke less, even if you can't quit yet. One good way to do that is to put out the cigarette a good half inch before it reaches the filter. Or only light up a smoke only on the hour. If you miss it you are still only 60 minutes from another smoke. Those are a few tricks to help you while you practice quitting.

I know you can do it. Keep on keeping on. namaste

I've tried a lot of things to quit with no success. I started when I was 14 or 15, I don't remember, and I smoke a little under a pack a day. I have an appointment with my doctor next week to try Chantix, because absolutely nothing else has worked. I do, however, like Sandra's idea of the picture of the loved one in the pack. My dad died when I was a teenager after smoking for 30 years, but I must admit it didn't induce me to quit. I just enjoy it a lot, so it's hard to quit.

ugh ... smoking is awful. i smoked for a long time and i do not know how i ever quit, but i finally did ... over 10 years ago. glad you were able to quit too.

for me i had to realize somehow that i was not smoking because i liked it, and each time i did knowingly smoke it was killing me. i had to somehow force myself to realize that i do not want to die and that a person can get into habits that whatever they think they think about who they are are suicidal and negative.

now i have the same relationship with eating ... i find i eat too much junk. i'm lucky that it is not much worse but this is harder than quitting smoking because you do not need to smoke to stay alive, but you do need to eat!

My father started smoking when he was about 12. He quit any number of times until he was 51 and was converted to the LDS church. He gave up smoking and coffee and never regretted it for a minute. That probably added 10 years to his life. I'll always be grateful to the Morman Church for that.

better no to smoke !!

i only started smoking regulary a few years ago at Uni when a few mates where smoking using Acrylic Bongs, it was initially the design of the bongs that got me hooked by trying out different shapes and sizes.

I have of course been on holiday to the east and used hookah pipes and some lovely aromatic herbs.

i have now been smoking about 3 years and am starting to think about my health over been addicted to something which will slowly lead to my own illness