The Smoking Thread

My first smoking experience was a giant souvenir cigar from the Indianapolis 500 race that my dad bought. It sat around the house for years, ended up in a box where my dad forgot about it. One day, when everyone was gone, I got it out and decided to smoke it. Got about a 3rd way through, and didn't want any more. That pretty much put me off trying tobacco again for several years.

Next experience was with some pre-junior high kids. We were down at the nearby corner store, and one of the kids (forgot his name) managed to walk out with some chewing tobacco.

We had gone aways back toward our homes walking on the dirt path that went alongside the road. and the kid decided to try his prize. He had it in his mouth for several minutes, then spit it out. As many may know, chewing tobacco is the gift that keeps on giving for awhile even if you spit it out. He threw-up nearly clear looking vomit most of it on the road. For months afterward the road stayed stained from that, rain or no. I suppose it was the stomach acid etched a bit on the road.

So, as I remember none of us decided to try the remaining tobacco. We did have some good laughs at his expense later on.

Pretty much nothing until my 20s. Several friends around me at that time smoked. I just kind of picked it up while I was out with them. Then I was hooked before I knew it. Quit, 10 years later for good after many attempts.

One thing I haven't mentioned. My Dad's job from practically when I was born was with the Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease Association. A big anti-smoking organization. Maybe you remember seeing "Christmas Seals" which were sent out at Christmas time in hope for donations. You put them on letters or packages for extra decoration. They had different designs every year. I think the "American Lung Association" (new name of organization) still has them.

My dad moved up in the organization over the years. I still swear to this day, he carried around two real lungs of dead people. One was a blackened smoker's lung and one was a healthy lung. He used these for talks. I still have a recording of him on the radio talking about lies of tobacco companies. That particular one I have was where he met with the radio host a week after a tobacco company rep had done an interview to dispute the tobacco reps claims.

Quote: petroglyph

When I went to Hi school, admin figured it was more important for the kids to graduate than kick them out for smoking. So they set up an outdoor smoking area where both students and teachers would congregate between classes and smoke.

I attended a high school with a smoking area
I never understood why anybody would smoke there
I never did
Pot wasn't allowed :-)
We went in the woods in the back

Quote: petroglyph

When I went to Hi school, admin figured it was more important for the kids to graduate than kick them out for smoking. So they set up an outdoor smoking area where both students and teachers would congregate between classes and smoke.

That's awesome! At my second high school, you could actually leave during lunch break if you were a driver, but I wasn't a driver at the time.

If you knew where this school was located...the only thing they could have possibly been doing was going off-campus to smoke. There's no way you could go anywhere, order, get your food and get back in time.

Great stories, RxWine!

I think one thing with us smokers is that it's not the sort of addiction or hobby (whatever) where denial is at play, for most people. Black lung v. healthy lung...I don't think many smokers (not the ones I know, anyway) are being told anything they don't know already.

First time chewing tobacco users are a guaranteed reversal of fortune!!! I think the only exception is if they already smoke anyway, then you've got just enough with the buzz going on at the same time to maybe be able to keep your lunch.

Chaw might be an exception, though. I tend to think it's pretty mild in comparison to dip.

Quote: petroglyph

When I went to Hi school, admin figured it was more important for the kids to graduate than kick them out for smoking. So they set up an outdoor smoking area where both students and teachers would congregate between classes and smoke.

Those were something of a thing in the 70s but were mostly gone by the 80s when anti-smoking started really gaining ground.

I'm glad for humanity's sake that thoughts and practices about smoking have changed. When I was young,,, I remember being able to smoke in the hospital as a patient, and of course smoking on airplanes, before planes were divided into smoking and non smoking sections. I remember smoking in elevators. There were few places where smokers didn't light up. At each end of aisle's at grocery stores were a tall ash trays. Restaurants, bars, theatres, it didn't matter unless the air was flammable or explosive. Those that smoked, smoked, and if non smokers didn't like it, mostly to bad.

At the community college across the street, desks had ash trays.

Quote: Mission146

.....Chaw might be an exception, though.

I wonder if "Chaw" is what I'm thinking of? I only met one grandfather a few times, but I recall he had the standard folding pocket knife that we've all seen, and he would unfold it to cut a piece off of his "plug" of tobacco.

https://youtu.be/rQ7QrKfZL-U

Quote: Mission146

That's awesome! At my second high school, you could actually leave during lunch break if you were a driver, but I wasn't a driver at the time.

If you knew where this school was located...the only thing they could have possibly been doing was going off-campus to smoke. There's no way you could go anywhere, order, get your food and get back in time.

I know people in Ak, who all brought their 22 rifles to class, the teacher would check to make sure none were chambered and they would stow them in lockers until shooting safety class.

My first tobacco product (that I used regularly) was dip. When I turned 18 (which I was still in HS at 18) I bought a can, I wanted to try something, and it was something that nobody was really using so I thought it would be fun to try. I didn't know many people who dipped, so I thought it would be exciting to try it. I got a massive head buzz and loved it and kept wanting to buy more.

I honestly never used much tobacco before 18, other than maybe a random drag off a friend's cigarette, I can't recall, but I certainly never smoked a full cigarette before 18. I say only much tobacco, because I think I may have had a cigar with work people before 18 (that may even be off in my head, my late teen years tend to blend together), but I certainly never used tobacco in any sort of formal sense before 18, its quite possible I never used any tobacco at all before 18.
It was very much my turning 18 habit (dipping), for the most part I was/am pretty strict about following the rules.

I love nicotine, I can say it is my favorite drug. It both stimulates and relaxes you. Smoking is probably my least favorite way to consume nicotine. I can't smoke with any sense of longevity, because I just feel the toll that it takes on my physical ability and lung capacity. I have gone through periods oversees and places where smoking was socially the standard or there were no legal smokeless options (ironically cigarettes are the only legal tobacco product in many countries, so it forces you into unhealthy choices).

Now I try to avoid all tobacco and use tobacco-free nicotine products. The last time I have probably smoked a cigarette was whenever I was last in a casino, which was a long time ago now. I had a cigar with a friend sometime around Christmas, that is probably the last time I smoked anything. Casinos seem to be the last place that it is fully acceptable to smoke without negative comments or anyone caring (even nonsmokers seem to not notice or care, I think its partially due to their advanced air filters, and partially due to gambler being so hyper focused on the game they don't care about their surrounding, even lighting a cigar or cigarettes at bars/clubs will often get you nasty comments or at least rude looks nowadays).

Right now, I am really into nicotine pouches, its the best of both worlds, good nicotine kick without the grossness of dipping (I don't find it gross, but I can understand why others do). And, this is an expanding market so there are constantly new products and flavors to try (let along types, pouches, dissolvables, gum, lozenges, etc....) I predict that tobacco free nicotine alternatives will grow rapidly in the coming years as a more socially acceptable way to consume nicotine (and even if it is not, nobody will ever know you are using).

My favorite cigarette to stay on topic (out of those that still exist) is easily Camels (unfiltered originals). I am still salty that they rebranded Lucky Strike (I actually called the Lucky Strike hotline a few months back to ask/complain why they stopped producing the original, I never thought that I would call a cigarette customer line, but here we are, the guy on the phone was super polite and sympathetic, he was just probably bored and seemed eager to talk about random nicotine products, I can't imagine many people call cigarette brand specific hotlines) which used to be my favorite.

Quote: petroglyph

I'm glad for humanity's sake that thoughts and practices about smoking have changed. When I was young,,, I remember being able to smoke in the hospital as a patient, and of course smoking on airplanes, before planes were divided into smoking and non smoking sections. I remember smoking in elevators. There were few places where smokers didn't light up. At each end of aisle's at grocery stores were a tall ash trays. Restaurants, bars, theatres, it didn't matter unless the air was flammable or explosive. Those that smoked, smoked, and if non smokers didn't like it, mostly to bad.

At the community college across the street, desks had ash trays.

I tend to largely agree with only the exception of making illegal smoking in bars and other establishments in which someone must be 21.

For my part, I don’t smoke inside, except at casinos.