smokers - how/when/why/where you started

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Gave up about 4 years ago and only have the occasional one nowadays. But I do remember those early ones.

Early days was a crafty Gold Leaf when I was about 10, in the fields behind our street. A lad in my class, who lived up the road, had been smoking for a few years (!!) and tried to get the rest of us into it.

He wanted us to chip in for a packet of 10 and Players Gold Leaf were the cheapest back then. Iirc it was 34p for ten.

https://www.tttt.ru/21233.jpg

But I didn't really start buying 'em regularly til I was 12 or 13. Used to nick money out of me mum's purse. 50p for ten B&H.

By the time I left school I was into Embassy No.1 - but it wasn't long til I had to switch to roll ups cos fags got so expensive. For the last few years I smoked Cutters Choice and it got so I was having one every 10 minutes or so!! Mad.

Never really felt any adverse effects though. Didn't cough in a morning or owt like that. But one thing that I did always have was cold feet!! And they been warm pretty all the time since I gave up. Weird. Must've been a circulation thing?

Anyway, glad I gave up - it was hard for a week or two but then it got loads easier, until I forgot about ;em altogether. It wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Deckx]

Myself and a mate couple doors down started because his older brothers were smokers.... lived near a big saw-mill which would dump loads of saw-dust with bits of "off-cuts" ..we would fill a couple of fertilizer bags with off-cuts and sell them for firewood up the street for a quid a bag...which was the price of 10 pack of John Player Blue and a box of matches ... then used to work in a chippy at weekends from 15 onwards so was never short of cash for fags ... which was probably a bad thing ... not sure how kids afford them these days

[Hetzer]

I half-started when I was 24, via smoking joints in nick. I went full-time when I got out at 28. I've had a few years off since then and will be giving up, finally, this new year.
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"There's the horizon! Ride hard, ride fast and cut down all who stand in your way!"

[pinkyfloyd]

Started smoking the tobacco when I was about 16. Used to use Regal Kingsize or Lambert and Sawdust. Never used to smoke straights though.

By the time I was giving up, 3 years ago, I would only smoke straights when I had no green. Used to smoke Cutters Choice because it was cheap and not as harsh as Golden Virginia.

Now I smoke nothing.
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[Flip]

Sat outside school when I was 16. A mate offered me a Regal King. I was bored so I smoked it. 21 years later I'm still doing it. Smoking, I mean. Not sitting outside school.

[Tarmacsurfer]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Zing!
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Ollie1995]

I don't really like the idea of just smoking tobacco, but I have a few joints a day and have been doing since around July.
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XR 125, DT125 LC, Greeves Scottish, RS200, XS400, GPX600r

Theory Passed - 18/7/13 MOD1 Booked - 24/9/13

[oldpink]

started ciggys at 14 due to my older cousin giving me my first ciggy
at 16 I started smoking hash as back then weed wasn't invented
now I only smoke weed & tobacco joints
don't really smoke ciggys as such 99% of the time Its a joint
did give up on a few occasions but only lasted a few months at best
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I have become comfortably numb

Theory & hazard 24-may 2016, CBT 8th June 2016, MOD 1 2nd Aug 2016 Mod 2 2nd-Nov 2016 - Current bike CBR 600 RR

[D O G]

I started at around 16 when I was out drinking - guess that if the in pub smoking ban had been in effect then I wouldn't have started...maybe.

I then smoked cigarettes for the next 8 years, and really started caning the ganja when I went (briefly) to uni at 18. Stopped cigarettes at 24 (using Allan Carr's book), persisted with ganja only bongs for another 6 months or so, then sacked that off.

I didn't smoke anything for at least two years, then had a few spliffs every now and then. When I go to parties/clubs I'll smoke fags and spliffs afterwards. So maybe three or four times a year.

[neatbik]

I started having the odd fag here and there when i was 14, then at 15 i was on 10 a day, Embassy no1.
At 18 i was smoking Cutters choice, anywhere upto 30 a day.

Finally quit in January of this year at the age of 32.
I never had a cough, but did get quite frequent ear infections and colds.

Since i quit i havent had half as many, and have lots more energy.

I'm very glad i quit, but i do miss it occasionally.

[EazyDuz]

Smoked straights from 17 until 20, smoked roll ups until 3 weeks ago when i got an Ecig, now i just smoke that, quit fags overnight.
Still smoke a pipe every now and again.
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To shreds you say? Tss tss tss

[Shaft]

When I was about 7, some kid at school reckoned he could nick fags from his Dad, without him noticing; I reckoned he couldn't, so when he did, I had to do something with them, so I did the obvious.

He kept nicking them and I kept smoking them, now, 40 years on, I can't seem to stop.

Having exhausted every other possibility, I'll be trying E cigs in the new year.
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Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[Mattaria]

Never smoked, not a single draw for 26 years....still no cigarettes but I started to smoke weed recreationally in the last year.

Cigarettes have never been for me and never will be.

[P.addy]

[Paulington]

I genuinely mean this, I cannot understand how anyone can smoke, be it cigarettes, marijuana or anything. The idea of inhaling toxic smoke for no reason is baffling. .

Personally I've never smoked, never had a lit cigarette on my lips. I occasionally use unlit ones for magic though. If someone smokes near me the smell makes me feel horrid, I just don't understand how people can do it. Not for me, never will be.

Also, everyone I've ever met that smokes tells me, after I tell them I have never smoked nor ever intend to smoke, that doing so is a very smart move and that they wish they never started.

Anyway, most importantly..

ANYONE who wants to give up, SPEAK TO YOUR GP. My parents gave up within eight weeks and have never touched or wanted to touch a cigarette ever since they gave up years and years ago. This was done by our GP prescribing them a drug called Zyban.

Zyban (bupropion) is an atypical antidepressant and an amazing smoking cessation aid, speak to your GP about getting it prescribed on the NHS if you are really wanting to give up, it makes the process so much easier.

If you haven't tried it, you haven't exhausted all possibilities. Giving up with Zyban is not only easier but you are much more likely to stay off them, statistically.

Go to your GP and ask for it, you'll have given up in no time. .
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"Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul."
Current Vehicles: '89 Kawasaki KDX200, '99 Yamaha XV535, '00 Honda ST1100 Pan-European, '08 Suzuki GSX-R1000, '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GS4 2.0 TDCi, '15 BMW 1 Series 116d Sport Turbo.
CBT: 27/08/08. Theory: 04/09/09. Module 1: 16/09/09. Module 2: 01/10/09.

[Shaft]

What do you reckon my chances are of a successful law suit and subsequent payout?

Given his background and the fact that, at the age of 7, he was already well versed in the art of petty larceny, I suspect he's either serving at Her Maj's pleasure, or sunning himself on the Costa Del Crime.
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Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[Joenitro]

I became a full time smoker when I started high school. I used to get £1 from my mum for my dinner, spend it on 10 cigs then sell the cigs for twenty pence each. Sometimes I would swap a cig for a dinner voucher.
I did this all through school and dined like a king on turkey twizzlers and made enough money to start a weed habit that lasted until I was about twenty.

[Shaft]

[D O G]

Not really suprised that Paulington's solution to the issue is taking drugs.

As for the sanctimonious crap about not inhaling something toxic, whilst he has previously boasted about taking extremely high doses of opiate based painkillers...I suggest he gets some perspective.

[TomGT]

My Dad used to smoke quite heavily, but quite about 10 years ago now. As wrong as it sounds I've always liked the smell of tobacco, an uncle of mine was into cigars and I'd try one occasionally.

Used to smoke cheap cigars (King Edwards) at parties. After I came back from Africa I was working for an aircraft cleaning company, and I tried a JPS Blue on a break at Lasham airfield, under the wing of a 727, not the best place by any means, coughed and spluttered for about an hour afterwards.

Smoked my first about this time of year on millennium bridge in London, which was rolled by a mate. I vividly remember going to a newsagents the next night and buying 10 B&H Silver, and smoking half of one in a nearby alley, nearly fainted and stumbled awkwardly back to the ped.

Since then I've gone through phases of different brands: JPS, Mayfair, B&H Gold, Sovereign, Embassy No1 for a period before I realised they tasted like shit. Been on Marlboro Red's for quite a while, before discovering they still make Rothmans!

Currently smoking Rothmans Gold Superkings, suppose it makes sense if I ride a Honda
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1992 ZXR 400

[Paulington]

[Jane]

I started smoking when I was 13 it was down to peer pressure (you didn't fit in if you didn't smoke).
Every available penny went on cigerettes even though money was scarce, yes I will admit it I nicked my mam and dad's ocassionally, my mam's were cheap because she didn't have much money eventually they killed her.

I stopped smoking when I got married, my husband wasn't a proper smoker he just used to have the odd one, moving into my new house made me realise how stinky they made a home smell. I had tried loads of times to quit but failed over and over again. In those days there were no nicerettes/smoking patches all we had was good old will power.

One my last attempt to stop smoking I threw away 18 cigerettes and vowed to never smoke again, my husband said you will never succeed - challange? well I did it and stopped smoking at 20, all I've ever smoked since was 4 draws on a splif, just because.

If I think about the money I would have spent and most importantly the health implecations of continuining to smoke to today well a few days of withdrawel was well worth it, and thats all it took remember I did smoke 15 a day when I was working and could afford to do so.

Irony - when I was at my mum funeral after passing from throat cancer my brother asked me if I wanted a cigerette to help me 'feel better' after the funeral, if your a smoker you will know what I mean - a cigerette is like a dummy, it serves as a soother for any manner of problem solvers/calmers.

Good luck if you try and do give up. Cutting down don't work usually don't wait until New Year as a resolution do it now then that means you are really serious and you will have better successful

[GrumpyGuts]

My first cig was when I was about ten from peer pressure (but very willing). My mate nicked 3 fags from his mum and we snuck behind this rusty caravan in a car park to smoke 'em

I only actually started about 2 years ago (I'm 20 now). I kept social smoking and when I was suffering from depression back then, my cravings for tobacco went through the roof (lol)

I smoke Golden Virginia and I just love the smell
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My Bikes: Lifan Beat 125cc '11 -> Suzuki B120P '76 -> Suzuki EN 125-2A '08 -> Honda CG 125 '04 -> Honda CB600F Hornet '98 -> Kawasaki ZZR 600 '99 -> Kawasaki GPZ 500S '95 (Current)
Theory test passed - 09/02/2012 >>>> Module 1 passed 24/07/2012 >>>> Module 2 passed 24/10/2012

[D O G]