Yep, I read the average smoker spends $1000/year to support their habit.

People generally start for social reasons (hangin' with friends or co-workers), to mimic their parents who smoked, or to rebel against their parents as teens... then the nicotine hooks 'em regardless of why they started. :?

I'd encourage anyone to try quitting if they really have the desire to do so. Your lungs/mouth/lip won't last forever, and watching someone die of cancer is a very painful experience... something I'm sure none of you want to go thru, or much less be witnessed by your children or parents. :(

I started off with PJ'* (Peter JAckson) then to the black death coffin nail pack of JPS (John Players special) then to players extra light, then to Player'* light.. now I"m on some no name native Indian brand Light that cost half as much as a carton in

Maybe one day I"ll quit.. but maybe not.. everything out there gives you cancer.. just watchin the news they say breathin in Toronto'* polluted air is equal to 3.5 cigarettes a day leading to cancer.. eating vendor hot dog leads to cancer.. everything we do now leads to it..

Also don't forget this very important rule: "your girlfriend will give you a brain tumor nagging you if you DON'T quit smoking"....

GROSS i have never even tried a cigarette in my life, despite that media'* try at portraying it as "classy" lol (they don't do that now like they used to)

I am proud to say i have never smoked a cigarette. Yes, I am only 17 but frankly, there are still a lot of my peers that still do......

Hey, that is something to be proud of. These days kids should be commended for the things they *don't* do, rather than just their accomplishments.

[rant/]
This is for the non smokers and quitters I'm sorry I'm going to have to be a jerk for a bit- this is why I can't smoke in a bar in some states. You never smoked but came into a tread about it to wine and be self rightous. GTFO of here if you don't smoke and start a non-smoking thread! If non-smokers needed a no smoking bar so badly why are none around- but no they cried and cried and now everyone is screwd in CA/DE/NY to name off the top of my head. I'm free to smoke in the countrys I vist but in the one I defend? WTMF? [\ rant]

Tried it once ... never again.

TrueWildMan, do you have any tips for quitting? 3.5 packs down to nothing is quite the accomplishment.

I guess I've been much through worse than suffering withdrawals. That'* kind of an insight on my hardheadedness. When I decide I'm going to do something, no one and nothing will talk me out of it.

As for the above rant, I can understand about bars. Here, you can smoke in bars, and in any sports bar 'n' grill after 9pm. It is banned in restaraunts, though. As for wanting to smoke in restaraunts, I have one thing to say:

I don't fart while you eat, so don't smoke while I eat.

I used to smoke Salem light 100'*, but switched to Doral menthal light 100'*. a hell of alot cheaper, and taste about the same!