Smoking. Did you? And when did you stop?

My parents didn't smoke and, to be honest, it never occurred to me to smoke either. DH was the same - his argument was why would you want to burn money? I think my grandfather smoked, but am not sure and none of my friends smoked. Fortunately neither of my children do - although DS did admit once that he had tried a cigarette, but (bless him), stopped because he thought I wouldn't like it.

My SiL did smoke when my DD met him at university (he was also a vegetarian), but she stopped all that after a couple of years. None of our friends have smoked for donkey's years.

I smoked Consolate, 6 or 7 a day, to fit in from when I was 18. Gave up when I got pregnant at 24 as it tasted foul, and never went back.

I had my first cigarette at 14 and by the time I was in my 20s I was a proper Fag Ash Lil, smoking at least 30 a day and often lighting one from the butt of the other, lighting up before I made a phone call at work, sometimes finding I'd absent-mindedly got 2 on the go at once.

I had my last cigarette while waiting the few minutes for the result of my first pregnancy test at age 25 and have never had one since (even though I was offered one by a nurse minutes after giving birth - how times have changed!).

That's not to say it was easy. 33 years on and I could still fancy a Sobranie after a lovely meal. My grandma lived into her mid 90s and smoked 2 or 3 a day every day - if I could do that, I would. I just know though that if I had just one cigarette, I'd be back to a pack a day in no time - and apart from the horrendous cost, I really couldn't be bothered with sitting out on the back doorstep or skulking out of the pub on a night out to satisfy my craving!

grannyactivist Thank you. I'm not getting too complacent - I've failed too many times in the past - but I appreciate your kind thoughts.

I'm wondering if the electronic cigarette might help or the nicotine spray - I have this horrible "empty" feeling in my stomach all the time.

I did enquire about the smoking clinic but decided against it. Whenever I stop I try to keep it quite low key because I don't like feeling pressure from other people.

I expect if I'd had a frightening example in my own family, like grannylin I wouldn't have risked starting in the first place. My beloved granddad started smoking at the age of 12 and smoked a good thirty a day until he was in his late 80's. I don't remember him having a smoker's cough and he died at the age of 97. I now appreciate that that is very unrepresentative of the majority of smokers but when you're younger you're more reckless and don't really think in terms of the future.

My Dad died of a smoking related illness, aged 64.I can still vividly remember his morning ritual when I was a child: 8am news on the transistor radio, shaving in the bathroom, then the coughing, coughing and retching...I used to put my fingers in my ears. I was so revolted, it put me off for life.

Eloethan well done. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to give up such a long-standing habit. Does your surgery offer a 'stop smoking' clinic? My daughter (nurse) says that people who are getting that sort of support are more successful than those 'who go it alone'. I am amazed that a chap who lived in my home a couple of years ago has finally (he's 45, smoker from age 12) kicked the habit; he swears by his electronic cigarette. Anyway, hope you stick with it and you deserve for your efforts.

I've smoked since I was about 16 and have stopped hundreds of times - once for about 6 years.

I had a chest infection about 2 months ago (my first) and felt so rotten that I couldn't smoke. So when I felt better I decided not to start again. I've been successful so far but I'm not finding it easy as I enjoy a cigarette. Also, I'm putting on weight, which is a real disincentive (and, no, I'm not eating any more than usual).

How ever long I've stopped for in the past, I've never felt superior to smokers and I hate the way some people get all self-righteous about the subject. Some of the blame should rest on tobacco companies (and their Tory friends) that have used every trick in the book to get people "hooked" and to find other ways of "advertising" smoking. Have you noticed how many TV series now are set in the recent past and involve most of the cast constantly puffing on cigarettes?

My parents were smokers until their late thirties when my dad had a suspected heart attack. They stopped overnight. I never smoked ciggies myself but have been known to 'share' a joint.

I never like smoking. Even I hate its smell and hate people who smoke often. Smoking is not only injurious to smokers health but also effect the health of people surrounded by.

When I first started work we could see in to the office across the road and we noticed a lot of people smoking.
We used to laugh and say it was less tax for us to pay.

Frank

I started at 15, stopped at 17, then started again when I was 27 going through a messy divorce, and struggled for years to give up, finally cracked it 10 years ago, big thumbs up to smoke stop and nicorette inhalers

I don't think you can stop doing something you've never started, Frank...

Sorry to answer the question I stopped smoking permanently when I was zero seconds old.

Frank

Reddevil3

You said ''I am amazed that nobody in Frank's bank smoked''.

We were all sensible in that office.
I was glad there had been a bank wide ban on smoking by the time I moved to another office.
A lot of people were not very pleased.

Frank

btw my father had given up smoking at the age of 43 when he had his first heart attack but the damage was already done. He also did not really change his diet which could also have contributed.

Started one day when I was 24 stopped the same day as I enjoyed the sensation too much and knew I couldn't afford it.

My DH smoked from the age of 14 it was around 20 a day. After my nagging he reduced it to around 5 a day but I never saw him smoke and that is in 32 years. Saw smoke billowing up from behind bushes etc and smelt it on him.
He always denied it. Then last July he had a cardiac arrest followed by 6 weeks in intensive care with pneumonia. THAT cured him.

My father died from smoking related illness. A heart attack at 43, a stroke at 53 and death at 58. All put down to smoking by his GP. This really reinforced my belief that smoking is so so dangerous and selfish. (just my opinion) of course as a non smoker I do not really realise how addictive it is. Totally agree Ana about the excuse not to give up. They should walk in my shoes and feel the loss of someone who has lost a loved one through smoking. I get so cross with people who do not even try.

I think that if my DH ever started again it would be divorce, that or a bucket of water over his and his fags.

When in the relatives room awaiting news of my DH after suffering the arrest the doctor asked if he smoked. I replied, well a little, I never see him though, my DD piped up "I often see him having one while he is waiting for you in Sainsburys car park" - then my youngest DS said "the other day he was having one behind the Buddliah" Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I smoked for years, on and off.
Late H died at 56 of cancer, having smoked on average between 70 and 80 a day. Current DH doesn't smoke, but having smoked myself and passive smoked for years after giving up for good 13 years ago, I am now paying for it, having just been diagnosed with asthma.
I am paranoid about it now and have an inhaler by the bed, in the car, in the kitchen just in case I get an attack.
I wonder if there is an Asthma Association which could put out ads warning youngsters about what they are storing up for themselves when they smoke?
(Will google it)

I am amazed that nobody in Frank's bank smoked. Working in the NHS I would guess that at least 60% of my patients smoked in those days.

We have not had any known smokers in our family for years.
My parents were married in 1947 and they told me the reception venue was most surprised when there was nobody smoking.
My father did say that he regretted going in to pubs where there were lots of smokers when he was at work when he heard about passive smoking.
Oddly enough I hardly ever went in to the student common room where smoking was permitted when I was at university along with my late wife.
When I started work in 1970 there were about 40 people in the office and the bank kept on sending us new ash trays about once a year.
We tried to stop it as nobody smoked.
In the end we had about 60 unused ash trays.
I did not go in to pubs much.
I don't think I would get away with smoking with my daughters and sons in laws now.
They find it annoying doctors, nurses and even dentists smoke.

Frank

I grew up in a family of heavy smokers. Three GP (one grandma didn't), mum and dad all the aunts and uncles and my older cousins (given money for fags from the age of 12/13). There were several large pub type ash trays around the house which were ften full.

I always say I had wonderful parents but Mum in particular couldn't function without cigarettes. They were the first item on any shopping list and towards the end of the week when money was tight cigs were bought before food. We never went hungry but it was a case of eat what we had.
If there was no butter we were told manage without it. Mum still had money for cigs.

Mum and dad were both chain smokers. They weren't able to smoke at work so that limited it somewhat but has soon as mum lost her job she was getting through 80+ per day. She died at 56 and dad not long after at 59. They never saw their GC go to university, marry etc. and the youngest nine GC have no memory of them.

In theory all their children should have become smokers but the opposite happened. Four out of five have never smoked and the one that did gave up when expecting her first born and never smoked again.

None of my 6 DC smoke and only one of the cousins as far as I know.

I've never smoked, having had a puff of someone menthol ciggie in my teens that put me off - made me feel dizzy and ill. Also I would have had to hide it from my mother, no one smoked in our household.

Then in later years when I realised the havoc it wreaks with stained teeth and gum problems, never mind all the other health risks, I started nagging my smoker husband with an agenda, plus our kids as teenagers joined in the nagging. Didn't help, but at least he stopped smoking in the bedroom and became more considerate to non smokers.

Like one of the other posters (can't remember who it was now - page 1) he gave up abruptly when he had a heart attack. He has been a non smoker now for 6 years ...

I once had one menthol off a friend at 15 .that put me off so never started it hasnt stopped me having 2 inhalers

My Dad gave me a drag on his ciggie when I was 7. That was enough for me. Mother-in-law was a heavy smoker all her life & never believed it did anyone any harm - in spite of all the relatives around her dying of smoking related heart disease. She died aged 93 & was never convinced - she used to go down 'smoker's alley in the Care Home & wouldn't 'dob' on the care assistant who gave her a fag.

I had one or two cigarettes when I was about 14 but I was always too mean to buy my own and people soon got fed up with offering them.

I was never very keen because my grandmother smoked and even as a small child I always thought she looked dreadful with a fag hanging off her lip when in every other way she was very smart.

Isn't it weird watching old films now, when everyone smoked everywhere!

That's a brave admission bookdreamer! Do the rest of us sound a bit evangelical about non-smoking? I suppose many of us have other destructive habits.

Stopped smoking when the first grandchild was born but have just found my pretend cigarette in a draw next to the pooter. I've been wondering where it was; disappeared ages ago..so I can now puff away while I'm typing. You really can smell cigarettes on people when you stop yourself and I've had most of the house redecorated since I packed in. I wouldn't be able to afford to smoke at all these days. I did used to enjoy having a cigarette with fellow smokers, especially when it was banned and we all had to congregate outside pubs to smoke; had some amazing conversations with complete strangers during that time [especially in Ireland]. Very worried now, though, as to whether my smoking years have damaged my health .