Do you smoke?

My younger sister and I bought a 10 pack of Regal when I was about 14 and she was 12. Told the shop keeper they were for Mum! We went down to the river bank and I tried one, never again! Ann, on the other hand, smoked up until 10 years ago. I am weird though in that I love the smell of cigarettes, even stale smoke and would like to be in the old “smoking room “ at work because it still smelled of old cigarettes.

I have asthma so never smoked.
I saw my MiL go through hell with lung cancer and my poor dad, who didn't smoke, died of lung cancer because he shared an office for 30 years with heavy smokers.

I smoked, no more than 5 a day, until the say I knew I was expecting my daughter. I stopped that day and have never had a cigarette since - she is now 46. However, I still get the urge to have a cigarette whenever I smell one being lit.

I'm with I love Cheese - smoked for most of my life and only gave up five years ago - still smoke the odd one at parties - last one about a month ago. Also really enjoy a drink but I'm nearly 80 and have no health problems and take no pills so if I get some hideous smoking disease tomorrow I won't really have much to complain about!

I was a very heavy smoker for 14 years. Gave up 33 years ago but my lungs are definitely a bit less functional than I'd like. Unfortunately my first husband continued to smoke until he had his first heart attack, 14 years ago, so I got a lot of secondhand smoke .

I gave it up in 1971. But I call myself an ex-smoker rather than a non-smoker. My family know if I got a terminal diagnosis I would go out and buy a packet of Gauloises or Citanes.

My parents were heavy smokers all of their lives and both died of lung cancer in their early 60's within days of each other. Every friend they had died of lung cancer.

I asked my mother for a cigarette around age 9 and was given one which I loathed.

I have been a heavy passive smoker all of my life and that has probably contributed to my Macular Degeneration.

They are so expensive now I do not know how anybody can afford to buy a packet.

I smoked for many years and gave up 10 years ago. I liked smoking and only gave up as I had a cough. It was extremely difficult to stop. I had excema, grossly swollen feet and ankles and put on loads of weight. It was about three years before I felt better. Like another poster here, if it was cheap and not bad for health, I would start again.
I have asthma which is worsening and severe gum disease. These are my penalties for years of smoking.

I’ve never smoked. When I was a teenager in the 70s I was the only one in my group of friends who didn’t smoke. A pack of cigarettes would frequently be passed round and I often got scathing looks when I turned them down. It’s just never appealed to me. My father was a heavy smoker and died with breathing difficulties in his 60s. My husband smoked for about 40 years but gave up 10 years ago. I really notice the ‘absence’ of the smell in the house. He’s so much fitter since he stopped. He did find it very difficult and still vapes now - better than cigarettes (and much cheaper)!

Only at uni because I thought it looked cool to have a cig in one hand and a glass of booze in the other. You’d have to be nuts to smoke at my age, that or suicidal.

I went to the 'stop' clinic when I wanted to stop smoking, and was prescribed a drug. Unfortunately as I'm prone to depression I had to stop taking it, I was extremely bad on it.

The nurse explained that we have nicotine 'receptors' in our brain, which clamour for nicotine when our levels get low, hence the need to have a cigarette. The drug essentially encircles these receptors, closing them off. I remember how effective it was, I was able to be in the same room as other smokers and never tempted to ask for one.

I smoked from 15 - 23 stopped but had the odd one in early 30’s. Stopped from 32-50 then smoked herbal.. stopped at 60 and can’t imagine I’ll smoke again.

Ilovecheese

I smoked for 50 years and I loved it. If they were not harmful and were cheap I would start again tomorrow. I gave up quite a few years ago now but I still miss it nearly every day.

This is what my OH says. Even after 2 heart attacks it took him many years to stop. It's now about 15 years since he had a cigarette but still misses it

No, never even so much as touched a cigarette. I'm anti-smoking to the point of phobia. Both my parents smoked and I detested it. I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would do it - why would anyone think it's a good idea to stick something in their mouth and set it on fire? It's complete anathema to me. And I could never, never have gone out with, far less married, someone who smoked. No matter how attractive I had initially found that person, the minute I found out they were a smoker, that would be it. No, no and no again. And it was made abundantly clear to both my children that smoking was a line they should never cross.

I’ve never smoked, have asthma which may have been caused/exacerbated by secondary smoking. My Mum started smoking when she was 14, died of lung cancer/secondaries at 64. My Grandad who lived with us smoked a very smelly pipe. I worked in a couple of pubs after my ex-partner and I parted company, and obviously grew up when smoking was permitted everywhere.

A sad story pink. It never failed to surprise me how many patients with oxygen cylinders and masks, drip stands and some who had feet and lower leg amputations would sit outside in all weathers, just for the sake of a cigarette.

Aonk my dd is a young hospital medic and she sees so many patients who are ill because of smoking. That and obesity are major causes of hospitalisation.

I've never smoked -can't stand the filthy habit and don't allow it in my home! I grew up as a teenager with my Mum and late stepdad both being 50-a-day smokers and it was yours truly who had to wash out the nasty, smelly ashtrays on a daily basis. That alone was enough to put me off the disgusting habit for life - as well as the cost of a pack of cigarettes!

A few years ago I was house-hunting and viewed one property with a smoker in residence; the whole house absolutely stank of tobacco, to the extent that it would have required complete redecoration throughout (painting, papering, new carpets and curtains in all rooms) before I would consider moving in to that house, and I just didn't have the funds for the considerable expense,

No. My mother had TB when she was pregnant with me and was violently opposed to smoking. Neither myself or my brother and sister took it up. Lovely Dad smoked and died of oesophageal cancer at 84

I puffed a couple of cigarettes in my teens but hated it and never smoked again. My OH smoked from age twelve and tried many years to give up but by the time he did the damage was done and he died of bladder cancer 3 yrs ago.

My father had a brain haemorrhage at the age of 67. The consultant decided to perform surgery and explained to me what was involved. I told him I was very optimistic about his recovery as he was so slim and active and never touched alcohol. The consultant replied very kindly that none of that would help him as he had always been a very heavy smoker. Sadly he was right and my father died 2 weeks after the operation.
Fortunately for me I inherited his dislike of alcohol but not his liking for cigarettes. Lung cancer is only one of many smoking related illnesses.

I started smoking at 19 and, apart from my two pregnancies, did so for almost 20 years. I then saw sense and gave it up for good. I now can't bear the smell and so my house is a no smoking zone.

Both my parents smoked (dad, a pipe) and also my grandfather who lived with us. I hated them smoking and I often had bad throats/chests as a child. I tried a fag end once from an ashtray. Never again. ? Of we four siblings only one of us smoked, oddly enough the one least likely to, personality-wise.

My grandfather died in his 80’s from a mouth/throat cancer that may well have been caused by smoking. My parents gave up in the late 80’s, after one of my young dc told them they smelt bad. Dad lived until he was 92 and mum is still going strong at 94.

I never smoked - couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to, but my parents, older brother and sisters all did - mostly untipped cigarettes then. My father died of lung cancer. My DH, a soldier for twenty two years, started smoking when he was fifteen and smoked through almost all of his Army service. He gave up in 1979, but started again when he was posted to the Falklands in 1982, and then gave up for good three years later when he left the Army, but by then the damage was done. He died this year of lung cancer.

No, I've never smoked the first one I tried made me vomit. My DH smoked at school and until he was 26 ,20/40 players untipped a day. I went to buy them for him. We moved and he said I am no longer smoking and he stopped there and then.
He used to have the odd cigar but has even stopped them now.