Is there a solution? <kids and smoking>

[leah]

oh! my point!

of course smoking is bad, duh. but i do know how hard it is for some people to quit. it's definitely a mind over matter thing, though--my roommate krystal tries to quit about once a month but she's convinced that it's the only thing that helps her concentrate whil studying or relax when stressed, so she "can't possibly" quit. i think she's just being a wuss.

but saying how bad smoking is for you isn't going to help anything--everyone knows it's bad, and they know they shouldn't. it's just a matter of people deciding to do something about it, on their own time.

more power to everyone who can quit, and to those who can't, i hope someday you see that smoking isn't worth the potential pain, suffering, and loss of dollars.

[Sorina S]

oh! my point!

of course smoking is bad, duh. but i do know how hard it is for some people to quit. it's definitely a mind over matter thing, though--my roommate krystal tries to quit about once a month but she's convinced that it's the only thing that helps her concentrate whil studying or relax when stressed, so she "can't possibly" quit. i think she's just being a wuss.

but saying how bad smoking is for you isn't going to help anything--everyone knows it's bad, and they know they shouldn't. it's just a matter of people deciding to do something about it, on their own time.

more power to everyone who can quit, and to those who can't, i hope someday you see that smoking isn't worth the potential pain, suffering, and loss of dollars.

Amen to that and I'll pray for Krystal that she find the will to leave those cigs behind her. All the best SS~

[Spazz]

Some folks can do any drug for as long as they want and have the ability to stop it. It is a matter of "will" and how strong yours is.

I closet smoked in high school, then afterward smoked pretty regularly maybe 3/4's a pack a day for rougly a year after school. Then one day, for no particular reason, I said, WTF am I doing this for, straight up and quit.

anyone else besides me see the funny in this post ?
Dude if thats your exp with addiction your not really in the know ya know ?

i could prolly stop smoking if its something i really wanted. At 10 years its prolly a little trickier than will power homie but i dunno im not there yet. I think i will seriously quit when i am serious about life (wife decent job kids that kinda shit)

[Spazz]

also reading this thread made me need a smoke.

[Sorina S]

Yea you got a good point Spazz. The sooner you quit the easier itll be. Now thinkin that youre gonna quit when you get your life together, well thats pretty obviously the addict in ya talkin buddy.

You know what they say right? Its easy to quit done it a thousand times. I started at 11, started buyin em at 15 or 16 and quit at 40 so thats...hmm lets call it 25 years. Hardest thing I ever did. If I was you, Id cut myself a break and do it now. I hope your life gets better too, all the best~SS

[Harrison]

I coulda easily quit after a year, but try 11. It's hard to kick because 1) honestly I don't want to, and 2) I use it to handle a lot of stress. I use that as my cop out but hey, it works. I will eventually (probably in the next couple of weeks) try again to quit.

The only reason you use it to deal with stress is because you're already on it.

I don't go shoot up when I'm stressed out. If I was already doing heroin, I'd imagine that'd be my copout as well.

[Tossica]

My girlfriend tries to pull that shit. "I quit, why can't you!" Uh, yeah... you smoked a few cigs here and there for a couple of years... it's a bit different when you have been smoking on and off for 20 years. She nags me every week about it. I honestly smoke about a pack every 2 weeks or so now and think that's pretty damn good. I keep telling her that her reminding me how bad it is for me will do nothing to make me quit. I have to decide that I am done and at that point, I will be done.

[ClakarEQ]

for those that got offended by my lesser then me comment, here is my theory:

Addiction != Non-addiction (duh)
Not Addicted > addicted

My next formula:
Will > lack of will
Logic > non-logic

See how that works?

If you know it is bad, yet still do it, that is illogical. It isn't like you smoke for a medical reason. It isn't like you smoke when out at the club or after a few drinks and suck down a few "fags" before the night is out. You smoke X number a day and can't stop.

Fake yourself out all you want, you are on drugs and if addicted you can't stop. You lack the will and power to stop, that is fact. For the formula above is not flawed it is raw logic (please twist it to something else if you like such that addiction > non-addiction, I'd like to see that logic).

Smokers REQUIRE a narcotic in there blood, when it isn't there you begin detox, no different then any other addictive drug.

To go Tom Cruise on you, I don't believe that drugs are REQUIRED to become "clean". I'm sure they help (e.g. the patch, nicaderm cq(sp), nicorate gum, etc). I think if you are of a strong body and soul (no not the religious type either) that you can in fact come clean, a few folks have posted their experience, so discard mine, I got wise before 10 years went by, sue me.

My point to some extent was to do exactly what I occurred, enrage folks to make you THINK. For some my trap worked, the results won't be there but I still made you think hard and got your blood to boil (I wasn't trying to draw anger upon myself, that it an unfortunate consequence it appears, but not completely unexpected)

To maybe take myself down a notch in some folks eyes, if you've seen any of my pro-POT posts, you'd know I'm a casual "pot head" (as well as several other narcotics), I also enjoy my beers now and again, and yeah, I smoke at times when I've had a few beers and out with the friends. There, do you feel better? Even the "logic guy" breaks his own rules, my only "saving grace" is, I will not allow myself to become addicted.

No "drug" will control my behavior that I do not choose when and how and where. I'm not the only one like this, I'm sure others can do the exact same as me and I'm sure they do. However an addicted smoker can not say that and that is what IMHO makes the difference.

I don't look at it like "calling the kettle black", I'm sure some will and I'm ok with that. I for one like "drugs" but on choice not required.

And if Lyion is even bothering to read this still, I think education and punishment is about all you have to stop kids from smoking. If / when I catch my kids smokeing, there will be hell to pay.

EDIT - wanted to post this formula as well
drugs != bad
addiction = bad

[Tossica]

actually, I do only smoke when I am at the club or occasionally during the day. Am I addicted? Of course. Do I let my addiction control my life? Not really. Long gone are the days of walking through 4 ft snow drifts to the store at 3AM for a pack of smokes.

[Lyion]

And if Lyion is even bothering to read this still, I think education and punishment is about all you have to stop kids from smoking. If / when I catch my kids smokeing, there will be hell to pay.

The more you forbid something from a rebellious teenager, the more they'll try to do it.

I think the answer is in getting adults to wise up and learn if they don't want their kids to smoke, they shouldn't smoke. Kids follow the monkey see, monkey do mentality to the extreme. If they see their parent smoking, even if that parent says its bad, they are much more likely to try and start a habit they might never be able to kick.

My sister has smoked for years and when I was younger I made her a bet her daughter would be smoking by 18. She said no way, she'd be smarter, blah blah blah. Sure enough, by high school graduation she was smoking full time.

[Eziekial]

Clark, do you exercise 3-4 times a week? Do you maintain your target heart rate for at least 20 minutes during your exercise routines? Do you eat the daily recommended servings and avoid fried foods and saturated fats? How about alcohol? How much do you consume? Have or do you ever get drunk? Are you at the ideal weight for your height and build?

[Harrison]

Both of my parents smoke and I've never touched a cigarette, and neither has my brother or my sisters.

My Dad smokes weed constantly. I've tried it enough times to count on one hand. None of my siblings smoke either.

I think the "monkey see monkey do" thing is a crock of shit personally. *shrug* that's just my opinion though...

[leah]

josh grew up around smoking too, his mom smokes a pack a day or more, and he doesn't smoke and gets mad at me if i do.

there are exceptions to everything.

(edit: by the same token, my mom and dad never smoked while i was growing up and i DID start smoking)

[10sun]

Have you ever experienced your body DT'ing from trying to quit cold turkey?

Imagine your worst hangover for 3 days straight.

I've done it four times, however it always comes back to me getting drunk, walking outside and bumming a cig from someone and it starts again.

-Adam

ps. Sorina, I never have and never will smoke inside my home. So the whole bathroom mirror thing is out.

[ClakarEQ]

Ez, yes to all your questions, don't you know I'm PERFECT (not) ROFL, touchy aren't we LOL, no wait, lemme guess, you're a smoker (and you didn't read my book above did you :p or at least the last 4 paragraphs), sorry to have pissed you off, but if you must know:

I'm 6.1, 175lbs (on the low side I know), all vital signs are right on target (eg body fat ratio, cholesterol (good and bad), blood pressure, etc). Yes I eat healthy and try to avoid "fast foods" in excess, and yes I exercise maybe 2 days a week (but I've got two young boys (5 and 7) entering or already in sports and they keep me on my toes pretty much every day, soccer, hockey, swimming, baseball next year, etc, and no I didn't push them anyplace other then to ask what sport they'd like to play, I'm trying to preemptively answer your next "flame" or whatever that post was).

And even if I was 5.10 250lbs on inciline, whatever, in the scope of this discussion my formula still holds true. Sorry that I'll call it like I see it, call me a preacher, call me an asshole, devils advocate, dickhead, etc fine but don't deny what I've said is false, I don't think you can and thusly you are now boiling, you want to be pissed off, look in the mirror with a fag in your mouth and ask yourself WTF am I smoking for. Stop trying to defend excuses for you smokeing. Acceptance will set you free ROFL.

Lyion I don't disagree and I've got a few more years till the "teens" and I'll make judgement calls as time goes by. Frankly it won't matter what you tell your kids if they don't have a strong reason NOT to smoke. If some or all their peers smoke it will be even harder. Knowledge is power but peer pressure in many ways is more powerfull. You need to get your kids to have a strong will and not sucumb to their peers, in my example I was just saying fear can work (e.g. fear of being grounded, car taken away, etc, yeah I know that can backfire, no solution has a guarantee, and obviously fear would not be my first option).

[Eziekial]

Clark, I did read your posts and I do not smoke. I am happy to hear that you are the epitome of a healthy person; that makes two of us. However, even from my lofty perch I have found it difficult to find the reasons I do all of the above. Both my sisters smoke and do none of the above to keep in shape or maintain their health. So how do we convince the rest of the fat, stupid, smoking world they are wrong and we are right? What laws should we past to help the rest of the world see the light? What can we do besides just write in a message board about the evils of smoking, drinking, eatting to excess and unprotected sex. What else is there, bungy jumping, hang gliding, skiing, motor cross racing, the list is endless. These people are inches or minutes or just a few puffs from harm. We, since we are good enough to know better and strong enough to do something about it, need to take charge and lead. It's not just about pointing down at people and telling them they are failures, which is easy. It's showing them, leading them, forcing them to be better. Is it not? Or maybe, maybe it's about people making choices that are counter to our own. Maybe they don't fall into that simple matrix of failure you laid out and it's something else we don't see or understand. I know, I find it hard to believe myself, I with my advanced degrees and years of experience. But hard as it is, I have to been open minded enough to realize that I don't know the answer to every question. I don't know the reasoning behind every action. I'll leave that to you, the much wiser of us to figure out and lecture us on.
Your reasoning, as always, is sound.

[Spazz]

WHat if you really dont give a shit about bein healthy ?

[Eziekial]

Clark,
No hard feelings K? This is not ment as a personal attack, it was directed at all the self-proclaimed enlightened who look to impart their personal idealism on the weaker minded. It is the fundamental reason I hate politicians; particularly modern democrates.

[Harrison]

WHat if you really dont give a shit about bein healthy ?

Then I feel bad for you

[ClakarEQ]

Fair enough Ez my bad, I'm sorry.

But would you not agree that if topics of all likes are not discussed and one side or the other doesn't attempt to sway the decision of the opposing side, how can there be a debate. How do you change ones mind?

I'm not looking for a response, but politicians are this way, I agree
fixt your quote

It is the fundamental reason I hate politicians; particularly modern ones

It ain't just dems, its all of them. Reps push more "conformity" then any other form of politican. Lets not turn it into a dems reps debate though

[Captain Insano]

WHat if you really dont give a shit about bein healthy ?

hahah you sound like a total addict.


I have quit smoking many times and I pretty much can say now that it's behind me.

You really do feel 10x better when you don't smoke.

I watched my grandfather die from the shit... I wasn't pretty. I don't see anything really wrong with the occasional social smoke, but if you do it regularly you will pay for it later on bigtime.

PS I want to smoke weed and listen to the new Tool album. I think that would be epic.

[Eziekial]

I'm sorry for taking a personal satirical tone in my posts. I enjoy reading your posts and just wanted to make a point but got carried away.

You are correct, and I agree that both sides of the isle are pushing conformity. I don't mind the debate, I enjoy a spirited discussion of topics. I just feel we have limited amount of energy and drive to make changes and those of a personal choice should take a back seat to the large ills in our society. Namely; public education, foreign interventionism and entitlement spending.
Smoking is not something we need to be debating right now.

[ClakarEQ]

Agreed, and I missed your first post, I just didn't see it, I scrolled from the bottom up and have since read it, funny guy you are /snicker

Education more then any IMHO should top that list. I still can't get over the fact that 2/3rds of the country couldn't point out Louisiana on a map. Until I see crap like this check out some of our "peers", the Battle of the Jaywalk All-Stars Pt 1 and 2 http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Tonight_Show ... aywalking/

[Darcler]

It's not just parents. Kids get this from movies and TV shows as well.

When I worked at the day care, I taught the two's mostly. During playtime, I saw one of my girls taking a small playfork and putting it to her mouth like a cigarette and taking it away. I asked her what she was playing and she said was Ms.....something. I dont remember. I asked her to play something else because I didnt like it (I said the same thing about gun play).
When I asked her mom if she smoked, she said no, her husband didnt, no one she sees regularly does. But she probably caught it on TV when she was watching something.

[Spazz]

Whats wrong with gun play?