Have You Smoked/Used Tobacco?

[JadeDragon3]

I smoke but only when drinking (to get drunk) or when I'm at a club.

 

[seasoned]

The day I tested for Shodan I quit. That was 1970, it's crazy but I sometimes think about trying it again.

 

[Gemini]

I smoked for 37 years and finally quit in '07.

Contrary to what I always heard though, I still like the smell of smoke and don't mind being around people who smoke, I don't miss it at all and have had no desire to go back, Relied heavily on my other bad habits (like drinking) to get through it, and never lost my temper during the physical withdrawl phase because I was always to grateful to be done with it.

 

[elder999]

So, a different perspective.

I smoke, on occasion, for prayer, as part of American Indian ceremonies.

I used to have a cigar at the opera or in Vegas, but that's gotten to be totally not worth the hassle.

So, other than to pray, I don't. For some ceremonies, depending upon who's running them, there are substitutes for smoking: people pray over cedar and put it in the fire when they've finished praying. When that's an alternative, I'll take it-otherwise I get the glare from Rita-that's the wife.

I grow tobacco for ceremonies, and for medicinal purposes-nicotine is an excellent disinfectant, tobacco makes good poultices, and tobacco tea is an organic pesticide.

While there are more than a few Indians that have the habit, tobacco was never meant to be a habit, something you carry about 20 at a time ready rolled in your pocket for anytime you have the whim-certainly not the adulterated "nicotine delivery systems" that the big tobacco companies put out.

 

[Flying Crane]

I mostly avoided tobacco all my life, but in the last couple of years I found myself having an occasional cigarrette at social functions. I doubt I was smoking a whole pack a year.

I finally decided that after a lifetime on the straight and narrow, now that I am approaching 40, I should acquire a bad habit. So I picked up a nice pipe while travelling in Ireland.

I only smoke it at certain social events, namely Poker nite with my wife and a few friends. We play once a month or so, and that is when I break out the pipe. I love the smell of pipe tobacco.

 

[cboutin]

I quit 20 years ago

 

[Bruno@MT]

Never have, never will.
Never tried either. I just didn't get it. The first one is no fun. Instead the whole first pack is probably no fun. I understand not being able to quit. But I never understood why you would start smoking. Peer pressure? Trying to look cool?

 

[Flying Crane]

Never have, never will.
Never tried either. I just didn't get it. The first one is no fun. Instead the whole first pack is probably no fun. I understand not being able to quit. But I never understood why you would start smoking. Peer pressure? Trying to look cool?

actually, the few cigarrettes that I've smoked, I was not able to inhale properly because they burn my throat. So I just faked it. In my case, it was just about looking cool.

 

[Indagator]

I gave up about six years ago.

In military involvement I have known a huge amount of smokers who also have managed to maintain incredible levels of fitness, but I can't say it would be easy.

Personally, I believe that the major damage from commercial tobacco products is caused by the 6000+ additive chemicals which are applied during drying and curing (in some cases they have even been known to use bleach to speed up the conversion of starch to nicotine.)
I have grown my own organic tobacco in the past, with no additives (not even saltpeter). I believe that this holds minimal, if any, health risks to smoke.
The commercial tobacco growers are not interested in natural air-cured tobacco as it is a very slow process, and returns on investments would usually not be seen for some time.

I still smoke the occasional cigar, although this is rather a rare occasion.

 

[seasoned]

I have a friend who is also a black belt who is undergoing a crisis right now with major heart surgery. This is her second go-around. She was a smoking fiend all her life and after the first heart surgery, she said she gave it up but... Most of know that martial arts and smoking aren't compatible, just like life and smoking aren't but I am amazed how many people in MA still do. So I made the poll. I hope those that indicated that they are still smoking, try to get into a cessation program and use this as a place for support. Obviously those that get into this forum have a passion for martial arts. But you have to have life to enjoy them.... TW

Quoting Nightingale from a previous post:
Nicotine acts directly on the heart to change heart rate and blood pressure.

Nicotine causes a short-term increase in blood pressure, heart rate and the flow of blood from the heart. It also causes the arteries to narrow. Tobacco includes carbon monoxide, which reduces the amount of oxygen the blood can carry. This, combined with the nicotine effects, creates an imbalance between the demand for oxygen by the cells and the amount of oxygen the blood can supply. Nicotine also causes several changes in the blood that make clots -- and heart attack -- more likely.

Tobacco may increase the risk of developing hardening of the arteries and heart attacks in several ways. Carbon monoxide may damage the inner walls of the arteries, encouraging fatty buildups in them. Over time, this causes the vessels to narrow and harden. Nicotine may also contribute to this process.

With all this said, quitting was the hardest thing I ever did. Looking back 40 years, quitting was the best thing I ever did.

 

[shirobanryunotora]

Hi to you all-in regards to giving up cigarettes, there appears to be several herbs that will bind to the same receptors in your body as nicotine&etc do.This capability then negates the urge to have a cigarette because your body feels it has just had one(once you are using these herbs etc).

The primary herb that accomplishes this is "Lobelia". This info was told to me by a elder herbsman though i have not had the necessity to check it out.Could be an area of research for those with such an interest.Many herbs are far less toxic and addictive than cigarette tobacco and historically were often used as substitutes and replacements for those wishing to enjoy the smoke.

till the next-rr

 

[wingc]

I don't like smoking. I have tried to smoke a cigarette and I had a bitter taste in my mouth, then just I said "Never do this". Also, they cost money

 

[Monroe]

I quit when I was 22. It was really hard to do and I still miss it most days. I smoked for 9 years. I replaced cravings with coffee. I drank a lot of coffee while I was quitting.

 

[R2D2]

i'm trying to quit right now. last cig i smoked was two days ago..

it is not easy but i'm trying. whatrugonnado

i'm really surprised at all the people on here who said they smoked before and even more impressed with the people who quit. Makes me think I can too

 

[Bill Mattocks]

i'm trying to quit right now. last cig i smoked was two days ago..

it is not easy but i'm trying. whatrugonnado

i'm really surprised at all the people on here who said they smoked before and even more impressed with the people who quit. Makes me think I can too

Good luck. My dad smoked most of his adult life; he was smoking 4 packs a day when he had a heart attack. He lived for some time after, but died at age 61.

I smoked until about 8 years ago. Quit a two pack a day habit. It was hard.

The trick that worked best for me was to lie to my body. My body would say "You've been working hard, you deserve a cigarette!" And I'd tell my body fine, you can have a cigarette, but first you have to do something for me. Wait for two minutes.

In two minutes, the urge would have passed.

I just kept doing that over and over.

Good luck, it's worth it to quit.

 

[Gemini]

I've smoked almost my entire life. Started when I was 13 I think. I work out so much and my blood/oxygen level is so high, my own doctor didn't even know I smoked. There's little incentive to quite when I can outlast every non-smoker in sparring and endurance testing. BUT, I'm starting to show signs of needing to quit. Now I just gotta figure out how.

Wow! That was me 7 years ago. Little did I know then that in the not-to-distant future I would find a way after 37 years. In just 8 days, I'll be celebrating my 5th anniversary of quitting.

 

[ballen0351]

Wow! That was me 7 years ago. Little did I know then that in the not-to-distant future I would find a way after 37 years. In just 8 days, I'll be celebrating my 5th anniversary of quitting.

Congrats

 

[seasoned]

Without a doubt quitting smoking was one of the most important things I changed in my martial arts life. The two just don't mix well. Every person I have ever met that smoked, and it is becoming a lot less, wanted to quit "someday".
If you have said, "someday I would like to quit smoking", more then twice, then someday is passing you by. Thought to live by...

 

[dancingalone]

Without a doubt quitting smoking was one of the most important things I changed in my martial arts life. The two just don't mix well. Every person I have ever met that smoked, and it is becoming a lot less, wanted to quit "someday".
If you have said, "someday I would like to quit smoking", more then twice, then someday is passing you by. Thought to live by...

I tried to pick up smoking in my rebellious days, but never could get used to it. The stimulant didn't seem worth the coughing fits inhaling the smoke would produce. After a while I gave up and I passed on my smokes (had a few cartons of different brands for whatever reason) to my friends. Yeah, some friend I was.