Do you smoke? If so, why do you smoke and how many packs do you smoke?

If you're no longer a smoker, have you ever smoked? If so, how did you give up- was it easy for you or did you struggle?

If you've never smoked in your life, would you ever consider trying it?

And finally, what are your thoughts on smoking in general?
Do you think it should be made legal in public places like before (like, pubs, trains, etc.)? Or totally banned?

I'm with Estella. I have never smoked a day in my life, and would never consider picking it up. I think it's a disgusting habit.
I can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke, and the smell that it leaves on people's clothing and breath. Just.. ew.

Where I live, they have already banned smoking in most establishments, and a lot of public places here have designated smoking ares.
I think it should be banned altogether.

I don't think it would be fair to ban it altogether.

Don't smoke, have never smoked, and no I wouldn't consider trying it. ;D

I don't think it should be made legal in public places. Where I live they've only JUST banned it in restaurants and bars (It's always been banned on public transport as far as I'm aware), and it's so lovely to not have smoke there now! Although I think we need to have some sort of rule that people can't smoke within X amount of feet from the door to these places. It's pretty gross to walk outside and into a cloud of smoke.

I would very much like to see the day where smoking is totally banned, but that will be a long while from now :(

No, I don't smoke.
I have smoked, in the past. I was much younger (young teen) and I just stopped.

Smoking is quite a nasty habit, IMO. However, I can't say that *every* person who smokes makes it that way. My Mom smokes and so does my Grandma - they both reek of smoke and their clothes, nails, hair, house, cars, etc. reek of smoke and are discolored from the effects of smoking tobacco.
My best friend's Mom smokes - I can't even tell and sometimes I forget she smokes.

Banned, no. Not necessarily. Should there be more laws on it, yes. Absolutely. It effects the people around you, and I think it should be limited to your own car, your own home, and no where out in public.. not even outside. Sorry bloopers who smoke - I respect your right to smoke, I just don't want to inhale your 2nd hand smoke.

It makes no logic sense to me to make legal something that has zero benefit, to anyone (with the exception of cigarette companies, of course).

Smokers get sick from their smoking.

People around smokers get sick from passive smoking.

Family members of smokers have to watch their loved ones die from an addictive habit.

Smokers spend their own money to, in short, make themselves sick.

Then they spend their money trying to quit. And most fail on their first attempt.

I think something needs to be done. And honestly, I think it's already in motion. Smoking is far from the mainstream behaviour it once was - apparently, in years gone past, doctors would smoke in hospitals, on the wards, around their patients. And, believe it or not, the patients would take a smoko too.

As for the argument regarding junk food - yes, to a lesser extent, it offers practically no benefits too. But when I walk past someone eating junk food, I don't have to take a bite of it as I walk past. I do, however, have to breathe at most times during the day.

Teresa, the argument that tobacco sales only benefits tobacco companies is the same that welfare only benefits welfare-recipients.

I'm ignorant as I'm not familiar with the intricacies of welfare, at least regarding how it operates in the states. I would believe that yes, it benefits the recipients, but whom else does it benefit? I'm genuinely asking as I have no idea. xD

Okay, I stand corrected. It benefits governments too.

But... surely the millions, if not billions, of dollars spent each year on the management of the vast health complications arising from smoking would clearly negate any benefit the cigarette companies offer governments?

I respect the right of people to smoke. I respect the fact that what people do with/ingest into their own bodies is their decision to make. But I just don't get why people do it, aside from a desire for self-expression and as a way to assert one's right to smoke. Or addiction, I guess.

Furthermore - and (1) this is not necessarily related to this train of conversation, (2) this isn't directed towards you specifically and (3) I may be playing the "health" card yet again - but, having spent time in hospitals for a number of years now, I cannot help but notice the hoards of elderly patients who, without even that significant a smoking history (~15 pack years, or 1.5 packs a day for 10 years, or half a pack a day for 30 years), are entirely dependent on home oxygen because their lungs are so shot. I know, I know, such possibilities seem quite remote to us as this young a crowd, and it's true that some are more (genetically or otherwise) susceptible to it than others. But - today, actually - I saw a pretty young Asian girl having a smoke outside the train station, and before I could help it, my mind flashed forward to her lying in the respiratory ward in 40 years' time. It was actually really weird and I was surprised by the confronting, somewhat morbid, snap judgement my own brain had conjured up in the matter of seconds. But yes... in conclusion, I get people's right to choose, I just don't know why they would choose it.

I was a smoker - i am still in the process of quitting - i have not had a cigg in a few months now, but before that i smoked for 5 years or something like that, maybe longer, i met my husband, and he knew i smoked, but he didnt like it, we moved in together i did not smoke inside, but i started to "hide it" which makes no sense and he assumed i would quit i was respectful, brushed my teeth, spray on some body spray if not changed my top - most of the time i had a sweat shirt i call it the smoking sweat because i would take it off so i wouldnt be smelling like cigg as strong. so i tried to quit for like three years it is hard when you dont want to give it up - so i cut down alot, and i havent bought a pack since last year, i would bum a cigg from co workers or friends, socializing and etc - okay i bought a few packs SINCE then but i always gave them away i would take a few and give them away because here you cant buy singles anymore from packs, but if you buy singles it was NASTY - but now as a non smoker, i picked up a few hobby, beading and crocheting - i bring my projects to work with me, so i wouldnt get a cigg from a co worker, and if i was to sit around i wouldnt be bored i would be busy with my hands. it got easier when i really did want to quit - i think its easier when one wants to quit when they know its right (from what i was told by someone - he said it was easy because he wanted to quit and the time was right) i could be wrong but its my opinion, for me it was hard because i didnt want to quit. i really didnt. but now i am happier, i can breathe, i am doing work outs and not coughing and hacking - i really shouldnt be smoking anyways i have ashama better now to quit than it affecting me later

and now when i pass by smokers they stink really bad - i dont like it - i couldnt believe how bad i could have smelt but i think they need to smoke far away from the doors in public places, and not inside like it used to.

No. No. No. Should not be legal in public places, just like pooping and peeing on the ground shouldn't be made legal in public places.

I've actually seeing people pooping and peeing in public! LOL! xD.

Yeah, I smoke, about 1/2 a pack a day or less.

As for the bans, there should be designated smoking areas, and private business establishments should have the right to determine whether or not they allow smoking. If a restaurant owner decides he or she wants to allow smoking in their building, it shouldn't be up to some politician or law determining if it's legal. Nanny-state legislation is nonsense.

Yeah, I'm ok with not allowing smoking in public-use areas, and having designated smoking areas 25+ feet away from trafficked areas. I'm not ok with blanket rulings that attempt to legislate behavior. They already tax the crap out of alcohol and tobacco. If they're going to continue in this trend, they might as well overtax junk food and gasoline, too.

I've heard the argument, "well smoking isn't just bad for your health, it's bad for my health if I'm nearby." That's fine, that's why I'll keep my distance if I want to have a cigarette.

@kein mitleid I don't smoke, never have and hate the smell of it - & totally agree with you.

When I smoked I only started smoking for a week and i quit. Reason why is because i have bad asthma and i shouldnt of started it. I'm glad they banned it in public places. I don't want to be eating and smell smoke. I'm around people who smoke but they make sure the smoke isnt blowing on me because they respect me. Its just something ive never cared for. My mom after she quit one time she started back but i made her start smoking outside.

Never smoked, never would. It smells disgusting, and I've seen the health consequences far too many times to count.

I'm glad it's banned in public places here (and proud that Scotland were the first part of the UK to do so!) as it is completely selfish and rude to subject others to your poisonous fumes.

I do however think there should be smoking rooms in psychiatric hospitals. Mostly because when i worked in psych hospitals I saw the problems created as the smoking ban had just come in and it was a nightmare for patients who were on constant observations as patients had to be taken outside by a nurse if they wanted to smoke and there was then a risk of them running off, and with staff shortages the nurses were really stretched, doing that constantly. But also because when you're acutely psychiatrically unwell, it is NOT a good time to be trying to stop smoking!

@~RedFraggle~:
"I do however think there should be smoking rooms in psychiatric hospitals."
I absolutely agree with this [and the rest of your paragraph]!

I agree with the bans in public places but I don't agree with the tax. Its your choice to kill yourself why should the goverment get rich on it? I just flat out disagree with it. I don't smoke. I grew up in a home of smokers. The smell makes me sick. I will not allow someone who smokes to hold my children without showering and changing clothes after a cigarette. I'm a nazi.

@Forever Changing: The justification for the tax is because smoking related health problems cost millions of pounds/dollars to treat. When people can't work/pay taxes as a result of the diseases, that costs the government yet more money. I seriously doubt given the consequences of smoking, that the government are "getting rich" off of cigarette tax.

I smoke, i've smoked since i was 12. No plans on quitting anytime soon. Bout' a pack a day. Sometimes a pack and a half. I enjoy it, so sue me. However, long before the "ban" and the mothers-against-everything, i had decency enough to not smoke RIGHT outside doors, in restaurants, etc. I think it should be allowed in bars though, i mean come on. I dont think it should be FORCED in bars, either though. I.e. if you own a dive bar, and 90% of your clientele are Nam' vets and bitter old people, and you think allowing smoking would make them maybe just a little less bitter, you should be able to make that decision. However, if you own a bar, and 90% of your clientele are college kids/your average every day younger bar goers, sure, you should have the option to not allow it.

On another note, rofl redfraggle did you seriously just opt for smoking to be allowed in hospitals!? ROFL you're my hero.

@Betch.:
Totally agree with the bars thing!

@Betch: No, I did NOT say smoking should be allowed in hospitals (it certainly shouldn't be permitted in general hospitals), I said PSYCHIATRIC hospitals, which is a completely different issue and there's very justifiable reasons for permitting it in psych hospitals (in designated smoking rooms) as I already explained. But clearly you didn't bother to actually read what I wrote. :P

LOL i'm just bustin you. I read what you wrote, but i couldn't help myself :P

I went to a club that allowed smoking!

@.Broken Angela.:
When I worked in Switzerland, the local pub I'd go to a lot allowed smoking indoors.
[This was in 2009 after the smoking ban took place here!]
But I lived in a small village there- even the town close-by [Altstatten] had bars that allowed indoor smoking!
I wish there were places like that here in London but, alas, unhappy face |: