Are you a smoker?

[Ortac]

Something I have learned since I started reading everyone’s comments on AVEN is that a very high proportion of the people who use this site and who are on the ace spectrum do not drink any alcohol, or drink very little.

I therefore thought it would be worth finding out what the results would be when a question is asked about smoking habits. I did see that the topic of smoking was raised in another poll about a year ago, but I thought it would be interesting to do a more detailed one.

So I would like to ask all people on the ace spectrum: Do you smoke?

My question about smoking is referring simply to tobacco, i.e. cigarettes (or rolling tobacco, cigars, or even a pipe if those are your things), and not marijuana / cannabis or any other form of unauthorised substance.

It would be interesting to know how the percentage of people here who smoke compares with the percentage of the population in general who smoke. Of course, I appreciate that it is difficult to know exactly what percentage of the general population smokes, as figures are changing year after year, the figure will vary from country to country (and of course we have users here from many different countries). However I understand that as a very rough indicator, 1 in 5 wouldn’t be too far out.

Something I learned recently is that in prisons, the proportion of prisoners who smoke is generally much higher than among the general population – I think 90% was mentioned for the prison nearest to where I live. Very interesting indeed!

[Lia]

I don't smoke. I never have smoked. I hate being around people who do smoke. I wish it was illegal to smoke even outside because when I'm walking down the street, I don't want to get a big old lungful of your second hand poison.

[darkroomalchemist]

I've never smoked and I don't like being around people who are smoking. The smell gives me migraines and a coughing fit, let alone the smoke.

[Rare Aztec Whstling Chickn]

I;ve been smoking for about 9 and a half years now. I can smoke quite heavily, but there a lot of time where I have to go without it. I do get some enojoyment out of it, but am sitting on the fence on whether or not I wanna quit.

[Hooded_Crow]

Nope, have never taken a puff in my life and not planning to. These things kill ya. Plus they stink.

[Guest]

I dont smoke !!

[Tja]

Unfortunately, I have been smoking for around 40 years. Started when I was 9. I hate and loathe them, but am having a hard time (obviously) quitting. I quit June and July this year and started again in August.

I quit for a year and a half when I took Chantix, but it hasn't worked once I started smoking again. My Doctor tells me my lungs are fine, so far, but it's only a matter of time.

I'm a rational thinking person, and I know these will kill me, but I'm just not having any success with quitting. :(

[Guest]

Tried it exactly once. Hated it enough to have my first puff from a cigarette be my last one, too.

As for being around smokers... hate is a strong word, but I really really really don't like it. ;)

[Corretto]

I;ve been smoking for about 9 and a half years now. I can smoke quite heavily, but there a lot of time where I have to go without it. I do get some enojoyment out of it, but am sitting on the fence on whether or not I wanna quit.

As a hyper-anti ex-smoker: I'll point the finger at only two things I can't comprehend [there are more]..."enjoyment" and "sitting on the fence". I suggest *forcefully* that you get off the 'fence' and that you get your 'enjoyment' by some other means! Good luck. Cia

[Kellykinsss]

I tried smoking when I was 15 and again at 18. Both of my parents smoke most of my family smokes it doesn't bother me one bit. As far as I know my lungs and breathing are fine.

[Skycaptain]

I've never even taken a single puff. Watching a relative die horribly over many years was a far better education than any Government sponsored anti-smoking campaign

[Zerο]

My mom used to smoke a lot, probably a lot less. What a stupid (and expensive) habit.

I'll move upwind of a smoker in public, but fortunately none of my friends smoke.

[everest]

I used to smoke an average of 10-15 cigs a day for around 10 years, and never minded and even enjoyed it a lot of times - found little to no detriment to health, personally. I've now been "clean" for about 4 months - my longest try so far, I think. Quitting was a just a personal challenge, to see if I could, so I'm worried that I'll relapse when I can tell myself that I've got it beat for good.

That all said: I AM STRONGLY ADVISING AGAINST SMOKING. Just to be clear.

[Guest]

Never smoked and being around someone who is smoking makes it hard to breathe, gives me headaches and makes me cough - and it smells AWFUL!

[Makalasterlove]

I smoke around 20-30 a day. I consider it an addiction and would like to quit. I can abstain from smoking if I'm with people who don't like the smoke unless I'm super stressed.

[Amatista]

I have never smoked. I have trouble being around people who are smoking because I have asthma and I'm allergic to tobacco. I have to hold my breath around them.

[Purple Heart]

Never have been, never will, nor want to be a smoker. Both my parents smoke and I've just grown up hating the smell.

If either of them get into my car just after smoking, they seem to take such offense if I make a comment about how strongly they stink of them. My mum is probably the worst, rather than getting out of the car, closing the door then moving away from it before lighting up, she'll do so while still sat just before getting out, thinking it's fine because the door's open. Or, if she has one just before getting in the car, for some reason she thinks it's alright to open the door and sort of lean in to use the door to shield her cigarette from the wind as she lights it <_< So selfish, but apparently I'm the unreasonable one if I have a go at her for it!

Such a disgusting habit. Living with 2 smokers, the house always smells bad and the walls are always yellowed :(

[WhenSummersGone]

I smoke maybe a pack a day and I would like to quit eventually. It's gross and it costs too much money.

[jebadesu]

I enjoy smoking shisha every now and then - I love how many different flavours there are. Other then that I keep an emergency pack since I only smoke cigarettes when I'm stressed beyond belief.

[njosnavelin]

I will admit I am a second hand smoker and take enjoyment from that. There are limits with a time and place for my second hand smoke enjoyment. I have no interest in smoking myself.

[LaMaestra]

Don't smoke, never have, never will. It's AWFUL.

[Frigid Pink]

I don't smoke and I don't like to be around smoke.

[defaultuser]

I don't smoke, however I absolutely don't mind other people smoking, in fact I enjoy that kind of people.

[TheLonelyOne]

I consider smoking as one of the most disgusting habits, and can't refrain from looking down on people who smoke. Honestly, it's a waste of health, money and time. Never tried, never will.

[deltaX]

I don't smoke- never even tried it. I had so many anti-smoking lectures thrown at me by my teachers in elementary and middle school that even if someone offered me I cigarette, teenage me would be too terrified to take it. Also, the smell really bothers me, and sometimes even being too close to someone who is smoking makes me feel kind of sick.

[h_langley]

Does my aunt making me smoke a cigarette when I was 4 to traumatize me so much I would never touch another cigarette again count as 'no, but I tried it once'?

[Isa]

I've never smoked and I hate to be around people who are smoking. Can't stand the stench and even if I did, I wouldn't want my lungs to get filled with the smoke. I want to be able to breathe and do things without getting exhausted sooner than normally. Smoker's cough sounds really terrible as well.

Some of my friends do smoke and I'm really worried about them. I've heard all the usual explanations "Gonna die anyway" or "too difficult to quit" etc. I don't get the logic that if you're going to die someday anyway, then heck, let's just hasten it a bit. Who would want to die sooner than their time - voluntarily? In one of the nastiest possible ways?

All of them are otherwise healthy people with all their limbs attached and without major illnesses that would limit their lives and still they've decided to take such a huge health risk that won't give any kind of benefits in return? I don't even... Mankind wouldn't lose anything if ciragettes were removed and banned completely.

Seen even a dream about one of my friends who's a chain smoker. It felt so real. Twice the same dream, and exactly the same. He was dying of lung cancer. Not sure if just my subconscious doing tricks or really something to be worried about. I'd be tempted to tell him, but I've been through so many useless arguments with smokers and alcoholics and whatnot already that not sure do I even want to bother.

[njosnavelin]

If some of your feel this strongly against smokers, please consider they are not a second class person because of that choice. It might not be the best choice but they did it. Trust me, they know. They are still people or your friends, co-workers, far off family member.

Some other awful habits we have in this first world problems to detest:

- people who chew gun and stick it in places

- people who don’t clean up after their animal

- people who answer a phone call in crowded situation

- people who litter

[jebadesu]

If some of your feel this strongly against smokers, please consider they are not a second class person because of that choice. It might not be the best choice but they did it. Trust me, they know. They are still people or your friends, co-workers, far off family member.

Thank you for saying this, I kind of got the feeling it was getting a bit out of hand. It's totally understandable that people don't like to smoke or don't like smokers. Hell, even some smokers hate it. But looking down on another human being because of a bad habit is a bit extreme to me.

[Tja]

Yes it's a terrible habit. But, to be told that someone looks down on me for smoking is just as terrible.

In this crazy, screwed up world, I'm sure there are things I could find to make myself feel superior and "look down" on someone else.

Let's not stop here. How about a thread on not being black, or not being gay. That should really stroke your superior ego.