I do not smoke cigarettes at all. but I do love to sit on the back porch on Saturday evenings with a nice glass of knob creek bourbon and a good old fashion ebony pipe. then after I relax that way for a while I go inside and ruin my wife's evening by noodling to some blues tracks

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I quit 18 months ago after smoking for 42 years.

I ended up in hospital not being able to breathe and had to be cpap'd (google it)
Turns out I was born with a dodgy aortic valve , it was bicuspid (only 2 flaps, instead of the usual 3) . This means that, as you get older, the valve flaps start to harden and calcify and not opening or closing properly, thereby letting blood seep into your lungs until they eventually fill up and you end up gasping for air .
After a few hours of having air forced through a face mask (think having an airline like you'd blow a car tyre up with helping your breathing), I felt loads better, but ended up having to have open heart surgery to fit a new (pig) valve.
I stopped when I was in hospital, cold turkey (yes,to anyone that doesn't smoke, it is very hard to give up and smokers can't smell how stinky it smells to non smokers).

Although smoking hadn't caused it , after they'd done loads of tests and told me my lungs/liver/kidneys and just about everything else was in excellent shape for my age , I figured why tempt fate.
I've since taken early retirement and feel a lot better than I'd felt for months beforehand and am in the "fortunate" position to be able to say I've been dead once,(they stopped my heart for 75 minutes while they operated) so am enjoying life now, sod work

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Ted

"All right, guys, uh, listen. This is a blues riff in "B", watch me for the changes, and try and keep up, okay?"

Can't smoke... asthma heh... heh..."cough"...

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Kid: "Hey Smokey! Where did you get your name?"
Smokey the Bear: "Well..."
(former user jimbo612)

I am asthmatic so I have never even considered it. I don't mind if people smoke around me because it doesn't happen often. My guitar teacher smokes, sometimes during the lesson but he always asks and I always say yes. It is his house after all.

I was dating a girl for a while and her parents smoked. They rarely smoked around me because of my asthma but would occasionally forget. Actually quite considerate when thinking of how rude they were at other times. (Thats a different story for a different times.) The problem sometimes would be that I would come back from her place and smell like smoke because the smell was in the couch.

I always encourage people to quit. My friends and I bought our friend an electric one that smokes like water vapor or something like that. He uses that instead so its a start.

That's one of the hardest parts of quitting ... and the first couple of weeks can be very rough (drug withdrawal is what you're going through, plain and simple). I tried quitting a few times over the years and finally made it 15 years ago. Even then (with hypnotherapy to get over the first couple of weeks), I only graduatlly felt better ... it sneaks up on you. But then one day it hits you that food tastes a lot better and you may find that your sense of smell has improved too.

Some other things that helped me was hanging with people who were encouraging, not trying to drag me back into smoking or berating me because I did to begin with. I also immediately made a "no smoking" rule for my car and house and all my still smoking friends except for one had no problem with that. I'd just moved into a new house, so I had double "no smoke" motivation there ... and when it was clear that I was quitting for real, I replaced my old smoky clothes as a reward for keeping with it.

So, keep at it ... you'll make it!!!

The Demon is thinking of all sorts of subconscious reasons not to QUIT. Don't pay any attention to them. In time, not smoking will become the norm for you. Even the smell will sicken you. That's when you begin to give smokers dirty looks, and think derogatory thoughts. You'll become a real jerk about it some times. In time your overall health will improve. And some day you'll go to trade in an older car and you can say to the salesman. Look man (THE ASH TRAYS HAVE NEVER BEEN USED). Thats a good feeling. And someday when your insurance Man asks (SMOKER OR NONSMOKER). You get to reply (NON) I QUIT
----Danny,

Good topic!

I used to smoke. I quit in 1999. It was HARD, but I'm glad I did it. I was a considerate smoker though. I NEVER smoked in someone elses house or car without permission. In fact, I didn't smoke in my home or car nor did I allow anyone to smoke in my home or car because I have kids. That rule still applies today & always will.

There are people that I really care about in my life who smoke. I wish they didn't, but I don't "harp" on them about it. I remember when I still smoked how annoying it was when someone told me I shouldn't. This forum topic is a good place for me to vent about smoking.

One thing that pi$$es me off big time, is ignorant, self indulgent, lazy people that smoke & have children but they still smoke in their homes & cars anyway (around their kids).

Smoking is a choice & smokers have the right to smoke. HOWEVER, they do not have the right to pollute the air of non-smokers with their wretched habit. GO OUTSIDE & take that garbage with you!

I live in an area that UNFORTUNATELY has IGNORANT people running things so smoking is still allowed in restaurants & bars. I made the decision to stop gigging in smoke filled venues over a year ago. As a result, it cut my gig income for a while, but I've worked hard to find more NON-SMOKING venues in other cities & states.

I have a very strong following of fans in my home town. It's frustrating too because now I won't perform here unless it's during the summer months on an outdoor stage. When I was gigging in the smoke, I got really sick every winter, much like I did when I was a smoker. Last year I was sick for two months with bronchitis. I cancelled a bunch of non-smoking gigs because I was too sick to perform. I realized that the smoking gigs weren't worth it if it was going to cause me to be so sick that I couldn't perform in the good clean air venues. So I dropped 6 clubs that I had a regular rotation with. That hurt financially, but ultimately my health has to come first.

I remember it well.
I'm at a gig in a Small bar venue packed with 70+ people, at least half of them are chain smoking. I'm playing guitar & singing my heart out, in between every verse I suck in a deep breath of sickening air. The smoke is so thick it is literally visible hanging in the ceiling of the club. That's not good for anyone. No one should have to work in that type of environment. I don't miss the smoke but I do miss performing at one of the clubs. OH well, maybe someday they'll clean this area up & ban smoking in the bars & restaurants all together.

Nicotine takes 3 days to leave your body, and then it's gone. Part of why people are so afraid of going through this process are stories of smokers about how bad it's going to be. It does not take weeks, it takes 3 days. The rest is purely in the mind. Habits, patterns, nervous system.

Cheers

David

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"Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc...and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons."

Chef Wong & Guitslinger:
If I played even a tiny little part in convincing others not to use Tobacco, the humiliation of telling my story was well worth it. The day I quit smoking, was the day we berried My Best Friend. A fellow smoker and a young Man of '40', His name was David. I'll never forget His 10 year old son standing there crying, as they lowered his dad into the ground. That was 28 years ago.
----Danny,

Going on 3:00am here and just got home from the gig and stripped down and showered,the smoke was so thick you could cut it with a knife......we were taking a break outside and left the stage door open,the smoke was rolling out so thick it looked like the place was on fire.
We had a great night though.

If you can't vent hear were everybody loves you, were can you vent? Don't be sorry Chef, we got your message Bro.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

The last cigarette I smoked was on August 16 /11 at about noon or so.
About 2 1/2 months ago, give or take.
Keeping my fingers crossed.
I've done this no-smoking-for-several-months thing a number of times and somehow ended up smoking again.
Hopefully this one's a keeper.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

I know it's tough for you, but you'll win in the end. You'll see. It tuck me 3 tries. finely it tuck the loss of a friend to make it stick.
----Danny,

I've taken up smoking last year...probably not one of my smartest ideas. I've always been attracted to the smell. I never smoke in company though. Will quit sometime in the near future hopefully.