Nicotine

[AustinTheAspie]

Guess who? *Woody Woodpecker laugh* Had a quick question for the AC community: Are any of you nicotine users? (Cigarettes, dip, e-cig, etc.) I remember the first cig I had, I was 13, and I couldn't even finish it. It wasn't until junior year of high school that I started smoking seriously in order to fit in. I became addicted roughly at around 15-16 after smoking for a year/2 years. When I was about 18, I came across chewing tobacco reviewing videos on YouTube, and it wasn't long until I started dipping. Luckilly, I was able to kick the dip by the time I was 20, in fear of losing my teeth. Today, I smoke cigs occasionally, but I'm an avid user of my Snow Wolf 200W vaporizer with my Troll V2 RDA (as seen below) Anyone on AC with a similar story?

 

[ksheehan88]

Yup. Been smoking tobacco since I was 11, so 17 years. Have attempted to quit in the past but to be honest everyone around me would probably die if I didn't smoke.

 

[Nitro]

I lit my last cigarette in September.
I put 38 years behind me and will never look back.
The way I figure it,I'm about $250 a month in the black as a result of quitting.
My cessation consisted of one day with an E-cig,then cold turkey the next.
My last pack I purchased is enshrined in my toolbox drawer,unopened and there as a reminder to never light one again.

 

[toothless]

austin, i am in awe of your vape, it looks quality.
id love a quality vape but they actually trigger my smoke alarm, i have a mid range price vape and smoke CBD oil for pain and anxiety,the current CBD oil has got nicotine in,the shop had no nicotine free CBD left so i thought f- it,i used to smoke 'john players' and i quit over night with no symptoms so it doesnt bother me.

 

[clg114]

OK,I guess it is time for me to get on my soapbox.... again! I would be willing to bet that most of you that are still smoking have no idea how bad it really is for you. All of the latest research shows that smoking is much worse than was originally thought. But it is not to late, all of that same research shows how well the body can recover once the poison is gone.

I am a good example of that. I smoked for almost 20 years and when I was 56, I had a heart attack. When I was in the hospital, a doctor told me that if I did not quit smoking right now, I would be dead in 6 months. Needless to say, I quit smoking! That was 15 years ago and I am still here. When I was 65, I had bladder cancer that was caused by smoking. Because I had quit when I did, I was able to beat the cancer.

The majority of us here are logical thinkers. Why would a person who thinks and acts logically, do something that will eventually kill you? Why not take the advice us older fellows, like myself or Nitro and live longer?

 

[ksheehan88]

OK,I guess it is time for me to get on my soapbox.... again! I would be willing to bet that most of you that are still smoking have no idea how bad it really is for you. All of the latest research shows that smoking is much worse than was originally thought. But it is not to late, all of that same research shows how well the body can recover once the poison is gone.

I am a good example of that. I smoked for almost 20 years and when I was 56, I had a heart attack. When I was in the hospital, a doctor told me that if I did not quit smoking right now, I would be dead in 6 months. Needless to say, I quit smoking! That was 15 years ago and I am still here. When I was 65, I had bladder cancer that was caused by smoking. Because I had quit when I did, I was able to beat the cancer.

The majority of us here are logical thinkers. Why would a person who thinks and acts logically, do something that will eventually kill you? Why not take the advice us older fellows, like myself or Nitro and live longer?

Well... we're all going to die anyway

 

[nowwhat]

Well... we're all going to die anyway

True, but you didn't see how tobacco killed my brother. Slow and awful. From his lungs, to his liver, kidneys, bones, brain. And to think he elected to do that to himself. But, it's your choice.

 

[xudo]

I've smoked since I was 16. I'm now 31.

OK,I guess it is time for me to get on my soapbox.... again! I would be willing to bet that most of you that are still smoking have no idea how bad it really is for you. All of the latest research shows that smoking is much worse than was originally thought. But it is not to late, all of that same research shows how well the body can recover once the poison is gone.

I am a good example of that. I smoked for almost 20 years and when I was 56, I had a heart attack. When I was in the hospital, a doctor told me that if I did not quit smoking right now, I would be dead in 6 months. Needless to say, I quit smoking! That was 15 years ago and I am still here. When I was 65, I had bladder cancer that was caused by smoking. Because I had quit when I did, I was able to beat the cancer.

The majority of us here are logical thinkers. Why would a person who thinks and acts logically, do something that will eventually kill you? Why not take the advice us older fellows, like myself or Nitro and live longer?

I know exactly what the likely outcome will be. When I was 10, my Uncle died of throat cancer from smoking. When I was 12, my Grandfather died of lung cancer from smoking. Neither of those things have made me quit. I enjoy it, even though I know it will likely kill me.

 

[ksheehan88]

True, but you didn't see how tobacco killed my brother. Slow and awful. From his lungs, to his liver, kidneys, bones, brain. And to think he elected to do that to himself. But, it's your choice.

I'm sorry to hear that about your brother.

 

[Jennacide]

Been smoking since i was 14, so thats 16 years... i hope to quit once things stop being so stressful all the time.

 

[Gritches]

I've been smoking since 19, so about 8 years. I've smoked a pack a day for the last 5 years, with no plans to quit. I gave it a real good try once. I tapered off nicotine in a controlled manner so it was really gradual, but after 5 months my PTSD was so unbearable that I was willing to try anything, so instead of buying some rope I bought a pack - and it worked, which was unexpected. Before I quit, my doctor said to keep smoking. I should have listened.

I'm worried about the cardiovascular effects and lung function more than cancer. There are other convergent factors that mean I'm not going to live a particularly long life anyway, so cancer when I'm 50 is about right; I've never understood the appeal of getting old anyway.

 

[Nitro]

Well... we're all going to die anyway

I guess that depends on how you want to die.
Given the choice of dying while having sex,or being run over by a bus,you will find me in the long line

 

[nowwhat]

I've been smoking since 19, so about 8 years. I've smoked a pack a day for the last 5 years, with no plans to quit. I gave it a real good try once. I tapered off nicotine in a controlled manner so it was really gradual, but after 5 months my PTSD was so unbearable that I was willing to try anything, so instead of buying some rope I bought a pack - and it worked, which was unexpected. Before I quit, my doctor said to keep smoking. I should have listened.

I'm worried about the cardiovascular effects and lung function more than cancer. There are other convergent factors that mean I'm not going to live a particularly long life anyway, so cancer when I'm 50 is about right; I've never understood the appeal of getting old anyway.

Oh, it's not about living a long time, just avoiding death by cancer. Just about any other way to go is preferable.

 

[WildCat]

I'm done with cigarettes, that much I can claim. Started a bit later than most of you guys here at 20

I'm vaping right now and have been for the past 4 years or so (?). I've got a setup like the one in the first post and a smaller one for on-the-go moments - the bulkier one is just too big and fragile to carry around with the glass tank and all

If anything, it's gotten me off of the pack a day habit and it's been working good as a smoking cessation device (even though it's not marketed as such). I won't be quitting anytime soon despite the previous promises I had made, maybe lowering the intake of nicotine here and there but otherwise that's it.

 

[Judge]

I must admit. I'm sort of morbidly fascinated by Aspies who smoke cigarettes. With my sensitivities, cigarette smoke is easily the most common, yet profoundly toxic substance on earth I've struggled with since puberty.

Sitting on a coffee table cigarettes and all their thousands of chemical compounds remain utterly harmless to me. But ignited, then it's fight or flight for me. I'd rather have my nails yanked out in comparison. And yet lighting other similar substances can have little- even utterly no effect on me. Though I do wish I could know the combination of those chemical compounds which are so toxic to me.

I suppose it's this one sensitivity that absolutely contrasts the most for me among my fellow Aspies. I wonder what it must be like to be able to inhale such things without them causing me any discomfort. Something so utterly alien to me, as much as wondering what it must be like to be Neurotypical. Go figure.

 

[Bolletje]

I didn't seriously start smoking until I was 27 (while working on my thesis on lung cancer in smokers, go figure xD). I smoked 1-2 packs a day for four years until i quit cold turkey, six weeks ago. It wasn't as hard as I expected, to be honest. I think my boyfriend suffered more than I did. I'd like to grow old with him, which is why I quit, to increase my chances of sticking around relatively healthily
While I agree that everyone has to die sometimes, I'd rather avoid a long and grueling sickbed. I can't control the way I die (well, without resorting to extreme measures) but I can reduce the risk of certain diseases.
That, and saving 200 euros a month isn't too shabby either

 

[Bolletje]

I must admit. I'm sort of morbidly fascinated by Aspies who smoke cigarettes. With my sensitivities, cigarette smoke is easily the most common, yet profoundly toxic substance on earth I've struggled with since puberty.

Sitting on a coffee table cigarettes and all their thousands of chemical compounds remain utterly harmless to me. But ignited, then it's fight or flight for me. I'd rather have my nails yanked out in comparison. And yet lighting other similar substances can have little- even utterly no effect on me. Though I do wish I could know the combination of those chemical compounds which are so toxic to me.

I suppose it's this one sensitivity that absolutely contrasts the most for me among my fellow Aspies. I wonder what it must be like to be able to inhale such things without them causing me any discomfort. Something so utterly alien to me, as much as wondering what it must be like to be Neurotypical. Go figure.

Ever since I quit, the smell has become incredibly nauseating to me as well. I honestly can't believe I lit 30 of those a day and inhaled voluntarily.

 

[AustinTheAspie]

Ever since I quit, the smell has become incredibly nauseating to me as well. I honestly can't believe I lit 30 of those a day and inhaled voluntarily.

I second this. Even when I've been puffing on my vape for just a day without any cigs, I can smell the cigarette smoke so much easier. It is indeed a disgusting, pungent odor. I don't dare buy packs anymore, but if someone offers me one, I'll smoke it, as stupid as that sounds.

 

[tree]

The first time I tried smoking a cigarette I was 10.
I had to take the trash out and burn it, because I was big enough
to be trusted with matches. So of course, I filched the butts out
that my parents had put in the trash.

It wasn't too fun.
=====
When I was locked up at my parent's discretion, and one of the
privileges was tobacco, I developed a two pack a day cigarette
habit. This was in less than 6 weeks time.

I figured if I had to be locked away, I could at least inconvenience
my father with the cost of the cigarettes I would smoke.
=====
I continued that habit for 2 years.
I kept getting bronchitis.
Smoking wasn't allowed in classrooms, but chewing gum and
eating candy was. Candy and gum were brightly colored and
smelled and tasted better than tobacco. I quit smoking.
=====
As it turns out, I am very allergic to tobacco.
It is a nightshade.
Nightshades hurt me in various ways.
To smell or taste them makes me confused with aching joints.

I don't do any nightshade items these days.
I hold my breath when I pass people who are smoking.
If I have to enter someone's house, I ask what they have cooked
in the past 24 hours.

The degree of confusion I experience from breathing in air
contaminated with tobacco is severe. I lose any belief that
life is worth living, basically.

 

[WildCat]

I must admit. I'm sort of morbidly fascinated by Aspies who smoke cigarettes. With my sensitivities, cigarette smoke is easily the most common, yet profoundly toxic substance on earth I've struggled with since puberty.

It didn't help that I grew up in a household dominated by it a majority of the time. It was a rabid assault on my senses, I'm not doubting that at all, but when you're dependent on them like I eventually was you're not thinking about the toxic chemicals or the fumes, you're only waiting for the initial "buzz" to wear off and then it's on to the next one. That was the ebb and flow of it for me anyways.

Someone in this thread mentioned most of us being logical thinkers (which I both agree and disagree with), to which I'll just say this: it feels great to be away from it at last. Sadly, some don't realize this or even care much at all until the very last second when the doctor comes back with the grim prognosis. Yes, I've always been aware of the long-term and short-term effects through both education and personal experience prior to that, and if I could go back in time to refuse that first cigarette I would do so in a heartbeat. Temptation and other factors overruled logic in my case - not that I feel guilty about it, it's just another lesson learned.