h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Rich,

with the 'giving up'. Ivan did it, and I am sure he feels better for it..

The lack of pongs, and the renewed sense of smell are just two of the benefits. The benefits to your lungs cannot be underestimated. If you get fed up with this diatribe, please scroll down to the last paragraph.

My other half, better known here as PHM, had to give up, he was so ill. I really cannot recommend emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthma to anyone. It is the pits and doesn't just affect the sufferer. He has had nearly 20 years of much poorer life because of it.

I do hope you can give it up before it does any real damage. My dad smoked from age 8 to 80, but his last years were not funny, with lung cancer. Till his dying day he refused to believe it was a drug, and an addiction. There's no telling some people!!

Well done on cutting down so much. I hope you continue to cut down, you are far too valuable, and have far too much to offer this world, to waste your life and money on a dirty smelly weed!!!

Websailor

Phew - thank goodness for that, TRiG

My grandpa died of emphysema...very unpleasant indeed and not to be recommended to anybody

I agree with everything that Websailor says (as a matter of course, and particularly in the previous post )

I gave up yonks ago. But I've always thought "oh yeah, one won't start me off again".

A couple of years ago I was having a horribly stressful time at work, and got into the habit of going for a smoke-break when I wanted to either think or just get away. Which turned into a 10-15 a day habit again.

And then I stopped almost as suddenly as I started. But now I don't have that "oh yeah..." feeling, I just can't stand the idea of smoking any more. Which may or may not have someting to do with the fact that I took up running again.

It should be pointed out that I've run regularly since I was about 18 (due to the Army, and then just kept it up afterwards) except for a rather lengthly pause for babies. And in my Army days I was quite fit - and smoked like a chimney. (swore like a trooper too, but I haven't -yet- given that up)

oh, what I meant to say was...

you'll know if/when you want to quit. Up to then cutting down is right for you.

Thanks very much, everyone

I did have a very stressful day at work yesterday, and got through about a dozen cigarettes. Although it was a lapse, I'm still quite pleased, as it could have been much worse.

Today I was out walking, and again I've had a dozen. This is still a substantial improvement, and I'm going to go back down to single figures tomorrow.

The habit smokes are so difficult to break, but I think I'm getting there. I didn't have a pre- or post-dinner cigarette today, and this evening I went a whole five hours without one. Unfortunately, it means I'm online a little less, as I tend to smoke more while at the computer than when I'm sat on the sofa or in the garden.

Don't try to do it too quick & get the nicotine patches-they really work.The hard liquorice sticks are a good substitute for the fags whilst you're online(and you can leave it parked in the teeth without smoke getting up your nose).

Liquorice sticks? What a great idea

Thank you!

Unless you want to substitute one problem for another (dental caries), use liquorice root, Rich. Or not, if you have high blood pressure

Eating too much liquorice can also lead to you spending less time on the PC and more time on the WC!

So I'd lose weight too

Hi Rich,

I can remember discovering liquorice sticks at the local health food shop when I was thirteen, and purchased half a dozen for about 3p, and then spent many happy days at school chewing them, as the Teachers hadn't a clue what they were.

However, as Venus so rightly said, the after effects were dire, to the extent my Mum was going to take me to the Doc's until I explained what I had done, which explained my predicament, and she promptly threw them away.

with cutting down. I know you will succeed.

If it helps, the greatest aid, when I first gave up, was nibbling on sunflower seeds when the craving got too much. I would then reward myself at the end of a day of no tobacco, with a Hamlet or Café Creme and a . After a month they, too, were ditched. It worked.

This time I just didn't buy them. No tobacco, no smoking, no choice but to quit!



MMF

Taking up smoking at a late age:
Now I don't smoke, but me and another non-smoking mate took up smoking when we were 21(ish), just on Saturday nights, just with one-too-many pints. Fags and beer, we found, were a lovely combination. But I had absolutely no desire to have the things near me when sober.

(There was an interesting story as to how I 'gave up', but having just written it here, it's less interesting than I thought, so I'll skip that bit )


You were also talking about having to leave the premises to smoke now: The ban has been in force in Jersey since Jan this year, and the odd side effect is that now the smoking occurs outside the pub, so does the bad language.

Paff

Yep,all the pubs in Wales (ban since April) are busily building little conservatories or bus shelter - type structures , to keep their customers!

... and the outdoor gas heater manufacturers shall inherit the earth

Surely building any type of shelter comes up against the rules of not smoking in public places again? Or is it only not smoking in *indoor* public places?

I know that when the ban comes in here I'll be complaining if people are smoking in bus stops, because I can't get away from that. Even though it is 'outdoors' it's still nasty to be stuck next to someone smelling. And then throwing their rubbish on the floor.

Ah, the bus shelter structures are designated smoking areas and are not fullly enclosed( at least one wall missing- similar to those in most inner city areas I hear!).They have large sand buckets for the fag-ends(some people still miss though (probably the same ones who miss the loo at parties).It's still fairly experimental

It depends on the bus shelter, Mina. People will be allowed to smoke in structures that have more than 50% of the wall/roof space open. If your bus shelter has at least one end wall, a back wall and a roof, people will not be allowed to smoke inside it.

What if it's perforated?

Good question! I imagine that counts as a whole wall.