Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cigarettes

Say I'm a blue-collar Canadian in the 00s. What do I smoke?

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 08:49:59 -0800

I'm writing a book, and I want to know what blue-collar people in central Canada - Alberta, specifically - would buy as cigarettes, brand-wise. I've got my own hunches, but I'm not from there, and I'd appreciate some further direction. If it helps, the people are all people who work in Fort Mac - so if it's something that people from the East Coast would smoke, that's just as helpful. Thanks!

Shmoke and a Pancake - ECig Style

PlutoniumX — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:44:34 -0800

Hello Hive Mind! A few years ago I quit smoking cigarettes And I have absolutely no desire to smoke them again. But on the other hand, I miss the social aspects of smoking and enjoying it. Enter Ecigs. Mrs. NiumX and I are thinking it might be fun to get an ecig system that offers fun and interesting options with no (or low) nicotine. Flavors, whatever. Older Asks seem a few years old. What is new? So any suggestions would be great. Thanks!

Quitting smoking: Life after butt

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 13:17:04 -0800

Beyond the initial challenges of quitting smoking, what are the longer-term effects? How does life actually change? After years of hemming and hawing about quitting the fatal butt, I Am Ready to make the move. In internet research and discussions with GP and other professionals, what has some up are essentially two phases. The first is literally quitting smoking.

That involves a few days of breaking the addiction, and then a few months of learning to live without it. The results are well-documented. Headaches, insomnia, weight-gain, changes in metabolism, irritability, social disruption. As are the benefits.

There were a few details on how quitting smoking is really a decision to change one's entire life. The body physically changes. Blood vessels change. Gums changes. Enzymes change. Hormone levels change.

There is not very much documentation on how the experience of one's life changes beyond smoking. Most of the online forums focus a lot on the smoking bit, and very little on the rest of life.

GP said that typically with smoking, a person can lead a higher-stress life than is healthy. They can basically overload with stress, because the nicotine masks how much stress they're really under. She said that some people just quit and life goes on, whereas other people completely change their lives. They become different people.

Wondering what the hive-mind experience is in this case? What happened when you quit smoking? This isn't so much about the quitting story, as how your life as a non-smoker went on to change. Once you were free from the tyranny of butt.

Best 100 mm menthols?

Kevtaro — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:32:23 -0800

Calling all MeFi smokers! What is the best/your favorite brand of American-brand 100 mm menthol cigarettes? I'm on vacation in the US and was asked by a Japanese co-worker back home to pick up a carton of American 100 mm menthol cigarettes for him. He didn't give me a specific brand name when I asked (said any brand was okay).

I don't smoke, so I have no clue on this one. What are typically considered "good" 100 mm menthols? What are your favorite brands?

Many thanks in advance.

Camel Lights remind me of my friends down on the West Coast

mippy — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 11:06:49 -0800

Why do people choose - or stick with - the brand of cigarettes that they smoke? Is it taste, image, or habit? I've never smoked and cigarette advertising has been banned in the UK for some years now. The recent ban on all pack branding in Australia got me thinking - how much does branding influence smokers?

Never having smoked, I don't know if there is a noticeable taste difference between brands. As a teenager, friends smoked Lambert and Butler because they were cheap (this was in the late 1990s) - the smoke gave me migraines so there was clearly something in there that isn't in, say, Marlboros. My dad smoked one brand, Senior Service, all his life; a half-American boyfriend of mine smoked Marlboros; a colleague smokes Camel Lights. Which makes me wonder why people choose the brands they did - is it because Marlboros seem very American in a way that, say, Benson and Hedges does not? Did my dad stick with Senior Service becayse he was used to smoking them, even if they were getting harder to get hold of? If the cost of cigarettes is rising thanks to tax, why aren't more people switching from, say, Marlboro to Pall Malls? And rolling your own - do people do this not just to save money, but for taste reasons, or because it might be seen as cooler than smoking branded fags?

If anyone knows of any research, or has personal experience, of what cigarette brands 'mean' to them, I'd be interested. Particularly Virginia Slims - there aren't any tobacco brands marketed particularly at women in the UK, so does it feel more feminine to smoke one of these rather than Marlboros, or did they influence you in starting?

Is this, like, trafficking?

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:34:04 -0800

Can I transport cigarettes from NC to NY via airplane? I live in NYC, but will be visiting North Carolina this summer. I'd like to know whether it would be possible for me to buy a few cartons of cigarettes for my friends while I'm there. I will be flying with a checked bag. What is the law here? Am I gonna get in trouble for doing this? It would only be like two or three cartons...

Lucky Strike cigarettes in Dallas

senseofsurreal — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:46:20 -0800

Anyone know where I can get Lucky Strike cigarettes in Dallas, TX? Thanks

Where can I buy organic tobacco in Vancouver?

Alex Voyd — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:46:40 -0800

Is there a shop in Vancouver, BC that will sell me organic tobacco for cigarettes? For the slider style roll your own machine. Ideally something grown and cured locally, but really just organic would be great.

Help me come up with a quitting-smoking Plan B

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:01:18 -0800

So I kind of made up my mind a few days ago to quit smoking via the Wellbutrin/Zyban method. But now I can't get a Doctor's appointment until Feb 8 and I'm already losing my resolve! I wanted to get the ball rolling as soon as I made the decision and my research has led me to choose the Wellbutrin/Zyban course of action mostly because of the reports that it becomes effective pretty quickly, and I also have a more emotional dependence on smoking than a physical one--I'm more scared of losing the emotional crutch than dealing with the addiction aspect.

What should I do? Go ahead and try and quit cold turkey (I'm not interested in the gums or lozenges or patches) then feel bad about myself if I fail? Or should I wait until I get a prescription to try and quit?

Mostly--what should I be doing right now considering I haven't had a cigarette in almost 24 hours and hoped to have started on meds today but can't? What steps should/can I take right this minute? I've already read the Alan Carr book and don't want to use gums/patches/lozenges.

Also, how much do these drugs generally cost if you don't have insurance? I'm in NYC if that matters at all.

Which e-cig is for me?

tumid dahlia — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 01:21:43 -0800

Which e-cigarette is for me? So I was over my buddy's place last night knocking back a few bottles of plonk, and he brought out his latest trinket: an e-cigarette starter kit from SafeSmoke, I think it was. He let me try one out and I thought it was pretty awesome, it gave me something to do with my hands, I got the nicotine from it, I got the hit at the back of my throat, and it gave me a cloud of "smoke".

He told me he's been smoking them for about a week or so now and they're great, he's found his lungs have cleared themselves out and he doesn't have any pressing desire for a real cigarette. He says his brother - a very, very heavy and longterm smoker - is mad for them as well.

Well, I'm a pretty heavy smoker and I've been at it for 15 years now and I've tried quitting before but all that happened is I got addicted to chewing toothpicks and found that nicotine patches were too difficult to light. I'd like to give the e-cigarette a try, because I'll be honest, I enjoy smoking but I don't like what it does to me (namely, running out of breath if I blink my eyes too quickly). Perhaps it will be a gradual weaning process or perhaps I'll just be an e-cig smoking guy.

I was hoping some fellow Mefites might have experience with e-cigarettes, with transitioning from "proper" smoking to e-cigarettes, perhaps trying a few different brands and landing on one that works out the best. From what scratching around on the internet I've done it's looking like the ProSmoke might be the best bit, but I'm daunted by the dozens of different companies and brands.

If it helps at all, I'll go on record saying that I smoke Champion Ruby pouch tobacco, with filters, and about a pack-worth a day (around 25 cigarettes). I'm not sure what I want out of an e-cigarette, exactly, but I'd have to say my concerns are principally economical and I'd also like to be having an "authentic" smoking experience, ideally with a good battery life and with a decent number of "drags" from each cartridge.

E-cigarette fiends of Metafilter, set me on the right path.

Washington Cigarettes?

CCBC — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 03:29:38 -0800

Do Washington brand cigarettes exist in the US? I have seen them on Breaking Bad and other TV shows and movies. There is/was a brand by that name in the Netherlands (or so I see here) but do they actually exist in the US? The Dutch pack has a similar color but wrong font for the US specimens I have seen. Reason for my query: I suspect this is a made-up brand for TV/movies that cannot be said to advertise any extant brand. Am I wrong?

Is short term smoking worse than obesity?

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:14:43 -0800

Am I making excuses or is there a grain of logic behind smoking again to lose some weight? Details. I smoked for 11 years and quit 15 months ago. Bully for me. It's been hard and made even harder by the fact that I've gained about 60lbs since then. I was already portly, so now I'm weighing in at almost 300lbs, roughly 100lbs overweight. Because of this weight gain, I feel like I'm not able to reap any of the benefits of being a non-smoker. In some ways I feel even worse (knees and ankles aching, even less physical stamina, etc).

I've been trying to change my eating habits for the past year, but addictions/self control are a real bitch for me. I've walked the line with alcohol, am in treatment for sex addiction, and in some ways feel like food is my last bastion.

So, yes, this brings us to the ridiculous sounding question that I find myself considering: should I start smoking again to kick start my weight loss? I was previously down to 219lbs when smoking and I tell myself that if I prepared by losing weight before I quit smoking again and got my diet in check I'd be more capable of starting off on the right foot so to speak. Plus, maybe this is naive, but I figure if I quit for a year I can at least do that again.

I know many of you will think this is ludicrous, but I basically feel like I am out of willpower right now and don't think my health has improved at all over the last year and a half. Maybe one day I can have a running addiction, but that day ain't today.

Custom Rolled Smokes in Austin

dirtdirt — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 07:31:40 -0800

What's the name of the place that recently opened up in Austin that allows you to roll a carton's worth of cigarettes for some ridiculously cheap price? It's on South Congress or South First, I think, and it's fairly new. You go in and say, "I want something that tastes like Camel" and they mix up the tobacco and show you how to use the machine. Apparently because YOU put the tobacco in their machine the store is able to skirt a majority of cigarette taxes. I read about it, or maybe I saw it on local news (?!), but I never caught the name.

Searching for anything having to do with inexpensive tobacco is singularly useless. Might as well be searching for viagra.

I was talking to someone about this, and they didn't think it exists, and then I couldn't find it and now I wonder if I dreamt the whole thing.

Cigarettes and CO2

beisny — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:01:36 -0800

How much CO2 emissions result from cigarette smoking? Could aggregate cigarette smoking worldwide be considered to have an effect on global warming?

My office smells like a casino.

geoff. — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:21:08 -0800

The group that works right outside my office are chain smokers. After the first smoke break of the day, my office reeks of menthol cigarettes. Any ideas on how to solve this? I'm willing to try anything at this point. I grew up around smokers and I even enjoy cigars, but for some reason the smell of cheap menthol cigarettes is unbearable to me.

I've been looking at activated charcoal air purifiers and they all seem to be expensive (>$500) and have mediocre reviews. Will these help? The little plug-in air fresheners do nothing.

I tried buying everyone snus, hoping they'd move to a form of smokeless tobacco, but they ended up using the snus and continuing their smoke breaks. These are serious heavy smokers.

I'm sure I'm not the only person to be facing this problem, but this is becoming a serious quality of life issue. It would almost be better if they smoked indoors, so I would at least acclimate to the smell. Right now it seems like a regular 2 hours assault on my senses.

help me lessen the stink

raztaj — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:04:24 -0800

What scents are good at minimizing/masking/neutralizing cigarette smoke? A neighbor somewhere in my building smokes up a storm every other day or so, and it seems to vent right into my old bathroom (and sometimes bedroom, which shares a wall with the bathroom) via cracks between the wall and tiles. My landlord won't do any caulking, and I'm not allowed to, either. But I'll be moving out in a few months, so for the time being, am trying use candles/incense or other things to minimize or neutralize the odor a bit.

I'm currently using lavender tealight candles, which I think (or have convinced myself) helps a little bit. Any other scents or things worth giving a shot?

How can I arrange to only be in possession of a very limited number of cigarettes per day?

kitcat — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:44:20 -0800

I would like to smoke only 2 cigarettes a day, but I can't be trusted with a whole pack. Any ideas? I wonder if there is a service in existence whereby I could arrange to receive a couple of cigarettes in the mail every day. Or is there some kind of safe that could be set up to open only once per day? Does anyone have any other ideas?

Will smoking hookah get me hooked on nicotine again?

libertypie — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 12:57:24 -0800

How worried should I be about smoking hookah after quitting cigarettes? Hey mefites! Smoking is bad, I realize, and I've kicked the habit cold turkey. I'm not really looking for a pep talk or a lecture on why never to smoke anything ever... I realize that hookah contains nicotine and is bad for you, but I'm talking occasional use here (like once a month).

So far as my cigarette-quitting is concerned, I'm past the physical withdrawal phase, and while I have the occasional craving, they're becoming rarer and rarer as each day passes. I'd like to whip out my hookah again. Has anyone else done this? Did you find that smoking hookah "erased" the progress you had made re: cigarette cravings and made you want to smoke them again? I've had friends who enjoyed hookah somewhat frequently and never became addicted to nicotine, but since I have been addicted to nicotine in the quite recent past, I suspect it might affect me differently and don't want to erase all the progress I've made.

Thanks all!

Can you legally mail cigarettes from Canada to the US?

vanitas — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 14:34:51 -0800

Can you legally mail cigarettes from Canada to the US? My American friend misses her now-outlawed clove cigarettes, and since I'm mailing her a birthday gift anyway I thought it would be nice to include a pack.

Is this legal, especially considering that cloves can't be sold in the US anymore? Or is it likely that it will get my package stopped at the border and held?

I tried looking at Canada Post, but they seem to only be talking about large quantities of cigarettes being brought over for sale. I'm not trying to start a smuggling operation here, just send a pack to my friend.

Thank you!

Death sticks worth the death.

The Devil Tesla — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:24:28 -0800

What brand of cigarettes should I smoke? I've just started a cigarette habit, mostly American Spirits and cheap "cigars." What brands are particularly tasty or a good value?

Gauloises cigarettes in Austin, Texas?

Slash_fan — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 09:25:03 -0800

Is there anywhere to buy Gauloises Cigarettes in Austin, Texas? I split my time living in Vienna, Austria, and Austin, Texas. I enjoy smoking Red Gauloises cigarettes, and I prefer them to the American Cigarettes. I'll be in Austin for the next 4 months, and I would love to find a store around here that sells them. If any of you Austinites could help me out, I would greatly appreciate it.

Help me quit smoking!

griphus — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:29:27 -0800

Help me quit smoking! The final results of my battle with Michael Bloomberg have left him the victor. I can't smoke at $12/pack, not even out of spite. So my girlfriend and I have both quit; not because of the cost, but that was the catalyst. And we're doing surprisingly well! Everyone is very supportive (I guess that's one of the benefits of being the heaviest smokers out of everyone you know.) The patches are really cutting the withdrawal symptoms, but I still have some questions:

The patches (Duane Reade brand) seem to fall off on the shower/while sweating. All my research says they're not supposed to. Am I doing something wrong? Is there an easier way to take a shower with the patch on? Can I take it off and leave it on the counter upside-down and put it back on after I'm done showering?

I'm good on the physical withdrawal aspect, but I'm missing a ritual. Every time I get out of class, or work, or finish a meal or exit the subway, I need something to do. Something I can do while walking and talking, obviously, so Rubix cubes or knitting ain't gonna cut it.

Is it absolutely backward to start smoking an e-cigarette after I've finally kicked the habit? The social aspect of smoking is what I'll miss the most -- I've kicked my social anxiety and made lots of friends by way of smoking -- and I'm not sure how to do the temporary-escape-from-a-party-with-a-small-group thing outside of "hey who wants to grab a smoke?"

How do you deal with the stomach issues? I'm not going to go into it, but if you've kicked the habit (or tried) you know what I mean. Coffee helps, but I've recently cut down on that as well, so I don't want to start drinking more.

Driving me (Dr.) Batty

jocelmeow — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 10:32:40 -0800

Please help me identify the typefaces in this phony patent medicine ad. This supposed ad for Dr. Batty's Asthma Cigarettes has been hopscotching around the web for a while - including appearing on Metafilter (where empath smartly spotted it as fake.

Now it has popped up in an online exhibit from the Stanford School of Medicine. (View images by theme and then look under medicinal cigarettes.) I dropped them a line to advise them thus, and the person responding agreed that while actual asthma cigarettes did exist, this certainly seemed like a modern construction. But he wanted to be sure.

I know it has to be a modern construction - the misspellings, layout, kerning, typefaces and the very modern phrase "not for children under six" tell me so - but I can't prove it. I've tried running the text through What the Font?, but the image is so low in resolution (and I'm so bad at comparing typefaces) that I can't come up with any matches.

I'd love your help in identifying the typefaces used and their age, and thus answering the question of this ad's authenticity once and for all. Thanks.

Cheap Cigs for NY'er?

Area Control — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 07:29:34 -0800

I live in upstate NY. What's the shortest distance from me to cheap cigarettes? Halp, they be taxing my vice too much.

How many cartons of cigarettes does it take?

BishopFistwick — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:48:41 -0800

How many cartons of cigarettes were smoked during the filming of Guns and Roses' November Rain video? I'm talking cast and crew, not just by the band. Humorous estimates are appreciated, but I'm looking for actual numbers here.