Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cigarettes

African American smokers choose menthol cigs ~75% of the time; Whites ~25% of the time. Why?

jjjjjjjijjjjjjj — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:16:46 -0800

How did menthol cigarettes come to control such a large share of African American smokers' cigarette purchases? [quick cites: wikipedia, FDA (via USA Today), Harvard SoPH] The studies linked put ~25% of White smokers as choosing menthol, and 70%-80% of African American smokers as choosing menthol. My anecdotal perceptions for my age cohort and region (~30, St. Louis, MO) seem like they'd widen the gulf even further. How did this come to be?

I suspect that the major mechanisms perpetuating this amount to: advertising (just by looking at where and how Kool and Newport [popular menthol cigarette brands] concentrate the bulk of their advertising) and inertia (just like all the products I use for no other reason than that my daddy used 'em). But how did it get that way, in this case?

Answers will be quite nuanced and variables quite interconnected, no doubt... not looking for any "just so" stories. Willing to read challenging things. Many thanks.

in store cigarette display

cameronfromedinburgh — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:50:58 -0800

Does anyone have a link to research linking in-store tobacco counter advertising and teenage smoking habits? I know that some Canadian provinces have tried banning the display of cigarettes in shops, and so have Tasmania and Canada I think. Similair legislation is planned for Scotland but the big tobacco lobby are fighting it and attempting to discredit these studies I've mentioned.

Really, no more cloves?

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:14:08 -0800

So... The US has banned clove cigarettes. This is the only type I smoke because I dislike the taste and feel of smoking a tobacco-only cigarette. What options to I have? Please, no advice about quitting. I am an adult smoker who is aware that smoking is harmful, and I've set for myself a time at which I will quit. The FDA meddling in my decisions is not the time I had selected.

Things I've considered...
~ It seems that pipe tobacco may still be ok - does clove pipe tobacco exist?
~ Blending my own pipe tobacco with (organic?) cloves
~ Purchasing from an online retailer (outside the US) and sending money orders to the government to cover the taxes I would have incurred, had I been able to purchase the cloves in my area.
~ Driving to Canada or Mexico.
~ Asking friends that live in other countries to send them to me (from Europe, Asia or Africa)
~ Purchasing them on an American Indian reservation (I haven't been able to decipher whether or not the law prevents them from being sold there)

I live in a major US city within a day's drive from either Mexico or Canada. I can be contacted at nocloves@gmail.com for follow up questions or information you'd rather not post here.

Thank you!

Cigarettes and bloodwork

j1950 — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:04:22 -0800

If I smoke a cigarette will it affect my bloodwork? I'm having some bloodwork done (for a standard physical) at 11am ET. I was told not to eat, etc. I smoke 4-5 cigarettes a week. If I have a cigarette now (10 hours before), will it negatively affect my bloodwork at all?

Male in my twenties, in good health.

ads with pregnant women smoking cigarettes?

sdn — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:03:23 -0800

i have just seen this awesome collection of vintage ads featuring brides, in bridal gowns, smoking cigarettes. and now (out of curiosity) i am wondering if there were any print ads, ever, featuring pregnant women smoking.

Need help picking a good E-cigarette that will get people talking.

Chamunks — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:29:41 -0800

I need some advice about a first time e-cigarette buy. I really want to get my smoker friends all switched to electronic cigarettes over regular ones because they straight up stink and are grose. I used to smoke myself and quit just fine under the cold turkey method. But I don't mind buying one for myself smoking non nicotine content cartridges to kind of set up a sort of "Viral Marketing" campaign to my friends. I have been looking into stick style ecig's like the "M 401" and the "Janty Mini" I heard the Janty series have a cartridge that can hold a huge number of refill drops as well (although I don't recall the name of the carts or for what specific Ecig it works with). Any advice on this is appreciated. I would love to buy the Janty because you know where its coming from but if there are any other sources please let me know in the reply's. Im not trying to get these people to quit I just want them to choose a healthier and better for your local environment (people nearby and friends and family) option.

We have a smoking ban here in Canada and yes i realize a better time of year to start this campaign would have been in the dept of winter when they don't want to dress up to go out for a smoke, but maybe more people will get into this and i can start hanging out with some of my old buddies again.

Why do all cigarettes look the same?

roofus — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:40:44 -0800

Why is there such uniformity in the design of cigarettes in comparison to other tobacco products?

Saturday night, the cigarettes come crawling out with the boys who crave regrets

KateHasQuestions — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 07:04:12 -0800

Non-smoker dating a smoker - how to deal? Here's the thing. I met a great guy 3 weeks ago, we hit it off instantly and he is awesome and funny and treats me well. One of his few downsides is that he smokes. I CANT STAND SMOKE. He's 27 and only started a year or two ago, so it's not like it's a habit he's had his whole life.

A week after we met he said he's going to quit. I said that that would be awesome, but in the back of my head thought "no way is that gonna happen, guys say all kinds of crazy things for a girl." Well, he went 2 weeks without smoking (or at least smoking so rarely that I didn't have to smell it on him). During those 2 weeks I made sure to tell him how good it was to kiss him and not want to vomit (I said it nicer) and that it's great to be able to enjoy how he tastes and smells.

The other day we hung out and he smelled like smoke. He apologized and said he's trying, and slowly weaning off the cigarettes. Then last night we were out with his friends and it was the first time he smoked in front of me, and he smoked 3-4 cigarettes throughtout the rest of the night. I had a crappy night because his friends smoked too and I was just exposed to it the whole night. He apologized last night and said how much he appreciated me putting up with that because it meant a lot to him that his friends seemed to like me.

So here's my question:
What are the chances he'll quit? Is it reasonable to ask him to quit? I know people just don't change, but the fact that he's said it himself a few times (I was not the first one to ask him to quit) and went TWO weeks without smoking gives me some hope.
Should I keep commenting on it everytime he smells like smoke or is that too naggy?
Is it reasonable to demand that he never smokes around me at least?
Withholding sex/kissing sounds stupid and isn't my style, but does it work? It really isn't sexy when he tastes like smoke, so it wouldn't be that hard to do..

I know it ultimately depends on me to decide whether this is a deal breaker for me, and for him to see how serious he is about us, but what's the best way of dealing with this?
Smokers: How much nagging or asking would get on your nerves?
Past smokers: Did a significant other make you quit? How?
People who don't like being around smokers: Should I just give up on the hope that he'll quit?

Thanks for your input!

Give me the rundown on expensive cancer sticks.

Anonymous — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:28:20 -0800

If you have smoked two or more of the following "premium" cigarettes, please compare and contrast them: Davidoff, Nat Sherman, Benson and Hedges. Thanks! I have access to all the varieties of Davidoff, Nat Sherman, and Benson and Hedges (light, ultralight, mint, mcd, classic, etc etc). I'm curious if these brands are any good and as an extremely lightweight smoker, I'll never be able to work my way through enough of them to be satisfied that I have created an informed opinion. So help me out!

I like hearty cigarettes, as well as cigars and pipes. One of my favorites was Bohem cigarettes, which I found in Korea and which were 30% pipe tobacco, just to give you an idea of my tastes.

Normal cigarettes?

muscat — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:35:32 -0800

Fire Safe Cigarettes - they taste different, leave a film in my throat, and generally disappoint. Even imports like dunhills are carrying the FSC badge. Is there any way (in SF) I can get my good old fashioned smokes?

i need a new online smoke shop

sdn — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:09:00 -0800

cigarette filter, so to speak: the online smoke shop i've been using for years just shut down. i need a new one! any good/legit sources? (yes, i've paid with echeck for years, not a problem)

I need some fresh air.

stormygrey — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:59:48 -0800

I need creative ideas for remedying a stale apartment. The home I own has about 1300 square feet upstairs where we live and 600 sq feet in an apartment we rent out downstairs.

Our first two tenants were drunk construction workers and never complained about a thing, but our last two folks have said the apartment smells stale or smokey. I have noticed that the last two tenants who cook a lot make the whole house smell like stale food. So it seems like air is not circulating at all.

The stale food doesn't bother me, but it does bother me that he can smell our cigarette smoke, particularly in his bathroom. The house shares central air and there is only one return in the whole place. We have a whole house Aprilaire high efficiency air cleaner on the furnace.

We are willing to try filters in vents, baking soda, room size air purifiers, smoking only in certain rooms of the house, caulking up everything in site, a portable air conditioner or window unit down there.

I don't know about how much adding extra returns or whatever would be and I know that realistically we aren't going to start smoking outside anytime soon.

I really don't understand a lot about how ac units work. He seems to think the stale smoke smell is coming from the vents not from seeping down the stairs or floorboards, that is why we are focusing on those issues, but if you have experience or ideas no matter how off the wall throw them at me!

He is being really gracious about it, so I really want to do right by him.

I asked a similar question last year, but this is more about ac this time as that seems to be the culprit rather than just stank basement.

Limiting my smoking

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:38:29 -0800

I'm an on/off again smoker. At 'worst' I smoke a cigarette or two per night. At best I go 3-4 months without smoking at all. The rub is that it'll get to be around 11 PM, and I'll want one, and if they're available, I'll smoke one. If they're not available, I'm not about to go out and get them. Can the hive mind think of ways to keep them available but not smoke nightly? Anon because several people who read MeFi don't know I smoke. I like having tobacco around because there are nights where I want to have a cigarette, and I'm fine with that. I'm not trying to quit. Its usually when its late and I'm pissed off and alone and can't bum one (and I really don't like bumming cigarettes anyway, and in general don't like smoking around other people), so relying on that option is out. I'd feel stupid buying the gum, since its so expensive, and if the tobacco wasn't around in the first place I wouldn't need the gum at all. I feel like ther should be some mechanism that raises the barrier just high enough that its discouraging for an every night habit but available for when I want to let myself have one (the distinction between wanting to let myself have one and giving in is very clear to me, so that isn't an issue). I also live alone, so letting someone else keep control of them is out as well. Any thoughts, hive mind?

Cigarette Penalties in NYC

ifranzen — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:43:23 -0800

What are the penalties for unlicensed cigarette vendors selling untaxed (likely imported) cigarettes in NYC? Yesterday, outside of a Brooklyn bar, I spotted a man selling what looked like Ukrainian Camel cigarettes out of a trash bag for $5 a pop. What are the likely penalties this man would incur if caught? I haven't been able to find any relevant information for New York City laws on this subject.

Herbal Cigarettes or Equivalent

fantasticninety — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:43:23 -0800

Let's talk herbal cigarettes and other non–nicotine related substances! Howdy Mefi,
I've gone 6 weeks without nicotine and being intimately familiar with the addictive properties of it I'd like to find a solid herbal cigarette or equivalent. If someone has something decent please suggest below as long as I can purchase it online. People who've got personal experience in this territory would really be appreciated if they contributed.

Rollo's

Black_Umbrella — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:31:06 -0800

Why are corners cut on some rolling papers? I have been rolling cigarettes for a while now but never thought to ask why many rolling papers have cut corners. Some have the corners cut, some don't, the same brand will sell papers both ways. Whats the deal?

As a cigarette should

frecklefaerie — Fri, 23 May 2008 19:57:48 -0800

Smoking hot american mefites! I'll be traveling from MD to MA soon. Which state between here and there has the cheapest cigarettes? I found this lovely document in my searches, but it seems to be dated 0207 and since then at least MD's cig taxes just went up, so I don't trust its accuracy. I will likely be traveling through MD, DE, PA, RI, CT, NY, MA. Thanks!

Smoking Gun

Parasite Unseen — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:52:51 -0800

Help me pick a cigarette for the "infamous gentleman". I've decided to become an "infamous gentleman". This is to say, I want to be the sort of person whose public comportment is unimpeachable, but about whom it is rumored that I have a private life of villainy and vice.

The infamous gentleman, I think, should have a signature cigarette. I don't smoke, personally, but I constantly find myself around people who do, and I want to be able to offer something to those who constantly find themselves with empty packs. Since I don't smoke, I can afford to spend a little extra cash on a higher-end brand, something that would appeal equally to friends of either gender, but I have no idea what that might be. I am definitely not interested in learning to roll my own. I just want to get a rep as a man who's generous with a tasty brand of cigarettes.

Also, I want some theoretical hard-bitten gumshoe to find cigarette butts at the scene of a crime, and by the distinctive brand know to look for my involvement.

Hivemind, what brand should I choose?

How organic is Natural American Spirit tobacco?

fjardt — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:18:06 -0800

How organic is Natural American Spirit tobacco? I sometimes like to smoke pipe tobacco, but i am interested in something free of the nasties (paradoxical talking about tobacco? i think not).

Natural American Spirit tobacco claims to be "100% additive-free tobacco", but it is since 2002 owned by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, which also owns Camel, Kool, Winston, Salem, Doral, Eclipse, Export A and Pall Mall.

So how natural could the Natural American Spirit tobacco be? Wikipedia says "There is a lot of controversy surrounding this brand, both for its use of a 'native american' logo, and for its claims to be natural."

Are there any alternatives?

3 BREAKFASTS = BREAKFAST + LUNCH + DINNER?

defmute — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:45:06 -0800

If I eat three breakfasts and then don't eat for the rest of the day, is that the same thing as eating breakfast lunch and dinner? lately (based upon a rumor i heard, the fact that i love breakfast, and having an erratic sleep schedule) i've been eating breakfast in large quantities (as in i eat till i feel pain) and then eating nothing for the rest of the day. is this okay for my body? will this kind of diet make me gain weight? lose weight? also, i should note that for the past week or so i've been sleeping at 11am and waking up at 7 pm. i've also been smoking about a gram of weed a day. i smoke cigarettes (about 5-10 a day) if that means anything.

does it help to hold your breath to avoid second hand smoke?

esolo — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:19:05 -0800

I have never smoked in my life, and with every year my attitude and tolerance for smoking becomes worse and less (sorry, all smokers out there!). In the last little while, I realized that I actually unconsciously hold my breath every time I pass someone who smokes in the street. Does this significantly do anything in terms of benefiting me and helping to avoid the dangers of second-hand smoke, or am I just fooling myself?

32 days without a smoke. Now what?

scarylarry — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 20:48:27 -0800

I haven't smoked in over a month. How can I inspire myself to extend that indefinitely? I haven't had a cigarette, not even a puff, in 32 days. Prior to that, I was a regular, I'd say medium-frequency smoker (I smoked 8-12 cigarettes a day).

Not smoking for 30 days wasn't nearly as tough as I'd anticipated. Sure I wanted one, but I was able pretty easily to put my mind on other things.

In the past few days, however, I've noticed that I am fantasizing about smoking with increasing frequency, and that it's not as easy to change my train of thought. I would say that the feeling that my *body* needs a cigarette has actually abated over time. This is more a psychological thing, i.e., 'wouldn't it be fun/relaxing to have a smoke right now?'

I think part of the reason it's suddenly getting harder for me to live without the thought of smoking is that my initial goal had been a month without cigarettes. It was a concrete goal that I could see myself accomplishing. The concept of my whole life without cigarettes is a whole lot scarier. Yet, at the same time, setting a new short-term goal, like two or three months without cigarettes, doesn't inspire me as much as the first goal did.

Any tips on how to keep myself committed to quitting after I've gotten over the first hurdle?

Cigarette Sampler?

ThirstyEar2 — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 09:21:12 -0800

Is there such a thing as a cigarette sampler? I started smoking a couple years ago and I've had a few different types of cloves and regular cigarettes (Djarum, Marlboro, Newport). I want to try other cigarettes without buying a whole pack in case I don't like it. So, can I buy a "sampler"? I'm willing to shop online and if this product exists, I will be happy!

Smoke'em if you got'em...just do it outside!

cosmicbandito — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:07:59 -0800

Why do cigarettes smell so much better outside? I can't be the only one who's noticed. When you walk past somebody who's just lit up outside, there's a delightful quality to the smoke. It smells fantastic. Doesn't seem to matter what brand, or what the weather is like. But as soon as you step indoors, if that same person lights up, the smoke smells different; somehow less intense. What gives? Is there some chemical difference going on, or is it all in my head?

Help me shut up the devil on my shoulder!

zardoz — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:55:53 -0800

Three months ago, I quit smoking, but on occasion I'll crave a cigarette. I envy those who say "God, I HATE the smell of cigarettes!". I want to hate that smell, as it would make it all the more easy to be a non-smoker...but I don't. I'm rather indifferent to the smell. Can I get some lessons on how to hate the smell of cigarette? I smoked for nearly 10 years, and 3 months ago I read Allen Carr's "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" and it worked like a charm--I read the last page, smoked one more cigarette, and haven't had one since. Most of the time, I don't want one, and if I smell cigarette smoke on the street, I'm pretty much indifferent about it.

But sometimes I do want a cigarette, and I think I've narrowed down the stimulus: whenever I've completed a task or activity, like finishing (a tough day at) work, after a movie, after a long trip, etc....these are the only times I still--not usually, but sometimes--crave a cigarette.

I hear people say "I hate the smell of smoke!" and I'm jealous, because that would make my continued quitting so much more easy. But I'm just indifferent to cigarette smoke. At worst, it can be just slightly annoying. Ex-smokers, how to you keep on keepin' on?