Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with smoking

need advice on how to avoid smoking relapse

marimeko — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:36:53 -0800

Ex smokers: What did you do to get past certain stages of withdrawal? Info: I quit smoking without any type of nicotine replacement about four weeks ago. I've quit many times, the longest being for four months.

A few weeks into quitting (as is currently the case) my mind always tends to resort to dirty tricks to get me to relapse (things like constant, unwanted smoking "nostalgia", or the idea that without smoking I "will never enjoy anything ever again"). It may take a couple of months, but it (my own mind!) is very convincing, as so far this has always resulted in me smoking.

PS: I've tried Wellbutrin twice and it had no effect on me other than making me anxious. Also, I want to avoid re-intoducing nicotine back into my system in the form of NRT.

Thanks!

Where can I find a soap bubble blowing pipe that looks like a realistic wooden smoking pipe?

leptin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:03:52 -0800

Where can I find a soap bubble blowing pipe that looks like a realistic wooden smoking pipe? All the ones I see online are made of brightly colored plastic. Alternatively, is it possible to modify a real smoking pipe for blowing soap bubbles? Thank you very much for your help!

1st time marijuana smoker

goofyfoot — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:05:16 -0800

1st time marijuana smoker! My partner will smoke weed for the first time this weekend - a friend gave us a joint. What can I do to make this enjoyable for him? Besides making sure there are munchies? I started smoking weed, and stopped smoking weed, long enough ago that I don't remember what's necessary to make the first time an enjoyable experience besides the necessity of snack food and a comfortable space. Any tips for me and for him?

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.

I don't want to smell like an ashtray!

peanut_mcgillicuty — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:51:03 -0800

How can I mask or block the smell of my neighbor's smoke in my closet? My downstairs neighbor smokes in his apartment and the smell is making its way into my hallway and closet. My clothes are starting to take on the scent. If I sleep with the bedroom door open, the smell often wakes me up, and even when it doesn't, I wake up with the sore throat and congestion I normally get after a night at a smokey bar. It's been getting worse as the weather gets colder, presumably because he's now got his windows closed. I want to make the smell go away!

To be very clear, I am not asking how do I confront him or complain to the management company. There have been well-publicized accounts of tenants or condo-owners fighting smoking neighbors in New York City and I'm not willing to go that route yet. I'll certainly look into filing a complaint with my management company, but I want to take steps to mitigate the smell myself first. Frankly, I don't care if he smokes in his apartment, even if I can smell it a little, as long as it doesn't wake me up or make my clothes stink.

What I'm looking for includes suggestions on blocking up any possible nooks and crannies in this closet or finding absorption materials to put in that will block, absorb, and otherwise mask the smell. I currently have a fridge/freezer baking soda pack in there, which has made not one bit of difference. I did not notice any holes in the closet floor or walls when we moved in. But another closet in the same hallway doesn't smell, so I'm sure there's something in my closet that's letting the smoke get in. For what it's worth, the smoke smells mostly like cigar or cigarillo smoke, or cigarettes, but definitely not pot. Sadly, not using the closet isn't really an option, storage space being at such a premium in NYC.

Has anyone had to deal with this before? What did you do? What are some (preferably inexpensive) options to deal with this?

Kisses are nicer when they don't taste like Camels

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:43:28 -0800

How can I let my new guy know I don't like him smoking without turning into an unpleasant nag? I'm newly in a relationship with a great guy. I like just about everything about him, except for the fact that he smokes. It makes him smell bad, and it's disruptive to our time together when he has to get up every hour or two to go out and smoke.

At this point, it's not a deal breaker for me; I don't want to issue any ultimatums. I saw my mother try to quit smoking for years; I know it was incredibly hard, and I know pressure from the people who loved her was the farthest thing from helpful. I don't want to cause my guy that kind of angst. I also don't want him to feel he has to hide his smoking from me.

I just want to let him know, in the most respectful, supportive way I can, that I would be happier if he quit smoking. His health and his finances are his business, and I know he knows the damage smoking can do to them. But kissing a smoker and having our evenings fractured are my business, and I don't think he knows how much I dislike it.

tl;dr: I don't want to make him quit. I just want to let him know there are some new reasons he might consider quitting. How do I walk the fine line of telling him that without pushing him?

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!

Help a social smoker quit. For good this time. Really.

semacd — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:30:37 -0800

My name is semacd and I am a social smoker. So is my significant other. We both smoke sometimes when we drink. I'd say we smoke 1-10 cigarettes a couple of times a month (so, 2 (low end) - 20 (binge-fest) cigarettes a month). Probably 10 per month is most common. Neither of us ever craves the nicotine rush we hear about. We just LOVE to smoke. We love the smell. We love the oral satisfication. We love the camaraderie of being out with friends, drinking beers and sharing a cigarette. We love the romance of smoking - i.e. a cigarette in some rough and tumble country is really hard for us to resist. Our best friends are serious smokers - pack a day smokers, so that makes it hard too. We do exert a LOT of control - we'd smoke every day if it weren't for the health consequences because we think it's so fun - but we still falter with some regularity.

But we both really want to quit. We hate that we ever smoke. Do you have any tips? We've quit for months/years but are smoking again. We've tried rules, like "only 1 on new years!' to make quitting entirely not seem like such a burden. But that doesn't work because we keep giving ourselves exceptions. And obviously booze doesn't help - just a little and we start granting exemptions to ourselves. The obvious answer may be to also give up booze, but that would mean seeing our friends much less, and that's, therefore, really unappealing.

I don't think the standard advice works for us all that well. We don't feel any health consequences even though we work out a lot, so we don't have that immediate motivation. Likewise looks. I could be wrong, but I don't think either of us look like we smoke. I've thought about rewarding ourselves when we hit certain milestones, but can't find anything more compelling than health, and that doesn't seem to be rewarding enough to prevent us from ever falling off the wagon.

But we understand the health consequences, and don't want to be the idiots who do that to ourselves more than we've already done. If you were a social smoker like we are, what worked for you?

Help me help him quit!

teraspawn — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:58:05 -0800

SmokeFreeFilter: My partner has decided to give up smoking (yay!) in a few weeks' time. What can I do to help him? So far I've thought of some rewards for when he's not smoked for various arbitrary lengths of time (a day, week, month, etc.) and apart from that mostly just feeding him nice food and being naked a lot.

Have any of you helped a loved one through this? How did you keep them on the road and deal with their moods?

If any of you has given up smoking (well done!), how did your partner or friends help you through?

Possibly more importantly, what are irritating and/or counterproductive things that I should avoid doing?

Wish me and my brave man luck!

spritual awakening turns to self-indulgence? or just "normal"

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:17:51 -0800

I turn 40 soon, married. A few years ago I had what I believe to be a major spiritual awakening, but it really hasn't "stuck", to the core anyway. I have since found the pendulum swing far the other way to where I'm a surprised to find i'm now inclined to: drink to excess, flirt with women (some pretty young), smoke marijuana/ tobacco, listen to stuff like Kid Rock and relishing the vulgarity/attitude, watch porn - (this is mostly all "private" behavior) is this all indicative a midlife crisis situation? or "spiritual backlash"? or do i need to come to terms that i've taken a road down towards creepville?

Where can I buy a kiseru in the Osaka area?

twblalock — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:00:54 -0800

Where can I buy a kiseru in the Osaka area tomorrow? (A kiseru is a traditional Japanese smoking pipe.) I have looked at all kinds of shops and haven't found any. I'd rather not order online. Some people back home want them as souvenirs. I am staying in Osaka, so I am within easy range of Kobe, Kyoto, Nara, etc.

Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics.

CoinOp — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:31:38 -0800

So I quit smoking ... 11 months ago. It will be my first year being smoke free since 1986.

It's a big deal to me. I'm not a Fascist. Just looking for something fun to mark the occasion with.

Can't find Stuart McLean's "Dave gives up smoking"

sugarbx19 — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:29:50 -0800

A friend in Canada heard Stuart McLean on CBC's Vinyl Cafe telling his story about Dave giving up smoking, and recommended it to me as hilarious. I have scoured the internet searching for this story, finding only a catalog of Vinyl Cafe broadcasts which lists "Dave attempts to give up smoking" on 23-Feb-2002, repeated on 17-Aug-2002 and 30-Oct-2004 as "Dave gives up smoking." I cannot find this story listed as a title in any of his books or CD recordings. Sadly, CBC radio podcasts are only available for the past 4 weeks. Does anyone know where I can find this story, either in print or audio?

Mad Men Indeed

punkfloyd — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:41:56 -0800

I have been watching the AMC series Mad Men (set in NYC office setting around 1960) and it made me wonder. Just how accurately does it portray the professional workplace of the period? (Ubiquitous smoking, drinking, degrading comments to women and overt flirting, etc.). In particular, was it ever considered normal to keep a stocked bar in every office/conference room? I realize things are exaggerated for TV and to contrast with today’s norms... but generally speaking was it really this bad back then? I guess I am looking for responses from those who are familiar with the TV show and worked in an office in this timeframe.

Help a secret smoker quit for good, and stop lying

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:16:52 -0800

Stopping an intermittent secret cigarette habit that I lie about to my wife. How do I control my intermittent smoking problem, and how do I placate my wife who won't let me talk to her about it? Longer explanation below. I picked up a tobacco habit from smoking too much pot mixed with tobacco in my early 20s. Since then over the last 15 years, I've struggled to give it up the tobacco (I never ever smoke pot with tobacco these days, and only do that occasionally).

I'll quit cigarettes for weeks or months, or occasionally a year or two. And then I'll start again. For maybe a month or two, sometimes up to 6 months, and then stop. I don't get nicotine withdrawal symptoms as such, because I'm so used to not smoking, but under certain circumstances, I get a really powerful urge to smoke.

I'll describe what happens. I only smoke alone, never in company. Mostly I work alone. Some aspects of my job are simultaneously stressful and boring. At this time I get a very powerful urge to smoke, and I find it difficult not to be totally preoccupied with going and buying a packet of cigarettes, and smoking a couple. This is when I relapse. Often I'll then go and throw the packet away, maybe 50% of the time I'll retrieve it later on and smoke a couple more. Mostly the next day I'll buy another pack and maybe throw that away. Most smoking episodes like this last a couple of months, and I'm an expert at hiding the smell. I would never smoke more than a pack of 20 in a week at my peak smoking habit.

Periodically, once every couple of years, my wife of 10 years (plus three cohabiting, plus 1 going out) finds out I've lapsed, and it gets her upset and angry. Today she found an empty packet of smokes that I'd not got around to thowing out for a couple of months in my bag, along with a pack of nicotine chewing gum that I'd got to try to control the powerful preoccupation I described above. So she's very angry with me, I'm banished to the sofa to sleep and she tells me I'll have to work out some longer term sleeping arrangement. She's also making financial demands that she knows I can't cope with (we're both earners of a small but decent part time income at the moment). Previous discovery of relapse on my part has resulted in her delivering ultimatums, which is understandable if unhelpful to me. She paints a picture where I care about cigarettes more than I care about her - a false dichotomy in my opinion. She also doesn't want me to discuss the problem with her, and tells me that it's lack of discipline on my part causing the problems.

So I guess my question is in two parts. How do I control the intermittent smoking problem without changing jobs (not an option right now). And how do I deal with my wife's anger and resentment, and try to persuade her to pull back a bit on the ultimatums. The latter is going to be hard seeing as I'm such a serial offender.

Sharing outdoor areas with smokers?

slow graffiti — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:08:25 -0800

My work team changed offices. Now we are in a complex with courtyard areas where people seem to frequently smoke. There are even ashtrays right outside the office doors (probably breaking the 20 foot rule). What can I do as a non-smoker who just wants to eat her lunch outside in the San Diego sun? My understanding of the CA anti-smoking law is that you can't smoke within 20ft of the entrance to a public building.

Well, that's kind of nebulous here. The entrances to the individual, privately rented office suites are within 20 feet of the areas where people smoke, as are the ashtrays and benches that are scattered about the courtyard and patio areas (on two different levels), which are maintained by the property management of the complex. One of these patios has seating for the cafeteria, and people also smoke there.

The only place where I can eat lunch that is not at my desk is outside in one of these patio/courtyard areas. Twice within a week, I have been eating and someone sat down and lit up right next to me. Both times I moved even though I was in the middle of eating and I was there first, because the smokers did not respond to polite suggestions that they smoke elsewhere.

The next step, as I see it, is to determine if these areas should really even be permissible smoking areas by the 20ft law. If they're not, I'd ask the building management to take away the ash trays and post signs. Is it the case that the whole office complex is considered private, even the patios and cafeteria area, and thus any area is a smoking area?

If I just have to share the patios with the smokers, is it rude to ask someone to go smoke somewhere else if they're ruining my lunch? Since it's the only place they can smoke, do I have to move any time I want to avoid it? What's the etiquette here?

minty fresh

eatdonuts — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:26:16 -0800

I am trying to quit smoking. I have never been a heavy smoker, but maybe most a half pack, at least 2 per day over a sporatic 10 years (year off here and there). During the day I'm cutting down by using only one or two those 2MG low dosage suckers from over-the-counter... but at night (so far, haven't been doing this long) I have had a few cigarettes. Am I killing myself? You are not my doctor, I know.

Am I going to die of lung cancer?

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:11:41 -0800

I smoke a cigarette a day during the work week. I've been doing this for a few months now. Am I going to die of lung cancer? I don't think this is a habit i'll keep up if I ever left my job, since I smoke with my coworkers. I only smoke with them, if I happen to catch them when they are going down for a smoke. As such, I smoke no more than 5 cigarettes a week. How much damage am I doing to my body?

Yes, I know this is a stupid habit.

Flush in the face = Give up the bottle?

Busoni — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 09:12:01 -0800

A somewhat recent NY Times article explains the connection between ALDH2 deficiency and throat cancer. Request for perspective on level of risk and appropriate response in extended. The article explains that people who become flush in the face after drinking are likely to be ALDH2-deficient, and are thus at higher risk for throat cancer.

But it is also possible for an ALDH2-deficient person to develop tolerance to the flushing effect, such that no flushing appears.

Questions:

1. If a person suspects that he or she belongs to the population just described (ALDH2-deficient with no signs of flushing), will the patch test (applying an ethanol-soaked patch to the skin for 15 minutes) described in the article be of any use? Could such a test be performed and interpreted by a non-professional at home, and if so, how?

2. Even if the risk of throat cancer is increased through drinking, is that enough cause to seriously curtail one's drinking, or even abstain altogether? What is the prevalence of throat cancer in the general population?

3. Is the risk increased significantly if the person is a former smoker (i.e. having quit)?

4. Are there any measures one might take to lower his risk, besides limiting his or her drinking?

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.

Should I break up with my smoker girlfriend?

Anonymous — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:57:05 -0800

My girlfriend and I have been together for about five years. When we first got together, I knew that she smoked, but she said she planned on quitting smoking altogether and I believed her. Not only do I find smoking offensive but I also have pretty severe asthma, which means that I cannot be anywhere near smoke. Is this hopeless? Should I just break up with her, since smoking seems to be the glue that hold her whole life together? Five years later, she smokes less but she still smokes at social situations. The additional problem is that all of her friends are smokers, as are most of her family. Most of her friends only do things that would allow them to smoke. When we are in social situations, she smokes with her friends, leaving me to either find someplace where people aren't smoking or not go with her. These days, I mostly choose not to go out with her.
I've approached her with the problem, and she basically says "they all smoke, what can I do about it?"

She gets angry that I don't want to go out with her and her friends/family, but when I do I end up alone or sick, and usually angry.

How can I deal with the second hand smoke on my visit to Spain?

TurkishGolds — Sun, 10 May 2009 14:59:15 -0800

I'm really looking forward to my upcoming trip to Spain, but I'm afraid that the second-hand smoke is going to drive me crazy. Tips? I'm a recent ex-smoker, within the past year. I'm very happy as a non-smoker, and there is absolutely 0 chance that I'm going to be tempted to light-up. I'm at the point where I find it repulsive. Repulsive to the point where I'm afraid that all of the second hand smoke in Spain is going to get in the way of me having a good time.

We're going to be in Austurias (primarily Gijón) for 4 nights, and then in Madrid for 2 nights.

I've resigned myself to telling people that I'm "allergic" to smoke. I hate how it smells, I hate how it feels in my eyes, and I hate having to breath something so toxic. I had to spend about an hour in an enclosed smoky room about 6 months ago, and I thought that my head was going to explode. I was miserable the entire time, and I could still feel it in my throat the next morning.

Here in Massachusetts, I don't have to worry about it too much because smoking is strictly banned in all bars/restaurants.

From what I understand, people will be smoking in almost all bars, restaurants and clubs. Bummer, because there are my fav places to frequent on vacation. Looking for places to hang outside will be a priority, but I'm sure that we won't be able to do that exclusively.

Also, I know that I'm going to have to visit with a friend's mother who is planning on cooking for us in her home. I can't wait to meet her and enjoy a delicious home cooked meal, but I'm afraid that her smoking indoors is going to ruin the whole experience for me. My traveling companion believes that it would be rude and hard for her to understand if we request that she doesn't smoke inside while we're there.

So, my question is two fold: A) How do I avoid smoke as much as possible? Will this even really be an option? Specific establishments or areas? B) Assuming that I'll have to deal with it, as some point, what are some techniques that I can use to make it less painful, put it out of my head, and just enjoy myself?

(I hope that it goes without saying that telling me to just take up smoking for the week that I'm there is not an option!)

How to smoke a duck

bsdfish — Fri, 08 May 2009 16:57:41 -0800

I have two ducks I want to smoke for tomorrow and am looking for recipe (marinade, brine, etc.) suggestions. Bonus points for methods that let me cook the 2 ducks in different ways yet are mostly similar. Tomorrow, I'll be cooking 2 ducks. I have a smoker and am planning to smoke them, but am a little confused about the spices and marinades that I should use. Cooks' illustrated (which I usually trust) suggests that brining ducks is a bad idea since they are fatty; other random sites on the internet seem to disagree. So I'm looking for hivemind's suggestions on what I should do with the ducks. I'd prefer to only use the smoker, since it'll be hot indoors.

Since there are two birds, it'd be nice to do something somewhat different for each one of them; however, I'd prefer not to do too much extra work, so maybe some different marinades or what not is appropriate. I will be smoking with apple wood chips.

I'm a Cigar Virgin! Help

goalyeehah — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:33:14 -0800

How do I prepare good cigars for maximum delight? I purchased some cigars in New Orleans last week and have never smoked one before. I know that you do some preparation with them before smoking (poking hole in the tip?) What do I need to know to prep and smoke these for maximum delight?