Calling all Smokers...

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katiemac

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On the second draft of my WIP, I'm turning one of my characters into a smoker. I've had a cigarette or two in my lifetime, nothing I've enjoyed or care to repeat, but because I don't smoke, I'm finding a bit of trouble.

She smokes for a particular reason, not enjoyment, and could "theoretically" quit at anytime. So, I guess, a couple of questions. I do realize the answers can and will vary, but I'm hoping for now just to dig up some generalities.

- We'll say for now she's been smoking approximately three years. How long would you say it would have taken to become "addicted"? How many times a day would you assume she smoked?

- Physically, how would you feel if you need a cigarette? Or, how do you know you want one? If anyone has quit, how do those feelings increase/decrease during the process?

Thanks for any help in advance. I can clarify anything if I wasn't clear. Again, I know the answers won't be the same for everyone, but I'll work through any discrepancies. Also, I do answer and respond to PMs if anyone would feel more comfortable sharing information that way.
 
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rich

I've been smoking for over 50 years. I suppose somebody can start smoking for a particular reason, but I can't see how the details of the habit would be that germaine to any story.
 

katiemac

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Good point, Rich. It's more for my own knowledge than necessarily any details I'm definitely including in the novel. Having the character as a smoker is going to add another level to the plot, and since a little over 1/2 of the book takes place in her head, I figured I should know something about being one.
 

wurdwise

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I have an odd smoking habit. Most people I know who smoke, it is a part of their daily routine, they smoke all day and all night long. Not one cigarette after the other, but they light cigarettes without giving it a second thought, almost like breathing. My husband is that way.

I, on the other hand, only crave cigarettes when I am drinking coffee or alcohol, then I chain smoke. I guess you could call me a binge smoker. They taste of coffee or beer without a cigarette, well, there's no point in having a beer if I can't smoke, unless I am drinking a beer with my meal, which I might do when we go to a restaurant. And speaking of restaurants, I do not smoke outside of my house, unless I am in a bar. I don't smoke in the car, I hate the ashtray in my husband's car being full of cigarette butts, people's smoke in a car chokes me. I don't like to see a woman on the street with a cigarette hanging from her mouth. I think it looks disgusting.

Yep, I said it was odd. But I will say that when I do smoke, I enjoy it thoroughly, it has a calming affect, that must be the nicotine, that nasty, wonderful addictive drug.
 

ScottAJohnson

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To answer your questions...It seems to me, I believe I read an article that stated that nicotine is more addictive than heroin. Not sure if I agree with that, but the urge is pretty strong.
Second...How does it feel when you need a cigarette...It depends on the situation, really, but here's the majority of mine. Physical symptoms include feeling jittery, irritablitly, and getting hungry. Of course, then there's that lovely head rush you get after the first smoke of the day.
 

three seven

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Personally, I find it's a much less distinct feeling than, say, thirst or hunger. Needing a cigarette is more instinct than feeling; my brain decides that I need to smoke, so I do. The physical feelings don't start until there aren't any cigarettes to smoke - once you get it into your head that you need one, you'll stop at nothing. It begins with fidgeting and mild irritation, leads to a pounding heart and a general all-round urgency. Temper frays. Harder to smile.
"Morning Three!"
"F**k off!"

In the morning, though, if I don't light up straight away I can last to lunchtime and beyond. I'll wait til I'm in the car... ok, I'll wait til I get out of the car... ok, I'm out of the car and I don't really feel like smoking. And then eventually, inevitably, it gets lit without me really knowing how or why.

For a lot of people, it only takes one cigarette for the addiction to kick in.
Personally, I had my first one when I was about 14, and I didn't like it but a couple of days later I couldn't get it out of my head that I needed another one. Got a pack, smoked a couple, thought it was a stupid idea and threw them away. Few days later, happened again. And again. And again. No willpower, me.

What Denise said about drinking is very true. No point having a drink if I can't smoke like a chimney.

Um... what else?
 

katiemac

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Smoking isn't gender specific.

I didn't mean to imply in any of my posts this was the case. I'm sorry if I appeared unclear. I'll happily take responses from both men and women on this subject. Since my character is female, I suppose I just wrote the questions with her in mind.

To wurd, Scott and Three, thank you for the help so far. Already you have my mind running!
 
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Celeste

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But I will say that when I do smoke, I enjoy it thoroughly, it has a calming affect, that must be the nicotine, that nasty, wonderful addictive drug.

Ahh...Yes, that wonderfully addictive cigarette, I enjoy smoking.

I'm 33 and have been smoking since I was 15. I can't really say, or even remember, why I started smoking. I smoke a pack a day. Sometimes, a little more.
Someone mentioned that first cigarette of the day...Yes! It's the best!

Although, I smoke all day, every day..I do smoke a lot more when I drink.

What am I like when I don't have cigarettes? Lol... I'm a raving b*tch! The first thing I do when I wake up is get an ice cold Coke and light up a cigarette. If I don't have that waiting for me when I wake, I'm a crazy woman (some think that I'm a crazy woman anyway..;) ).

And yes, trying to quit does indeed increase the craving. I haven't been able to do it -- quit. I tried once and lasted one day. I really didn't plan to quit, I had my wisdom teeth pulled and the dentist told me I couldn't smoke for 72 hours after because of something you can get from smoking after having teeth pulled called 'dry socket', which I hear is very painful. I figured if I have to go three days without smoking, I might as well quit. I only lasted 24 hours. I learned a trick. If you put cotton in the socket/hole where the tooth/teeth were pulled I was able to smoke without getting the dry socket. It was hilarious! I was smoking with a mouth full of cotton balls! Lol... I guess I am addicted, huh? :Shrug:

My husband is I guess what you call a 'casual' smoker. He doesn't smoke every day. He smokes when he's drinking, or just for the hell of it once in a while. I don't know how he does it. I wish I could do that!
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pepperlandgirl

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She's probably addicted if she smoked for 3 years. I've only been smoking for about 13 months, and I only smoke 1-2 a day, if that (at my peak, I had 5 cigarattes a day...). I've recently cut down to less than that (haven't had a smoke in two days...I usually only smoke on the weekends now) and I am addicted.

Nicotine is addictive. It actually took about six months before I got to the point of "Ok, I can't quit anytime" and that was only smoking a cigarette a day.

At any rate, when I have a craving, I don't have a real physical response, just, "Shit, I need a cigarette." The more I think about it, the more I need it, and the crankier I get. And then, when I finally get my cigarette..."AHHHHHH! BLISS!!!"
 

jdkiggins

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Of course, I'm going to show up in a thread about smoking. :) I came to sniff the answers. I've been smoke free for 28 days.
katiemac said:
She smokes for a particular reason, not enjoyment, and could "theoretically" quit at anytime.
Yeah, that's what I thought too. But theoretically, once you start and have smoked even three years, it's not easy to quit.

- We'll say for now she's been smoking approximately three years. How long would you say it would have taken to become "addicted"? How many times a day would you assume she smoked?
This answer is going to vary from all smokers. Regardless of the reason for smoking, some may smoke as little as a few cigarettes a day to a few packs. If she's smoking to act "cool" in front of friends, it would depend on how often and how long she hangs out with the friends. If she's addicted, well then, I'd have her puffing away at least a half pack to a pack a day or more.

- Physically, how would you feel if you need a cigarette? Or, how do you know you want one? If anyone has quit, how do those feelings increase/decrease during the process?
Typing the answers to these questions makes me want a cigarette. That may tell you I've been addicted to the nasty habit for quite some time. As I stated above, I quit 28 days ago.

How do I feel? Do you really want to know? I finished writing six stories in the past five days and killed off a bunch of characters. No joke! The killing had nothing to do with the quitting but the amount of writing does. You see, I have to keep my hands busy, or I'll get "the urge" for a cigarette. As long as I type, I can't smoke.

Physically, quitting has been a roller coaster of good and bad. The down side of nicotine withdrawel is the psychological need to have something in my hand or mouth. (No nasty comments from the peanut gallery here, we're trying to be serious.) It has created headaches, nervous and upset stomach, and the I have to get up and walk, clean, do dishes, make the bed, sweep the floor, and dust type feeling comes over me.

How do I know I want one? See the sentence above, and it's sort of like being hungry but not for food. That's the other down side--people who quit smoking try to supplement the urge for a cigarette with eating. Probably why most gain weight after quitting. Lucky for me I need to gain weight and I've chosen to keep my fingers busy at the keyboard.

How do these feelings increase/decrease during the process? Wow, katiemac, the urges haven't decreased yet. I still have an increasing need to keep my hands busy and took someone's wonderful suggestion of sucking on a bic pen with the ink cartridge taken out. It's sucking air. Only it's good air. This has been a great help. I type and suck at the same time. (Oh my, this sounds awful. But it does help.)

Each day does get a bit easier. I'm finding I have the urge for a cigarette less and less; normally with coffee in the morning, after meals, and if I allow myself to sit idol to watch tv for a bit. It does decrease, but not quickly enough for me. :)

Oh yes, I said there was a good side to quitting. Ummm...I'm getting a lot of writing done. My house is clean. Seriously, though, I never had a smoker's cough, but I do feel the difference in my breathing. I walk every day and find I'm not as out of breath. Food tastes better. My house smells better. My teeth are cleaner.

Hope this helps you and your story, because it just did a number on my head. I need a cigarette. I'm so glad I gave them away. :)

Good luck.
Joanne
 

three seven

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Oh, I forgot to say - I've known people who quit smoking 25 years ago and are still gasping for a fag. The craving never really goes. Sorry Joanne.
 

firehorse

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I had my first cigarette when I was 13, but I wouldn't say I became addicted for a couple of years.

I've quit twice for approximately nine months each time, and both times when I started again, it was clear to me that I had a choice. I'd reached a point at which I didn't even think about cigarettes any more, but for various reasons, I decided to have one... and then the next day another... and maybe a few days later, a few puffs... this last time, I'd say it took me a full year to get back to where I was before (and now I don't smoke inside, which cuts down a lot, too). When I'm outside, though, it's automatic. I light up without even thinking about it. Now that all restaurants and bars in Toronto are non-smoking, there's almost a binge effect: I chain-smoke while I can, because there are so many places where I can't.

The first time I quit and started again, wow... the morning cigarette never tasted so good. The other ones, though, tasted rather foul.

Speaking of foul, American cigarettes are loaded with more chemicals than British and Canadian cigarettes (to keep the shelf life longer). So if you find a pack of Marlboro Lights under the couch, and it's been there a month or so, you can still smoke 'em. Try that with Player's Lights, and you'll burn your throat off. (I learned that one the hard way). Some Brits and Canadians can't stand the smell of American cigarette smoke, but they don't mind their own.

Habit vs. addiction: I'm with Three on this. If I don't have one right away, I can go a pretty long time without physically wanting one. Unless I don't have access to any. Then I'm grumpy. When it really hits, it's a squirreliness (sp?), not quite anxiety, but more like irritation.

Now... I don't like the way it makes me (and my clothes) smell; I don't like what it does to my breath and skin; I don't think it's an attractive habit; I only like the taste if I'm really stressed out (or drunk, or having coffee, as mentioned above). Really, the only thing I like about smoking is the temporary sedation.

When I lived in New York, I smoked Marlboro Lights, but if I was really, really depressed, I'd splurge on Dunhill Reds - just a much higher quality (British) cigarette that somehow seemed more soothing. A weird detail, but just in case your smoker-girl gets depressed...

This may not be relevant, but I'm one of many (I assume) women who continues to smoke in part because every time I've quit, I've gained weight. It's not that I'm eating more - last time, I was cycling 300km/week (training for a long-distance ride) and I gained 20lbs (not all muscle) in two months.

Okay, gotta go have a smoke now... ;) (Players Extra Lights, regular, not king size. I'm also one of those who can't stand the smell of US cigarettes any more)
 

kmm8n

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I have to agree with Three. I have quit three times in the past twenty five years, each time for longer. The last time I quit was for one year. But, if someone had a cigarette, or I had a particularly stressful time period (more than a day), then I would buy a pack and that would be the end of it. And, I can't just smoke one or two a day. Within a week of starting to smoke again, I'm back at my original half a pack a day.

The weight gain is killer. My sister won't quit until she gets her weight down (and she is not heavy).

Speaking of smoking, time to light up. Unfortunately, I've learned to type and smoke at the same time!!

:)
 

firehorse

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katiemac said:
Physically, how would you feel if you need a cigarette? Or, how do you know you want one? If anyone has quit, how do those feelings increase/decrease during the process?
Physical manifestations of wanting/needing a cigarette ("nic fit" in North America) could include biting fingernails, drumming fingers on the table or on one's leg, tapping toes - general fidgeting. If a straw is available, perhaps she could be chewing on a straw? She wouldn't be able to concentrate on work or conversation.

The second time I quit, I used the patch, and it was fantastic... for a while. I had almost no trouble with the physical cravings; the habits (esp. smoking while writing) were harder to break, but it almost seemed easy. I promised myself that as long as I didn't smoke, I'd stay on the patch indefinitely (getting the nicotine without the poisonous stuff). Ha! There's a reason you're only supposed to use the patch for six weeks. Around that time, I began having allergic reactions. Not only did my skin swell up generally (bloating/edema, esp in my hands), but also when I removed each patch, the site was raised and bright red in the shape of the patch. I tried several different patches (and shapes) until my upper body looked as though a toddler had been throwing block toys against me - with the strength of a bodybuilder. It took about a month for the red marks to go away, and weaning off the patch was more difficult than quitting the cigarettes.

FWIW, I tried Nicorette, but it made my gums bleed.

And now you all know waaaaaay too much about my smoking (and quitting), but if you're going to have your character quit, these are some quirky details.
 

Sarita

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three seven said:
Oh, I forgot to say - I've known people who quit smoking 25 years ago and are still gasping for a fag. The craving never really goes.

It's true. I smoked for 5 years(1/2 pack a day) and haven't had one in 9 years. The cravings still hit me. When I want a cigarette, I figdet something fierce. I pick at my cuticles, I crack my knuckles. I had a great friend who cut up carrot sticks for me every day, just to help get through the quiting process. It did help a little, but then again, I like carrots.

Ugh, all this cigarrette talk... must. stay. strong. :)
 

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three seven said:
once you get it into your head that you need one, you'll stop at nothing. It begins with fidgeting and mild irritation, leads to a pounding heart and a general all-round urgency. Temper frays. Harder to smile.
"Morning Three!"
"F**k off!"

It's exactly like sex to me. Once my brain tells me I need sex...

:D
 

jdkiggins

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Quote:
Originally Posted by three seven
once you get it into your head that you need one, you'll stop at nothing. It begins with fidgeting and mild irritation, leads to a pounding heart and a general all-round urgency. Temper frays. Harder to smile.
"Morning Three!"
"F**k off!"

by maestrowork
It's exactly like sex to me. Once my brain tells me I need sex...:D

Phooey! Between the two of you, I'm hankerin' to go have sex and a cig. Geesh.
Think I'll go have some ice cream instead. :D
 
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katiemac

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Wow! The response to this is phenomenal. Everyone has offered up such good advice, thank you so much. Just reading this thread has given me a multitude of ideas. I've got a lot to think about now.
 

pepperlandgirl

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How do I know I want one? See the sentence above, and it's sort of like being hungry but not for food. That's the other down side--people who quit smoking try to supplement the urge for a cigarette with eating. Probably why most gain weight after quitting. Lucky for me I need to gain weight and I've chosen to keep my fingers busy at the keyboard.

Wow, that's it exactly! I never could quite describe it, but yeah, that's perfect.
 

Unique

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Yep, yep, and yep. Everything that has been said applies - but I haven't heard anyone say this:

I use cigarettes as a procrastination device.

Yep. I've caught myself doing it; I don't want to do something so I'll tell myself, 'I'll have a cig first - then do it.'

I confess!! Don't beat me!! It's a habit, and addiction and more.....
 

Liam Jackson

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Smoking almost disqualified me from Sniper school years ago. When I signed up, I was smoking a pack a day, and on somedays, a few more than that. I had no idea the cigarette issue would affect me like it did. The second week I was on the course, I had to sit motionless for a couple hours, then take a 200 meter shot. I had been without a cigarette for about eight hours by then. The result was ugly. I managed to get through the school, and quit smoking the day after graduation. Stayed tobacco-free for about 6 years. Then I lost my mind and lit up at my brother's birthday party. Been huffing and puffing ever since.
 

Jamesaritchie

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Smoking

LiamJackson said:
Smoking almost disqualified me from Sniper school years ago. When I signed up, I was smoking a pack a day, and on somedays, a few more than that. I had no idea the cigarette issue would affect me like it did. The second week I was on the course, I had to sit motionless for a couple hours, then take a 200 meter shot. I had been without a cigarette for about eight hours by then. The result was ugly. I managed to get through the school, and quit smoking the day after graduation. Stayed tobacco-free for about 6 years. Then I lost my mind and lit up at my brother's birthday party. Been huffing and puffing ever since.

I can't say being a smoker ever hurt my ability to hit what I was aiming at with a sniper rifle, but it did, on occasion, make my mind wander enough to make me lose awareness with my surroundings. A very dangeorus thing.

I did much the same as you. I quit cold turkey for a time, then lit up one day for no reason that made any sense at all, and I've been smoking ever since.

As for how long it takes to get hooked, a doctor told me twenty-one days will hook almost anyone.

How it feels to quit? For me, it felt like being extremely nervous, and ravenously hungry, at the same time.
 

Celeste

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How it feels to quit? For me, it felt like being extremely nervous, and ravenously hungry, at the same time.

Wow, James! Your post took me by surprise. I never figured you as a smoker.

I was having trouble in my post describing what it's like to go without, but I think you summed it up pretty accurately. I get very irritable also. Raving b!tch I am when I'm jonesin' for a smoke.
 
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