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I’m a former smoker, so, I might not count, but if I do - no. Quitting smoking was the hardest addiction I ever managed to stop. If a friend wants my advice on stopping, I’ll give it to them, but, I know how hard it is to stop, and for most people the pain of going through stopping just isn’t worth it. Anyone who smokes for long enough with other smokers knows that there is no shortage of people who are embarrassed by the addiction, and worry about being looked down on by others. Making judgements on others for consequences of a choice they made when they were most likely a kid is just not something I want to be a part of.
I haven’t smoked in 15 years, and I still have times where I miss it. Hell, I have a dream about once a month where I take up smoking again. I am really glad I stopped, but, I really got super lucky by what was going on in my life when I successfully quit, I had the support of friends and family, and everything was going right for me at that time. Had things not gone “just right” for several months in a row I am pretty sure I would have convinced myself to go to a gas station and torch all of that progress.
I got lucky through strategic planning. The day I moved into my new house in a new state was the day I quit. I never missed it at all. The paradigm shift in my life and basically removing all my usual triggers at the same time was instrumental. I’m a little over 2 years since that day and haven’t smoked once. Don’t even have an urge to. My partner and her GF smoke around me and I don’t care or have any interest in doing it again.
Im a big believer in not shaming others for their short comings (mostly), including smoking. Like you said, change a few things and I could be in the same place.
yes.
as a long time former smoker, I managed to kick the habit, and it makes me sad when my friends haven’t been able to do the same.
Not necessarily. Two of my best friends were heavy smokers for 20 years. They were mindful to always do it outside, away from the doors/windows when they were over. They didn’t need lecturing from me. They knew. They hated it. When they had their first kid they finally quit. I asked one of them what was it, and he said, “I finally found something I wanted more.”
As I was a heavy smoker in the past myself, I cant really blame them and hope they also quit at some point. Woulnd’t say it makes me sad but it’s just not nice to see
Their choice, as long as they don’t affect me (by smoking in front of me etc).
I’m indifferent to their choices.
My dad is a heavy smoker and it makes me really sad that he is hurting not only himself, but the ones around him. Watching his health decline, the lack of energy, the terrible coughing just sucks… Beside poisoning himself constantly, he’s wasting money that could help both himself and my mom to retire or just in general live a better life. It really sucks. We have talked to him about it countless times, but he wants none of it. So we just have to watch him slowly kill himself. Smoking sucks
Nah. I usually bum a cig off of them every once in a blue moon. They’re adults, they make their own decisons.
Prior to smoking, the primary emotion was disgust. Just on a basic physiological level - the stuff stinks.
Post, it became an odd mix of nostalgia, sadness, and still some of that basic disgust.
I have a mentor who smoked for a long time. It makes me sad to realize I’ll probably attend his funeral much sooner than I would have otherwise.
Yeah my parents smoke and as I watched my friends get to 18 and all start smoking saying they wouldn’t get addicted there was only 1 that didn’t get addicted and he still smokes when there’s an opportunity.
I hate to be around it so usually just go sit somewhere. It’s not a big deal really I think we’re all still far to young to see the impact.
Yeah that’s where my friends are at right now. Everytime I think about it I have a fear some of them might not be here as long as I’d want them to be.
