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One of the many reasons (none / 0) (#29)
by andgarden on Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 12:48:31 PM EST
I'm glad I don't smoke.

[ Parent ]
It's hard to quit, though (5.00 / 2) (#40)
by dianem on Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 01:19:30 PM EST
I can't be too smug about the fact that I don't smoke, because I used to, and I know how hard it is to quit. Some people can do it easily, but others truly suffer and some even have long term issues as a result of quitting.

[ Parent ]
NYState now offers assitance to help people (none / 0) (#45)
by jawbone on Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 02:14:03 PM EST
who have tried to quit and can't...guess it takes some measure of trying to cold turkey it...but they now help people get prescription assistance to quit. 800 number, etc.

Have had a series of ads which are very hard hitting.  They guy with smoking related throat cancer who lost his voice box and using one of those speaking aids sticks with me.  He must be very careful around water, since water getting into the opening in his throat could cause him to drown.

One scene has him watching people swimming on a hot day and talking about how swimming was his favorite thing to do. And he cannot swim now.

I may have details slightly off, but it does really stick with me.

Another one has a smoker saying he/she wanted to quit, but was dying for a smoke and couldn't give it up. Next scene is the doc looking at the images of the person's cancer, saying he wanted so much to operate but the cancer was too advanced.

[ Parent ]

It's not about prescriptions or ads (none / 0) (#49)
by dianem on Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 02:28:08 PM EST
People who smoke know that it's dangerous, and if they can afford cigarettes they can afford quit smoking aids. Even with all of that it can be incredibly difficult to quit. It's a serious addiction. As bad a heroin. Some say worse. I don't want to go into details of what happened to me when I quit, but let's just say that it changed my life in ways that were good and in other ways that were not good at all. Please don't judge smoker's who don't quite too harshly.

[ Parent ]
Believe me, I don't judge them harshly! (5.00 / 1) (#53)
by jawbone on Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 02:46:11 PM EST
And I have great respect for people who quit. I also know it's harder for (many) women to quit than for (most) men.

My father quit overnight. I was so glad bcz I hated the smell of smoke in the car.  I would try to not breathe bcz I didn't want to hurt him by telling him it bothered me.

When I tried to smoke, to be sophisticated, I literally couldn't.

I also understand why Bill Clinton, someone with allergies, could say he didn't inhale! It was along time before I could inhale, even a bit, without a prolonged coughing fit. Talk about harshing a buzz.

[ Parent ]

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