Cancer, Schmancer

[Luke]

I used nicotine patches myself.

Every single person I know who used the patch said they experienced weird dreams while using it.

[crux]

I read a study a few years back, in The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (pg 248, Google books has it), that explained why I could never get addicted to cigarettes, despite smoking socially with consistency for many years. Benowitz and Jack Henningfield made educated guesses that about five cigarettes a day were required to obtain enough nicotine to gain an addiction to cigarettes.

Most smokers start out as casual smokers - smokers that smoke no more than five cigarettes a day. Many smokers, over a course of years, graduate to more cigarettes, until they reach a point of addiction. There are a few differences between casual and regular smoking, but one for many that never make the transition from casual smoking to addictive smoking, like myself, is the point in which the body rejects cigarettes. I get nauseous if I smoke cigarettes in quick succession. Eventually smoking is simply a turn-off for me and not worth the trouble. In every other way I have a very addictive personality, but my body simply won't let me get addicted to some things.

I'm also very similar in that capacity with various drugs (hallucinogens can drive me fucking crazy), alcohol (I can rarely get heavily drunk without my mind convincing my body that it needs to purge), and even things like motion sickness, which is when the mind is convinced the body is poisoned. I'm the type that could drink or smoke every day if I don't have people around me (my wife, namely) to guide me, but my mind prevents me from getting carried away. Unfortunately for me procrastination is one thing my body won't purge.

[Octopod]

I used nicotine patches myself.

Every single person I know who used the patch said they experienced weird dreams while using it.

Yes, it gave me very weird dreams also.

[RCBH928]

I smoke, and I am ok if I don't smoke for long periods, sometimes I am home for a full day and just decide not to smoke(I don't smoke at home)

I think it might be easy to quit smoking its just what you choose,

I have been smoking for 7 years now, and i am starting to get concerned over my health as my diet is crap and I do 0 sports.
Its not that I can't stop smoking, I choose not to.

I was wondering why they never making natural tobacco without all the tar and the chemicals.
I thought of this electric cigarettes, but as far as I know they might even be more dangerous that off the shelf cigarettes

[Octopod]

Its not that I can't stop smoking, I choose not to.

This may be true, I don't know, you do. However, that is litteraly what everyone says.

[Luke]

Its not that I can't stop smoking, I choose not to.

This may be true, I don't know, you do. However, that is litteraly what everyone says.

Yeah. Not to say you can't stop, but that is addict cliche number one.

[RCBH928]

Its not that I can't stop smoking, I choose not to.

This may be true, I don't know, you do. However, that is litteraly what everyone says.

Yeah. Not to say you can't stop, but that is addict cliche number one.

No honestly, I choose not to. I want to keep smoking.
Plus, I think smoking is a habit rather than addiction.
Its really rare times when you are like"I need nicotine, NOW!"
but its rather a habit.
When ever I ride my car I got to light one. It doesn't matter if I left my car for 1 min or 3 days, when I ride I light a new one. When I was in college I light one before and after class. As long as there is a class, there is a cigarette that will be in my hands before and after. It has nothing much to do with nicotine.

I can tell you that personally I only feel like smoking once in 3 hours, and start really craving one in like 9 hours. You sleep 8 hours, so we divide 16 hours by 3(feel like smoking hours) amazingly its 5.3 cigarettes which matches the least amount of cigarettes you need to be addicted according to crux's post

[Luke]

If you feel like you have to smoke when you get in a car, I'd say you are addicted.

[Octopod]

Nicotine is addictive. It is not a matter of opinion, it is a fact.

[aaron]

If you feel like you have to smoke when you get in a car, I'd say you are addicted.

in this case, addiction to me can be defined by not being able to control when and where you have to have a cigarette. you just HAVE to have one right then and there. habit is smoking in instances where you're used to smoking. that's pretty much the way i see it as well. i almost always smoke in my car, smoke when i'm at a bar, smoke after i talk to my ex-wife about anything (heh..), etc etc. there are certain "times" when i smoke. if i run out of cigarettes, i'm not going to bum around and ask for one, i can just go without it. i just choose to succumb to the habit. addiction begins when you develop a dependence, kinda like "i'm not going to make it through this shift without a cigarette." or something. i dunno.

i firmly believe anyone can quit cold turkey if they wanted to and were in decent health, aside from smoking. this is not backed up by facts but based on my experience, this has literally always been the case with people that i know.

i read a book once called The Craving Brain which was pretty interesting. i'll have to dig that out and read it over again.