Larian Studios Forums General Chat Chat (Anything) A Smoke-Free Exeter.

Was your method Hypnotism Kris?
My best mate Tony was a smoker untill a couple of years ago when he had two sessions with a Hypnotist and hasn't had one since, it worked very well and did not cost the earth.
He said the main reason he can now afford to go to Greece with us each year is the money he saves from not smoking!

Good story. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />



Not exactly Spick, but something a bit similar I suppose. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I think that everyone is different, so we need to find out what works best for each of us. I'm sure that hypnotism would be ideal for some. My wife tells me that some work colleagues reported that accupuncture also works well for some people. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I used a sort of "self brainwashing" idea. First I cut down to 4 or 5 a day so that the physical side of it was lessened. But the main game was working on my attitude to it, and making it as aversive as possible.

Over and over I'd conjure up negative images of smoking - stale overflowing ashtrays, rotting lungs, coughing winos, smelly clothes and hair, etc. All the bad stuff about smoking. I ended up doing it so successfully that even now I find smoking repulsive.

At the same time I worked on my strengths/weaknesses, vanity or whatever, by saying to myself "you think you've got self control, but you've let a little stick of tobacco take control of your life", "are you really so weak that you're going to fail at this", etc etc. I like to think that I can do most things that I set my mind to, so that sort of self talk had a good chance of working. And I taunted myself so thoroughly that I simply couldn't allow myself to fail! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

I had to grit my teeth for a couple of weeks though. And smokers do miss all the accessories - the packets, match, lighter etc, and all the business of fiddling around with cigarettes. But I was renovating a house at the time, so I found plenty to occupy my hands.

Of course I didn't put the money I saved in a jar and wait 25 years until I had enough for a car (although it would have grown to enough to buy it). But I believe that some people have success with a method that involves putting the money in a jar each day. However, I think you need to cash in the reward every few days at the start.

At the time I was renovating and rebuilding the first house I ever bought so the money was ploughed back into reducing the debts, paying off loans early etc. So it was very handy, as it not only helped wipe out debt but also reduced the interest I paid, by helping shorten the term. Over the next few years it would have made a significant difference to how quickly we got on top of debt (we haven't had a mortgage or loan for many years now).

I have a brother who lives not far from Exeter, so I'll mention the site next time I email him. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Well, well done you <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />,i bet that was realy hard,did you have many people helping or supporting you in any way?
Where does this brother of yours live?

Giving up smoking was a solo effort. I didn't mention to my wife that I was planning to stop on any particular day, and after a week or so I innocently asked if she noticed anything different. She burst out laughing! Apparently I was the classically grumpy quitter for the first fortnight. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> She's still with me though , so it obviously wore off. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

By Australian standards my brother lives practically next door to Exeter, but by English standards he's probably nowhere near it... He's between Cullompton and Tiverton. I suppose that's 7 or 8 miles away. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

Nice part of the world. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Cullompton is 10 miles away and Tiverton is about 22 miles away.
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Don't y'all forget to vote here>>>> A Smoke-Free Exeter.

i can see that many of our members who smoke don't come over to this thread for fear of threat?! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> golly i hope not!

barta & womble & also to a certain angel <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> , although we non-smokers & ex-smokers are anti-smoke, please bear in mind that we are not anti-smokeRs. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

all of my brothers smoke. my dad smoke. many of my cousins smoke. some of my younger female cousins smoke.

no, i can't possibly hate them just because they do, though i hate the habit. not that i hate because i want to. i hate it because i am sensitive to smoke & dust. a bit of whiff & i'll go sneezing. a little whiff can wake me up, even in the dead of night. sheesh... i wish my nose isn't that sensitive. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sad.gif" alt="" />

so to all the smokers in the forum, feel free to kick the habit but remember;

i still love u all. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/kissyou.gif" alt="" /> *hugs to barta*

just don't blow that smoke in my face. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" /> *cough cough cough* <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

it's ok! i'm alright! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

in retrospect; well yes, i kind of agree that smokers can have the open space though not at public areas where non-smokers are present.

in malaysia, price of fags have risen a whole lot higher; from RM50+ per 1000 sticks to RM81, i think. so the government makes a nationwide effort to curb smoking, especially among the young. irony is; there is a local tobacco company on the rise & selling at relatively low price, which makes them THE choice of financially tight smokers. so what about the anti-smoking campaign? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> saying NO initially just to say YES to locally produced fag? health or wealth? ain't saying anything bad about the government. just confused.

Almost in a foreign country then...... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Certainly well out of range of Exeter's smokers. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Although he does shop there sometimes I believe.

Come to think of it, he's probably responsible for a fair bit of smoke himself - his hobby is restoring steam engines (traction engines rather than steam locomotives). <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

Not because of fear bearded friend, but because of lack of interest concerning this topic.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

@janggut
sorry, don't think this is a love/hate question nor a fear question...
(not interested with this topic) bernhard and (factual)womble are right here...
the truth is that there is no real posts possible here for smokers other than "i smoke, deal with it"(even Mea_Culpa was saying that actually...)
anyway i will just add than dreaming of a world without smokers is a non smoker / anti smoker dream... usually smokers are not dreaming of a world with only smokers...
so in a way there is no matter to debate...
ps: hope it sounds not too agressive... not the goal!

What do you think about the pollution of your race cars ?

Hahaha, I hoped someone was going to mention that!

I'm not going into a full scientific analysis of the whole thing but the carbon monoxide output from cars WAY outstrips that of a cigarette. Just because they added catalytic converters to remove the smell generated by sulphur and nitrogen oxides does not cover the incomplete combustion that takes place in the average engine.
Carcinogens? Don't waste your breath. You get more dangerous compounds from a burnt steak....

I do agree with not smoking on busses either but restuarants and pubs??? No way! Draconian, infringement on my civil liberties and a million other things. Blah! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Hmmmm, I feel like a smoke.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

I'm a lifelong non-smoker, but let me play devil's advocate for a moment:

If smoking is such an unmitigated evil, why pussyfoot around -- just make it illegal. Well, last year North Dakota tried to do just that. The retailers thought it was a good idea (it would save them having to deal with all the legal hassles around the sale of tobacco). But the anti-smoking lobbyists argued strongly against the measure. Why? Because it hadn't been tried before, and hence was not a proven strategy; and because they stood to lose the funding for the battle against tobacco use. Among those anti-tobacco groups were the North Dakota Medical Association, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, North Dakota Public Health Association and North Dakota Nurses Association.

The measure passed in committee, but failed in the House.

Ok. No surprises there. Big money in taxing tobacco, after all, and those governments need to balance their budgets. Lots of big money behind lobbying against tobacco use, and helping smokers quit; win the battle, and you're scrounging for cash again... and maybe even out of a job.

So if it's still legal but risky to smoke, we could look at slightly less dangerous cigarettes, maybe? Cut the chemical soup of additives; stop the sugar curing... How about making better use of some of that new and powerful air cleaning technology? Provide grants to help small businesses put in those expensive smoking rooms, with good air purifiers installed. No, it seems to be more fun to throw smokers out into the street and sneer at them...

In passing: a well-know maverick doctor has released a new book on The Health Benefits of Tobacco He claims: "Drinking too much water can cause a serious condition... The same goes for smoking. Too much, can seriously affect your health. However as you will see, light to moderate smoking can actually improve your health and in some cases alleviate diseases."

And finally, a study released in March 2002: "Obesity is a greater trigger for health problems and increased health spending than smoking or drinking, according to a new study released today by the journal Health Affairs. The problem is significant given the fact that obesity has increased dramatically in the past 25 years and is now approaching epidemic proportions... Obesity, smoking, and heavy drinking are known behavioral causes of such chronic health conditions as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Yet according to the study, the [color:"orange"]effects of obesity on the number of chronic conditions a person has are significantly larger than the effects of current or past smoking[/color] or problem drinking. Those who are obese have 30% to 50% more chronic medical problems than those who smoke or drink heavily." More here.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Of course I would prefer cars to be cleaner - and they are indeed going that way. The car in the picture is cleaner than the one I had before. But driving my car isn't going to ruin my health like smoking was (unless I crash it of course! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> ).

It's perfectly valid point say that I drive a car, so I'm contributing to pollution, just as it's perfectly valid to say that I use up the planet's oxygen by breathing. But I'm not about to stop breathing to save the earth, and I still need a car to get around. I do ride a bicycle for shorter trips which helps... a little.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> It's not actually a race car either - it's an everyday car. Autokhanas are a sort of driving skill improvement event. Instructive and great fun too.

If you read what I've written above I'm not trying to claim to be some sort of saint who blames smokers for the ills of the world. As I said, I've done all the dumb things at some time in my life. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> As I also said, it seems perfectly reasonable to have separate areas in public places for smokers, just as it seems more sensible for me to drive fast on a track rather than a pubic road.

Smoking isn't going to die out any time soon, but if I can help motivate someone to stop then I'd be happy to do so.

Comments along the lines of "cars pollute too" and "alcohol is bad too" don't really constitute a sensible argument as to why smoking isn't a damaging habit. Smokers do seem to get very sensitive about their habit, and if anybody tries to suggest that it would be a good idea to stop they seem to feel confronted by it. I've even heard smokers say things like "why don't you try and ban farting too - that smells"!

Come on smokers - instead of trying to shoot the messenger, can't even one of you admit that the message has some truth. The message, from my viewpoint is that smoking wastes your money and impairs your health. Do you really think that's wrong??

Another of your thoughtful and interesting posts Rincewind. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> But I can't let that comment pass without reply.

I know a number of people who work in the area of public health and I don't know anybody who wants to "throw smokers out into the street and sneer at them". Mostly, they are professionals in the health area who are rationally and reasonably concerned about the private and public damage that smoking does.

Painting them as jackbooted anti-fun types who delight in restricting public liberties simply isn't right. Perhaps such a stereotype does exist somewhere, but most of them are not like that. Most of them also know that banning things simply doesn't work. It didn't work for prohibition of booze, and it clearly fails for drugs.

We have a number of programs here that offer help to people who wish to quit smoking, coupled with an ongoing public health awareness campaign, but it will probably never be possible to fully stop smoking. And of course we are also working on trying to overcome the negative effects of obesity, alcohol abuse, car exhaust, reckless driving, industrial pollution and all sorts of other issues. They all need work, and the existence of one doesn't somehow excuse the other. And none of them are ever likely to completely go away - but that doesn't seem like a good reason not to keep trying to find ways of minimising the harm they do.

Isn't it possible to discuss the issue of smoking, in private and public, without painting smokers as anti-social deviants and non-smokers as liberty hating wowsers??? Come on people! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Absolutely, Kris! And I knew I'd get in trouble for that bit!

But, in context, what I was getting at (albeit rather rudely) is that "help" could be a little less one-sided. Better ventilation -- and there is some pretty powerful technology available for filtering and re-cycling indoor air --, and less dangerous cigs would also "help", but the money goes on the banning (which does push smokers out to the streets), and on the programs for those who wish to quit. That leaves a lot of people out in the cold.

Isn't there even a single smoker on this forum who is prepared to admit that they have tried to give up, or would like to give up, or are in any way concerned about the effects that smoking is having on them?

And are there no smokers here who can even see the point of view of non-smokers who would rather not breathe other people's cigarette smoke in public places?

As a former smoker myself I've "been there done that" so I'm not trying to lock you up or exterminate you - I'm just offering some encouragement to quit. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Whoops, I missed your post while I was posting the last comment.

Yes, I agree about the ventilation stuff. Personally I'd rather they had a 'smoking lounge' or similar area rather than forcing smokers onto the street.

Maybe we need to invent something like the "cone of silence" that used to descend over agent Smart in "Get Smart". It could suck away the smoke. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

I'm not sure about the money issue - the government here certainly spends a lot of money on Quit programs and health awareness advertising. I know it does cost administrative money to frame the legislation that deals with public smoking, but I couldn't say how they compare. They certainly do seem to be genuinely trying to consider a range of options other than just bans.

I would like to see more work done on providing properly ventilated areas too. I'd even support government subsidising the costs to the providers. But, as the post from Hakea above says, the legal issues regarding health and safety of both staff and patrons seem to complicate the issue. I don't think that governments want to appear to be supporting smoking even obliquely. A pity, as it would seem both fair and helpful to take that tack. There's never a single strategy that will solve these things alone.

O dear! I can't let that one by <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />... I think the smokers here, and 98% of the smokers I know in person, are well aware that others don't want to breathe their smoke. The majority of them go out of their way to be considerate. Last I heard, smoking doesn't cause anti-social behaviour (unless you constantly give the smoker a hard time <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> ).... although, I understand that refined sugar can lead to a whole bunch of physical and emotional ills... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

Sorry, Kris... I'm not trying to be mean, or to trivialize the issue. I'm a never-have-smoked, and you're an ex-smoker, so I guess we have very different outlooks. I certainly do respect your own struggle to give up an addiction to smoking, and I'm delighted for you that you succeeded. And got the car. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />



Indeed, there is a huge amount of money being spent on these things, and on funding the lobbys. We could end up in conspiracy theory stuff here, if we're not careful! << i.e. are the pharmaceutical companies financing the demise of the tobacco companies? -- let's hope not! >> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devil.gif" alt="" />

Absolutely! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> When I smoked all those years ago we were all completely indifferent to the issues. I don't recall the point of view of non-smokers ever crossing my mind. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

By contrast, during the time I've lived in this house (16 years or more) nobody has ever smoked here, despite my never once bringing the topic up. We have no signs saying "Thank you for not Smoking" or anything like that either. Visiting smokers either automatically go outside and smoke on the verandah (where they usually find the ashtray we permanently leave there for them) or they wait until they go.

I don't remember anyone even asking if they can smoke in the house, they just see that we don't so they don't. And I think that the public awareness campaigns can take a great deal of the credit for that. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> But the main credit goes to the smokers themselves, who are largely - as you say - decent people with manners. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> It's just that we seem to have received mostly very defensive replies from smokers on this thread - with some preferring to take an "Anti anti-smoker" stance rather than address the issue.

I'm not actually a crusading "Anti-Smoker", as some might like to believe, but I AM very much "Pro Not Smoking". The difference might sound subtle, but for all manner of good reasons I would love to convert people to the benefits of quitting. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

My two cents.

I hate the habit of smoking. I've never had a cigarette in my life. I have been tempted on occasion, but I feel it's really not worth the financial and health problems. Really, that's all that keeps me away.

Alex smokes. At social occasions, she'll smoke quite a bit. I don't have a problem with this. I'd like for her not to smoke, but I'm not about to dictate her life. The only thing I would dictate is no smoking inside my house (whether it's her's as well or not). She's lived in a couple of houses where they permitted indoor smoking and I hated being there. Even she hated it when everything of hers smelt like smoke. I always encourage her to smoke less, with little results. It's her decission ultimately. The only thing I am against is when she smokes just before meeting me. It makes romantic greetings less pleasing. But that's a personal reason.

Most smokers I know are considerate. They ask if you mind while you're eating. They try to keep the smoke out of the way. They make sure there's ventilation where they smoke. The only thing I see them not be considerate about is pinching other people's cigarettes!

Ultimately, my view is let them do it on their own time, with their own health and money, on their own private property.


One thought to help stamp out smoking: put smoking related illnesses in the same category as elective surgury. They elected to partake in the deadly activity afterall.