Never, never, never, never, never, never start using tobacco [View All]

[Droopy]

I started smoking regularly when I was 16, but I had my first cigarette when I was 11 and I would steal them every chance I got until they started selling them to me. My step-father smoked and for some reason I thought it would be a good idea for me to do the same. But before I was even old enough to legally buy cigarettes I was trying to quit smoking. I'm 35 now and I'm trying to quit for probably the hundredth time. I've made it 7 days and they say if I make it 7 more I'll have the physical addiction to nicotine kicked and the rest will just be in my mind. I'm going to make it this time. The longest I've quit for is 7 months. I became a smoker again because I was having a hard time controlling my weight. That was dumb, but it will be a valuable learning experience. Once you've been addicted to nicotine you can never take another puff, not even the littlest drag, for the rest of your life because in a matter of a week you'll be smoking at the same rate and probably more than you were before.

A personal hero of mine died of emphysema a few years back. For some reason I kept right on smoking after hearing the news. One of my grandfathers used tobacco for most of his life and he died of cancer. But I kept right on smoking. Tobacco is far worse than a bad habit. It's an addiction and it will cloud your judgment just like any other addictive drug will.

I'm probably preaching to the choir here for the most part, but I'm betting that there are a few people here who could benefit from this public service announcement.