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Social Smoking - Any benefits?

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  • 17-02-2010 1:01pm
    #1
    massdebater
    Registered Users Posts: 2,251 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    I'm 23, 10-a-day smoker (close to 20-a-day if I'm drinking) since I was 17.
    Tried a few times before to quit but without much (any) success. Drinking was the worst part and each time I went back smoking was when I was drinking.

    It was always been difficult for me to quit before as all of my friends and my girlfrind smokes. Also, I've been smoking rollies for the past year and a half so there's virtually no financial incentive for me to quit. Only reason I wanna cut down is that I wanna live til i'm 100 and don't wanna die prematurely from cancer or some other smoking-related disease.

    However, I don't want to quit completely just yet as I still enjoy a smoke when I'm out with friends and trying to pretend to myself that I wanna quit completely would be pointless as I wouldn't have the will power to succeed. My aim is to only smoke when I'm drinking (which is usually one or two nights per week) and to completely give up smoking at all other times.

    Does anyone know does this reduce the chances of smoking related diseases or am I still running the same risk as a full time smoker? My theory is based on the TV ads "every cigarette is doing you damage" i.e. by greatly reducing the amount of cigarettes I smoke, I am greatly reducing the risk of contracting smoking-related diseases. Is this right?

    Anyhoo, I started a new way of cutting back in early January which is so far poving very successful. I started in the first week of January by not smoking until after work (5 p.m.). The following week I wouldn't smoke until after 6 p.m. The week after that I'd wait until 7 p.m. and so on. The only time this cycle is being broken is if I'm drinking and in that case I'm smoking from whatever time I start drinking.

    This week I'm not smoking until after 11 p.m. and the whole process is going good so far. I'm not starting to get cravings until 9 or 10 at night and by then I only have to wait an few hours for one. Thing is, by next week I'll be back to midnight which is technically the next day. I promised myself at the start that when I got to midnight I would stop smoking completely and only have a few if I was drinking.

    Am I wasting my time aiming to be a "social smoker" and am I still doing myself the same amount of damage? I'm sure it would make it easier to quit (completely) later in life but are there any benefits to my health now? Or should I just wait until I actually want to quit completely?


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    #2
    markesmith
    Registered Users Posts: 1,752 ✭✭✭markesmith


    Try reading the Easy Way to Stop Smoking, it worked for me in the past. Doesn't sound like you're a heavy smoker. That said, there really are no benefits to social smoking - you're only going to feel deprived when you're not in a social situation, and possibly concoct more social situations so you can smoke.


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    #3
    massdebater
    Registered Users Posts: 2,251 ✭✭✭massdebater


    Yeah but Alan Carr wants me to quit completely - I don't.

    Even if I was smoking whilst drinking two nights a week - surely that is still better than smoking all the time?


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    #4
    MarkR
    Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 11,094 Mod ✭✭✭✭MarkR


    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/31289.php


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    #5
    markesmith
    Registered Users Posts: 1,752 ✭✭✭markesmith


    Ah, yeah, of course it is. But if you're like me, it'd be really hard to keep it at that level. Then again, if you can manage it...

    But I'd have to say, there are no benefits to social smoking. There are no benefits to smoking, full stop.


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    #6
    massdebater
    Registered Users Posts: 2,251 ✭✭✭massdebater


    Yeah I know what you mean. It's just I don't think I have the will to give up completely but cutting down would make it easier for me to quit completely at a later date. As well as giving me the psychological advantage of knowing that I can control (to a certain extent) how much I smoke

    Thanks for the link also, that's the kind of info I was looking for. Looks like the risk of lung cancer is reduced by cutting down but not so for heart problems


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    #7
    massdebater
    Registered Users Posts: 2,251 ✭✭✭massdebater


    Dunno if anyone cares but I haven't smoked sober in 3 weeks! Still smoking when drinking but I'm pretty happy with my progress so far!

    Don't even miss them during the weeks so happy days! :)


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    #8
    Rain_Dog_Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭Rain_Dog_Brian


    Hi there. I tried to do the social smoking only and It only worked for a few months at a time. Those leftover fags from the night before just must be smoked. And hangovers need them.

    I do know of a few social smokers who seem to keep full time smo0king at bay, but it's a really fine line. Esp if you like smoking (as I did)

    The only way I gave up (about 5 yrs now) was to transfer from fags to nicorette gum. I used the gum for about 16 months before I gave that up too. Seems like a long time, but worth it in the end.
    Best of luck!


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    #9
    Orion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭Orion


    massdebater wrote: »
    Dunno if anyone cares but I haven't smoked sober in 3 weeks! Still smoking when drinking but I'm pretty happy with my progress so far!

    Don't even miss them during the weeks so happy days! :)

    We all care dude :)

    When I quit my biggest concern was going to the pub. I avoided it for a while but then the Heineken cup was back on. Went to the pub and didn't go for a smoke - even though I was sitting with a smoker who was in and out.

    If you can stay off them sober you can stay off them drunk. There are no benefits to smoking - social or otherwise. I sometimes go outside with my smoking buddies just for chats - but I don't smoke with them. You can be social without smoking.


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    #10
    Miss Fluff
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,673 ✭✭✭Miss Fluff


    massdebater wrote: »
    Dunno if anyone cares but I haven't smoked sober in 3 weeks! Still smoking when drinking but I'm pretty happy with my progress so far!

    Don't even miss them during the weeks so happy days! :)

    Yeah, and next thing you know you'll be making excuses to drink five times a week just so you can have a smoke.

    If you want to live to 100 like you claim then you shouldn't be smoking. Simple as that. It seems like you are looking for a clap on the back from people here for the fact you are capable of being a "social" smoker. I don't think that's anything to be particularly proud of to be honest. You're still a smoker, regardless of circumstances of frequency.

    You should really think about reading the Allen Carr book if you do intend to quit the habit at any stage.


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    #11
    massdebater
    Registered Users Posts: 2,251 ✭✭✭massdebater


    Miss Fluff, I'm not looking for a clap on the back. You'll notice from my original post that I said I don't want to quit completely.

    If you don't have anything decent to say, don't bother writing anything at all.

    The idea of my original post was to see if there was anyone who was in a similar boat to me i.e. still enjoyed smoking when going out but wanted to quit for all other times.

    Thanks for the input tho - and for trying to push the Alan Carr book - that really was life changing information :rolleyes:


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