Smokers or former smokers: What age did you start and why?

[TheNoNamedOne]

Smokers, what age did you start and why? Do you regret you had started? Would you be ok if your own children started at the same age? How about starting younger than you?

What would your reaction be if you were against it, and how would you try to get them to stop or to keep them from smoking?

[dk]

20 years old. Because someone else had a cigarette and I wanted to try it out. No regrets. I would be fine if my daughter started at the same age or younger. I would push her to not smoke until she's 20 if she's going to do it at all as it's against the law until adulthood.

I would tell her it's unhealthy, but I wouldn't try to control her.

Everyone has a vice.

[TheNoNamedOne]

What made you start, dk?

[dk]

I edited my post. Someone had a cigarette and I wanted to try it out. There is no one to blame but myself. It was ALL curiosity on my part. And eventually I liked it.

[TheNoNamedOne]

But I hear that the first several cigerrettes are not very good tasting. Was that the same with you? If so, why did you persevere in continuing to do something that didn't taste good? Were you intrigued with the swirling smoke or a certain image you thought it represented?

[smhersweetie]

I started when I was 22. I started smoking cause I was drunk and wanted to try it cause my sister inlaw was smoking. Since then I've been smoking.

I wouldn't want my daughter to smoke, but can I say or tell her besides it's not good for you. If I told her she couldn't smoke I would be a hypocrite right?

I do somewhat regret it, but when I'm stressed out I don't cause it relieves my stress.

[TheNoNamedOne]

I wouldn't want my daughter to smoke, but can I say or tell her besides it's not good for you. If I told her she couldn't smoke I would be a hypocrite right?

I think hypocracy is a small price to pay when giving advice to a person you love and don't want to see them make the same mistake or have the same regret you may have.

I do somewhat regret it, but when I'm stressed out I don't cause it relieves my stress.

Studies say that the stress is from smoking, that your body is stressed from nicotine withdrawel and uncomfortable situations makes people notice it. Well, that is what I have read, and it seems to be on an AFN commercial spot or two also.

I would think after you get over the hump of withdrawel and addiction, total stress would decrease.

A question I have always wanted to ask to people who care about or take pride in their looks: If what happened to the inside of your lungs from smoking happened to your skin where everyone could see it (i.e. black brownish tar gooing up on your surface skin), would you still smoke?

[smhersweetie]

True..sometimes I do feel stress cause I don't get to smoke.

As for if smoking did that crap to my face...I would withdraw fast cause I'm always cautious on what's on my face. I tend to want nice skin. I should quit though..I hate to know what's happening inside of me when I smoke already and yet I"m still smoking. It's hard to quit when I've been smoking awhile aready.

[TheNoNamedOne]

Yeah, that would really suck if that tar showed up on skin like it does in the lungs. A long time ago I think AFN had a public service commercial on from one of the anti-smoking orgs and a girl was puffing on a cig. At first she looks normal and is quite attractive, but with every puff tar began blotching her face and body. By the end of the cig she was just covered in black oozing gooky looking tar. Quite unappealing looking. And the final tag line was, "If what happened to your lungs happened to you skin when you smoked, would you still smoke?"

But, eventhough it is not that bad, smoking does affect the skin causing it to age more quickly. I will try to find some interesting links about that soon.

[blacktulip]

True..sometimes I do feel stress cause I don't get to smoke.

As for if smoking did that crap to my face...I would withdraw fast cause I'm always cautious on what's on my face. I tend to want nice skin. I should quit though..I hate to know what's happening inside of me when I smoke already and yet I"m still smoking. It's hard to quit when I've been smoking awhile aready.

I've always thought smoking makes you look older quicker. If anything, it causes gum disease (bleeding gum, pus, bad breath) and your teeth can eventually fall out (couple of my patient's front teeth literally fell out of their mouths), that doesn't look too good.

[TheNoNamedOne]

I've always thought smoking makes you look older. If anything, it causes gum disease and your teeth can eventually fall out (couple of my patient's front teeth literally fell out of their mouths), that doesn't look too good.

Perhaps smoking is one of the causes for dk needing extensive work from Life Dental Clinic.

My mother was a heavy smoker, started when she was 21 and had lost all her teeth by 35.

[blacktulip]

I've nothing against smokers, but I personally cannot stand the smell, and I hate it when they smoke in my presence, to me that is very inconsiderate. My friends who smoke eventually learnt not to smoke when I'm around coz they'll never hear the end of it, some are now trying to quit after I showed them the gross video clip of my patient's bombed out mouth from prolonged smoking.

[TheNoNamedOne]

My friends who smoke eventually learnt not to smoke when I'm around coz they'll never hear the end of it, some are now trying to quit after I showed them the gross video clip of my patient's bombed out mouth from prolonged smoking.

I forgot which thread here, but I had posted a pic from a PSA of a bombed out mouth here. I think it was of the Marlboro Man.

Blacktulip, another question: Do dentists and their assistants talk about patients with bad breath amongst themsleves?

I've always been very self concious when going to the dentist and try to be very considerate with a very good brushing and mouthwash so that they wouldn't think bad of my breath. AND, I have always wondered if dentists and assistants can right from the very beginning know if someone is a smoker, either by breath odor or just from simple observation of the teeth and gums?

Do smokers tend to have an odor in their breath that you can notice quite soon despite any attempt at masking it through brushing or mouuthwash?

Does smokers breath bother you as you work on their mouths, or is it something that is easily ignored and not even discusses amongst yourselves?

[smhersweetie]

Blacktulip....I have two questions for you if you don't mind.

My daughter who is 6 is still grinding her teeth. She has a mouth guard that I I had a personally made at the dentist she went to. They said that she should stop grinding around age 6, but if they don't stop do they just keep grinding? And how long should they wear the mouth guard until I get a new one?

2nd question....My daughter hasn't lost any of her baby front teeths yet...is that good or bad for her? Some of the kids her age has already lost them..should i be worried?

[blacktulip]

I forgot which thread here, but I had posted a pic from a PSA of a bombed out mouth here. I think it was of the Marlboro Man.

Blacktulip, another question: Do dentists and their assistants talk about patients with bad breath amongst themsleves?

I've always been very self concious when going to the dentist and try to be very considerate with a very good brushing and mouthwash so that they wouldn't think bad of my breath. AND, I have always wondered if dentists and assistants can right from the very beginning know if someone is a smoker, either by breath odor or just from simple observation of the teeth and gums?

Do smokers tend to have an odor in their breath that you can notice quite soon despite any attempt at masking it through brushing or mouuthwash?

Does smokers breath bother you as you work on their mouths, or is it something that is easily ignored and not even discusses amongst yourselves?

Haha no we don't talk about bad breath, we usually talk about psychos and who we felt like stabbing :p just kidding.

If you make an effort to keep your mouth clean, we can tell! So even if you have bad breath we don't mind, because bad breath can be caused by factors other than your mouth e.g. poor digestive system.

I can always tell when someone is a smoker, they've a distinct breath which cannot be masked by anything. I can smell it even with the mask on. I can also tell from the stains on their teeth, bleeding gum sometimes with pus oozing out from the pockets, abnormal patches in their mouths, tumours etc. The smokers' breath doesn't bother me, I can deal with that, what bothers me is that they're destroying their bodies and they don't care, that pissed me off.

[TheNoNamedOne]

The smokers' breath doesn't bother me, I can deal with that, what bothers me is that they're destroying their bodies and they don't care, that pissed me off.

Kinda like this attitude:

"I'm breaking it on purpose through my poor choices, and I want you to clean up and fix everything."

Is that a frustrating attitude to deal with?

[blacktulip]

Kinda like this attitude:

"I'm breaking it on purpose through my poor choices, and I want you to clean up and fix everything."

Is that a frustrating attitude to deal with?

Very! I tried my best to help them but there's nothing much I can do if they don't want to help themselves. :mad:

[socalheart]

It's hard to quit when I've been smoking awhile aready.

HA! Based on appearances alone (your avatar picture), you haven't been smoking that long. It's easier to quit now than later, if you really want to quit.

I started smoking when I was 13 years old. I quit a few times in between; once for eight months my senior year, then for three years after college and now since I'm pregnant. So, technically, I've only been smoking for approximately 18 years in all. That trumps most of your times. heh. It's more difficult to quit each time. Even now, when the smell of cigarette smoke makes me sick, I often feel the need to smoke... especially in Okinawa traffic. heh.

To answer the initial questions though... I don't "regret" that I started smoking. I actually enjoyed smoking. It started as a social acceptance thing and simply became a social thing. I wouldn't want my own children to start smoking though. Although I enjoyed smoking, I know it isn't a good thing to do. I intend to discourage my child from smoking, but will be careful on disciplining her, if she is caught smoking. It's a weird teenager thing usually. I don't know many pre-teens who smoke, either now or then. Based on my own experience, underaged smoking encourages dishonesty. Then again, that Asian mom guilt (similar to Jewish and Catholic mom guilt - heh) thing can be very useful. heh.

As for my oral hygiene as a smoker... I probably had bad smoker's breath. I chewed a lot of gum and ate a ridiculous amount of mints. I know my hair and clothes smelled of smoke. I was able to hide my smoking from my parents though, covering it up with perfume and mints. Since I started smoking, I can smell smoke almost anywhere. It's like being a smoke detector. Even now that I've quit, I can smell it on my husband after he's had a cigarette outside.

I like to believe that I was a more courteous smoker than most. If my friends didn't smoke, I didn't smoke around them, unless we were in a bar where everyone was smoking. I didn't smoke in nonsmokers' homes or around children. I also tried not to smoke in restaurants or where people were eating. If I felt that I just had to have a cigarette around a nonsmoker, I'd ask if they minded my smoking near them or go outside. Typically, I would eat a lot of mints until I could get outside to smoke. I don't begrudge smokers their right to smoke, but don't do it next to me or children.

[dk]

But I hear that the first several cigerrettes are not very good tasting. Was that the same with you? If so, why did you persevere in continuing to do something that didn't taste good? Were you intrigued with the swirling smoke or a certain image you thought it represented?
Because I didn't get started on cigarettes. I got started on clove cigarettes, which DO taste good.

And I've never cared about what people felt about me, so no, the look had nothing to do with it.

[dk]

Perhaps smoking is one of the causes for dk needing extensive work from Life Dental Clinic.
Nah, it was more the not having been to a dentist in 12 years thing.

[TheNoNamedOne]

Nah, it was more the not having been to a dentist in 12 years thing.

Crikey! 12 years!?

I feel bad if I go 3 months over the 6 month rule.

Did you floss during your long leave from dental checkups?

So, smoking hasn't had any affect whatsoever on your oral health? Did they ask if you smoked? I often hear Dr. Oshiro or the others in the next cubicle putting that question to patients.

[dk]

They didn't ask if I smoked. I had already quit smoking for 6 months at that time.

I had bad habits as far as keeping my teeth healthy. And then after college I faced a few hard years of not being able to afford anything--let alone a dentist. It's only been in the past 5 years that I've run into some money and I can afford to do everything I want/need to do.

Okinawa isn't always a very easy place to live.

I had a bad dentist (well, I blame him, but maybe I shouldn't) when I was 16 or 17 who gave me fillings for two of my side teeth. Within a year, both of them completely shattered and fell to pieces. After that, I wasn't very fond of dentists. It's taken me till about now to get over that.

[TheNoNamedOne]

Oh, dude, I feel for you there. I had terrible dentists in my teens and took years to get over that.

Well, glad to hear your hard years are over. No one should have to have crappy dental care.

[dk]

Oh, dude, I feel for you there. I had terrible dentists in my teens and took years to get over that.

Well, glad to hear your hard years are over. No one should have to have crappy dental care.
Heh, yeah, I'm glad to. Those weren't fun years, and I'm SO glad to have my new bridges.

[Tempestuous]

I say AMEN! to that!
We too are movin forward & never going back over those bridges

[thistle]

I started smoking when I was 16 or 17 I guess, or that is when I tried it first.
In a tiny boring town, what else is there to do but go in a coffee shop and since my friends were doing, hell I was going to try to. Didn't really start till I was 20 though, and though I have given up at various times, I still smoke a couple a day.
Why, because I enjoy it and I do think it relieves my stress. I never smoke around my children though and always outside.
Regrets, no not really, but I think my health (and gums!) have suffered a little because of it and I could go back and choose I would not choose to smoke again. I think my smoking has put my son off even trying and I would
discourage him from starting.
Society has changed a lot in the last 20 years in it's attitude towards it and I think less and less people are starting

[roxy_skyy]

I started smoking when I was 15 in Germany, where EVERYONE smokes. Of course my friends were smoking and well I decided I wanted to smoke. There are cigarette machines out in the streets just like they are here, and no one cares. I do have rules when it comes to smoking now though.

No smoking around children, what-so-ever
I smoke outside on my balcony
I don't smoke in my car, unless traffic is bad....we won't go there.
I limit myself to a 2 packs a week.

Which I was a lot worse, even though I was young. I'd smoke 2 packs in about a day and a half, where I found the time I don't know.

As far as the dentist, my teeth are clean and no cavaties, I don't miss a appointment, etc.

[TheNoNamedOne]

No smoking around children, what-so-ever

Why? Second hand smoke is unhealthy for them, or it is a bad example for an adult to set?

In what radius proximity? Law considers people to be children until 18. I imagine you are referring to a different age, though. What age?

As far as the dentist, my teeth are clean and no cavaties, I don't miss a appointment, etc.

You still have the power of youth working for you and your teeth, dispite smoking and regular appointments. I think more than a few dentists will tell you that you will have a high probability of having your oral health affected by smoking if you continue into your 40s and 50s.

Always easier to quit when young. While addiction may take hold in youth, it has a stronger grip with age and longer length of time in indulging the habit.

Or do you expect to smoke for the rest of your life never having to contemplate quiting from here on?