My story is pretty much like Tabbys, thinking it was cool to do at 13-how deluded were we? But to be fair, although we knew it was wrong because it was considered a 'grown ups' habit, there was nowhere near the health education there is today. At 13 we wanted to look and be more grown up and smoking was the way to go. I often wonder if the two girls I tried my first with went on to be long time smokers like me, and funnily enough I still resent them for encouraging me to try it although I suspect I would have smoked eventually anyway.
Also my mum was a smoker too, and from being a small child I loved the smell of my mum's newly lit cigarette, maybe it was that association too which drew me to my addiction.
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 5/10/2008 Smoke-Free Days: 494 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 12,350 Amount Saved: $7,410.00 Life Gained: Days: 58 Hrs: 7 Mins: 20 Seconds: 47
I guess I just thought it was the thing to do.... my friends smoked (the cool kids hung out at the pool room smoking, and you could buy them for only 25 cents each).... my parents smoked (seems like everyone around me smoked)... It was just part of life, no one ever told me at 13 that this was a bad thing and that I would become an addict... lol.. How did it go from being the cool thing to do ... to being the most embarrassing thing to do...
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 6/1/2009 Smoke-Free Days: 106 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 2,226 Amount Saved: $623.28 Life Gained: Days: 9 Hrs: 11 Mins: 28 Seconds: 37
For me it was all peer pressure. If you didn't smoke you weren't cool. I too choked and gaged but I kept on smoking. If only I had a crystal ball back then.
Kaiser
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 7/30/2008 Smoke-Free Days: 411 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 10,275 Amount Saved: $513.75 Life Gained: Days: 82 Hrs: 20 Mins: 17 Seconds: 11
I didn't even enjoy my first cigarette. This morning I set thinking about how I nearly choked to death when I smoked my first cigarette and how that didn't stop me from lighting up another a week later. I remember a bunch of us kids were sitting around tying to smoke. I was 14 at the time. I also remember discovering a month later that I was hooked when I tried to quit. I threw the cigarettes away and about 30 minutes later dumpster dived to retrieve them.
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 5/1/2009 Smoke-Free Days: 135 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 3,780 Amount Saved: $1,464.75 Life Gained: Days: 14 Hrs: 19 Mins: 32 Seconds: 6
