The five senses . 

Sight , hearing , touch , taste , smell . 

 

Whats in a cigarette ? How did Big T grab your attention  ? 

 

Advertisements on T. V. are some of the biggest lures to sell products , from tobacco , to junk food , to alcohol , to appliances , home furnishings, and the list goes on . 

Big T hires professionals who know how to manipulate you and me . Professionals who know what you need to hear to buy cigarettes and what you want to see to attract you , like packaging .

They know that touch and feel is important to you if said as  well as hearing seeing , touching and smell . Menthols and regulars are an example . They know that taste can trick you . Lighter , stronger .  Bubble gum flavours in vaping another example . They knew cartoon characters and Drs and movie stars and Drs can influence you . Feeling important , feeling thinner , feeling empowered were tools they used . Words can be deceiving and dangerous . They prey mainly on the young . That's when we all started with one . Wasit Curiosity ? Lack of self esteem ? Why did you start ? What truth have you learned now to quit and stay quit ? 

 

Discernment is important . What lies will you believe ? Truth sets us free . 

 

People look up to idols . But let me say , smoking became our idols because of only two things : addiction and choice .

How  will you break free from addiction ? 

 

Edited July 6, 20215 yr by Abby
An addition

My dad was a four pack a day smoker. It seems he always had a cigarette in his mouth. My 6 siblings and I were full fledged nicotine addicts before we were borne. Within 3 months of his passing away the three teenagers left in the house, including me were lighting up smokes. My mom never smoked despite being around it her entire life. I guess she didn’t’t have to. I remember a few times when I was a teenager that I didn’t have money for cigarettes and I remember the withdrawal each and every time. 😞

Edited July 6, 20215 yr by Gus
Incomplete sentence.

I smoked because I chose to . My best friend had me keep cigs for her so her parents wouldn't find out . One day a guy at school asked me if he could have a cig . I said they aren't mine , but hers . She was the most popular in school , me not at all . I was quiet and shy . I still am shy but I don't smoke .  I've accepted I am who I am .  

 

Everyone met on the road just outside school property at recess breaks . Lunch hour in the cafe all the cool kids met where I never smoked in case my dad would stop in and catch me , or my mom . 

 

I joined in that "one " day ar school to be accepted into the popular group and be cool like my best friend .  By grade twelve it was a half pack a day and in university I was up to a pack . Got married and a pack and a half  , quit eight years . Divorced 2 packs a day .mThe rest is a story of  twenty eight years of stinky hair , yellow finger nails, etc etc . 

 

As as I grew older I found excuses,  like them keeping me thin , looking cool , handling stress . I tried different brands because the longer ones looked neat and gave me more for my buck ,  the thin ones looked dainty , lady like , and menthols smelled better . Some I chose were because " I thought " they were less harmful ( a lie) or had less tar and the list goes on . 

 

My dad was also a three pack a day smoker , mom a casual smoker . They never smelled cigs on me because .. well you know why they never smelled smoking on me . 

 

My my best friend still smokes . Hope she quits soon. 

Edited July 6, 20215 yr by Abby
Additions and deletes .

My mom smoked through both her pregnancies. It was the norm back then, heck the Dr smoked during examinations! I remember my mom having us girls light her cig for her when she was driving. Back then we didn't know how to inhale and she smoked menthols so I never thought that was very pleasant. My dad on the other hand smoked Pall Mall unfiltered so it was easy to go get a butt from any one of the ashtrays laying around and get our fix. Ugh, I think of it now and its gross 🤮

Funny out of a family of five my brother was the only one of us who never picked up smoking. Hated it in fact....

I never experienced any peer pressure, nor was asked to hold cigarettes by my friends that smoked (guess that means they were real friends). I just thought it looked cool to blow smoke out of your mouth.  The head rush when I first managed to inhale without coughing sealed the deal

 

 

Edited July 12, 20215 yr by Wayne045

As they kept increasing prices, switched to unfiltered, cut the pack in the middle to create twice as many cigs.  Smoked them down to the butt holding a corner of the cig by the fingernails .... and thought it was smart.  Also since I was 'only' smoking 1/2 a cig at a time, it was healthy smoking.  How we twist ourselves up to feel good about this.

18 hours ago, Wayne045 said:

The head rush when I first managed to inhale without coughing sealed the deal

 

That old head rush was what pulled me into being a full-fledged smoker.  I was doing a bit of underage drinking with my friends.  One of my buddies told me: "if you smoke while you drink, it will make you buzz harder."  Smoked about ten cigarettes that night.  Woke up the next day wanting more nicotine.  And an addiction was born.

 

Fortunately, most of the stupid decisions I made as a teenager were easily left in the past.  Those cigarettes I smoked that night represented a bad decision that would continue to be repeated for the next twenty-five years.

On 7/6/2021 at 2:23 PM, jillar said:

My mom smoked through both her pregnancies. It was the norm back then, heck the Dr smoked during examinations! I remember my mom having us girls light her cig for her when she was driving. Back then we didn't know how to inhale and she smoked menthols so I never thought that was very pleasant. My dad on the other hand smoked Pall Mall unfiltered so it was easy to go get a butt from any one of the ashtrays laying around and get our fix. Ugh, I think of it now and its gross 🤮

Funny out of a family of five my brother was the only one of us who never picked up smoking. Hated it in fact....

My parents smoked unfiltered Pall Malls also.....my Mom smoked through her five pregnancies as did her doctor. I don't really remember seeing my parents smoking while growing up but I remember the ashtrays! Out of the five of us kids (3 girls/2 boys) only my youngest bro never smoked!! Even after knowing what I have been through the past 4 years....the other three smokers in the family are still puffing away.....although one sister starting vaping a few years back and considers herself a non-smoker now, my other sister still smokes like a chimney and my brother quits every few months but keeps going back to it....🙄

G’day 

In Australia they got rid of the sexy packaging. Now they are all the same for any brand. Personally I used to hate the eyeball.....

Edited July 14, 20215 yr by Cbdave

Neither of my parents smoked. But a lot of other relatives and friends did so it was acceptable in most places. I remember Mom bringing out ash trays when smokers came over even though she hated the smell in the house. In her later years I would only smoke in a bedroom when I came to visit her or go outside weather permitting. In her last year in a nursing home I would go outside to smoke. I`ll always remember her asking me if I didn`t want to step outside for a smoke and telling her that I was around 3 months quit. I started because I thought it was cool and most of my friends (musicians) did. Should have listened to Mom.