Posted by Marcus on March 25, 2004, 8:14:07, in reply to "Re: Why did we start?" I started when I was 11 because I was curious. I tried it, enjoyed it, and continued. Now, 22 years later having smoked at least 2 1/2 to 3 ppd since my mid teens, I still enjoy it and have no intention of quitting. --Previous Message--
128.192.116.94
I agree that there isn't really a single age at which it is ok for someone to start smoking. Granted, the younger the person is, the more physically damaging and addicting smoking is, but the ability is there. As inundated as kids are today with information about the health risks associated with smoking, the argument that they don't know the risks doesn't wash.
: : --Previous Message--
: do you remember your
: first
: thoughts of a cigarette,
: what made smoking so
: alluring for you? how old
: were you, who was your
: first cigarette with? I
: remember playing dress up
: as a kid using crayons to
: hang out of my mouth- i
: couldnt wait to be old
: enough to smoke my first
: cigarette.
: : I started because I
: admired my mom, who
: smoked a lot. I watched
: her drag, inhale, exhale,
: smoke sometimes pouring
: out her nose. So cool, I
: said to myself. And then
: I had a cousin who
: paraded around with her
: cigarette dangling at
: family parties when she
: was 11 and everybody
: (except grandma) said how
: cute she was!
: I had my first drag at 8
: or so and started at 9.
: No hassle...in fact, my
: mom bought them for me
: from day one. I never
: toyed around with candy
: cigs or any of that
: stuff. My interest burst
: on the scene at 8 and
: away I went.
: I wonder what "old
: enough to smoke my first
: cigarette" means to
: others. When is that
: magic threshold crossed?
: Like any other, it is in
: the mind of the beholder.
: I am aware of no
: guidelines, are you?
: I know atleast 2 families
: where the mom (somehow
: always the mom?)let the
: little ones take a few
: drags here and there,
: light a cigarette for
: mommy, that kind of stuff
: and I mean when the kids
: were way young...4 or 5,
: whatever. Of course,
: these weren't real
: drags...just suck, blow
: and choke! But these moms
: were ambivalent to
: it...like it was the most
: natural thing in the
: world. I stood their with
: my mouth open staring
: when a little kid I sat
: for back when I was 13 or
: so picked up her mom's
: cig idling on the
: ashtray, puffed on it and
: put in back...while mom
: was just sitting there,
: talking on the phone.
: So what is that "old
: enough" age?
: I'll bet there are as
: many opinions as there
: are people. We are
: conditioned to believe
: that smoking is an
: "adult
: practice." Just like
: drinking or sex. But the
: fact is that any kid can
: functionally smoke,
: unless they have asthma
: or something like that,
: well before they can
: experience genuine sex or
: handle one drink without
: getting tipsy or worse.
: Sorry for prattling on
: and on, it is just that
: this whole idea of some
: "set age" for
: smoking, or anything
: else, is just a bunch of
: b.s.
: I figure I will get my
: doors blown away now for
: this. Such is the price
: of saying what you think.
:
:
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