[font=Comic Sans MS][color=Purple] With the cost of living in California.. sheeesh.. it's enough to drive you to smoke... lol You and me both !! I want to be a social smoker too. But because I am sure that I can't just smoke one and not want another.. I don't think I will get my wish.. I decided to wait for 5 years when I am sure I am over this.. and then look at the social smoking thing again. Glad you have decided to put more time into your quit.. get it way, way under your belt before trying that again.. Hang Tuff.. Christine [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/1/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 53 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,347 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $185.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 5 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 59 [B]Seconds:[/B] 15

What would the benifit of social smoking be? I see smoking being banned more and more all over the country. You would like to be a social smoker while traveling so you can smoke while standing outside a point of interest? I am just wondering Polly [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/2/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 84 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,278 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $310.8 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 8 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 3 [B]Seconds:[/B] 5

I think that being a social smoker is something that we all idolize in one form or another. Either the junkie in you craves the cigarette, or you look at people who can do it and think "why can't I". In all honesty, I've never tried to socially smoke. I jumped in feet first. Could I? Who knows. My girlfriend did. She quit her social habit at the drop of a hat. Do I think I can keep control. Sure, I think we all have that thought, but is it real or just a delusion? For some it may be the truth, for others it's not. Nothing would make me happier to smoke one or two while I'm working on my cars, or at the bar with people. I haven't had a solid night out of partying since new years. I know that if I drink I won't resist having a cigarette. Don't try and fool yourself. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/24/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 31 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 533 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $139.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 3 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 29 [B]Seconds:[/B] 46

'Social' smoking still kills: a 'social' smoker is in fact just a smoker like the rest of them. DO THE QUIT!! :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/4/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 84 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,009 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �100.8 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 8 [B]Hrs:[/B] 21 [B]Mins:[/B] 40 [B]Seconds:[/B] 13

I don't want to be a social smoker. I don't want to stink in social settings or lose my self esteem socially. I'm really not sure why anyone would chose to smoke over not smoking. What was so good about it again? I forget..... [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/26/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 123 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,468 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $369 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 12 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 43 [B]Seconds:[/B] 23

My first time quitting was easy, I had almost 90 days of being quit, Then I thought, I could be a social smoker and just smoke 1 here or there, Wrong - I then started finding reasons to smoke another and another. Then I tried quitting again and failed, now I am on my third time and doing ok so far. But each time seems to be harder. So if you dont want to smoke then dont. You can have a happier and healther life by staying quit. If I would have stayed quit I would be at almost 200 days. But now I only have 44 days under my belt. I still get upset with myself for not staying quit the first time. So either we stay quit or smoke, the choice is ours. Cuddles [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/11/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 44 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 885 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $158.4 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 4 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 16 [B]Seconds:[/B] 19

eggogo, I remember wanting to be a social smoker too! I thought "that would be the perfect situation! Smoke only when I was in social situations and not want one any other time!" But, then I realized that that's a eutopia that [b]doesn't exist!!!!![/b] At least not for us addicts... I'm going to bump a thread for you in the main forum called "The social smoker - what we need to know" that explains WHY you (and I) can NOT be social smokers. Rob, I highly encourage you to read it too because it will answer all of your questions about social smokers. The thing with quitting is that there is no "one here or there" because what happens is that you have "just one" at a bar and then the next weekend, you think, "well, that wasn't so bad. I did fine with just one last weekend, and I didn't really crave a lot during the week, so I'll just have one this weekend." And that may go on for a while until you're having 4 or 5 while out, and then you find reasons to go out more so you can smoke, and then eventually, you're smoking during the week again and you've lost control! The key is that you never really HAD control to begin with!! [b]AS LONG AS YOU'RE SMOKING AT ALL, YOU DON'T HAVE CONTROL![/b] The nicotine does!!! The ONLY way to regain control is to [b]NEVER[/b] smoke again. N.O.P.E. - Not One Puff Ever. Oh yeah, remember me saying that I remember wanting to be a social smoker? When I read your post, it totally reminded me of me, but it also reminded me that I haven't felt that way in a while. I no longer desire to be a social smoker... not even a little bit. I don't want it because I don't want to smell bad; I don't want to spend the money to smoke; and most importantly, I don't want to jeapordize the freedom that I now have by being an ex-smoker. So keep up the quit and hopefully your desire to be a social smoker will cease too. Crave the Quit! Pam [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 150 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,751 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $495 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 10 [B]Hrs:[/B] 21 [B]Mins:[/B] 23 [B]Seconds:[/B] 42

Eggogo, Please read [url=http://www.stopsmokingcenter.net/support/viewmessages.aspx?forum=1&topic=18336]this.[/url] If you still think that you can be a social smoker after reading this, then go ahead and try. But at least then, you will be informed. I totally understand where you are coming from in regards to not wanting to feel like you're missing out on anything, but it sounds like you're romanticizing the smoke too much. Do you REALLY think that your friends will exclude you from those conversations simply because you don't smoke anymore? And how great is that first cigarette after being quit... REALLY?!?!?!? You're talking to someone who's quit more times than years I've been alive and has "slipped" 3 times since quitting in June, so I know EXACTLY what those cigarettes REALLY taste like... and it's NOT great!!! In fact, one time, I nearly threw up because it was so vile! I had 2 puffs and was coughing, dizzy, nausious, and had a sore throat... it was AWFUL!!! You can't tell me you enjoy that!!!! That's simply your addiction talking... not a sane and logical person. [quote] I don�t want to be an addict [/quote] Too bad! You already are! And so am I! It's just like the alcoholic who can't just have one drink... we can't just have one cigarette. It just doesn't work that way. Even if you quit and never smoke again, you will STILL be an addict... not smoking won't change that... it only makes you an addict in recovery and not an addict who is still feeding the addiction. And if you smoke, even when you're traveling, you're not quit. You can't have it both ways. [quote] I know I�m an addict and perhaps I�ll be able to give it up once and for all, I just don�t know. All I know right now is that I�m not a smoker, I�m an ex-smoker that might smoke again when I travel. [/quote] Tell me... do you LIKE withdrawals? Do you LIKE constantly thinking about smoking? If you don't, then why on earth would you consider doing all of this hard work, just to smoke again when you travel and put yourself back through withdrawals all over again? I know for sure that I don't ever want to go through that again! I can't imagine anyone ever liking it so much that they would plan to smoke everytime they went on vacation. I appreciate what you're

[quote] It�s always hard to quit, but it�s really great to start smoking after you haven�t smoked for a while. I�m in charge... I�m not going to smoke again until I travel to Europe and that won�t be anytime in the near future. I�m in charge, not my addiction, not anymore. [/quote] WHAT?!?!?!? You actually think that when you smoke after quitting that you're in charge? That's your addiction lying to you!! If you weren't an addict and you were in charge of the smoking, then why on earth would you smoke? Knowing all of the health risks, and the smell and the insane cost of smoking... why would anyone smoke, other than the fact that they are an addict who needs a fix? See, as long as we are feeding our addictions, we are NOT in control! [B]AS LONG AS YOU SMOKE, YOU ARE NOT IN CONTROL![/b] Please understand that. [quote] I�m trying to be a social smoker. It�s a struggle. [/quote] Of course it's a struggle!! BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BE ONE!!! "Social smokers" have a defective gene that breaks nicotine down at a slower rate than the normal gene does, so that's why social smokers can do that and we can't! I'm going to bump the social smoking thread again for you in the main forum and I really hope you read it. It's impossible for us to be social smokers... we simply cannot do it because we don't have the right genetic makeup. You can "pretend" that you can be a social smoker, but then you are just constantly quitting and ruining quits and then quitting again and then ruining another quit and perpetually putting yourself back in withdrawals. Why do that? Why not just stay quit and be free forever, instead of trying to do the impossible, which is be a social smoker! I would LOVE to know the answer to these questions... if you were able to quit for 5 years, and then went back to smoking and got addicted again, what's to make you think that if you smoke the next time you go to Europe, that you won't get addicted again? Why even quit at all? If you like smoking so much and you claim that you're not addicted and can be a "social smoker," then why do you even bother quitting? I really would like to know. I'm afraid that until you want to quit more than you want to smoke, that you will just keep putting yourself through the constant torture of wit

eggogo, You want to be a "social smoker"? Well, people in hell want ice water! If you want to smoke, and justify it by calling it "socal smoking", go for it. Just don't tell anyone that you are quit. You won't even be close. If you want to be quit, um.. that means NOT SMOKING, then get your act together, get your "quit face" on and join us FREE MEN AND WOMEN. FREE here is meant to convey FREEDOM FROM NICOTINE ADDICTION. You are doing a great job of setting yourself up for a lifetime of "quit, withdrawal, quit, withdrawal, quit, withdrawal".. you get the picture. Make a decision and stick with it. It's one or the other.. there is no middle ground. But that isn't so bad considering that if you choose to quit, you will be truly in "control" of yourself. And isn't that what all people ultimately want in their lives? Best wishes. [b][color=Purple]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit[/color] [color=black]Joe[/color] [size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size] [size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b] [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 315 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 7,896 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $771.75 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 55 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 35 [B]Seconds:[/B] 41