tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-659197563728114440.post3755011633837584091..comments2023-09-15T05:36:24.265-04:00Comments on Marijke: Nurse Turned Writer: Why do people start smoking?Marijke Vroomen-Durninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436563110710429784noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-659197563728114440.post-80698986873876652962009-01-13T06:44:00.000-05:002009-01-13T06:44:00.000-05:00Anon- I can see why you chose to stay anonymous be...Anon- I can see why you chose to stay anonymous because it's obvious that you either didn't read my post or you didn't bother to read it properly.<BR/><BR/>I specifically said that I know addictions are hard to beat and that is NOT what I was talking about. The whole post was on why teens STARTED to smoke.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I hope you feel better after your diatribe. Too bad it was entirely misplaced.Marijke Vroomen-Durninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14436563110710429784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-659197563728114440.post-32006745844152229592009-01-12T21:23:00.000-05:002009-01-12T21:23:00.000-05:00Do you smoke? I'm assuming "no." Why did I start t...Do you smoke? I'm assuming "no." Why did I start to smoke as a teenager? Yeah, it was cool. But it was also dangerous, it was forbidden, it was something I associated with being an "adult," and because I wanted to rebel. Stupid, right? Definitely. But as someone who has tried to quit again and again (and still haven't succeeded for more than 6 months), I can tell you that the draw of smoking is far stronger than those who don't smoke can ever imagine. "Just stop" is about as ridiculous to me as "just stop eating" is to someone who needs to lose weight. Yet it's treated as the same thing. Need to lose weight? "Just" stop eating so much! Want to stop smoking? "Just" stop. Ha!<BR/><BR/>There's a powerful force, I think, that works on a lot of adults to continue to smoke no matter how much they know about the health risks. It's a safe (at least as far as the law is concerned) way to flaunt convention, to be "bad," to go against the Nanny State that tries to tell you that everything that's fun is bad for you and wrong. Honestly, the more I'm told I'm not supposed to smoke the more I want to. Immature? Yeah, it sure is. But the tack that public health officials have taken does nothing but make me want to smoke more. Every time I see another rabid anti-smoking article written by (or quoting) another hypocritical do-gooder trying to control my life, the more I want to smoke.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-659197563728114440.post-66142957576648874462009-01-12T10:19:00.000-05:002009-01-12T10:19:00.000-05:00I can understand why kids/teens want to drink and ...I can understand why kids/teens want to drink and try recreational drugs - because there's an effect from it, usually quite pleasant in the short term, and it makes them feel good or takes them a way from their problems. But smoking, other than bad breath, having clothes that reek, and a cough first thing in the morning, what does it give you? I know some adults who won't even try to quit smoking. They say they enjoy their cigarette and that they don't plan on giving up one of their pleasures.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com