Smokers

[T00ts]

I reckon I did my bit for society before I was born. My Dad who by all accounts was a heavy smoker gave up on my arrival. Apparently his words went something like - it's either her or the cigs'. He never smoked again to my knowledge. I succumbed to peer group pressure as a student and bought a packet of 10. I 'smoked' a couple, gave most away, and lit up the last one in Piccadilly London. I looked at it realised that when it was gone I would have to buy another pack and threw it down in the gutter. Never smoked since. Both my kids played with it in their teens, one longer than the other, but I'm glad to say that both packed it in years ago and the one took her husband along with her.

I knew a man who started smoking at 12. He smoked heavily right through, he was told to quit or die, he smoked. He was allowed an oxygen cylinder if he quit. He promised, got the cylinder and carried on smoking. How he didn't blow himself up I will never know. I guess if you are addicted it takes a lot to quit. They got him in the end.

I don't know why anyone smokes now. It must really impact on living standards and was I interested to see a photo of Angela Rayner smoking after her 'Tory scum' outburst, and it was interesting to read the disgusted/horrified comments by others. I guess times have changed to some extent.

[patman post]

The tobacco industry has enough captive hooked customers who will buy tobacco products almost irrespective of the price. That's why tobacco companies have regularly increased their prices by more than is required by tax increases.
Before 2010, almost 50 per cent of the total price increase of tobacco came from companies themselves, not taxation.
Between 2010 and 2012 — when there were large and unexpected tax increases — industry-driven price changes were small, accounting for 16 per cent and 20 per cent respectively of the price increases in manufactured and RYO (roll your own) tobacco.
But from 2013 to 2015 — when tax increases were smaller and planned — a third of the price increase for manufactured cigarettes was industry-driven, rising to nearly half 48 per cent of the price hike for RYO tobacco.
It's RYO tobacco that's had the highest industry-driven price rises (despite higher levels of illicit trade for these products), research published in the British Medical Journal's Tobacco Control has found.

https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/28/e2/e148

[Nalaar]

On the subject of the Tobacco industry Smoke-Screen is and investigation run by the Bureau of Investigative Journalsim  (TBIJ) for anyone that's interested.

Show details can be found here - https://shows.acast.com/smoke-screen

[Nalaar]

I have absolutely no idea how people I know afford to smoke, most especially those on minimum wage.

Of the two people who I know that quit smoking, my father did around the time he found out he would be a grandfather - I think he was starting to feel his age. And my Mother quit when on her morning shop on the way to work, she was unable to buy a pack of cigarettes and carton of milk for her 10 pound note.

[Barry]

It's a lifetime ago when I last bought a packet of cigarettes. My brother talked me into smoking and it made me feel sick and faint the first drag I took. A pretty good sign it does you no good!
I remember discarding a half empty pack in disgust and stamping on it after an evening out.
In my twenties I had a short while pretending to smoke a pipe. Since then tobacco has been well off the shopping list - except when I was buying duty free - for my brother!

Yesterday the chancellor put up cigarettes by a significant amount.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10139921/Smokers-feel-pinch-Pack-cigarettes-goes-13-60-TODAY.html

Will it stop people smoking? I hope so, for their health.

My brother has stopped smoking about 15 times, but just caves in to his addiction every time. He even told people his doctor advised he carries on smoking to help with his stomach problems. I think he was telling a fib.

Any smokers here? Going to carry on, or quit?