I was 12 when i started smoking. I finally quit.
You can be very proud of that!
It took years of trying, mostly knowing I needed to quit. But until I wanted to quit I Just could not kick the habit. 21 years I have been smoke free now.
What made you finally want to quit?
It was a multitude of things. My oldest daughter was young enough that if I was able to quit she would never know I had ever smoked. A very close family friend had recently passed from complications from smoking. But the catalyst was a co-worker walking past me while I was smoking and said something to the effect of my life improving if I could quit. She was not preachy, nor was she judgmental about it. It was a simple statement. It made me think. Turns out she was a lung cancer survivor.
14 had my first one. Started really smoking when I was 16. Quit when I turned 37. 44 now and so glad I quit.
Everybody I’ve seen vape became smokers in my family.
I think vaping needs to be regulated ASAP. People are getting super addicted to nicotine because vaping is so easy - you can do it at any time, whereever you want. And it’s often very concentrated. And it tastes like fucking bubblegum and doesn’t make your clothes stink. It’s too good of an experience.
I agree something needs to be done. It’s basically joe camel for the newer generations
Many countries banned flavoured cigarettes for this exact reason, it was targeting teenagers.
Has any country successfully implemented a rolling ban? E.g., a “no one born after 2010 can buy tobacco products”, sort of thing. Seems like an obvious solution to me, so I’m curious why it isn’t implemented.
New Zealand had it ready to start but then it got repealed at the last minute
The UK government was about to push something similar through in a bundle of policy trying to garner support, they’ve just called an election instead so the current governments plans have all gone down the drain
So, no, not yet, but we got close a couple of times
Yeah, I was disappointed when NZ fumbled at the last minute. I hope other countries will try.
The other day a colleague said this:
“I imagine a 40y/o outside the tobacco shop, asking a 41y/o to buy them some tobacco”
Yeah…
While the scenario might be a bit amusing to imagine, is it a problem?
Even if it is, it sounds like a less serious problem than a 17-year-old asking an 18-year-old to buy them some tobacco…
Because people are tired of the nanny state and people like them.
Teens fall for the most blatant advertising tactics.