anniversary (Read 208 times)

I think most 'start' smoking when they are young teens or young adults before they realize that they are no invincible. 

I guess so, and at that point the "cool factor" overrides all other considerations.

...and I guess that's still applicable in early college years.  I had friends in college like ImNotScott's daughter who started up when they got there, too.

MTA: ...and when I started college, it was already pretty well established how horrible smoking was for you.

That said...I just remembered, when I first got to high school, in 1991, there was actually an area of the breezeway that was designated as a smoking area...for the kids.  It went away pretty quickly after I got there, but man...evidently the people running the school hadn't gotten the huge memo that smoking was really unhealthy, especially for kids.  I'm sure it was just there as an attempt to contain the activity, an admittance that some kids were going to smoke somewhere during the day, might as well keep them from sneaking off campus or in the bathrooms to do it, but wow.  Did anyone else have such a thing in their high school?

have only one cigarette in my life (not counting the other stuff which you can guess being from N.Calif. & the "emerald triangle" & being a product of the 60's & 70's).

no personal experience as a smoker but I have seen enough friends/family members struggle trying to quit that I know how difficult it is.

so congratulations to all of you who have been successful at quitting.  I have a tremendous amount of respect for you!