Any smokers here?

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No, and never, ever will!! I also sing and smoking is the worst thing for your voice.

I smoked when I was a teenager because it was the cool in thing to do. When I turned 18 it was legal and it wasnt fun anymore so I gave it up. I was more obsessed with mountain bikes and bushwalking than lighting up a cigerette from then on my obsessive Interests and hobbies have the same affect as someone craving a cigerette. I find if Im down and out I become more obessed with the interest or hobbie and wont come out of my unit for days.

Try asking your GP for Champix - that's all I did, and the stuff actually works.
My opening line was: "it's ridiculous; I have to stop smoking, but willpower fails and patches give me headaches - so would you consider trying Champix on me?"
She said 'yes' immediately and after cross-checking with a few things on my case history, I toddled out clutching a prescription. (gotta love the NHS! )

I started losing interest in smoking on day one of taking it (from smoking around 20 a day). I'd decided that since the tablets would block the nicotine cravings I wouldn't need to work at stopping - like you don't need to work at stopping a headache after taking Ibuprofen - so there was just the habitual aspect to deal with.
But continuing to smoke in those situations where I'd smoke just because of the situation was pointless: there was no enjoyment, no satisfaction, no buzz - nothing whatever, so it's been quite easy to break away from that too.
So I went from around 20 down to 8, 6, 5, 3, then 1 over the first 5 days with no cravings. Part of the deal with Champix is that you start taking it and continue as usual, but decide on a stopping date about 1.5 weeks into the course. I ended up stopping on day 6 because continuing was utterly pointless.
I know of three others with similar stories (one smoked 40+ a day) - but also another who had to stop taking it because of the intense dreams it can cause.

Side effects? Oh well there's the usual leaflet included listing all the horror stories, like most medication (I was half looking forward to the intense dreams; nothing happened) - but the only one I've had is a slight but constant metallic taste. It's not particularly unpleasant, just present.
But to make up for that, I can actually smell and taste things better now and overall I am feeling so much better.

I've seen the affects it's had on my family. No smoking for me!

Nope. Smoking is bad for you and ages you quicker and causes you health problems and shortens your life.

That really depends on the person doing the smoking.
One of my uncles died in his late 50's through chronic obstructive pulmonary disease because he'd been a lifelong and heavy smoker, but my grandfather and my father died in their 90's - both were heavy smokers, yet showed no obvious ill effects.

Yes, I smoke like a chimney!

hey, i smoked for 8 yrs just because. though one doesnt NEED to smoke to cope with their feelings. smoking just masks they pain. then later you'll find your self reaching for another, but what for? passing time tired, upset anxious? there are other ways to solve your problems. you gotta try some kind of method to quit.

I'm more curious about why you're asking than about why you smoke.

As far as I'm concerned, no matter what other reasons are given, ALL smokers, or at least all who have been smoking long enough (which doesn't have to be much more than several months), smoke for the same reason.

They're addicted.

And by "them" I mean me as well. I smoke because I'm addicted, and I firmly believe it is NOT just the nicotine. That is part of the addiction, but I've been on the patch, inhalers and lozenges. Though they do help a little (patch more than the others for me), I'm absolutely positive the addiction is to more than just nicotine. I'm firmly convinced I'm also addicted to several, many or all of the other toxins contained in the smoke itself.

I could say it's to alleviate certain Autistic symptoms, ability to concentrate, nerves or whatever other "excuses" many of us come up with, but I refuse to fool myself into thinking it's anything but a powerful addiction. Does smoking help me cope with all those things? Yes it does, but not because it's an effective treatment for any of them. It's because I've become accustomed to life with the effects of tobacco, and I no longer know HOW to deal with all that crap without it. If I had never started smoking, I'm certain I would have learned other ways to cope that are more than likely far more effective.

All the "typical" reasons given by smokers as reasons they smoke are all the same ones people addicted to every other drug also use.

Think about it.

I've been smoking for 15 years. I started because I was very upset and a friend offered me one. Obviously now I'm just addicted. I've tried quitting 3 times and I'm thinking about seeking some prescription meds to help. One thing I've noticed that I use smoking for is talking to people. When you're a smoker, you go to whatever designated smoking area is around and you meet people that way. Because I'm smoking, I feel less awkward and manage to have some reasonably normal conversations with people.

I could probley quit smoking but the added stress would not end well. I can just imagine exploding in a few idiots' faces because I couldn't take a "smoke break" from thier stupidity.

Sadly some of those idiots are family.

smoking is very hard to understand, but i guess smokers see a reason to smoke. i can not see what that reason is, but likewise i can not see the reason for anything anyone wants to do, so i am not an authority.

smoke yourself to death.

i smoke, i wish i never started! I started to fit in i guess, along with the fact it gave me an excuse to leave a crowded room for a break without explaining myself on why.
I am in the process of trying to quit, i went from a pack a day to half, now i am trying to stay at 12 a day and hopefully by monday i will try to work it down 10 again then 9 and so on.

its funny though people will say how can you have ASD and smoke?

So wait people with ASD cant smoke? Drink? Drugs? Sex? etc we arent "different" we just see the world and interpret stuff "differently" but im not non human i still am like anyone esle.

I cold turkeyed American Spirits 3 or 4 years ago & just quit cannabis but the later I'll be going back to on account of my mean @$$ insomnia & various injuries or strains.

It really sucks being persecuted over something that helps my ASD symptoms so much.

I don't smoke. I tried it quite a few times when I was 12, to impress my older brother and his mates (who all smoked), but I never carried it on. I just didn't get hooked.

I'd rather stay on my antidepressants than to sit there inhaling toxic fumes in to my lungs. I mean, lungs are an essential organ to ensure us to breathe. Why spend your whole life damaging them?

Got an email alert that there was a new reply to this and figured I'd toss in an update. I stand behind everything I said here back in 2011. Three years ago though, in early 2013, I quit for good. It CAN be done, and I can tell you some other things I've learned. Smoking did NOT help my concentration, focus, or improve anything at all in my life. I know because I'm functioning perfectly well without it. Actually, better than before. My health is improving.

Yes, it was a struggle, but that was only temporary. It's not easy to quit, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING, smoking supposedly does for you is worth the damage it does. My life IS better now. Yours can be too. Just quite making excuses and do it. I promise you, it is worth the temporary hardship in exchange for the long term benefits.

By the way, I didn't go cold turkey. I used the patch and smoked occasionally until one day I just threw them out. Thirty years I smoked. No more. You can too. You just have to want to bad enough.

It's up to you. Have a nice day!