What age did you start smoking and why?

Mark25

Was standing outside where I work during the week when a young lad about13/14 came up and asked me for a smoke.

Was thinking he was very young to be smokig these days but remember back to being 13 and starting to smoke mrself. I got a job during the school holidays after 1st year heelping out washing cars at a garage that a feiend of my Dad;s owned. I remember the first day there having my lunch with the guy I was helping and him asking me if I wanted a cigarette and he gave me a smoke and that was my first one. Thought I was all grown up earning money and smoking. Kept smoking after that when I went back to school and eventually getting caught at break time and getting into trouble in school and then the dreaded letter home. Am 33 now so hard to believe that was 20 years ago now!

jr86

17 although i was never really a regular smoker, bar on/off in college. Nowadays it's extremely rare, maybe 1 at 2am if locked.

I find far less teenagers smoke now than when i was in school about 15-20 years ago.

Its obviously a lot more expensive now to buy a pack, they dont sell them in 10s anymore and overall smoking rates are obviously decreasing - we're a lot more health conscious

I'd say the average age of people starting is moving nearer to college age than 13/14 these days

jim salter

13-15 and Still Smoke

Started at 11 because it was cool. Quit at 31 because it was stupid

Star Bingo

That dastardly nick o’ teen pushed his wares on me too!

Lisha

16-17 and Still Smoke

14, stopped when I was 29and pregnant. Am 40now, still off them but I eat too much

myshirt

13-15 and Still Smoke

I was 9.

I started on the Chocolate cigarettes.

7aubzxk43m2sni

Only smoked a few cigarettes ever

Didn't smoke a cigarette until 21, on a particularly **** day I was out walking with 2 friends and they were lighting up and it seemed appropriate.

Got into more of a habit when a girlfriend of mine smoked. Thankfully gave it up except the very occasional one after that

ShatterResistant

18-20 and Ex Smoker

Started smoking at 18 when I began going to The George on my own before coming out - handiest way to get chatting to people when you were on your own.

Been in love with the fags ever since.

myshirt

13-15 and Still Smoke

ShatterResistant wrote: »

Started smoking at 18 when I began going to The George on my own before coming out - handiest way to get chatting to people when you were on your own.

Been in love with the fags ever since.

I would have thought you would smoke cigars.

Riesen_Meal

Started at 13, gave them up at 36, lungs still recovering...

Only started to impress some lady who's name I can't even remember

myshirt

13-15 and Still Smoke

I was 9, and I'm ashamed of myself looking back. I would be quite upset if I found my own 9 year old smoking now. You could buy loose cigarettes at the time. Moved on to drinking at 13, albeit not in any meaningful way until I was about 15, just a few cans here and there. Friend got addicted to heroin at around 17 which was an eye opener, so decided to clean up my act, done my leaving cert, gave up the fags, earned a law degree, became a solicitor, had kids, and the rest they say is history.

Mark25

13-15 and Ex Smoker

jr86 wrote: »

17 although i was never really a regular smoker, bar on/off in college. Nowadays it's extremely rare, maybe 1 at 2am if locked.

I find far less teenagers smoke now than when i was in school about 15-20 years ago.

Its obviously a lot more expensive now to buy a pack, they dont sell them in 10s anymore and overall smoking rates are obviously decreasing - we're a lot more health conscious

I'd say the average age of people starting is moving nearer to college age than 13/14 these days

They are so espensive now irs hard to see how kids could even afford them unless they were working or something. Remember the 10 packs - much easier to hide them!

Ive said I will give up when I am35 so 2 more years to go. Amazing how many people are just social smokers and will just smoke when they are out

Over 21 and Ex Smoker

Started at around 24

I was a late bloomer. Have been smoking ever since, witha few months off at a time.

Thinking of the amount of money i spend on them hardly bears thinking about... now I need a fag.

22.

Because I was weak, and there were these cool new smoking areas opening in every other pub.

Mark25

13-15 and Ex Smoker

ShatterResistant wrote: »

Started smoking at 18 when I began going to The George on my own before coming out - handiest way to get chatting to people when you were on your own.

Been in love with the fags ever since.

At least you got to make the joke yourself!

I know they say its anti social but it is an easier way to meet people. That was how I first met my last gf. She only smoked when drinking or out and never bought her own. If we were going out for a night she would ask me to get Marlboro Lights instead of JP Blue as she preferred them

Mark25

13-15 and Ex Smoker

myshirt wrote: »

I was 9, and I'm ashamed of myself looking back. I would be quite upset if I found my own 9 year old smoking now. You could buy loose cigarettes at the time. Moved on to drinking at 13, albeit not in any meaningful way until I was about 15, just a few cans here and there. Friend got addicted to heroin at around 17 which was an eye opener, so decided to clean up my act, done my leaving cert, gave up the fags, earned a law degree, became a solicitor, had kids, and the rest they say is history.

Thought I was bad at 13 but 9 is real young, great life story btw

fepper

15,experiment kind of thing growing up,liked them and got addicted ever since,major,but lately their quality and taste has dropped dramatically where I hate them so finding it easier to wean myself off them....

Purple Mountain

16-17 and Still Smoke

13 because I used to pinch an odd one from my mother's packet.
Off them now.
I remember going to a teenage disco in an unlicensed premises and being able to buy them no bother and a box of 10 was around £1.50.
Don't know what the legal age to smoke was in the 90s.

Rubberchikken

Never have. Never will. The most disgusting thing imo.

Mookie Blaylock

Rubberchikken wrote: »

Never have. Never will. The most disgusting thing imo.

I'm 47 and same as... never smoked...I was playing football and basketball to a high level thru my teens and id have been murdered if I started
But, genuinely...2 things I've never wanted to do... smoke.....and learn to drive

somesoldiers

17,standing around UCD waiting for lectures, knew no one, seemed like a good idea at the time.funny it never bothered me all through school.
Now thankfully only have an odd one when out drinking, which is seldom

schizo1014

16-17 and Still Smoke

Around 15/16 or so, used to hang around with my mates in town and honestly there was nothing else to too but smoke and get up devilment. Gave up over a year ago when I was 25 after and have stayed off them since so I wasn't too bad.

HalloweenJack

I can't remember when I had my first one. I had a few odd ones when I first started going out and that turned into buying a pack here and there and turned into a full blown habit when I first moved out at 23.

I smoked a pack a day til I was about 25. I quit cold turkey and didn't smoke for months til one drunken night I had a relapse. Now, most nights I go out, I'll buy a pack, though during the week they barely cross my mind.

Frankly, I'm happy to see them going out of fashion. It's such a silly habit to take up. I love it but it's pointless.

twowheelsonly

13 as well, when I started secondary school although I had a few before that in primary school.
It was easy for me as my family had a small shop so it was handy enough to rob a packet - always the 10s' !!
54 now and still at it... Some days I hate them and other days I still love them.


Ironically, neither my mother or father smoked - with my father in particular totally anti smoking - if you fell and bust your head in our house he'd blame the fags !! Out of 7 children all seven smoked at one stage or another with three of us still regular smokers.

kingchess

18-20 and Still Smoke

my daughter went on a bus to a disco and the first thing a lot of the teenagers did after getting off the bus was to vape , even though they have never smoked,she said.

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Mark25 wrote: »

They are so espensive now irs hard to see how kids could even afford them unless they were working or something. Remember the 10 packs - much easier to hide them!

Ive said I will give up when I am35 so 2 more years to go. Amazing how many people are just social smokers and will just smoke when they are out

Round where I live I see groups of teenagers passing around fecking vapes, skipped the smoking bit, went straight to that. Times change, society evolves, but teenagers will always be fcuking idiots.

I started when I was 15, because I was a fcuking idiot :pac:

Yester

Started smoking when I was 13 probably because I wasn't supposed to be doing it, which made it exciting. Quit smoking at age 27 because it's stupid. Started smoking again at age 30 because I'm stupid.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Started at 17 and quit just over a yr ago at 29.

I was always curious about them, in 6th yr a girl I was seeing got me started. We'd buy a 10 pack in the morning and smoke em at lunch time.


I was told at the time that I'd be the type who'd get hooked on them. Highly strung personality, short temper and prone to worrying and overreacting. And I did, by the time I was in college I was up to a pack a day, about double that when drinking.


Nothing could calm me like a cig could.


It was brutal trying to stop, I was fcking people out of it right left and centre. I found the vape useless.


I still crave them today, if I smell cig smoke I want one. However I'm determined to stay off them for good this time. I'm also enjoying the extra discretionary income I'm saving.

satguy

13-15 and Still Smoke

Started at 9 or 10 , Would buy a loose one most mornings for the bus to school. If I had 10 1⁄2 p I would buy 10 Gold Bond.



It was 1973 / 74 , the trip from Bunratty Road to Donnycarney might take 5 minutes or so, just an enough to finish your smoke. (Fare was 2p if you had a school bag). The bus conductor would have to take our fares really fast because if he waited until Artane Roundabout we would jump off even if the bus was moving and save 2p .

From about my late teens on, I smoked 40 a day until I kicked them at 49years of age. Have been off the 5 or 6 years now.

Mookie Blaylock

Mookie Blaylock wrote: »

I'm 47 and same as... never smoked...I was playing football and basketball to a high level thru my teens and id have been murdered if I started
But, genuinely...2 things I've never wanted to do... smoke.....and learn to drive

Respect for the username...and I only casually like basketball

Mookie Blaylock

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Respect for the username...and I only casually like basketball

Tbh, Spud Webb was my hero... Mookie is more of a musical leaning