How to stop smoking when drinking?

pseudonym1 · 26-03-2009 2:05am #1

Question is in the title. Used to smoke constantly before cutting them out completely for a while - now everytime I have a drink end up smoking. Oh and the option of giving up alcohol has been considered - impossible!

Anyone wit any help tricks tips advice direction etc t'would be great!

Thanks

manufan16 · 26-03-2009 2:11am

Change your drink-might not want to smoke as much then, it helped me.. even if only for a while!

roverm · 26-03-2009 2:12am

pseudonym1 wrote: »

Question is in the title. Used to smoke constantly before cutting them out- everytime I have a drink and end up smoking. Oh and the option of giving up alcohol has been considered - impossible!

Anyone wit any help tricks tips advice direction etc t'would be great!

Thanks

im exact same. i used to smoke when i was in school but gave dem up after but anytime i go out drinking i always have to have a few fags. but i tink a few aint that bad compared to the amount i used to smoke before ,especially as they never bother me, other than when im drinking :cool:

Leah-G1 · 26-03-2009 12:42pm

I am off them since Christmas and I had been trying for a good 4 months before that. Always fell down when it came to drink.

Basically what I did was gave up the drink for one month..until the worst was over with. I didnt avoide cigarettes the whole time (roomate was a smoker) but did go out of my way not to be around them .Got used to being the only non smoker in a room.. Then when I went back on the drink it didnt bother me that much. There is NOTHING like a cigarette with a pint/drink but I can promise you that this does go away. Dont go out for one if everyone else is (you will be a pro at snake on your phone by the end of it in an effort to not look lonely :-)) Do not under any circumastances buy them and never hold it for someone. Also make your friends aware that you are giving up and not to offer you any...also tell them not to give you any even if you ask...

You are only making things harder by smoking when you drink.you placing nicotine back into your body that you have worked so hard in getting rid off.Its one step forward and two back...you'll end up back on them if you dont quit for good initially!

Best of luck with it and I hope you suceed!:)

pseudonym1 · 26-03-2009 1:21pm

Leah-G1 wrote: »

I am off them since Christmas and I had been trying for a good 4 months before that. Always fell down when it came to drink.

Basically what I did was gave up the drink for one month..until the worst was over with. I didnt avoide cigarettes the whole time (roomate was a smoker) but did go out of my way not to be around them .Got used to being the only non smoker in a room.. Then when I went back on the drink it didnt bother me that much. There is NOTHING like a cigarette with a pint/drink but I can promise you that this does go away. Dont go out for one if everyone else is (you will be a pro at snake on your phone by the end of it in an effort to not look lonely :-)) Do not under any circumastances buy them and never hold it for someone. Also make your friends aware that you are giving up and not to offer you any...also tell them not to give you any even if you ask...

You are only making things harder by smoking when you drink.you placing nicotine back into your body that you have worked so hard in getting rid off.Its one step forward and two back...you'll end up back on them if you dont quit for good initially!

Best of luck with it and I hope you suceed!:)

Ya thats pretty much it - thing is I now ALLOW myself to smoke whe have a drink! I so want rid! Will try the not drinking for a month but maybe even a few weeks than just have 1 or 2. They just go hand in hand for me ! Thanks for the advice

bridge · 03-04-2009 4:58pm

once a smoker always a smoker unless u give up drink

Nothingbetter2d · 14-04-2009 4:08pm

i gave up smoking 19 months ago now and i can safely say i dont miss them whatsoever

My reasons for quiting smoking after smoking for 14+ years were:

at aged 26 (im 31 now) i started getting short of breathe, and some numbness in my finger tips and toes

this got worse over the next few years until i had a constant pain down the left side of my abdomen and left arm.

i smoked between 20 - 30 a day avg with more on nights out on the town

the day i quit i went to the pub ... i managed to stay off them that night with absolutely no smoking. i said if i could do it the first day i could do it every other day. basically i put a 21mg patch on everytime i went to the pub for the first 3 weeks then i put a 14mg patch for 2 weeks then a 7mg patch for 1 week... then i went solo and never smoked since.

my point is it doesnt matter what u drink. it wont make a difference.... u need 1 thing to quit and 1 thing only... WILLPOWER...

the nicotene is a really crap short lived buzz that costs ALOT.. not just financially but healthwise too.

Pal · 15-04-2009 10:27am

Quit 3 months now, the dreaded part was the pub.
However at this point I can now say that the pub is more enjoyable now because;

I don't have to keep going outside.

I don't have to come back to my company self consciously smelling.

I don't go home with stinking clothes.

I don't get bad hangovers.

I spend less.

....
getting to this point was easier than expected as I tricked myself by smoking a dummy plastic fag for a couple of weeks while drinking. No nicotine of course !

If I really got a bad pang, i ordered something bitter like grapefruit juice. that whacked it.

After 2 or 3 times, the pub deprivation thing passed.

Now there is no way I would go back. Quitting was the best thing I ever did and worth the effort.

sean-nirvana · 15-04-2009 6:20pm

i'm the same, althought i've never tried to give up smoking..haha, i have a greater urge for nicotine when i have a few pints on me. i don't think that goes away, although some friends that used to smoke are off them now. just willpower i suppose. anyway good luck

Oasis44 · 15-04-2009 6:27pm

bridge wrote: »

once a smoker always a smoker unless u give up drink

Total nonsense - I'm off them 4 years and dont miss them at all and will never smoke again thats for sure. Here's to the smoking ban!!!:D

Pal · 16-04-2009 8:28am

bridge wrote: »

once a smoker always a smoker unless u give up drink

who makes up this stuff ?

Rocky7 · 19-04-2009 12:18am

I started eating crisps or peanuts instead. Anything to keep my hands busy.

Rocky7 · 19-04-2009 12:18am

Another suggestion is to play games on your mobile or send long texts when your friends are gone out for a smoke. It works for me.

Jules · 19-04-2009 2:50am

bridge wrote: »

once a smoker always a smoker unless u give up drink

Untrue, i was a smoker and now im not plus i still drink. Also less of the negative attitude another post like that and you can take a little holiday.

Jules

Beruthiel · 20-04-2009 7:41am

bridge wrote: »

once a smoker always a smoker unless u give up drink

So not true.
Today will be my 7th day off the smokes.
As it was a beautiful weekend I had a wonderful leisurely lunch in my back garden with a couple of bottles of wine.
Salami, cheeses, nuts, crisps, breads, olives, didn't even miss having a ciggie!
I'm thrilled with that fact and proves your above comment to be totally untrue.

Pal · 20-04-2009 8:45am

Nothingbetter2d wrote: »

.... u need 1 thing to quit and 1 thing only...

Answer :

That one thing is to stop putting nicotine into your body.

vodafoneproblem · 20-04-2009 5:42pm

Leah-G1 wrote: »

Basically what I did was gave up the drink for one month..until the worst was over with.

You are only making things harder by smoking when you drink.you placing nicotine back into your body that you have worked so hard in getting rid off.Its one step forward and two back...you'll end up back on them if you dont quit for good initially!

I agree 100% with this advice! I found staying away from the pub for 3 weeks has worked for me in the past. Somehow 2 weeks has been too little. Holford's book "How to quit without feeling s**t" says it takes about 30 days for your brain chemistry to get back to normal after quitting, btw, which sort of agrees in a way with both your and my experience.

Beruthiel wrote: »

So not true.
Today will be my 7th day off the smokes.
As it was a beautiful weekend I had a wonderful leisurely lunch in my back garden with a couple of bottles of wine.
Salami, cheeses, nuts, crisps, breads, olives, didn't even miss having a ciggie!
I'm thrilled with that fact and proves your above comment to be totally untrue.

Not meaning to burst your bubble, but there's a difference between being able to drink without smoking at home with nibbles around you to stave off the cig craving and doing so in a pub. I think it all has something to do with drink messing up your blood sugar level and how you deal with that, plus some brain chemistry stuff. Am actually in a very similar situation to you atm. Off them a little over a week and able to have a drink outside a pub environment with nibbles at hand but haven't been tested in a pub yet. I know from past expereience that that will be the ultimate test. Now what are the odds of me staying away from the pub for the next week and a half... It is still a really good achievement to get this far, though. Just...tread carefully.

niamh4626 · 21-04-2009 11:54am

Gave up smoking 8 weeks ago tomorrow however when I do go for a few drinks i end up having 2 cig's per night.

I tend to get two of my friend (if I bought a box I'd smoke them all), smoke half of it and save the other half for later and the same with the second cigarette. I would like to stop smoking but when I drink I loose ALL willpower with regards to EVERYTHING....... :mad:

I dont smoke at all during the week, not even when I'm stressed so the questions is, will one of two cigs at the weekend hurt??:o

Beruthiel · 21-04-2009 12:37pm

niamh4626 wrote: »

will one of two cigs at the weekend hurt??:o

You are soooooo fooling yourself.
First it will be two cigs.
Then three.
And sure why not four.
Before you know it, you'll be back smoking again.
If there is one thing us smokers should admit to ourselves, it's all or nothing. There are no halves with us..

Oh and btw - if you are still smoking at the weekend, you haven't actually given up yet.

Pal · 21-04-2009 3:40pm

vodafoneproblem wrote: »

haven't been tested in a pub yet. I know from past expereience that that will be the ultimate test. .

FFS

Why do you agonise and make it worse ?

Go to the pub, have a pint and stop worrying about it.

Believe it or not, nothing is going to happen.

Leah-G1 · 21-04-2009 4:51pm

The first time you enter a pub as a new non smoker you are so worried what will happen. Have a bit of faith in yourself. The pain and the suffering was what kept me away. I tend to get stubborn so the thoughts of starting all over again and putting myself through that agony was enough to keep me away.

In saying that,I had tried 3 times previous to give up. Each time I failed it was becasue I was in the pub and went outside with my smoking friends. Seriously,to give it your best shot,just avoid the pub for a month or so. Make sure your smoker mates and regular mates know and understand how important not smoking is to you. They will be your back up when your out and have a moment of weakness. Give yourself a chance with this,by being around smokers and vast quantities of alcohol while you are still struggling is only making it tough on yourself.

Having a sneaky one will NOT work. You must give yourself 100% to not smoking or else it will not work. You are just giving yourself an excuse so the loss doesnt feel so bad. It feels good to think " I can have one when Im drinking" You are still emotionally attached to them if this is the case, and not really letting go of the addiction. You could also end up being an alcoholic which worsens your dilema even more

Remember why you wanted to give them up,whether it be a partner,child,your health and make that be your non smoking mantra.

Good luck again!!!

jdivision · 21-04-2009 4:55pm

The thing about it is what the hell to do with your other hand when you're drinking. So first thing is don't go into smoking section, second thing is to have something in your other hand. I used to buy two pints and stand, that was my other hand had something to do. That caused its own problems however! A glass of water in your smoking hand might be the way to go.

vodafoneproblem · 21-04-2009 5:01pm

Pal wrote: »

FFS

Why do you agonise and make it worse ?

Go to the pub, have a pint and stop worrying about it.

Believe it or not, nothing is going to happen.

Reported for trolling.

vodafoneproblem · 21-04-2009 5:06pm

Leah-G1 wrote: »

The first time you enter a pub as a new non smoker you are so worried what will happen. Have a bit of faith in yourself. The pain and the suffering was what kept me away. I tend to get stubborn so the thoughts of starting all over again and putting myself through that agony was enough to keep me away.

In saying that,I had tried 3 times previous to give up. Each time I failed it was becasue I was in the pub and went outside with my smoking friends. Seriously,to give it your best shot,just avoid the pub for a month or so. Make sure your smoker mates and regular mates know and understand how important not smoking is to you. They will be your back up when your out and have a moment of weakness. Give yourself a chance with this,by being around smokers and vast quantities of alcohol while you are still struggling is only making it tough on yourself.

Having a sneaky one will NOT work. You must give yourself 100% to not smoking or else it will not work. You are just giving yourself an excuse so the loss doesnt feel so bad. It feels good to think " I can have one when Im drinking" You are still emotionally attached to them if this is the case, and not really letting go of the addiction. You could also end up being an alcoholic which worsens your dilema even more

Remember why you wanted to give them up,whether it be a partner,child,your health and make that be your non smoking mantra.

Good luck again!!!

I have 3 milestones. The first day. The third day. The third week. The first two are really hard. The third is hard if you're a pub-goer but will keep you off them for good. Keep going, people.

Pal · 21-04-2009 5:08pm

vodafoneproblem wrote: »

Reported for trolling.

Ridiculous.

Sorry for offering my advice friend.
It won't happen again.

javaboy · 21-04-2009 5:34pm

I don't think Pal was intending to troll. I think he's just saying that if you build up your first visit to the pub as a non-smoker as a huge challenge in your mind, then that's what it will become.

@Pal, maybe your choice of language was a little bit confrontational even if not intended that way.

Pal · 19-05-2009 2:48pm

are you selling something ?

oops.
he's gone

the herb person

think the mods got him

dapo1981 · 28-05-2009 10:26am

I quite 6 weeks ago after 8 years on 20 a day. The first night out drinking after quitting was a nightmare for me but I got through it, have been fine since. It's a mental hurdle you'll just have to get over. One tip I can give you is that when your cravings become unbearable order a sugary drink like a bacardi breezer or somesuch (if you can take the shame). As someone mentioned smoking/quitting smoking messes with your blood sugar regulation, throw alcohol into the mix and your body's all over the place, I think this is why we crave them so much when we're boozing. I know it sounds like a strange tip but it really works, went back to pints after and didn't get cravings again for 2 hours. Good luck.........

detoxkid · 09-06-2009 10:25am

I know it sounds really manky but I find air waves chewing gum good for the cravings when out drinking. Still a struggle though:cool:

Wreck · 17-06-2009 10:12am

I've tried to give up smokes in the past and it was always in conjunction with alcohol that I went back on them. I've also been down the route of only smoking when drinking - the result was I just drank far more often. :pac:

This time I gave up the alcohol for a month, didn't even go near a pub. The first night back I eased myself into so that I wouldn't end up hammered and back smoking. For the next month or so I made sure that I was never out with a big gang of smokers. It's funny how different groups of my friends either all smoker or none smoke, only really noticed this after I gave up.

The smoking ban has made things so much easier as well, at least at the start. Was abroad the other week and the stink of smoke in the pubs was actually disgusting rather than enticing.

waitinforatrain · 04-07-2009 1:12pm

pseudonym1 wrote: »

Question is in the title. Used to smoke constantly before cutting them out completely for a while - now everytime I have a drink end up smoking. Oh and the option of giving up alcohol has been considered - impossible!

Anyone wit any help tricks tips advice direction etc t'would be great!

Thanks

Have a little story that might help you. Started new job a while back. No shop there so I decided not to bring cigs to work and I wouldn't smoke.

As you know, it's really easy to develop associations with tobacco. When I'd drink coffee at work, I'd get this INTENSE urge for a smoke, but there were none around to smoke. This went on for about two weeks. I didn't notice it stopping, but after a while I've unlinked the association. I guess my brain just gave up when it knew it wasn't happening.

Maybe you can come up with a similar situation for drink, e.g. bring enough money for pints, give the money to a friend and get them to buy all the pints. No money=no tobacco. I know that's a bit of a weird thing to ask of your friends, but if you really want it...

Edit: I also suggest that instead of just resisting the temptation, kind of "sit with" the feeling. Just figure out what the craving feels like. and think about the nasty effects of smoking.

D'Agger · 04-07-2009 10:49pm

waitinforatrain wrote: »

Have a little story that might help you. Started new job a while back. No shop there so I decided not to bring cigs to work and I wouldn't smoke.

As you know, it's really easy to develop associations with tobacco. When I'd drink coffee at work, I'd get this INTENSE urge for a smoke, but there were none around to smoke. This went on for about two weeks. I didn't notice it stopping, but after a while I've unlinked the association. I guess my brain just gave up when it knew it wasn't happening.

I've had the same experience as yourself - tried to stop when I went working for the summer in an office job - when you don't have them it's just a case of get over it!! Chewing gum helps the cravings too...unfortunately I've gone back to them! I've been outa football for about 2 years with injury but & I quit when I was able to start training - (going to the gym helps too FYI), then fractured a bone in my leg playing tag rugby of all sports - was in A&E for 4/5 hours with no ipod or book going out of my mind - got my mate to get me cigarettes stating I'd hobble for them if needs be! That said when I can start working in the gym again after this injury - I'll have learned alot on how to get a system that works in place!

stevie1122 · 28-06-2015 3:03pm

Thought I would post here rather than starting another thread. I recently gave up smoking I wasn't a big smoker just 3 - 4 a day. But my main problem now is stopping when im drinking I find it so difficult I have only managed to drink once in the last 10 years without smoking and I was crawling out of my skin that day all I could think about was having a smoke. If that's how ill feel now every time I drink without smoking then its just simply not worth it.

I know people say it's willpower which is what I used to give up smoking when sober but as anyone who drinks knows it's a different story when your drunk. Sure don't they say to people in NA not to drink because it's the most likely time you will have a relapse.

Anyway I just wondering if anyone from this thread has managed to give them up while drinking and if so how? I might try what another poster said weening myself off with patches or even those vapour things smokers seem to use now. But I don't think it's Nicotine I mostly crave it's just more the actual enjoyment of smoking the cigarette with a drink and the little head rush it gives you where you feel drunker for about 10 or 15 minutes more than you did before you started smoking.

Also I never really get hangovers but over the last few years I have started getting the fear but whats even worse is after a nights drinking I feel really down the next day similar to a very mild come down but it's starting to get worse i'm not a person that ever really gets depressed when sober so I also find this very hard to handle and it's getting to stage where I don't want to drink anymore because of the thoughts of the next day but that's not really an option because then I wouldn't be able to go out anymore to pubs and clubs because theres nothing worse then trying to have a conversation with a drunk person when your sober. Anyway I was just wondering if cutting out smoking will make this go away or a least lessen the effect of it so it's easier to handle.

And also I only drink socially I was out drinking last night I could be out drinking again tonight or I might not have a drink for another two months it just depends on what's going on. So the suggestion some people already made about staying off drink for 3 or 4 weeks won't work for me. Theres been time where I haven't drank for 6 weeks then after 3 or 4 pints the urge for a smoke comes right back again just as bad as before.

The Wild Bunch · 06-07-2015 8:09am

As Bizarre as it sounds, I now drink bottles instead of pints of beer and I havent had a cigarette with a drink since April - that's 3 months.

Don't even get a craving and the hangovers are not nearly as bad.

Babooshka · 20-07-2015 4:05pm

Rocky7 wrote: »

I started eating crisps or peanuts instead. Anything to keep my hands busy.

Noty a good idea you'll pile on the weight and get high cholesterol from nuts. Why not take up worry beads or something? You're just swapping one bad addiction for another. Sorry I don't mean to sound preachy preachy but you're doing yourself wrong there.

I am off the smokes two years and while I have taken up eating a little more (I hardly ate when I smoked I was thinner but so unhealthy) I haven't gained that much, and you don't have to go back on them if you don't want to. I still sometimes crave one, but the trick is to just ignore it, it's like the little devil and the little angel on your shoulder. when you listen to the little angel and you wake up the next morning the feeling is amazing when you realise your didn't cave to your weaker side.

You can do it. I did it cold turkey while planning a wedding, if you can do it under stress you can do it and not go back on them, I say. It's up to you, you can do anything you put your mind to. Try not to get too drunk though while you're getting used to abstaining from them, keep your willpower high and your inhibitions switched on, for now!!

How to stop smoking when drinking?

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