[jthesmoker]

Hi,

I've been a smoker since I was a teenager. I'm a rather heavy smoker, and proud of it. One of the things that I really like about this whole things is how the addiction works. Addiction is wonderfully dangerous. I love it when I see how people who never wanted to smoke end up being hopelesly addicted just because they tried once. The slow but inevitable progression from smoking for the first time to a full time smoker is a great journey. The overconfidence of the new smoker ("I'm never going to become addicted"), the denial ("I just smoke when I want to"), the new limits that are constantly broken....

A couple of years ago, a frequent poster here (ThatGuyJason, shoutout to him!) posted about being and anti smoker and doing an experiment of smoking for a couple of months just to prove he could get addicted and then quit (he obviously failed). Ever since them, I've been wanting to try something like that.

To get to the point, I have a friend who has never ever smoked. He is against smoking, he's 100% anti (although not in an anoying way), he teases me about my smoking... and I've been teasing him back, telling him that he should try smoking. I've talked to him about the "Anti-Experiment" and said that I was sure he would not succeed either. Obviously, he is proud enough to say that he could start smoking and then quit. This has been going on for a while, and although it started as a joke, we've been talking about it more and more frequently, and it seems that he could be ready to try it.

So, why am I posting this?

The answer is not that simple.

On one hand, I want to hear what you guys think. Obviously, I do want my friend to fail, and to become a smoker. But at the same time, I'm aware that maybe I shouldn't want that. Is it ok for me to make him try this, being fully aware that he might become hooked forever?
(on the other hand, he's fully aware of my intentions, so if he decides to do it, it will be his own decision).

Also, if you like the idea and would like to be informed about his progress, I would like to ask you what the challenge should be, exactly. Should I set up a number of packs? A number of days? Both? How much/how many? I'm thinking about it...

Lastly, he would be willing to post about this experiment over here, for those who are interested (just to be clear, I've talked to him about this site and he's been reading the forums, and he knows I'm writing about him, and he's OK with that). So, I just want to know if any of you would be interested in reading about his "anti experiment".

Cheers!

J

[ThatGuyJason]

As the person that started the original thread, I can only say that if he is OK and knows the obvious risks that go with it, I'd say go for it.

I don't know if you mentioned my experience to him but I'd let him know about that before he starts and if he still wants to go through with it, that would completely be his choice as it was mine when I took my friends challenge.

If he does choose to go through with it, my challenge was 5 packs in the span of a month, I'd say that's a good enough challenge for someone who, like me, had never smoked before. I'd say anything above that can be a bit overwhelming.

[Observer]

As a non-smoker tempted by the experiment, I’m wondering why your friend wants the challenge. What is he expecting to get out of it? Yes, he wants to prove himself, but why?

I’m not doubting what thatguyjason says about his own reasons for doing it. But in my case, I’d be secretly hoping that it would be the start of my life as a smoker.

Your friend should think hard about his reasons before starting the challenge.

[jthesmoker]

Originally Posted by ThatGuyJason I don't know if you mentioned my experience to him but I'd let him know about that before he starts and if he still wants to go through with it, that would completely be his choice as it was mine when I took my friends challenge. .

Yes he knows about you of course. And don't take this the wrong way, but he thinks you (and me, and all smokers) are a bit pathetic to be so hopelessly addicted. Just like you used to think before you started...

Why does he want to take the challenge? I don't think there is a big reason. It's been just part of the teasing that has been going on for months, he telling me that it's pathetic that I need to smoke constantly, me telling him he would change his mind if he started.
He does NOT want to become a smoker, that's for sure. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a secret wish of becoming addicted (btw, Observer, why don't you try the challenge as well? lol). He is healthy, into sports, and all that shit (he does drink, however).
So the logical thing for him would be not to take up the challenge. Why is he considering it? I'll ask him later if you want, but I guess it's just part of the non-smoker arrogance of thinking he has a stronger will than us. Just for fun I guess. To show that he's stronger than nicotine, or something like that.

[Observer]

Well, he can’t say he wasn’t warned! Myself, I wouldn’t do it unless I believed I was fine with failing. I’m not a betting man.

I’m not in a position at the moment to start. And it’s much easier to make that choice BEFORE smoking five packs of cigs.

[NLsmoker]

Your friend sounds a lot like one of my cousins who bothered me and some other cousins when we were new smokers. Unlike your friend he was a nasty anti and complaining about the way we stank and that having to breath in air pollution was bad enough but having to breath in our secondhand smoke was really not ok. We were outside at a bar having beers, 4 smokers and him, I told him he could move to another table or inside if our smoke was bothering him so much. Why don’t you guys think about me and just not smoke, uh you joined us remember. Indignantly he got up and called us addicted loosers.
Three years ago he met his now wife, a smoker and of course he wanted her to quit. I still don’t know how she managed to get him to agree but he was going to smoke for three months and then they were going to quit together. Being the arrogant non-smoker he was he knew that was going to be no problem. Long story short, he still is a smoker, his wife quit last year when she was pregnant. He tried quitting but started again after two months.

If your friend takes up the challenge he must be willing to accept that he will probably end up a smoker.

[Gibraltar]

Originally Posted by NLsmoker Three years ago he met his now wife, a smoker and of course he wanted her to quit. I still don’t know how she managed to get him to agree but he was going to smoke for three months and then they were going to quit together. Being the arrogant non-smoker he was he knew that was going to be no problem. Long story short, he still is a smoker, his wife quit last year when she was pregnant. He tried quitting but started again after two months.

It's very common non-smoker who married with smoker often pick up habit. Quitting is very harder than start.

[greensmoke]

I started on my own damn free will, none of my friends had even tried a drag by the time I was lighting up my Marlboro light out of necessity in the morning, and by the time I did have smoking friends i smoked big girl marb reds by the carton.

[Dajohns11]

Originally Posted by NLsmoker Your friend sounds a lot like one of my cousins who bothered me and some other cousins when we were new smokers. Unlike your friend he was a nasty anti and complaining about the way we stank and that having to breath in air pollution was bad enough but having to breath in our secondhand smoke was really not ok. We were outside at a bar having beers, 4 smokers and him, I told him he could move to another table or inside if our smoke was bothering him so much. Why don’t you guys think about me and just not smoke, uh you joined us remember. Indignantly he got up and called us addicted loosers. Three years ago he met his now wife, a smoker and of course he wanted her to quit. I still don’t know how she managed to get him to agree but he was going to smoke for three months and then they were going to quit together. Being the arrogant non-smoker he was he knew that was going to be no problem. Long story short, he still is a smoker, his wife quit last year when she was pregnant. He tried quitting but started again after two months. If your friend takes up the challenge he must be willing to accept that he will probably end up a smoker.

Great story, what does he think of smoking now? Sees a different perspective perhaps?

[jthesmoker]

Hi again! Thanks for the messages.
My friend is reading them, and he is very intrigued by this whole thing. He fully believes that he can take the challenge without getting addicted. He's not 100% committed yet, but we're talking about it, deciding the best possible challenge.
I'll let you know!