A ex-smoker writes

[Djangette]

Well done Bobby - keep it up!

<rolls a fag surreptitiously under the table> ;-)

Seriously, your lungs should start de-coking soon.

Why haven't you gone to your GP for the stop smoking nurse? She's got a thing you breathe down and it will show you how much your lungs improve and how much more oxygen you're using now. Not too late to phone up and get an appointment to keep you going.

I recomment carrots for your fingers to do in gig breaks - either pre-peeled and wrapped in foil and/or greaseproof or raw and a peeler!

<coughs and hawks

 

[cmelodysax]

......I took the halfway route, and now smoke a pipe......

Although I've smoked a pipe now for decades, these days I manage very easily to not smoke very often. By the time I've managed to find a pipe, the baccy, pipe cleaners, a prodder, and then something to light the damn thing with (assuming also that I'm somewhere that allows smoking, not easy these days...) - I'm either knackered, in need of a drink, or the urge has worn off !

I suppose a gentle pipefull of Alsbo Black, when I can get it all together, is far heathier than the old hacking cigarette days of Gauloise Disque Bleu - or (when I could afford them) the even unhealthier Balkan Sobranie / Black Russian fags. I can still smell and taste them even now... ;} Hmmm...

 

[Djangette]

Alan

An old fogey like you should be sniffing snuff innit?

Asbo black? Is that racist?

I've heard of those Russian cigs with holders ... I used to smoke St Moritz with the gold band and menthol <used to be sophisticated haha

 

[DaveW]

I am not about to become the stereotypical self-righteous ex-smoker

You're saying that now Bobby, give it a few weeks

I gave up 2 years ago with the help of the Alan Carr book; I could only tolerate the patches for 3 days before i came out in a rash.
I have not noticed any improvement in lung capacity but I have been smoking for close on 50 years!. Who knows what my lung capacity would be like if I hadn't stopped.

Keep at it Bobby, stop the patches when you feel you can. Alan Carr thinks they are the devils work because you are still getting nicotine which keeps you hooked.

Good luck.

 

[Pee Dee]

And just what do you put in your pipe, Mr Pee Dee

Baccy of course. The smoke is sucked into my mouth, goes round, and is blown out, not inhaled. Of course, there is the danger of mouth cancer, but I am not wheezing, puffed out and coughing as I was when smoking cigs.
I will be the first to admit though, when smoking in an enclosed area, I am bound to inhale some of the smoke circulating in the air, so try to restrict my smoking to outdoors. I do have fun though, like I am smoking with my wife in town, and she drags me into a shop, so I quickly stuff me pipe into me pocket, (haven't set meself alight - yet), and it's great when customers, shop staff smell the aroma and try to see who dares to smoke! Much scurrying around of offended chickens, with nobody to cluck at
and yes, I have had the pronounced coughing, and flapping of arms, even from the other side of the street, quite funny really.
When I was bus driving, and having a smoke in a break at the bus stop, I have had a few old dears, and men, come up to me and say they like the smell of the pipe, 'reminds me of me old man, he used to smoke a pipe' etc.
Better stop now before I get into 'Nanny State Politics'.

 

[Pee Dee]

There is only one point in smoking a pipe if you don't inhale, you always take a puff before answering a question. It gives time to engage the brain before the mouth sounds off.

Aaaaahhh yes. Time to puff and ponder.
What is this life,
So full of care.
We have no time,
To stand and stare,
While smoking your pipe.

 

[Pee Dee]

I suppose a gentle pipefull of Alsbo Black, when I can get it all together, is far heathier than the old hacking cigarette days of Gauloise Disque Bleu - or (when I could afford them) the even unhealthier Balkan Sobranie / Black Russian fags. I can still smell and taste them even now... ;} Hmmm...

Shaddup! Stirring up all these aromatic memories, you'll have me back on fags again, and a few others no doubt:shocked:

 

[Moz]

I gave up twenty years ago after smoking 20 a day for 22 years.

One thing I know. Your head tells you after three to six months that now you've given up for this long you know you can give up anytime so why not have a fag now, safe in the knowledge that you can be an ex-smoker anytime you like?

Don't fall in to the trap. It's a bugger having to think about it but YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ANOTHER CIGARETTE, NOT EVEN ONE DRAG!!! Deal with that and you will give up forever.

Have I noticed that my sax playing has improved after not smoking? You bet I have. Although mostly because I didn't play the sax whilst I smoked so I can only have improved (some would say I was better before I started playing!! )

Keep it up,

Moz

 

[AlanU]

Someone once said something like 'A pipe gives an intelligent man a pause for reflection and a stupid man something to stick in his mouth'.

I've given up cigarettes numerous times, and I'm not sure it's the smoking I need, it's something to fiddle with. If you see what I mean.

 

[funkymonk]

I keep reading this post and thought I'd resurrect it. I'd say I'm an intermediate player who smokes and recently I think I can notice the effect (i.e. since I've been properly doing long tones, probably for the first time since i started). I've always had quite weak lungs (asthma etc) and know I shouldn't smoke (more than normal people). I'm rambling, I want to give up, I love sax more than cigs. I really do.

 

[Sunray]

Best wishes ...

Go for it mate ... :welldone

You know its what you want ... all that's needed now is the act and the conviction ...

As a long term smoker [since school days] I gave up about 15 years ago [reason] Because I wanted it bad enough].

Sure it was hard - But I wanted it enough to meet the price ...

You can do it mate ...

Choose your time ...

 

[Jules]

For me actually giving up wasn't too bad, it was building up the mental fortitude to actually commit to doing it that was the tricky part....

 

[kevgermany]

Go for it, I'm just grateful I didn't start.

 

[BigMartin]

I keep reading this post and thought I'd resurrect it. I'd say I'm an intermediate player who smokes and recently I think I can notice the effect (i.e. since I've been properly doing long tones, probably for the first time since i started). I've always had quite weak lungs (asthma etc) and know I shouldn't smoke (more than normal people). I'm rambling, I want to give up, I love sax more than cigs. I really do.

Prove it! (For the record, I gave up after 5 years. Was up to about 30 a day. That was 22 years ago. I've almost stopped dreaming about cigs, now!)

 

[Adrian63]

Disgusting habit indeed mm hmm.

 

[old git]

Bobby G,
Seeing someone's revived this thread, please come back to us. Missing your stories of ATMs, playing and Doreen.

 

[Jules]

Bobby G,
Seeing someone's revived this thread, please come back to us. Missing your stories of ATMs, playing and Doreen.

Indeed.. splendid fellow. Him and Joolz Slater are sadly missed (the bass player form Fat45 actually ended up buying a load of Joolz Slater's sax kit on ebay as he's now apparently a trumpeter!)