NationStates Jolt Archive

Hi all,

This is a pretty random topic, but that is what the general forum is for, right?

Anyway, it seems I am sometimes too much of a perfectionist... I always feel a little bit irked when people describe how much they smoke by packs a day. As far as I can tell, some packs have 20 cigarettes, some 21, others 25, and I am sure the amounts go on and on. It just seems so vague!!!

Even if one assumes a given amount (20 seems to be used a lot), I am still left wanting more information. How does a person fit twenty (Or more) cigarettes into a day, anyway? I am not a regular smoker, so on the odd time that I do light up I only have one or two in the course of a day.

If any of you who are smokers are feeling particularly bored, please give an estimate of when you smoke- A list of the times of day or something. I have read that smokers tend to light up the most in the mornings, but anecdotally, my smoker-pals seem to do it more in the evenings. It would be interesting to see a few lists from different folks (Oi, I feel like such a statistics geek!).

It would also be nice if this thread could go at least a few posts without rehashing the whole debate on whether or not to smoke. That is a grand discussion, but there are other threads for it. My random curiousity of the day is on the mechanics of smoking, not the morality.

The majority of American cigarettes have 20 per pack. And if I had the internet at home instead of having to use the public library, I'd be smoking now.

The majority of American cigarettes have 20 per pack. And if I had the internet at home instead of having to use the public library, I'd be smoking now.
It seems to be 25 here in Canada- I have no idea why there's a difference.

In Britain it's usually 20, but you can get 16-packs from vending machines in pubs (or used to be able to before the ban :()

And I usually smoke at the pub, in the beer garden, or out with my girlfriend in the grassier bits of York (of which there are, thankfully, many). And I usually smoke about 5 or 6 if I buy a pack, and share the rest out tbh.

I just recently quit
I've never seen anything but 20 packs in the US

Personally, I would smoke on my walk into/back from class, in between classes, driving, walk to/from work, break during work, and when drunk. I smoked about half a pack a day

Most people who smoke a pack or more a day don't smoke the entire cigarette, but smoke about half to 2/3

<snip>
How does a person fit twenty (Or more) cigarettes into a day, anyway? I am not a regular smoker, so on the odd time that I do light up I only have one or two in the course of a day.

<snip>please give an estimate of when you smoke- A list of the times of day or something.
<snip>

In my teens I would only smoke in the evenings, with perhaps the occasional cigarette at lunchtime. Once I had my own place to live, and was spending a significant amount of my free time in pubs, I smoked pretty much constantly - whenever I was in an environment where smoking was allowed.

Now, 21 years after I first lit up, I start smoking as soon as I get my coffee made after I wake up and then continue smoking as and when the notion (or, crucially, the habit) takes me... such is the nature of addiction. I will consume 40-45 cigarettes in a typical day.

It's certainly not a healthy lifestyle. My wife gave up smoking, cold turkey, about 4 years ago and hasn't touched one since. I seem to lack her willpower.

In my teens I would only smoke in the evenings, with perhaps the occasional cigarette at lunchtime. Once I had my own place to live, and was spending a significant amount of my free time in pubs, I smoked pretty much constantly - whenever I was in an environment where smoking was allowed.

Now, 21 years after I first lit up, I start smoking as soon as I get my coffee made after I wake up and then continue smoking as and when the notion (or, crucially, the habit) takes me... such is the nature of addiction. I will consume 40-45 cigarettes in a typical day.

It's certainly not a healthy lifestyle. My wife gave up smoking, cold turkey, about 4 years ago and hasn't touched one since. I seem to lack her willpower.
I found the nicotine addiction itself was easy to break...it was more "what do I do while I walk to class now?" or "What do I do on my breaks?" or "what do I do when I'm drunk". Actually, all of my slips have been when drunk. the habit is definatly the hard part.

If you're interested in quitting, I suggest this:
Pick a date to stop. For the two weeks before, limit yourself (I was smoking half a pack, so I limited myself to 6, then 4). Every time you take a drag, snap an elastic band on your wrist. Every time you have a craving, snap the elastic. By the time you get to the end of the 2 weeks, you'll have some negative reinforcement built up.

It's quite easy to go through a pack a day.

Not much to do, spend your days online, smoke one cigarette after the other, and at the end of the day the pack is empty - or the second one started.

And when I'm very stressed out like I am right now, I smoke more.

So, with every cigarette taking about 7 minutes max, it really doesn't take all that long...


Oh, and in numbers that means I smoke 3-6 cigarettes on a good day. And about 25-35 on a bad one.
Yesterday, I went through a pack à 24. And it wasn't more because I didn't have more cigarettes...

I've only ever seen 10 and 20 packs, except for;

Benson and Hedges; 14 pack

Royals; 24 pack

I tend to smoke in the region of 4-6 a day, depending upon when I get up and the like, and about 20 on a bad day.

I roll my own cigarettes, so it's easier to measure it in grams of tobacco in my case. Packs here average at 35 grams, and 1 pack usually lasts me roughly 2 days. It takes me about 3 minutes to smoke a prefab cigarette, and 10 mins to smoke a hand rolled one.

It depends though. If I spend half a day on the phone, for example, I go through more tobacco than I otherwise would have - because I'm apparently incapable of talking on the phone without smoking. On the other hand, when I work outdoors, I practically don't smoke.
I tend to smoke whenever I've eaten something and whenever I'm drinking something ('cept water). Upon waking I normally smoke 5 cigs in a row, pausing only as long as it takes me to roll the next one.

i've never really smoked a regular amount per day, probably the most i've smoked in a day is 3/4 of a pack of 20 and gave the rest away if i went out and got drunk. but then when i rolled my own i might go through a 25 gram pack in 4 days (less if i was rolling joints with it as well). at the moment i've taken to smoking cigars (miniatures) after having quit for over a year and i only have one or two a day but sometimes none and sometimes 3.

I smoke when I wake up.
I smoke with my morning coffee.
I smoke after eating.
I smoke in the car.
I take two or three smoke breaks over the workday.
I take a half-hour walk at lunch, and usually have two.
I have been known to use a smoke break as an excuse to take a break from the kids when they are either annoying the hell out of me, or boring me to death "sure, I'd love that 17th serving of fake tea dear.... when I get back!"
I let cigarettes burn away wastefully in the ashtray while typing responses to forum topics. So then I put them out and light another.

And by the end of the day I have generally consumed somewhere between 20 and 25 cigarettes. I'm up at 6:00 a.m every day, but I would estimate that half of my smoking each day occurs between 8:00 p.m. (kids in bed) and when I go to bed. Surfing or TV watching and smoking seem to go too well together.

I smoke on and off. Not addicted but there are occasions when the urge is very strong....like

1. early morning when I wake up. If I have one nearby, I cannot stop lighting up.

2. break times in long drives.

3. After dinner with some alcohol.

Most of the times I can control...I usually buy a pack or 2 a month..never more than 2 a month...at times I go without smoking for a few months...then I meet some old friend and I buy a pack...and the cycle continues..:(

Hi all,

This is a pretty random topic, but that is what the general forum is for, right?

Anyway, it seems I am sometimes too much of a perfectionist... I always feel a little bit irked when people describe how much they smoke by packs a day. As far as I can tell, some packs have 20 cigarettes, some 21, others 25, and I am sure the amounts go on and on. It just seems so vague!!!

Even if one assumes a given amount (20 seems to be used a lot), I am still left wanting more information. How does a person fit twenty (Or more) cigarettes into a day, anyway? I am not a regular smoker, so on the odd time that I do light up I only have one or two in the course of a day.

If any of you who are smokers are feeling particularly bored, please give an estimate of when you smoke- A list of the times of day or something. I have read that smokers tend to light up the most in the mornings, but anecdotally, my smoker-pals seem to do it more in the evenings. It would be interesting to see a few lists from different folks (Oi, I feel like such a statistics geek!).

It would also be nice if this thread could go at least a few posts without rehashing the whole debate on whether or not to smoke. That is a grand discussion, but there are other threads for it. My random curiousity of the day is on the mechanics of smoking, not the morality.
my boss goes out to smoke, he can smoke one cig, from tip to near filter, in about a minute.

most are chain smokers. meaning in one 5 minuite smoking session, they're acutally smoking 3 to 4 cigs.

so if we assume... 2 minutes for one cig.

20 cigs in one pack. that's a total of 40 minutes to work though one pack. in a span of 24 hours... smoking one pack in one day is doable.

I used to live with a chain smoker, and so went her day

wake up
smoke
take a shower
smoke
blow dry/roll hair
smoke
do make-up
smoke
eat breakfast
smoke 2
go to work
smoke 3 on the way
work for 30 minutes take a 15 minute smoke break......every 30 minutes for 8 hours
drive home
smoke on the way
eat dinner
smoke 2
clean up dinner
smoke
watch TV
chain smoke
go to bed
smoke
wake up in the middle of the night
smoke 2

it was really gross.

She used to bitch at me for smoking pot too

wake up
smoke pot
take a shower
hair make-up
go to work
lunch/smoke J
come home
eat dinner
smoke J
go to bed.

I totally didn't smoke as much as she did.

If any of you who are smokers are feeling particularly bored, please give an estimate of when you smoke- A list of the times of day or something. I have read that smokers tend to light up the most in the mornings, but anecdotally, my smoker-pals seem to do it more in the evenings. It would be interesting to see a few lists from different folks (Oi, I feel like such a statistics geek!).

It depends on activity. I smoke when I'm driving, or walking somewhere. I'm at school in the evenings, and I smoke during breaks then. But during the day, if I'm not doing anything, I may or may not have a smoke before noon.

But I'm not one of those addicted smokers, I only smoke cuz I like it, it gives me focus and is of course a handy conversation-starter. ("WTF did you flick your cigarette at me!?" and "Would you mind not smoking here?" notwithstanding)

I have some set smoking habits, and some variable ones.

I always smoke a cig right upon waking up, after meals, driving to and from work, and before bed.

At work, I tend to smoke less, because I usually only smoke about 2/3 of the cigarette. Depending on how busy/stressful the day is, I average between 2 and 5 cigs in an eight hour shift.

At home, it tends to vary widely. I might go eight hours without a cig, or I might smoke 4-5 in one hour, it all depends on what I'm doing and what my mood is like.

Video games are horrible in this regard...I've managed to puff away almost an entire pack in a single morning playing KOTOR. :p

I average about 12-16 cigs per day...I really should cut down. :(

Man, I vary alot. Some days I won't smoke any. At work I usually smoke about 2-6 cigs In 8 hours. When I'm at a concert I smoke a lot. I went through almost a whole pack at the Nile concert in Topeka a few weeks ago. Overall it just varies on the amount of stress and what activities I'm doing.

On average I smoke...hmm...probably about 4-8 cigs a day.

Today I smoked 6.

Anyway, it seems I am sometimes too much of a perfectionist... I always feel a little bit irked when people describe how much they smoke by packs a day. As far as I can tell, some packs have 20 cigarettes, some 21, others 25, and I am sure the amounts go on and on. It just seems so vague!!!
In the United States its generally 20 a pack.

Even if one assumes a given amount (20 seems to be used a lot), I am still left wanting more information. How does a person fit twenty (Or more) cigarettes into a day, anyway? I am not a regular smoker, so on the odd time that I do light up I only have one or two in the course of a day.
It's easy. I go through about 2 packs a day.

If any of you who are smokers are feeling particularly bored, please give an estimate of when you smoke- A list of the times of day or something. I have read that smokers tend to light up the most in the mornings, but anecdotally, my smoker-pals seem to do it more in the evenings. It would be interesting to see a few lists from different folks (Oi, I feel like such a statistics geek!).
3-4 when I wake up, and then 1-2 when I have coffee (which I drink far too much of). Then I smoke in the car, and I also smoke on my breaks. I smoke when I'm cooking/cleaning, I smoke when I take a shit, I smoke after meals, I smoke when I'm on the internet, I smoke before I go to bed, I smoke after a joint/bowl, and I often wake up in the middle of the night and smoke some more. I also have a tendency to chain-smoke when I'm drinking.

1 pack per 3 days (2 if on a deadline or stressed, 4 if I cut off some social interaction).

16 cigarretes per pack.

14 mg tar, 1.0 mg nicotine.

20 is the standard generally, but you can buy packs with a few more or a few less (hell, here, in Serbia, you can buy single cigarettes).

I smoke when I finish doing things (working, eating etc.) and I seem to smoke more when I have nothing to do. And, yes, I smoke more in the mornings.

I've been slowly and extremely painfully been eliminating smoking from life. I can't quite figure out how I used to smoke even a pack every two days (I bought 20s, but Australia has 20s,25s, and even these mutant 50 packs (or are they 60?)

When I was 8 or 9 years ago when I was in college, I could go through nearly two packs in a day without a thought. Up until recently I was still smoking in a range of 5 - 8 cigarettes a day.

Now I'm about at the point where I am smoking 1 ciggie every workday at the end of a day, but I kind of feel like I'm just prolonging the pain of quitting or relapsing.

Australia has as of recently been one of the last hold outs on the smoking in bar laws... that is now over with. I'm not going to sit with a schooner in an outdoor cage with 20 other miserable smokers at a pub.

...Actually, all of my slips have been when drunk...
I find it the same- I tend to smoke when drunk or hung-over, but that is about it.

I find it the same- I tend to smoke when drunk or hung-over, but that is about it.
I have noticed that the hang-over is a lot worse when I've smoked too much the night before while drinking.

And although I will smoke a cigarette even when hung-over - the first one after a night of drinking isn't always the most enjoyable.

Hi all,

This is a pretty random topic, but that is what the general forum is for, right?

Anyway, it seems I am sometimes too much of a perfectionist... I always feel a little bit irked when people describe how much they smoke by packs a day. As far as I can tell, some packs have 20 cigarettes, some 21, others 25, and I am sure the amounts go on and on. It just seems so vague!!!

Even if one assumes a given amount (20 seems to be used a lot), I am still left wanting more information. How does a person fit twenty (Or more) cigarettes into a day, anyway? I am not a regular smoker, so on the odd time that I do light up I only have one or two in the course of a day.

If any of you who are smokers are feeling particularly bored, please give an estimate of when you smoke- A list of the times of day or something. I have read that smokers tend to light up the most in the mornings, but anecdotally, my smoker-pals seem to do it more in the evenings. It would be interesting to see a few lists from different folks (Oi, I feel like such a statistics geek!).

It would also be nice if this thread could go at least a few posts without rehashing the whole debate on whether or not to smoke. That is a grand discussion, but there are other threads for it. My random curiousity of the day is on the mechanics of smoking, not the morality.

When I used to smoke, 90% of the time it was when I drank. So I'd say I smoked most in the evening.

I smoke approximately 3/4 pack a day when considering the straight "no longer smokeable" aspect of consumption. However, my ashtray has been described on more than one occasion as a sea of half-smoked cigarettes. Mostly by me, cos I like to put kind of a cool phrase along with my wastefulness.

In any case, commuting is by far my heaviest smoking time. I can go through anywhere from 2-4 cigarettes in a 30 minute commute; boy-o, does my mouth taste delish between that and my caffeine...

Depending on my "how close to shooting the idiot shipping guy in the face" level, I can go through another 5 or 6 at work, but I try to limit it to 1 in the morning, 1 at lunch, and 1 in the afternoon. He does, however, seem to be getting more stupid every day, so I'll have to see how that does.

Commute home is essentially the same cocktail of -ine's as the morning one, save for the substitution of carbonated caffeine for brewed.

Usually smoke more of my cigarette in the evening, as I get tired of the askance look from my boyfriend when I don't even smoke down to the logo ("Why do you even bother smoking, baby?" "Because I like it, that's why!"), and the knowledge that when especially broke, my room mate will smoke butts, arguably the most disgusting thing ever done by someone I live with.

A few before dinner, one or two after... Its easier to avoid when I'm at home as there's a firm no smoking in the house rule, and frankly, after a few drinks, no matter how well nicotine and alcohol go together, I'm simply incapable of that kind of migration unless I've taken to drinking on the front porch as I am wont to do on pretty summer evenings.

I smoke roll your own cigarettes, so I go through about 100grams of tobacco a week sometimes a bit more, it basically works out about 30 a day. I tend to leave them or put them out about half way through smoking each roll up. I smoke more in the evening.

I have noticed that the hang-over is a lot worse when I've smoked too much the night before while drinking.

And although I will smoke a cigarette even when hung-over - the first one after a night of drinking isn't always the most enjoyable.
Haha, when is anything done during a hangover enjoyable? With that cigarette my goal is usually getting some energy rather than having a good time.

I could never smoke a pack a day... :eek:

but I DO smoke..

when i smoke (i'll have either from 0-4 a day) but when i'm with friends that smoke i tend to have more. It's like more acceptable and i want it more because i'm with someone that engages in the same habit as well so i indulge more because we're both being "bad" or whatever. PLus me and my friend have wierd rituals When we're about to smoke. Before were about to do it we make crazy crack head fiend noises and shake our hands hahahahha:p. so yeah, there's a "fun" aspect to it as well... When I'm drinking though , i smoke a LOT. It's grosse. I think all smokers smoke more when they drink too. I don't notice as much when you drink. then the next day my throat feels so grosse, that I don't smoke for a few days after that.

I tend to leave them or put them out about half way through smoking each roll up. I smoke more in the evening.

Yeah i do that too... I often don't finish a whole one and just put it out and save it for later

In the United States its generally 20 a pack.


I I smoke when I take a shit. I also have a tendency to chain-smoke when I'm drinking.

when u shit?! whaaat?! :eek: :P hahaha.

yes i definitely smoke a lot when i drink too.

If I only consider the number of cigarettes smoked today (11) this was a semi-bad day...

when u shit?! whaaat?! :eek: :P hahaha.Taking an unhealthy habit to new lows...

Honestly though, I do it too. Never thought about it before. I try not to smoke when I'm out drinking though. Realized a while back that I don't get hangovers when I don't smoke, and having a fucking migraine for 10 hours isn't my idea of fun.

Speaking of drinking, am I the only one who gets incredibly horny the day after?

If I only consider the number of cigarettes smoked today (11) this was a semi-bad day...
Compared to my usual (zero), today's five was a stretch.
I have been trying to blow smoke rings, and not doing too well (It was not a total failure, but was also not a resounding success)... Filling my mouth without inhaling seems to be the tricky bit for me. At least I gave myself a decent buzz with it...

Smoked 6 again today. I smoked 2 at work, 1 after work, 1 after dinner, 1 driving around with friends, and 1 on my friends patio.

Hi all,

This is a pretty random topic, but that is what the general forum is for, right?

Anyway, it seems I am sometimes too much of a perfectionist... I always feel a little bit irked when people describe how much they smoke by packs a day. As far as I can tell, some packs have 20 cigarettes, some 21, others 25, and I am sure the amounts go on and on. It just seems so vague!!!

At least here in Italy, packs have only 10 or 20, and by saying generally "a pack" we mean the 20-cigarettes pack.


Even if one assumes a given amount (20 seems to be used a lot), I am still left wanting more information. How does a person fit twenty (Or more) cigarettes into a day, anyway? I am not a regular smoker, so on the odd time that I do light up I only have one or two in the course of a day.

Eh... talk about tobacco not giving psychological and physical addiction... on times of depression or hard stress I can literally light up one after another and run to 40 cigarettes/day, while my average is about 15/day.

when u shit?! whaaat?! :eek: :P hahaha.

yes i definitely smoke a lot when i drink too.

It's great, try it sometime.

Wow...I guess my wife and I are officially the only people on the planet who don't smoke...I have never even tried a cigarette and never had a desire to.

What I guess I don't follow is this - why would a non-smoker willingly enter into a relationship with a smoker? That just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me...especially someone who doesn't approve of smoking, as my father didn't, marrying a smoker, like his second wife. It absolutely baffles me.

What I don't get is how kippers can smoke so much.

What I don't get is how kippers can smoke so much.
Mmmmm, Arbroath Smokies (http://arbroath-smokie.co.uk/catalog/smokie.php).

Delicious!

actually the addiction is only the habit.. the urge for nicotine is just for a couple days. great thing i did to quit for a couple months (without wanting to actually) was going into a small club without air condition, packed with ppl, half of them smoking. me and a mate shared a pack of cigs (25) and smoked them all within 2 hours or so (heavy drinking and some drugs involved too). after having lit up my last cig i immediately put it out again, went outside and took a deep breath of fresh cool air. seeing a guy next to me lighting up a cig or joint or whatever made me sick and i didnt want to smoke a single cigarette for months from then on.. i been smoking for over 10 years now, and i had days where i smoked more than a pack and days, weeks and months without a single smoke. everyone who ever got used to smoking will stay a smoker in his/her head whether they quit a long time ago or if they are chain smokers all their life. it's the habit. don't fool yourself and think you are addicted to some chemicals or nicotine, it's pure psychological.

(...)don't fool yourself and think you are addicted to some chemicals or nicotine, it's pure psychological.
Right... Too bad that this ain't supported by studies performed on the topic of nicotine addiction.

As for numbers, I think today I'll make it a dirty dozen. (11 so far)

lol when im in my health class at school (im a 6th grader) it says time this hand goes around (60 seconds usually) a smoker dies... so then im the asshole thats like ok.... well theres a small clock made out of cardboard with a cardboard cigarette ticking arround for the seconds.... so i twist the minute hand arround and arround like 10 times in 1 second and like hmm.... god must be angry today.... SO U BETTER STOP SMOKING B4 SCHOOL STARTS BACK UP AGAIN (august) OR U MIGHT BE MY NEXT VICTIM BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA as for the smoking thing my bro got addicted and smoked 1-2 cigs a day... how can u get addicted off of that? he had to go to a counciler to stop... thats lame TOTAL LACK OF WILL POWER TO STOP AND UR ONLY TAKING 2 A DAY FFS

lol when im in my health class at school (im a 6th grader) it says time this hand goes around (60 seconds usually) a smoker dies... so then im the asshole thats like ok.... well theres a small clock made out of cardboard with a cardboard cigarette ticking arround for the seconds.... so i twist the minute hand arround and arround like 10 times in 1 second and like hmm.... god must be angry today.... SO U BETTER STOP SMOKING B4 SCHOOL STARTS BACK UP AGAIN (august) OR U MIGHT BE MY NEXT VICTIM BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA as for the smoking thing my bro got addicted and smoked 1-2 cigs a day... how can u get addicted off of that? he had to go to a counciler to stop... thats lame TOTAL LACK OF WILL POWER TO STOP AND UR ONLY TAKING 2 A DAY FFS

a councillor for nicotine addiction?? that is pretty lame.

:headbang:i KNOW and thats what im saying >.<

Wow...I guess my wife and I are officially the only people on the planet who don't smoke...
You know that is not true- It is just that this post is about how a smoking habit unfolds, so of course it is mostly smokers who respond.
...What I guess I don't follow is this - why would a non-smoker willingly enter into a relationship with a smoker? That just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me...especially someone who doesn't approve of smoking, as my father didn't, marrying a smoker, like his second wife. It absolutely baffles me.
I agree, that seems peculiar. I have a cousin and soon-to-be cousin-in-law who seem to get along even though one does and the other hates it. I suppose if a person hit every other turn-on, and the smoking was the one and only strike against, one might try to look past it. That seems quite unlikely, though. Maybe some people have limits for how much smoking they would allow in a partner? Or a 'no smoking indoors' rule? Still, I imagine it must interfere with kissing, at the very least.

...as for the smoking thing my bro got addicted and smoked 1-2 cigs a day... how can u get addicted off of that? he had to go to a counciler to stop... thats lame TOTAL LACK OF WILL POWER TO STOP AND UR ONLY TAKING 2 A DAY FFS
Well, depending on how old your brother is, I could see a habit developing... Getting a counsellor is a bit of a stretch, but if it works for him, fine.