I only Smoke when I Drink

Smoking is considered to be a social habit.

These drinking and smoking events seems to have affected a lot of people who normally do not smoke, or who have recently cut the bad habit. Even non-smokers usually declare, "I only smoke when I drink".

Not particularly helping the quitting situation, several bars in Columbus offer outside covered patios for smokers. Patios and smoking areas are convenient for smokers, but they do offer extra incentive to go outside, relax and light up.

For example, Dan Abramson, 23 years old, quit smoking a couple of years ago. He ended his habit "cold turkey," with no outside help, a surprising deed. Quitting cold turkey doesn't work for everyone. However, if a smoker chooses to use that method to quit, they should pick a date and stick to it, even if their friends aren't quite as strong.

Quitting for good is not easy, especially when you are a frequent bar-goer. Simply smelling cigarette smoke and seeing people with cigarettes in their hands can be a trigger to smoke, let alone the cravings ex-smokers get after a few drinks of their beers.

Dan quitted smoking only because when he usually woke up with trouble breathing, feeling as if someone had piled 50 clinkers on his chest. He added that his apartment smelled cigarette smoke, and so did his clothes.

"I felt horrible, especially in the mornings, and I always had a bad taste in my mouth," Abramson explained.

Abramson was a smoker more than four years. After trying to quit in the past, and failing, he said he knew he had to really motivate himself to quit smoking. 

He said: "I tried to quit before, but it would only last a week at most because I had no real motivation to quit. Once the weekend came, and I was out and around my friends who smoked, I would go right back to it." 

Before quitting, Abramson and his friends used to joke that, "quitting smoking is easy, and I’ve done it a thousand times." Abramson was a smoker dependent on smoking in social settings, such as at bars or with friends.

According to the American Lung Association, smokers who are addicted to smoking may be addicted for many different reasons. Smokers may have a physical addiction to nicotine. Another reason could be a psychical addiction to having something in their hands or mouth, or an addiction to a routine that includes smoking cigarettes at different times over the day.

If the negative health effects are not reason enough to quit, then the cost for the addiction should be.