former Smokers - a question about cravings

[Reshbod]

I'm working on a story that involves someone who quit 20+ years prior. The character begins hanging out with a smoker who refuses not to smoke in her presence.

Is it reasonable for her cravings to start coming back, either slowly or with a bang? Also, when she does fall off the wagon is it like starting over with coughing and hacking or does it seem like she never quit in the first place?

 

[NotWise]

I'm working on a story that involves someone who quit 20+ years prior. The character begins hanging out with a smoker who refuses not to smoke in her presence.

Is it reasonable for her cravings to start coming back, either slowly or with a bang? Also, when she does fall off the wagon is it like starting over with coughing and hacking or does it seem like she never quit in the first place?

It's been twenty five years since I quit. If someone insisted on smoking in my presence, then I probably wouldn't have anything to do with them. I find the smell offensive, and the smell of stale smoke on a smoker's clothing and skin is very offensive.

After 20+ years, I think it would be unusual for her cravings to return. If she did start, then it would be like starting again.

Not all ex-smokers find it as offensive as I do.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Hate to argue, NW, but I quit 10 years ago and nary a week goes by that I don’t miss it. Yes, it’s a filthy, dangerous and expensive addiction. I still miss it.

 

[gordo12]

It's been twenty five years since I quit. If someone insisted on smoking in my presence, then I probably wouldn't have anything to do with them. I find the smell offensive, and the smell of stale smoke on a smoker's clothing and skin is very offensive.

After 20+ years, I think it would be unusual for her cravings to return. If she did start, then it would be like starting again.

Not all ex-smokers find it as offensive as I do.

This.

It's been 48 years since I quit. I can't stand to be around smokers. I've passed up friendships with people because they smoke.

But for the first ten years I would go to the pub with friends who would start smoking. I'd finally give in and bum one. Then after a few I'd feel guilty and buy my own pack. Wake up the next morning and want to throw up from the taste in my mouth. The new pack would end up in the garbage.

So ten years yes, Twenty years no.

 

[Handley_Page]

Hate to argue, NW, but I quit 10 years ago and nary a week goes by that I don’t miss it. Yes, it’s a filthy, dangerous and expensive addiction. I still miss it.

You know how there's a Flight Simulator or a Train Simulator ?
Well a pal of mine once suggested the we who've given up could have a "Fag Simulator".
(I should, perhaps, explain the term 'fag' refers to a cigarette).

I gave up nigh on 20 years ago; I don't have a problem with a little some from a pal; if it gets too much, I open the window or door.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I'm working on a story that involves someone who quit 20+ years prior. The character begins hanging out with a smoker who refuses not to smoke in her presence.

Is it reasonable for her cravings to start coming back, either slowly or with a bang? Also, when she does fall off the wagon is it like starting over with coughing and hacking or does it seem like she never quit in the first place?

My partner quit for the last time about 30 years ago. She says that although she finds the smell nauseating, the cravings never entirely go away, especially when she's stressed. From previous unsuccessful attempts, yes, coughing and hacking and all the first-time stuff.

 

[LupusDei]

Just for different point of reference, I'm of those strange people who smoke rarely "on a special occasion" so to say. If I strained my memory a little, it still could be possible to compute exact amount of cigarettes I have burned -- yes, I'm saying it's not a huge amount, and even ~95% of that refers to over twenty years ago. I *almost* started to smoke regularly twice.

First time, for a while I made quite a pose by being a "almost-non-smoker" who had cigarettes on him (and could indeed give the number of every cigarette I smoked), but then it just so happened that "occasional" cigarette started to happen by a pair every day, for ever eroding "reasons". I noticed and took a pause, but wasn't very strict about it, just reducing it to clubs and alike. And yeah, hangovers were worse for that. And after a year or two, relatively simple social smoking returned, and the excitement of each cigarette went down noticeably. It was harder to quit that time though, I had to resort to mind games, like I declared I only smoke one particular variety of a particular brand, with wasn't in every store and was slightly more expensive than most, and then self-suggest that even that tastes unbelievably awful.

And know what, I still have half a pack of that in my desk drawer, some two decades after that particular variety was discontinued entirely (for being to "heavy" on nicotine). Once in a blue moon I would take one, but usually from someone, although the low nicotine ones that are the regular now do nearly nothing for me, except give awful taste in the mouth, and after the third in a row I would just feel slightly sick.

I'm not grown up to full cigar yet, but a cigarillo is exactly with what one could incite me for a sin, or something exotic. And yeah, while I wouldn't be coughing or anything, and will get that nice instant buzz, I will get also bad headaches mere few hours later, and then, for a couple of days, I would indeed find very smell of a smoker extremely offensive. But it will pass, and after a while, I may decide to indulge again.

What I'm guess I'm saying it depends. And perhaps, it could rather be someone like me who leads an ex-smoker astray by claiming it's nothing much to have one for the occasion, than habit holding smoker who may indeed be quite repulsive. Although, I may imagine, even if he doesn't smoke in her presence outright, even the repulsive smells of stale smoke in the clothes or what not, may indeed trigger a craving. Overanalyzing, that's part of that special repulsion, that there's that little nagging, but at the same time obvious reminder about the awfulness.

 

[LexxRuthless]

My parents both smoked and quit before I was born. After I left active duty in the Navy, I had been smoking for about 9 years and decided I ought to quit. I had separate conversations with my mom and dad, and they both revealed that they still had cravings more than 28 years after they had quit smoking.

Mom said that while she was sitting in church she would often start rummaging through her purse. After several minutes she would realize she was looking for a pack of cigarettes. When she was younger, they used to smoke in the rear section of her church. Listening to a sermon still triggered her to want a cigarette. That explained for me why my mother was constantly chewing gum in those church meetings.

My dad was working at a reform school at the time, and it was often stressful. He told me that it was a constant temptation for him every time he had a rough day at work to stop at a gas station on the way home to buy a pack.

At that point, I had only managed to go three weeks without a cigarette. It did not give me much hope that my own cravings at that time would soon pass. Twenty-five years later, I still smoke about half a pack a day, but I have not smoked indoors since 1997. I have a little smoking area out on the balcony with a trash can for my ashes and an empty coffee can to store my butts. I keep the can covered--even though I smoke, I don't care for the smell of stale cigarette butts.

It would be reasonable for your character to struggle as you described.

 

[Jada59]

I quit about 22 years ago. The first year was the worst. I did seek out smokers and walked through their smoke. I even lit a cigarette, put it to my lips, did not inhale, and put it out.

After that? The smell of smoke is generally repulsive to me. The exception is the American Spirits tobacco that my gardener smokes. I love that smell. I'll sniff when he smokes, but I don't want to smoke.

 

[Kojak01]

I'm working on a story that involves someone who quit 20+ years prior. The character begins hanging out with a smoker who refuses not to smoke in her presence.

Quit 12 years ago. I wouldn't allow anyone to smoke in my home or my car. If they insisted to smoke while walking the dog, I'm afraid I'd drop their friendship quickly. I find the smell disgusting.

You never become a non-smoker again. You'll always be an ex-smoker.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I quit smoking on July 1, 2000, the day I had my first heart attack.

For the first 10 years, yes, I had cravings. If my wife hadn't been a smoker, I might not have. She did go outside to have a smoke, I have to give her that.

After the 10 year mark, I haven't really craved a smoke. I can even be around smokers without any ill effect or cravings.

Come this July 1st it will twenty years.

I have found other things to do with my hands... typing, and thank God for fidget spinners.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Like @LupusDei, I've never had a smoking habit, but for a few years I'd accept them off people in pubs, or when one friend of mine took me out, I'd often end up having a couple cigars.

I haven't in over 20 years, because MrK asked me not to, but if smoking wasn't bad for my health I'd be doing it. I love the smell of fresh tobacco smoke, but not stale smoke. I can imagine a scenario where someone started spending a lot of time with a smoker, and was breathing in lots of smoke in their house, and eventually thought what the hell and had one.

I never really did all the coughing. Sometimes I really crave something to smoke - there were horrible months when I was pregnant and really, really craved a cigar! Instead I stick to tobacco-flavoured chocolate, which has the great advantage that no-one else in the house will touch it!

 

[jsmiam]

I went through occasional moments where I smoked, but I was never officially a smoker, which I’ll define as someone who has to take a smoke break or ten at work, or has to go out for a smoke at social gatherings involving being cooped up for more than an hour. (Or ten minutes)

I will say that certain moments in time that you associated with smoking would trigger the memory and/or craving. For example in my case, I associated that contented feeling of having finished a big meal with smoking, so when I had a big meal, that was when I had fond memories of smoking.

 

[Edward Teach]

I quit June 30, 2002, the date of my heart attack. It doesn't really bother me to be around a smoker or make me want to smoke, but I no longer allow smoking in my home, car, or business. The smell of smoke doesn't bother me, but when I've been around smokers, others notice the smell on me and it bothers some of them.

 

[BillandKate]

Funny how many of the responses above matched my own experience, it took ten years for the cravings to finally stop.

 

[GuessImJamie]

You know how there's a Flight Simulator or a Train Simulator ?
Well a pal of mine once suggested the we who've given up could have a "Fag Simulator".
(I should, perhaps, explain the term 'fag' refers to a cigarette).

FWIW: The very large double reed woodwind (musical instrument) known in French as a Bassoon is in Italian a Fagotto or German a Faggot...