Tried a cigarette when I was about 11 years old due to peer influence, so I can see how people get started, and start early on. Fortunately, it did not interest me.

Although I do enjoy a cigar on occasion about once every 2 years.

I started experimenting with smoking in my 1983/1984 eleventh grade year. I wouldn't call it peer pressure because I didn't have anyone around me trying to get me to try it. Even back then, I had a mind of my own and usually went against the crowd rather than with it so peer pressure wouldn't have worked on me anyway. Actually, if I had been pressured by peers, I would have never tried smoking just to piss them off.

I tried it on my own because it looked so damn cool. I didn't know how to inhale it at the time, I simply sucked it in and immediately blew it out. A friend pulled me to the side and taught me how to inhale it before anyone else could see that I didn't know what the hell I was doing. When I finally inhaled it right, I thought I was going to choke. I was determined to get it right though. I messed around with cigarettes a little in my 1984/1985 senior year in high school. After I graduated in 1985, I started smoking more because I didn't have the school to answer to or have to worry about being caught. By 1986, I was addicted and have been smoking between a pack and a half to two packs a day ever since.
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[Edited 12/16/07 23:30pm]

violator said:

The buzz and the social aspect, which is the same with drinking.

I'm still left out of "hey let's go for a smoke break" at work, at parties, etc, so I can see a social dynamic to smoking that continues well past the teen years.

Cinnie said:

Sounds cliche, but I thought it was cool, and my friend's mom bought cartons at a time, so we had easy access.

I really don't like it much anymore, but have not really tried to quit.

I started as a lark, like someone wearing a lampshade on their head "look at me I'm smoking a cigarette!! I'm going to die of cancer hahahahaha!!!!"

And then you're addicted

I've been a "social" smoker since I was in high school. (I'm not going to say how old I am now...but that was a long time ago.) I have never been addicted to cigarettes and don't smoke daily -- it has always been purely a "have a few with cocktails on the weekend" kind of thing. And I only do it if I'm with others who smoke -- I'm not even tempted otherwise.

I don't like the taste of cigarettes...in the moment or the day after. But I'm so conditioned to want one in certain situations and with certain people that it's hard to stop.

Genesia said:

The power of nicotine, man... it doesn't even taste good and yet it's hard to stop wanting them.

violator said:

It isn't the nicotine. As I said, I've never been addicted. It's purely a Pavlovian response: see a cocktail, see specific friends, want a cigarette.

Genesia said:

I suppose so. Still, for me, an odd thing to understand. I do know quite a few people like you, though, who smoke casually.