Those people who you know who can have "just one" when they drink are called social smokers... there's actually a gene that enables them to do that... and WE DON'T HAVE THAT GENE!!! Read [url=http://www.stopsmokingcenter.net/support/viewmessages.aspx?topic=18336&forum=1]The social smoker - what we need to know[/url] for more on this.
The thing with "just one" is that it leads to "just one more" which leads to "just one pack" which leads to "just one carton" and so on... The MOST dangerous thing, however, with "just one" is that this process might not happen right away. It might take a few days, or even a few weeks or months before we get back to our normal consumtion amounts... but we always get there.
Let's say you go to the bar one Saturday night and have one. That night, it might only be one. Then, you think "SEE! I CAN just have one!!!" No problem, right? Well, then the next time you're out at a bar, you have one and then one just isn't enough... so you have one more... but that's it. OK, you made it through that one alright... but then your friends are getting mad at you bumming off them, so the next time you're at the bar, you buy a pack, smoke a few out of the pack, let's say 5 or 6, and give the rest of the pack to your friend. Well, the next time you're out, you don't want to waste all that money on buying a pack and giving them away, but you also don't want to smoke very many, so you save them for "next time." Well, next time just can't come quick enough and soon, you're smoking NOT just while drinking, but all the time. That's what happens. As addicts, we can NOT have "just one." I learned that lesson the HARD way... MANY times... I hope you don't have to.
Crave the Quit!
Pam
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 397
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,940
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1639.61
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 28 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 32 [B]Seconds:[/B] 58