I wonder if anyone has done genetic research on nicotine receptors? I really enjoy the occasional pipe, but I can go weeks without it. Strong nic hit blends are unpleasant for me, especially on an empty stomach. I’m into it for the flavor/aroma and ritual, not the buzz. Although a low-level nic hit is nice, I’ll admit. I smoked cigs for a very short time in my early 20’s and didn’t enjoy it enough to buy another pack. Honestly, if I gave up the pipe tomorrow, the only thing I’d really miss is the aroma and camaraderie.
Quitting Cigarettes and Smoking a Pipe Instead
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I suspect I came by my love of nicotine through the exposure to second hand smoke from my father's (I'm adopted so I doubt it's a genetic predisposition. A possibility though as I know nothing of my natural parentage.) fragrant cigars before he quit smoking.
Admit it: they're all harmful. I usually work at the computer, and before I got into pipes, I smoked at least 2, on average 3 packs of cigarettes a day.
Now that I've shifted my focus to pipes, I smoke a maximum of 10-15 cigarettes a day. What I've noticed in the transition from cigarettes to pipes is this: you need to be patient.
The nicotine in pipe tobacco is generally higher than in cigarettes. However, its absorption through the tongue, palate, and sinuses is slower. When we feel the need for nicotine, the immediate thought is of a cigarette because it's a standard habit and a very fast satisfier. This is why patience is required. When we load and light a pipe, we quickly forget about cigarettes. And nicotine absorption begins in about 5-10 minutes.
This means not smoking a cigarette for 1-1.5 hours. Maybe even 2 hours. 5 bowls, on average, equates to 7.5 hours. And yes, we can manage not to smoke.
I particularly enjoy having tea with a cigarette after breakfasts (breakfasts in Turkey are long and feature a wide spread). The same goes after dinners. I guess I'll never want to quit these moments, and I'll continue to smoke at these times.
Breaking free from nicotine addiction is a whole different matter. But balancing it this way is better for me than smoking 3 packs a day. Also, if I'm going to harm myself, I prefer to do it by smoking a pipe. It's much more enjoyable and relaxing.
Now that I've shifted my focus to pipes, I smoke a maximum of 10-15 cigarettes a day. What I've noticed in the transition from cigarettes to pipes is this: you need to be patient.
The nicotine in pipe tobacco is generally higher than in cigarettes. However, its absorption through the tongue, palate, and sinuses is slower. When we feel the need for nicotine, the immediate thought is of a cigarette because it's a standard habit and a very fast satisfier. This is why patience is required. When we load and light a pipe, we quickly forget about cigarettes. And nicotine absorption begins in about 5-10 minutes.
This means not smoking a cigarette for 1-1.5 hours. Maybe even 2 hours. 5 bowls, on average, equates to 7.5 hours. And yes, we can manage not to smoke.
I particularly enjoy having tea with a cigarette after breakfasts (breakfasts in Turkey are long and feature a wide spread). The same goes after dinners. I guess I'll never want to quit these moments, and I'll continue to smoke at these times.
Breaking free from nicotine addiction is a whole different matter. But balancing it this way is better for me than smoking 3 packs a day. Also, if I'm going to harm myself, I prefer to do it by smoking a pipe. It's much more enjoyable and relaxing.
I think I quitted for 6 months one time. Then couple of years. But realize I like cigarettes more than not smoking. First time, used nicotine patch. But that didn't really help. Once my pager duty started, I was smoking with nicotine patch on me. Second time, vape helped me. I would be still using vape if I was diligent with up keep of all the devices. But I got tire of it. So, came back to cigarettes. And pipe smoking. I really don't get addicted to anything. But cigarettes are so easy. No diligence needed.
I stopped cigarettes in October of last year by being so busy that I didn't have a chance to indulge one weekend. So I told myself "let's see how long you ride this out."
I do vape a lot, which helped. Tobacco pouches like Zyn or On aren't enjoyable (I get the hiccups), but are helpful when I need some oomph.
My suggestion on quitting cigarettes differs from my fellow colleagues here in that I wouldn't encourage tobacco pouches, dip, or snuff if you don't already use them. I can see it leading to a different addiction, which another member recently posted about being troublesome to ween off of.
I do vape a lot, which helped. Tobacco pouches like Zyn or On aren't enjoyable (I get the hiccups), but are helpful when I need some oomph.
My suggestion on quitting cigarettes differs from my fellow colleagues here in that I wouldn't encourage tobacco pouches, dip, or snuff if you don't already use them. I can see it leading to a different addiction, which another member recently posted about being troublesome to ween off of.
I may have given up cigarettes since 4th July (Or 3rd - No longer remember the exact date)
1. This was the first time I was trying to give up cigarettes (It was a 33+ year habit and I was smoking 21-25 cigarettes at the end)
2. For me … It has worked so far, because I wanted to give up
3. It was painful at first and still I have not been completely normal, but I did not supplement with anything else except for a moderate increase in my pipe / cigar consumption
4. This is how I did it - Before going on the summer vacation I decided on the date, and actively reduced consumption (Specially the morning consumption)
5. I decided to smoke normally during the vacation but I was pleasantly surprised my cigarette consumption had reduced
6. Smoked the last cigarette the day I came back from vacation
7. Before I smoked 22-25 cigarettes a day, plus 2 pipes per day , plus 1 cigar per day during weekend plus additional pipes occasionally during weekend
8. Now I smoke 2 pipes + 1 cigar daily plus maybe a couple of additional pipes during weekend
9. I smoke high nicotine blends more now, but hoping that will go down to a regular cadence soon
10. Every day is a little easier than the previous one
11. Try to avoid smoking a pipe or a cigar early morning anyway
12. Still too early to say I have given up cigarettes but 3 months is a good sign
1. This was the first time I was trying to give up cigarettes (It was a 33+ year habit and I was smoking 21-25 cigarettes at the end)
2. For me … It has worked so far, because I wanted to give up
3. It was painful at first and still I have not been completely normal, but I did not supplement with anything else except for a moderate increase in my pipe / cigar consumption
4. This is how I did it - Before going on the summer vacation I decided on the date, and actively reduced consumption (Specially the morning consumption)
5. I decided to smoke normally during the vacation but I was pleasantly surprised my cigarette consumption had reduced
6. Smoked the last cigarette the day I came back from vacation
7. Before I smoked 22-25 cigarettes a day, plus 2 pipes per day , plus 1 cigar per day during weekend plus additional pipes occasionally during weekend
8. Now I smoke 2 pipes + 1 cigar daily plus maybe a couple of additional pipes during weekend
9. I smoke high nicotine blends more now, but hoping that will go down to a regular cadence soon
10. Every day is a little easier than the previous one
11. Try to avoid smoking a pipe or a cigar early morning anyway
12. Still too early to say I have given up cigarettes but 3 months is a good sign
I did. But they weren't satisfying. It was like suck bowling ball through a straw. But I noticed the possibility. So learned battery safety, Ohm's Law, coil building.. Analogs need little more.. Finesse. Regulated ones are easier to use. Ones I built were basically cloud machines and very rewarding. But Pipe is much simpler and doesn't take that much work compared to vape.
A lot of people live in a perpetual state of partial disconnect, minor to major. Sometimes it's an occasionally useful form of self protection, but most often it's a road to self harm. Becoming aware of that state of disconnect is the beginning of being able to make changes. It's not easy for most of us to see it. When you decide that you're worth taking better care of yourself, taking action will become easier to do.
@Tate Still got a nagging smokers cough; there can't be much phlegm left down there:-(
No more ciggies
The key thing in switching from cigarettes a pipe is to remember you are not smoking a cigarette, it's kind of like a dog lover getting his first cat. The only they have in common is they have four legs and that's about it. Remember to pack your pipe not nearly as tightly as you would a cigarette and, most importantly, slow your pace of smoking down. Relights are not your enemy either.
I smoked cigarettes for 60 years. Eight years ago an XRay found a tumor in my right lung. When I left the doctors office I threw the 1/2 pack I had away never to put another in my mouth. Staring death in the face is one hell of a motivator. Surgery took care of the tumor. Addicted to hand motion and blowing smoke sent me to vaping. Remembering a box of pipes I had I broke them out. I had smoked pipes in the past but I was not a pipe smoker, just a chipper. In those 8 years since surgery I have became a pipe smoker. I now know what the OP is talking about, the relaxation and contemplative brain processes. As I remember my years on cigarettes I thought I was immortal. Besides the risk of cancer inhaled cigarette smoke weakens you blood vessels which caused me to have a stint put in my main artery. When they call them coffin nails truer words were never uttered.
for me I quit cigs by accident. I got an order of snus and literally gave away a tub of drum the same day I got the snus. I got the snus to make work easier. Saw no reason to give up on pipes, the occasional cigar, or nasal snuff.
Advice the big issue with all of those is that nicotine gets into the blood stream slowly where a cig is basically like injecting nicotine right into the blood stream. I found for me the big trick was to get ahead of the cravings. Smoke the pipe before the cravings really start.
I suggest los dip. Why because you can tapper down the size of the pinch.
Hardest thing with a pipe is finding the time and that you can't do it indoors.
Since someone bumped this. I smoked packs and packs a day for over 30 yrs ... went on vacation, got a serious case of the flu... real flu in bed for almost 10 days, high fever, dehydrated, delusional, the works, when i got over it i had sweated all of the nicotine out of my system and i had zero cravings for a cig, gave the 2 cartons i brought on vacation with me to the mail. Then a couple weeks later i started smoking cigars =D lol
I can tell you this as a cigarette smoker (used to be 1 pack per day, now 3/4 of a pack a day)... pipes don't satisfy the craving for a cigarette, even when loading up high nic stuff like Rustica.
Whatever you do, don't decide to smoke a pipe instead of a cigarette when you're craving a cigarette, because it won't satisfy that craving in the same way that patches and gums don't. It might take the edge off a bit like a patch or gum would, but it won't satisfy. You could end up puffing harder trying to get that hit.
In other words, don't treat the pipe like a stop smoking aid or replacement. Consider quitting cigarettes and smoking a pipe to be totally separate things.
Whatever you do, don't decide to smoke a pipe instead of a cigarette when you're craving a cigarette, because it won't satisfy that craving in the same way that patches and gums don't. It might take the edge off a bit like a patch or gum would, but it won't satisfy. You could end up puffing harder trying to get that hit.
In other words, don't treat the pipe like a stop smoking aid or replacement. Consider quitting cigarettes and smoking a pipe to be totally separate things.
This is wise.
Accessing, acknowledging, and processing this ambivalence is what helped me to quit. That was nearly 2 years ago.
In the very early stages, it helped to put a pipe in my face pretty much right away in the morning.