Smoking pipes, sniffing snuff and addiction

[epazikas]

I wonder if anyone of you, fellow colleagues, are like me. I enjoy both pipe smoking and sniffing snuff, but I am NOT addictive to any (and I am not complaining about ). It is interesting that I see everywhere around from people to advertisements warning for the risk of nicotine addiction and health issues, but I just smoke a pipe or use snuff rarely, when I want a relaxation moment. Using them or not using them doesn’t not give me any side effects, like headaches, agitation or anything.
How many out there are like me!

 

[anotherbob]

Good question, since addicts are famous for the veracity of their self diagnosis.

 

[bullet08]

I'm not an addict. I just need my nicotine fix on the hour, every hour. I can go 59 min without any nicotine.

 

[hoipolloiglasgow]

I’m a 2 bowl a day kind of guy. One in the morning with coffee and one after work in the evening while I wind down with a drink. I may smoke up to 3 on the weekends. Usually, throughout the week I’ll take 1-2 days off from smoking and let my palate reset. I find I enjoy more by keeping it reasonable and don’t feel I am at any health risk by doing this routine. Some people may call this “addiction”, while I think it’s a healthy happy lifestyle . When I smoke more than 3 bowls a day, it just doesn’t feel as enjoyable and doesn’t taste as full. It’s less to look forward to the more you do it. Sure, fellas who have smoked 10 bowls a day for the last 40-50 years will chime in…enjoy how you wish, but that just isn't me.

 

[Kobold]

I’m pretty sure I’m addicted to nicotine and that’s okay. I don’t smoke everyday and sometimes I go weeks in between bowls but I keep coming back to it and have for years. So to me, im addicted.

 

[Non-Mentholated Black Man]

It is interesting that I see everywhere around from people to advertisements warning for the risk of nicotine addiction and health issues…

I find the complete lack of warnings about caffeine and its widespread availability to be quite interesting.

Big Tobacco Soda/Coffee/Tea companies target vulnerable children to secure the next generation of addicted customers with impunity.

 

[Sig]

I smoke a bowl or two a day and a cigar on occasion.
But none in the winter, it gets cold here!




And I have a dip in 15+ hours a day!
Ad, I don't care about being addicted to nicotine.
I quit all tobacco several times over the years, once for 7 years.
After two weeks im good, no issues.
Those two weeks its a good idea to leave me alone.
Its MUCH easier to quit dip, cigars, pipes, snuff, than cigarettes.....from what I hear.
When I come back to nicotine after a break, its not because of cravings, its because I enjoy it.

 

[warren]

I just smoke a pipe or use snuff rarely, when I want a relaxation moment.

Sounds like addiction to me if you need it to relax.

 

[anotherbob]

Sounds like addiction to me if you need it to relax.

or at least a dependency.

 

[verporchting]

I enjoy the relaxation of smoking a pipe. It’s just that simple.

 

[epazikas]

I'm not an addict. I just need my nicotine fix on the hour, every hour. I can go 59 min without any nicotine.

 

[anotherbob]

I am thoroughly addicted to nicotine. I try to not use the pipe for the fix but as relaxation. Think of it like an alcoholic that has a good bottle of something that they drink regularly but try not to use it to keep the shakes away but something to enjoy after taking care of the withdraws and before getting faded.
But self reporting on addiction is not super accurate. People don't know or want to know how dependent they are on most substances.
Though it's quite possible to enjoy nicotine without becoming an addict. But on the same note addiction usually doesn't just happen with first exposure. It's usually more of a gradual slide that doesn't really show where you are until you can't for whatever reason. So I bet we have at least a few people here who aren't addicted who would change their tune if they couldn't smoke for a month.

 

[warren]

Though it's quite possible to enjoy nicotine without becoming an addict

A lot of smokers claim not to notice the hit. Might be true but, the brain notices and enjoys it each and every time, relaxing the smoker. No point in burning tobacco without the hit, no matter how subtle it is.

 

[paulfg]

2 years ago I went into hospital at very short notice with a heart problem (like went for a test,was told your not going home we operate tomorrow)
I was smoking 2-3 pipes a day.
I didnt smoke again for 6 months and at exactly 6 months I resumed my 2-3 a day
this year I had a hip replacement ,stopped 2 days before op resumed 2 months ,later.
No cravings what so ever,I say I am not addicted but who knows

 

[BingBong]

2 years ago I went into hospital at very short notice with a heart problem (like went for a test,was told your not going home we operate tomorrow)
I was smoking 2-3 pipes a day.
I didnt smoke again for 6 months and at exactly 6 months I resumed my 2-3 a day
this year I had a hip replacement ,stopped 2 days before op resumed 2 months ,later.
No cravings what so ever,I say I am not addicted but who knows

I'm familiar with that pattern, although the last twice I had a mouth spray to entertain me.

I'm a nicotine addict, pretty sure, although pipe tobacco attracts with the flavors and rituals, makes the old Vitamin B3 almost irrelevant. Almost.

 

[anotherbob]

A lot of smokers claim not to notice the hit. Might be true but, the brain notices and enjoys it each and every time, relaxing the smoker. No point in burning tobacco without the hit, no matter how subtle it is.

precisely. One of the earlier books talking about the effects of smoking and nicotine was French but the title translates to "Smoking is Sublime" and basically says the same thing you did but with more science and detail.

 

[didimauw]

I've never drank alcohol, on purpose. But I'm a proud nicotine addict.

 

[epazikas]

I’m a 2 bowl a day kind of guy. One in the morning with coffee and one after work in the evening while I wind down with a drink. I may smoke up to 3 on the weekends. Usually, throughout the week I’ll take 1-2 days off from smoking and let my palate reset. I find I enjoy more by keeping it reasonable and don’t feel I am at any health risk by doing this routine. Some people may call this “addiction”, while I think it’s a healthy happy lifestyle . When I smoke more than 3 bowls a day, it just doesn’t feel as enjoyable and doesn’t taste as full. It’s less to look forward to the more you do it. Sure, fellas who have smoked 10 bowls a day for the last 40-50 years will chime in…enjoy how you wish, but that just isn't me.

I kind of know what you mean. I seldom smoke a pipe, but I find it much more pleasurable when I smoke after some prolonged interval. It is only then that I feel the taste and aroma.

 

[Chasing Embers]

A lot of smokers claim not to notice the hit. Might be true but, the brain notices and enjoys it each and every time, relaxing the smoker. No point in burning tobacco without the hit, no matter how subtle it is.

Pipes are more of a cigarette placeholder for me but I've often got chew or dip in with the pipe for nicotine. The pipe alone provides none of the relaxing qualities of cigarettes or chew.

 

[epazikas]

I find the complete lack of warnings about caffeine and its widespread availability to be quite interesting.

Big Tobacco Soda/Coffee/Tea companies target vulnerable children to secure the next generation of addicted customers with impunity.

Indeed…..INDEED….and I doubt these are less dangerous than nicotine. Of course, everything that exceeds in dosage is bad.