What type of smoker are you?

There is no hard and fast rule about whether or not you are a habitual smoker or an addicted smoker. And in truth, most people who smoke are addicted at some level. Look at the two lists below and decide which group mostly describes the way you smoke.

Addicted

1. Smokes 10+ cigarettes a day
2. Has a cigarette soon after waking
3. Smokes when ill
4. Smoking heavily linked to some behaviour e.g. lighting a cigarette when leaving the house, or waiting for the bus
5. Misses the ability to smoke when in non-smoking areas
6. Would find the first cigarette of the day difficult to give up

Habitual

1. Smokes less than 10 cigarettes a day
2. May occasionally have a few cigarettes only when in the company of other smokers
3. Mostly smokes in the evening
4. Goes for long periods of the day or even days without smoking
5. Doesn’t think about smoking at work or other times when smoking isn’t allowed

If you are an addictive smoker, you will probably need the support of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) more than you would if you were an habitual smoker. It may help to consider using the new drug Champix, especially if you have tried to quit before using NRT and it wasn’t successful for you. This may have been because you weren’t using it ‘properly’, or weren’t using enough of it and the cravings became too much and it was easier to light a cigarette. The stop smoking groups that GMFA run will be especially useful for addictive smokers as you will be able to discuss your progress with the other men who are quitting with you, and the course will equip you with hints and skills to help you avoid lighting up in the future.

If you are a habitual smoker then you will need to look at the times when you do light up. It’s likely that you will do the same thing that leads you to lighting up, for example, if you have a cigarette after your evening meal. You will also need to be aware that you can fall foul of the “well I only smoke a few, so how much harm can they do” way of thinking that can lead you back into smoking. It is true statistically that the more cigarettes you smoke the higher the likelihood of disease associated with smoking. But remember that you are still smoking and even passive smoking, where you are just inhaling other people’s smoke leads to smoking related disease. The truth is, if you have decided to quit, and there is a reason for that, just keep that reason in mind when you are having a ‘wobbly’ moment.

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