Smoke a Cigarette
Smoking may look simple but there is more to it than just sucking smoke. This article will teach you how to smoke a cigarette.
Warning: Smoking causes many health problems, including lung cancer, heart disease, and complications with pregnancies.
Contents
10 Second Summary
1. Put the filtered end of the cigarette in your mouth.
2. Suck inward as you light the cigarette.
3. Inhale the smoke into your mouth.
4. Hold the smoke in your mouth for a moment.
5. Remove the cigarette from your mouth.
6. Inhale the smoke into your lungs.
7. Blow the smoke out through your mouth or nose.
Steps
Lighting Up
- Tamp the pack. There are certain preparatory rituals associated with smoking, and chief among those is packing. This is accomplished by inverting an unopened pack of cigarettes, and rapping it smartly, three to six times, against a table or your palm (spanking the camel). This condenses the loose tobacco so that it's a little tighter in the paper, and in theory, burns a little smoother, and lasts longer.
- Open the pack. Either tear open one end of the exposed silver foil, or for flip-top packs, remove the cellophane, then the foil.
- At this point, many people remove the first cigarette, invert it so the tobacco side is up, and then replace it in the package. For some, this is for good luck. For others it's just a ritual that they may have learned from another smoker. In any case, the lucky cigarette is the last one smoked.
- Remove a cigarette. A new pack of smokes will be fairly tightly packed. Invert the pack of exposed cigarettes and rap against your finger to encourage the cigarettes to come out of the pack. When one has emerged far enough to take up with your fingers, do so.
- A pack that's been partially emptied will be much easier to retrieve cigarettes from.
- There is a significant degree of coolness imparted when one removes the emerging cigarette with teeth and lips, rather than fingers.
- Hold the cigarette. Whether you pull it from the pack with your fingers or your mouth, you'll eventually be holding the cigarette. This is an entirely personal choice with no rules, but there are some common methods of smoking to be aware of:
- Classic. Hold the cigarette between the index and middle finger, between the first and second knuckle, palm facing downward.
- Sophisticated. Same as the Classic, but with palm facing you and fingers pointing upward.
- Casual. Cigarette is set behind the second knuckle of the middle finger, and secured by wrapping the index finger around it. The hand is in a relaxed, closed position, with palm towards you or facing downward.
- Euro I. The cigarette is held between the thumb and forefinger, palm out, cigarette pointing outward.
- Euro II. The cigarette is held between thumb and forefinger, palm facing in and slightly up, with filter end pointing directly at you. This is how they always spotted the Nazi spy in the movies. (Or by not holding it this way, how they found the American spies).
- Palmed. Cigarette is pinched between thumb and forefinger, but palm is facing in, and cigarette is secreted in hand, pointing towards inner wrist. Useful when you don't want it to be obvious that you're smoking.
- Feminine. Cigarette is held between the first and second knuckles of the index and middle fingers. Hand is relaxed and bent backwards, with palm facing up.
- Put the cigarette in your mouth. If you pulled it out of the pack with your teeth, you're already there. If not, put the filtered end of the cigarette between your lips.
- Some prefer to smoke on one side or another, others in the middle. If you want to know, before you light up in public for the first time, try practicing with a pen or pencil to see what feels right for you.
- If you're smoking unfiltered cigarettes ("straights"), such as Lucky Strikes or Camel Studs, in theory it doesn't matter which end you put between your lips. In general, however, you'll insert the end with the logo or brand on it.
- Light up! Bring your match or lighter up to the tip of the cigarette, and suck in as if you're sucking a milkshake through a straw. Don't inhale when lighting a cigarette: just take a couple short, firm draws on it to get the tobacco lit. Factory-made cigarettes will generally light quickly and burn uniformly.
Smoking
- Inhale the smoke. Once your cigarette is lit, pull a little smoke into your mouth. When you're first starting, avoid bringing in too much smoke — you'll regret it when you turn green and start coughing.
- Hold the smoke in your mouth for a moment. This will let it cool down, which will help keep your throat from becoming irritated. It will also alter the flavor of the smoke, which is objectionable to some. This you will decide with experience.
- Remove the cigarette from your mouth. As you take it out, inhale the smoke into your lungs by taking a deep breath. This will help avoid irritating your throat and triggering the cough reflex.
- Note that this is not like smoking a joint, where you inhale directly into your lungs.
- An alternate form of inhalation is called "Frenching". To do this, before you inhale, push some of the smoke back into the air (without exhaling), and as it exits your mouth, suck it in with your nose. This may take some practice to perfect.
- As you continue to smoke, your tolerance for the smoke will increase. This is where the problems arise: the more tolerance you have for the sheer act of inhaling smoke, the easier it will be to smoke. The more you smoke, the more nicotine you ingest, the more addicted you get as you build a tolerance for nicotine. To get the same feeling you did from your first cigarette, you need greater amounts of nicotine, which makes you smoke more.
- Position your hand. Part of the ritual of smoking is where you place your cigarette hand when you remove the cigarette from your mouth. Like holding a cigarette, there are no hard and fast rules, but there are common practices, depending on the sex of the smoker.
- Women often rotate their arm from the shoulder, keeping the cigarette at mouth level, to one side, with palm up and hand facing outward.
- Men rotate their arm at the elbow, keeping their palm inward, and lowering their hand to mid torso.
- Blow out the smoke. As you move your hand into position, blow the smoke out through your mouth or nose. There is no right or wrong way to do this, but you will develop preferences.
- Some say blowing out through their nose lets them get more flavor from the smoke, while others don't like the burning sensation.
- Some people let the smoke "dribble" out of their mouth, exhaling slowly, while others blow it out forcefully.
- With practice, you can learn to blow smoke rings by forming your mouth in an "O" shape, then using your throat to push the smoke over your tongue and through your lips.
- Tap the ashes. Another ritualistic (yet necessary) part of smoking is flicking off the ash. As you burn the cigarette, the part that has been smoked will remain on the tip of your cigarette as a fine gray ash that's remarkably tenacious. Still, when it reaches a certain point, gravity takes over and the ash will fall to the ground. If you're walking down the street, this is not a problem. If, however, you're standing indoors, most people frown on having cigarette ash dropped on their floor, so it's best to use an ashtray to remove the ash from your cigarette.
- How you hold your cigarette will determine how you flick your cigarette.
- If you hold it such that the filter end is in the vicinity of your thumb, a quick flick over the ashtray, and the ash will tumble neatly into the tray.
- If you're holding the cigarette pinched between thumb and forefinger, a quick tap in the middle of the cigarette with your index or ring finger will send those ashes tumbling.
- You can also tap the cigarette itself against the lip of the ashtray, so that the ashes are encouraged to fall into the tray.
- Stub it out. Once you're done with the cigarette, you'll want to dispose of it safely. You do this by grinding it and stubbing it in the ashtray until it stops smoking. Outside, grind the cigarette against a non-flammable surface until it's out, then dispose of the cigarette properly. Nobody wants to deal with your used butts—it's rude, crude and socially unacceptable. Flicking your butts out the window is also extremely dangerous and has been the start of many forest and brush fires. Get caught flicking, and you could be fined heavily. Get caught causing a brush fire, and you're looking at serious legal problems.
- How much of the cigarette you smoke before you're done depends on how much of a cigarette you like to smoke. Obviously, you won't smoke the filter, and if smoking straights, there's only so much cigarette you can smoke until you're frying your lips.
- Many people smoke until it's just above the filter, or till you can't put it in your mouth.
- Others prefer to put out a cigarette after it reaches the halfway point, so the smoke remains cleaner and cooler.
Tips
- Remember, smoking is bad for you. You are putting your life on the line. If you are a parent then you are lowering the chance of them having a mother/father
- Take care not to light the filter end of the cigarette.
- When you first start smoking, try out different brands and types of cigarettes to find out what you prefer. There are hundreds of varieties in the USA alone.
- Menthol cigarettes, apart from the aroma of burning tobacco, also have a slight mint aroma as well as a mentholated cooling sensation, akin to that usually associated with cold remedies.
- A small amount of the smoke will stay in your lungs, sometimes for a few hours, until it is absorbed or breathed out through normal breathing.
- Most smokers do not leave the cigarette in their mouth, as it is difficult to breathe normally (without inhaling smoke, some of which will exit the filter without drawing on it), and the hot smoke from the end burns the nose and gets in the eyes. Some smokers, however, do manage to do so.
- Simply sucking in small amounts of smoke without inhaling can, with practice, produce a convincing portrayal of a smoker. The smoke will be thicker and will not be expelled with as much as force as if it were inhaled.
- Smokers tolerate both the nicotine and the various chemicals in the tobacco, (dizziness, nausea, etc) as well as the negative physiological affects of the carbon monoxide much more so than non-smokers. Smokers no longer experience the "high" that first-time smokers do.
- If you don't really know if you want to start smoking, just do not do it because it is addicting and very unhealthy.
- Don't screw it up. Start off slow then start inhaling more bit by bit until you are a pro!
- When first time inhaling, clench your teeth and inhale through your teeth slowly! This will stop large amounts of smoke entering your lungs at once. Besides it will save you from an embarrassing coughing fit in front of your experienced smoker friends!
Warnings
- Aside from the health risks, smoking cigarettes will tend to leave an odor on you that some people find offensive. A regular smoker tends to become less sensitive to the smell of cigarette smoke and may not realize how strong it is.
- Do not smoke in bed under any circumstances - Once in bed it's easy to fall asleep and drop your cigarette allowing it to set fire to the carpet.
- Do not smoke on an empty stomach, as this could provoke a feeling of nausea.
- Never smoke or light up around gasoline or any other volatile flammable substance.
- Novice smokers may experience symptoms associated with nicotine poisoning as their bodies adjust to nicotine. These include nausea, dizziness and increased heart rate and raised blood pressure. If you are just starting to smoke, be careful as excessive smoking in a short time can result in vomiting.
- Smoking is prohibited to minors in some countries so if you're going to smoke, be sure to check your state's local age limit for smoking a cigarette.
- Smoking increases the chance of emphysema, chronic bronchitis and other lung diseases. Smokers are more susceptible to lung and throat infections due to the lining of the lungs and throat being irritated by the smoke.
- Smoking diminishes your ability to taste and smell over time.
- Smoking is a fire hazard. Make sure all smoking materials and ashtrays are fully extinguished when finished and take proper precautions while smoking to avoid burns.
- Nicotine increases stomach acidity, which may worsen the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, duodenal ulcers, and others.
- Smokers experience decreased appetite due to the effects of nicotine and satisfaction or oral "need". Weight control is a common reason people cite for continuing smoking.
- Passive smoking may affect the health of those around you, especially those with chronic heart conditions or lung disorders such as asthma. Limit smoking to a single room if you are able to. Smoke outside if you are in any doubt. Smoking in indoor public places and/or workplaces has been made illegal in many places. This can include company cars and substantially enclosed outdoor structures. In most cases, "no smoking" signs should be displayed to inform you of the law.
- An adult who buys tobacco products for a minor may be in danger of paying a large fine, prosecution, and even a prison sentence, depending on local regulation.
- Smoking can cause sexual or reproductive problems for both men and women. Men can experience erection problems and decreased sperm count, while women can experience infertility and menopause at a younger-than-average age.
- Smoking may cause birth defects, premature birth and miscarriages in pregnant women.
- Tobacco smoke is carcinogenic and can cause cancer of the lungs, throat, mouth, larynx, esophagus, pancreas and other areas of the body.
- Nicotine is physically and psychologically addictive. Both of these addictions may begin from the first cigarette. Cigarettes contain additives to enhance tobacco's addictiveness and many people are unable to quit smoking despite repeated attempts.
- Although the physical effects of nicotine are pleasant, major psychological effects occur which don't cause any noticeable "high" sensation. The primitive, and unconscious, brain receives a false "reward" from the effects of the nicotine. The brain responds to this "reward" by developing a very strong primitive response which is nicotine addiction. Physical changes occur. Uptake receptor growth causes a chemical imbalance in the brain which make the user feel depressed and anxious when nicotine levels are low. This is caused by the brain attempting to compensate for the release of so many "reward" chemicals.
- Smoking raises blood pressure and heart rate. This puts you at a much higher risk of having a heart attack and can cause strokes. In chronic smokers this can cause heart disease.
Things You'll Need
- Pack of cigarettes
- Lighter or matches
- Ashtray
