I don't watch TV, or listen to talk radio. Too much hysteria.
I smoked cigarettes in college, but I was never what I consider a hard core smoker. I did kick those, but replaced it with Skoal & Copenhagen for several years after college. Then, I kicked that too, for reasons similar to what mrtr33 described. Just got sick of it, and relized that it was ultimately a destructive habit.
I don't remember how many years it was prior to smoking my first "real" cigar (let alone anything else.) Never felt the urge for a cigarette, and like others, am actually repulsed by the surround smell of them (although I'm not hypocrital enough to bitch them out about it.) I've been up to as many as 20 cigars a week, but I'm down to under 10 now, and for me it's more of a monetary issue. I'd rather smoke less, but better cigars, and keep the same budget. I don't consider it an addiction, because I don't wake up in the morning, and light up a cigar first thing. Often, I hang up the cutter until mid-week, or the weekend before I fire one up, and I'm usually not all crabby about it. Sometimes I reward myself for a tough day, or a major acomplishment with a cigar. I don't sweat it (too much), cause I could get hit by a bus tomorrow.
Wifey was more of a hard-core cigarette smoker as described in some of the above posts. She quit cigarettes for several years, prior to having her first "real" cigar. Her feelings on the matter are very similar to my second paragraph here. She only has 1-3 cigars a week, sometimes less, or none.
This is my humble opinion, and feel free to scream at me. I don't give a shit.
Will
The powers that be might take it all away
Together we burn, together we burn away
Uncle Tupelo
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