How many of you smoke, and what........?

Nurses General Nursing

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How many of you smoke, and what do you do to freshen your breath before going back to work (after a break) and how do you keep the tobacco smell off. Iv'e seen a lot of nurses and hospital employees smoking outside on breaks, just wondering.

Thank ya'll for the replys:

Nell; that was real cute the way you said it.

OBNURSEHEATHER; you are the ultimate, I love your replys, I'm laughing so hard, but your right I didn't catch it, the way I had typed it in. (sorry)

Well, I am a smoker, I hate it sometimes and depend on it at other times, I'll be starting LPN classes in Oct. (I hope). I would like to quit, not only for my health, but also my familys, and I don't want the patients to smell it, but (ok another excuse) i'm taking my preq. before LPN, and some of these classes are pretty tough, stressful, so I use my crutch, the old stinky cigg. God help me!!!!! and i'm scared to gain any weight.(another excuse).

Any suggestions would be great.

P.S. OBNURSEHEATHER; I hope you'll be here for a long time to come, because if I could choose........ I would choose you to be my mentor.

God Bless

Freebird 55

I don't smoke, but try the new Orbitz gum. Peppermint flavor. That is some strooooooong gum!

Specializes in LTC, ER, ICU,.
:smokin:
Originally posted by Freebird55

OBNURSEHEATHER; I hope you'll be here for a long time to come, because if I could choose........ I would choose you to be my mentor.

Oh Freebird.... I don't plan on going anywhere. Brian will have to ban my ISP to get me to quit coming here. And I'd probably just move and get a new computer set up and change my name and....

Anyways, welcome! I've never been anyone's "mentor." Sounds like quite a task, but I'll try to live up to the task! PM, email, or yell at me anytime. ! :D

Heather

Specializes in Trauma and Pediatrics.

Never noticed how much I really smelled after having a ciggarette until I quit earlier this year. I used to chew cinnamon mentos.. and peppermint breath savers, then spray myself with perfume...

The smell stays with you!

I feel so much better that I quit, but I do miss it terribly.. especially when I stress out. BUT NEVER AGAIN!

Brenda

:smokin: :smokin: I miss smokin' too!!!!:smokin: :smokin:

But I'm sooo glad I quit! I've had pneumonia three times (as a child) and I can only imagine how my 8 years of smoking affected my lungs!! I was surprised though...quitting wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I guess practice makes perfect and the 9 other times I tried to quit just made it easier this time around! :D

I do think it is a repulsive habit and the smell of smokers in the elevator...YUK!!!:eek: I can only imagine how a patient must feel...Coffee breath is gross too...

Here's how to keep the smell away when you are a smoker. I follow this routine and nobody knows I smoke. When they catch me in the act they are very surprised!

1. Never smoke indoors. Especially in your own home. If you do, your cloths and everything else around you will smell.

2. Never smoke in your car with the A/C on. Nor with the windows up, yes, even in the dead of winter I drive down the road with my window open if I'm smoking. Keep the cig so that the smoke will go out the window, hold it outside of the car when you are stopped at a light. Blow all the smoke out the window.

3. Never keep the butts in your car or in an ashtray. It's the butts that have the most and worst smell. Get rid of them often.

4. Any kind of mint, hard candy, or gum will usually do the trick to get rid of the smell from your mouth. Brushing your teeth after a cig is even better. I also take a swig of my drink after a cig.

5. Wash your hands! This is probably the most important step of all. Wash immediately after every cig. I usually wash off my mouth too. That gets rid of the yuck and stink off my lips.

6. Always smoke outside with the wind to your back, so that the smoke doesn't get on your cloths. Also, watch out for other peoples smoke blowing onto you.

7. Shower and wash your hair every day and sometimes twice a day. I take my shower when I get home from work and usually keep my hair wrapped with a towel until I'm done smoking for the evening. If I don't, then it takes another shower in the morning before work, to get rid of the odor.

There are alot of things I hate about smoking and the smell is right on the top of the list. Don't smoke around me when I'm eating. Don't smoke in my house. Never blow smoke in my face.

Quit before (X2) and I am hoping that the third time is the charm! I also felt better when I didn't smoke. Planned quit date for me is this Saturday! Now, if I could just get everyone else in my life to quit too!

LOL flowerchild! I got tired and confused just listening to all those rules!

Heather

I started smoking at age 13, quit at age 37. I knew I'd quit for good when I opened up a closet at a NH where I worked, to get out a resident's clothes, and SMELLED the smoke on them.

:eek:

Even though I quit 12 years ago, I have just been dx'd with lung ca. If I kept smoking, I think it'd be impossible for me to keep working, and because I'm not realreal SOB, I think it's helped me to have quit.

Happily, most of my family has quit smoking this year, so that's the good news. :)

Alot of folks seem to be proud of surpressing their desire to smoke, or something. I only smoke if I can relax, which is usually once during an 8 hour shift. marl Some people smoke constantly, and those are the ones that smell. I smell all kinds of things besides cigarettes, but smelling a cigarette means a person smokes, and if you are trying to surpress your own cravings, you will get angry or something.

Giggle - I can smell when someone eats spicy food. And I can smell variations of lactobacilius end-products coming from folks with poor dental hygene. I can smell various bacteri from peoples breath when they talk. When anyone is wearing perfume/cologne... its obvious. lady partsl smells. BM,s ...all that bodily stuff I smell right away.

The only thing I's want to smell is fear, or love, and it's hard to smell them. :-( I'm sorry.

"First I drink, then I smoke"

Detriot Rock City lyrics by KISS from the Destroyer album

Freebird,

I have already reccomended two online sites for support, both are great for education, support, and addiction awarness. I was stunned when I understood that all the old exucses I used to smoke where really driven by my addiction. As a former smoker I now understand that I can never have "just one", I am a nicotine addict. If you want online support try "Freedom From Tobacco, Quit Smoking Now" and "Cold Trukey Support Group" I found online support really worked for me, I needed someone to tell me why I didn't want to smoke at 3AM. I also found it helpful to know the science of quitting. I did not know that after 3 days the nicotine is out of the body and the urge to smoke is all psychological addiction. I also liked hearing from those who quit months ago and that it really does get better. I hate to sound like the "Quit Smoking Preacher" but we all know there is NOTHING worse than a former smoker. ;)

Specializes in OB.

Smoker here - I use Listermint strips and carry a small bottle of Febreze spray - unlike perfume, the scent of it goes away as it evaporates. I spritz my clothes and hair after a smoke break and have been told by nonsmoking coworkers that it really does take care of it. (I asked them for honest evaluation)

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