WHY IS IT HARD TO stop smoking?

marbehshalom: In the archives of the CR you will see plenty of posts on the smoking issue. Mark Twain’s famous line was “Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it 100 times myself”. Those of us who are non-smokers cannot understand the addiction.

As an addiction, it bears many similarities to others. But there are many differences, too. Here’s a big one.

THERE IS NO REAL PLEASURE FROM SMOKING. In contrast to other addictions, this has no bearing on the brain’s pleasure center. But the pleasure that smokers report must be explained. here it is.

Once dependent (it takes about 4 cigarettes to be hooked – as per the research of the tobacco companies), one begins experiencing withdrawal symptoms when the body craves the next cigarette. The range for this to occur is about 18-23 minutes after the last one. Most people manage to delay the next cigarette for a while, but it eventually becomes easier to undergo whatever bother there is to smoke than to tolerate the discomfort. Well, the removal of the discomfort is experienced as if it were pleasure. So it is pleasure by association.

The addiction to smoking is primarily a physical dependence on nicotine. Yes, there are “oral” habits, and these can be satisfied by chewing on a pencil, toothpick, gum, etc. But on the whole, this is the least significant part of the smoking habit/addiction.

For those who smoke, be aware that the issurim involved in terms of incurring health risks are as serious as chilul Shabbos. The poskim have spoken about this. No sooner than one would brazenly be mechalel Shabbos, or eat chazzer, should one light up a cigarette. This is straight from the poskim. I have commented in other threads on the subject with detailed lists of the poskim. I find it hypocritical for someone to be machmir on anything and still smoke.

Since we are during Sukkos, it is necessary to add an additional note. The heter that is used to smoke on Yomtov is that it is similar to eating, and is considered דבר השוה לכל נפש. In America, it does not qualify, as smoking is still a rather small percentage of the population (considering the majority needed to qualify). In Eretz Yisroel, the poskim are still debating the issue, which has become more relevant as fewer people are smoking.

They give an inch and you take a mile?

Do you think up in heaven one craves a stake or anything of the sort ? Shabbos is Mayan olam habba,the fact that a smoker doesn’t smoke on shabbos is not like quitting for a day it’s just that neshama yesara fulfilling that craving and very rarely does one crave for that cigarette on shabbos

The Yetzer Harah is smart. He says, “So don’t smoke on Shabbos, only the rest of the week!” You’re right – really nobody should smoke at all. When you abstain on Shabbos, it makes you feel good about it, and you don’t think about the other days. That’s the Yetzer Harah’s goal.

marbehsholom: I don’t know any smoker who doesn’t smoke during a “3 day yom tov”. They refrain on Shabbos only. Go to any yeshiva gedola and you will find the bochurim/yungerleit smoking. Is it right or correct? I personally think not. However, once someone is addicted, quitting “cold turkey” is difficult.

Eating ptcha, kishke, and other fatty maacholim are also problematic based on current medical knowledge and one might be oiver on “Venishmartem”. Does it fall under the aveirah category like “eating chazzer”? I am not so sure.

I located a comment I wrote in an earlier post from several years ago. Copy and paste is much quicker.

Here is the main reference to the issur psakim against smoking. The sefer is called “Chaim Lelo Ishun” written by Rav Yechezkel Aschayk, published in Eretz Yisroel several years ago (publication date is missing). The letters of haskamah are open and specific. The haskamos are from: Rav Shteinman, Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro, Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, Rav Shmuel Halevi Wosner, Rav Nissin Karelitz, Rav Yerachmiel Gershon Edelstein, Rav Boruch Dov Povarsky, Rav Matisyahu Salomon, Rav Shimon Bedny, and Rav Yitzchok Zilbershtein. The other names listed in my previous are quoted in the text of the sefer. Most include the exact language. There is also a letter (dated Menachem Av 5764) that concerns the issur to begin the smoking addiction signed by Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro, Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, Rav Aharon Lein Shteinman, Rav Shmuel Auerbach, and Rav Nissim Karelitz. Rav Elyashiv added his signature to that letter. It is true that this letter addresses the issur to begin smoking, but it also states clearly that smokers must wean themselves off of it, and should never smoke in public places where it can bother others. However, in contrast to an earlier comment, this letter does NOT state that it is muttar to continue smoking because it is a tzorech. I request a reference to such a statement from Rav Elyashiv.

I also call attention to an earlier sefer “Pe’er tachas Efer” that addressed the issur against smoking.

There is also a lengthy psak about the issur against smoking issued by the RCA. This psak discusses all earlier teshuvos from poskim on the subject, including the parameters of “Shomer psoyim Hashem” which was mentioned in one psak from Rav Moshe Feinstein. This RCA psak is available online.

yekke2: There is a serious problem with your logic. Basically, the smoker needs to recognize a psak halacha that conflicts with his personal desire, and their negius is that it should be muttar. There is absolutely no excuse to make conclusions that account for negius. That is called מגלה פנים בתורה שלא כהלכה. That is why a dayan who accepted a bribe is guilty even if he paskens in favor of the other side. You cannot create a halacha, then look for excuses to justify it.

Reb Moshe’s famous tshuvah is misrepresented so easily and so often. He NEVER said smoking is muttar. He only stated that if someone can’t stop, it is not an issur of לפני עוור to give him a light if requested. That is also dated, and obsolete (according to Reb Dovid), as the information of health risks at that time (very early ’60’s) was much more limited than what we presently know. Now, today’s smokers probably began smoking sometime after the psak from, Reb Moshe, when he openly stated that no one should start (not just בעלי נפש).

Lastly, the fatty foods and coke you mentioned are only problematic if ingested to excess. Otherwise, our bodies are well equipped to handle these things. And there are issues with anything to excess. Every single cigarette shortens life, and inflicts medical damage to the body. That is documented in the scientific literature. That is why poskim have specifically dealt with the “single cigarette” issue, and proclaimed the issur as extending to that, not just the regular smoker. Refer to the sefer חיים ללא עישון referenced above. In fact, find the sefer and study it. After that, the naysayers about smoking will no longer appear to be addicted to ambiguity.

So this gentile young woman who works as a maid for a Jewish family goes home for X-mas, and her family asks her about working for Jews. She says it’s fine but she does not understand their holidays. On Sukkos, they smoke in the house but eat in a hut in the back yard. On Shabbos, they eat in the dining room but smoke in the bathroom. And on Yom Kippur, they smoke in the bathroom and eat in the bathroom.

Seems pretty easy too get all worked up about an issue you don’t have, and be all judgemental about it.

TLIK, all food addicts are addicted to food. It is entirely possible that they do not exist. However, in my post I was referring to food addicts.

If they are not addicted to food, they are not food addicts. A food addict is a person who is addicted to food. You are arguing that food addicts do not exist.