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With cigarette prices and smoking bans going up across the US and the UK, every cigarette counts. Make sure you know how to enjoy each and every one. Cigarette smoking can have very serious effects on one's health, including cancer. But if you've weighed the risks and decided to smoke, you may as well enjoy it. With the right brand, location, and technique, you can get the most out of your cigarettes.
Steps
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Pick a brand. Often, a smoker just starting out chooses lights or ultra lights. This is recommended as the nicotine content is usually in lower in light and ultra light cigarettes. Once you have a handle on how to smoke properly , try scaling yourself up to regulars. Many claim this will give you a better experiences because of the increased nicotine and fuller flavor. The only way to find out which brand you like the best is to try a variety. Experiment with it. [1] X Research source
- Some of the most popular and highly rated brands include: Marlboro, Camel, Lucky Strike, Newport, and Pall Mall. [2] X Research source
- Taste is somewhat subjective. You may find you dislike the taste of Marlboros but enjoy the taste of Camels. Therefore, you may have to try some trial and error before you find a brand of cigarette that's truly enjoyable for you.
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Consider menthol cigarettes. If you find the taste of regular cigarettes harsh, consider switching to menthols. Menthol cigarettes contain a non-tobacco additive that creates a minty taste when inhaled. Most major brands of cigarettes, like Camels and Marlboros, carry a menthol variety.
- If you do not like mint-flavored foods and drinks, you are unlikely to like menthol cigarettes. They carry a very strong mint flavor.
- If you've smoked regular cigarettes in the past, you may not like menthols. Many people who have acquired a taste for natural cigarettes strongly dislike menthols.
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Smoke cloves . Cloves are a common spice used in cooking and baking. Cloves can be infused with tobacco to create a flavored cigarette.
- If you dislike the taste of menthols and regular cigarettes, cloves can be a good in-between option. The added flavor can make them taste harsher than a regular cigarette. However, the taste is far more mild than the taste of a menthol.
- Cloves can be very strong, so be careful when smoking them. As they can leave you somewhat light-headed, it's not a good idea to smoke a clove when driving.
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Try flavored cigarettes. If you're looking for a particular taste, there are a wide variety of flavored cigarettes on the market. Cigarettes come in flavors like cherry, chocolate, orange, mango, and so on. Flavoring is fairly self-explanatory. Cigarettes are designed to taste similar to the flavor on their label. Flavored cigarettes can be a good option if you dislike regular cigarettes but also don't like cloves and menthols.
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Pack your cigarettes . Most brands of cigarettes benefit from a good packing. Packing your cigarettes will "tighten" the tobacco, resulting in a slower burning cigarette. Before opening the plastic film around your pack of smokes, smack the pack filter-side down onto the heel of your palm rapidly for roughly 10 to 20 seconds. [3] X Research source
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Know when NOT to pack your cigarettes. Some cigarettes, American Spirits, for example, are already packed with tobacco. American Spirit actually suggests unpacking their smokes by rolling the cigarette between your fingers, filter to end, so that a pinch or so of tobacco comes out. Clove cigarettes also shouldn't be packed. [4] X Research source
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Use a good lighter. BIC lighters which cost $1 at a convenience store are cheap and work fine, but they do not give the same satisfaction as using a classic Zippo lighter. Not only do the first drags of the cigarette taste different with a higher quality lighter, but you will learn to love and cherish your lighter if it's of a higher quality.
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Light the cigarette . Hold the filter end of the cigarette to your lips. Ignite your lighter and hold the flame just below the end of the cigarette. Puff the cigarette by inhaling gently into your mouth. Do this until the whole end of the cigarette is glowing and lit. You can rotate the cigarette as you light it if it isn't evenly lit.
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Smoke unrushed. When smoking, be sure that you are not rushed, that you will not be bothered, and that you are either alone or with people you like. This will allow you to enjoy your smoking time that much more, especially if you have smoking buddies with you. [5] X Research source
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Inhale your cigarette. When putting a cigarette up to your lips, it should not pass your teeth. Put the lit cigarette up to your lips, then suck the smoke gently with a long steady intake into your lungs, hold the smoke there for a second, then inhale normally, through your mouth, drawing air into your lungs. This helps to reduce mouth cancer also. [6] X Research source
- When inhaling be sure not to hold the smoke in your mouth and exhale quickly. This is called "bum puffing" and will taste a lot worse than a proper inhale.
- Some recommend wetting your lips with your tongue slightly before putting the cigarette to your mouth, so the cigarette doesn't stick to your lips.
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Exhale the smoke. After inhaling, keep the smoke in your lungs for a short while then exhale. Smoking a cigarette is not like smoking marijuana; you will not get high from inhaling and waiting until you nearly pass out to exhale. Instead, breathe in normally lung capacity , hold it for a moment, then exhale. [7] X Research source
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Ash properly . The cigarette should be ashed whenever the ashes get to the length of about a 1/4" inch or more. There's no precise length at which one should ash a cigarette, so use your best judgment. Ash the cigarette in an ashtray if there is one available. To ash, tap the cigarette lightly on the ashtray, or if outside and not near an ashtray, shake the cigarette swiftly with your fingers.
- Don't aggressively flick your ashes away. [8] X Research source
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Extinguish your cigarette. Once the cigarette is down to just before the filter, extinguish it. When outdoors, throw the butt down near you, and step on it, twisting your foot on top of it before removing your foot to ensure it has gone out completely. When putting a cigarette out in an ashtray, hold the cigarette vertically, lit end down. Push and grind the cigarette into the tray until there's no sign of glowing heat. Make sure to throw the cigarette in a bin if outside. Do not leave it burning on the ground, as this poses a fire hazard.
- Don't keep smoking the cigarette once it gets closer to 8mm to 12mm close to the filter. The smoke will get hot at that point.
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Hold the cigarette properly . Hold the cigarette between your index and middle finger, somewhere on the filter. Exactly where to hold it depends on what's comfortable for you. Be wary of the lit end of your cigarette when holding it idly. It is considered bad etiquette to burn someone or something with your cigarette.
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Don't gesture with the cigarette. If you have to point or gesture toward something while talking, you use your other hand. The hand holding the cigarette should be relatively still except when bringing the cigarette to and from your lips. [9] X Research source
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Ask before you light up when on someone else's property. If you're in someone's backyard, or in their car, don't light a cigarette without asking. If someone doesn't want you smoking on their property, be respectful of this. [10] X Research source
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Manage your butts responsibility. Don't throw cigarettes into trash cans without fully extinguishing them, as cigarettes are a fire hazard. Don't thoughtlessly throw finished cigarettes onto the ground. That is littering. Also, never throw butts out of a car window as this starts fires and is illegal! Your finished cigarette should be extinguished into an ashtray or hard surface, and then thrown away. [11] X Research source
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Tips
- When smoking, do not rush your draws. Tobacco tastes best cold; heating the tobacco by drawing too much, too quickly, or with too high a frequency will heat the tobacco behind the cherry, and make it taste worse. Relax, breathe, then take another puff.Thanks
- Another variant on putting cigarettes out outside is to squeeze the cigarette while twisting it between your fingers, pushing the cherry and tobacco immediately behind it out, leaving the cigarette unlit in your hand. If smoking is cut short and you're out of smokes, this is a handy way of keeping something for later.Thanks
- Touching the cigarette butt with your tongue is uncommon, but in certain circles and with certain cigarettes, it is a common practice. Many clove cigarettes have a flavored butt, and licking one's lips or the butt itself allows the smoker to taste it. Also, touching your tongue to the bottom of the butt (on the edge of the paper on the end of the filter) allows for the entire tongue to taste the incoming smoke.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- If you find it too harsh to inhale, try drawing the smoke into your mouth like drinking through a straw. Hold the smoke there for a few seconds before inhaling to your longs. This allows it to cool down.
- Try Ozium to neutralize a cigarette smell. Spritz it briefly on your clothes, in your car, or in your house. It's pretty potent and is similar to Lysol, but it's sold cheaply at big retailers.
- Try not to breathe out through your nose when smoking, as it can sting and make your eyes water.
- If you're smoking around other people, it's good etiquette to offer them a puff.
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Warnings
- When smoking around non-smokers, be courteous. One main reason for smoking bans is rude smokers blowing their smoke into non-smokers. If there is wind, position yourself downwind of non-smokers. If there is no wind, or you can not move yourself downwind, exhale upwards to keep the smoke out of the eyes and noses and clothes of non-smokers.Thanks
- Smoking kills. There is no such thing as a safe or safer cigarette. The best option is to never smoke or quit smoking if you have already started. If you decide to quit, purchase nicotine gum, lozenges, or patches.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- A good lighter (with available fluid!)
- A pack of cigarettes
- A quiet or enjoyable place to smoke
- A nearby ashtray
References
- ↑ http://www.bu.edu/today/2015/the-curious-case-of-the-light-cigarette/
- ↑ https://www.thetoptens.com/cigarette-brands/
- ↑ http://everything2.com/title/How+to+pack+a+pack+of+cigarettes
- ↑ http://everything2.com/title/How+to+pack+a+pack+of+cigarettes
- ↑ http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/health/a4263/learning-to-smoke-0308/
- ↑ http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/health/a4263/learning-to-smoke-0308/
- ↑ http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/health/a4263/learning-to-smoke-0308/
- ↑ http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/health/a4263/learning-to-smoke-0308/
- ↑ http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/health/a4263/learning-to-smoke-0308/
About This Article
Article Summary
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To enjoy smoking cigarettes, experiment with different brands to find one with a taste, smell, and burn you like. Try sampling menthol and clove ciagrettes too, since they have a different flavor that you might like better than regular ones. Once you’ve settled on a brand you enjoy, don't forget to pack the cigarettes by smacking the box upside-down against the heel of your palm for 10 to 20 seconds, which will make the cigarettes tighter and burn slower as a result. Wait until you have 5 minutes to yourself to smoke so you can take your time with your cigarette. While you smoke, keep an eye on the ash accumulating at the tip of your cigarette and tap it off whenever a quarter inch gathers, which will save you from dropping ash on your clothes. For more tips, including how to hold a cigarette properly, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "As a confirmed smoker of more than 30 years, I think this article is very elegantly composed, and covers every aspect of smoking with grace. I particularly like the paragraphs on etiquette - something that all good smokers should know instinctively." ..." more
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"As a confirmed smoker of more than 30 years, I think this article is very elegantly composed, and covers every aspect of smoking with grace. I particularly like the paragraphs on etiquette - something that all good smokers should know instinctively."
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