How to Smoke a Cigarette

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Last Updated: November 8, 2024 Fact Checked

Before reading this article, please consider if the health risks associated with smoking are worth it.^{[1]
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services

Go to source} Smoking is the leading cause of cancer which can kill you. If you need help quitting, read How To Quit Smoking or visit the CDC website. Smokers make it look so effortless, but there's more to smoking a cigarette than just inhaling and exhaling. You have to know how to light the cigarette, hold it correctly, and inhale properly so you don't have a coughing fit. Don't worry—by following the steps below, you'll be smoking a cigarette smoothly in no time. This article is intended only for smokers of the legal smoking age (it is illegal to sell or provide cigarettes to minors).

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Lighting Up

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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).^{[2]
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Research source} 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.
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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.
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Remove a cigarette. A new pack of smokes will be fairly tightly packed. Invert the pack of exposed cigarettes and rap it 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.
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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 the palm facing you and fingers pointing upward.
- Casual. The 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 the 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. The cigarette is pinched between thumb and forefinger, but the palm is facing in, and the cigarette is secreted in hand, pointing towards the inner wrist. Useful when you don't want it to be obvious that you're smoking.
- Feminine. The cigarette is held between the first and second knuckles of the index and middle fingers. The hand is relaxed and bent backward, with the palm facing up.
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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.
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 of short, the firm draws on it to get the tobacco lit. Factory-made cigarettes will generally light quickly and burn uniformly.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Smoking

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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.
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.
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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.^{[3]
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  Research source} 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.
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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.
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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.^{[4]
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- 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.^{[5]
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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 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.
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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.^{[6]
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US National Park Service
Agency responsible for the maintenance and promotion of national parks and monuments

Go to source} 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.

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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 your children having a mother/father.

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Take care not to light the filter end of the cigarette.

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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.

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Warnings

When you smoke around non-smokers, be courteous. One main reason for smoking bans is rude smokers blowing their smoke into non-smokers. If there is the wind, position yourself downwind of non-smokers. If there is no wind, or you can not move downwind, exhale upwards to keep the smoke out of the eyes and noses and clothes of non-smokers.

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Aside from the health risks listed above, 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.

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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.

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If you have a history of lung disease such as asthma, you shouldn't smoke. It can cause serious damage and even respiratory arrest.

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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.^{[7]
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National Institute on Drug Abuse
Leading U.S government agency supporting scientific research on drug use and its consequences.

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Novice smokers may experience symptoms associated with nicotine poisoning as their bodies adjust to nicotine. These include nausea, dizziness, 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.^{[8]
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American Lung Association
Nonprofit health organization dedicated to improving lung health through education, advocacy, and research

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Although the physical effects of nicotine are pleasant, major psychological effects occur which don't cause any noticeable "high" sensation. The primitive, and unconscious, the 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 makes 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.^{[9]
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American Cancer Society
Nonprofit devoted to promoting cancer research, education, and support

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Smoking can:
- diminish your ability to taste and smell over time.
- increase 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.
- increase stomach acidity because cigarette contains Nicotine, which may worsen the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, duodenal ulcers, and others.
- cause sexual or reproductive problems. Males can experience erection problems and decreased sperm count, while females can experience infertility and menopause at a younger-than-average age.
- cause birth defects, premature birth, and miscarriages in pregnant women.
- affect the health of those around you while you are smoking, 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.
- cause cancer of the lungs, throat, mouth, larynx, esophagus, pancreas, and other areas of the body because tobacco smoke is carcinogenic.
- raise 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.
- decrease smoker's appetite due to the effects of nicotine and satisfaction or oral "need". Weight control is a common reason people cite for continuing smoking.
- damage your teeth and gums, staining your teeth and inflaming your gums, leading to periodontitis, which can cause you to lose your teeth.
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Avoid smoking:
- around gasoline or any other volatile flammable substance.
- with an empty stomach, as this could provoke a feeling of nausea.
- 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.
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