Combination CigarettesNo, a combination cigarette is not when you are smoking two or more at the same time. When that happens, you begin to wonder why you were smoking the first one. I once burnt the back of my hand
trying to put a cigarette in my mouth when there was already one there. Actually, it is not quite as stupid as you think. As I have already said, eventually the cigarette ceases to relieve the withdrawal
pangs, and even when you are smoking the cigarette there is still something missing. This is the terrible frustration of the chain smoker. Whenever you need the boost, you are already smoking, and this is
why heavy smokers often turn to drink or other drugs. But I digress,
A combination cigarette is one occasioned by two or more of our usual reasons for smoking, e.g.
social functions, parties, weddings, meals in restaurants. These are examples of occasions that are
both stressful and relaxing. This might at first appear to be a contradiction, but it isn't. Any form of
socializing can be stressful, even with friends, and at the same time you want to be enjoying yourself
and be completely relaxed.
There are situations where all four reasons are present at one and the same time. Driving can be
one of these. If you are leaving a tense situation, like a visit to the dentist or the doctor, you can now
relax. At the same time driving always involves an element of stress. Your life is at stake. You are
also having to concentrate. You may not be aware of the last two factors, but the fact that they are
subconscious doesn't mean they aren't there. And if you are stuck in a traffic jam, or have a long
motorway drive, you may also be bored.
Another classic example is a game of cards. If it's a game like bridge or poker, you have to
concentrate. If you are losing more than you can afford, it is stressful. If you have long periods of not
getting a decent hand, it can be boring. And, while all this is going on, you are at leisure; you are
supposed to be relaxing. During a game of cards, no matter how slight the withdrawal pangs are, all
smokers will be chain-smoking, even otherwise casual smokers. The ashtrays will fill and overflow in
no time.
There'll be a constant fall-out cloud above head height. If you were to tap any of the smokers on the
shoulder and ask him if he was enjoying it, the answer would be 'You have got to be joking.' It is often
after nights like these, when we wake up with a throat like a cess pit that we decide to stop smoking.
These combination cigarettes are often special ones, the ones that we think we'll miss most when
we are contemplating stopping smoking. We think that life will never be quite as enjoyable again. In
fact, it is the same principle at work: these cigarettes simply provide relief from withdrawal pangs,
and at certain times we have greater need to relieve them than at others.
Let us make it quite clear. It is not the cigarette that is special; it is the occasion. Once we have
removed the need for the cigarette, such occasions will become more enjoyable and the stressful
situations less stressful. This will be explained in greater detail in the next chapter.