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Stages of Chain Smoking

There are many perceptions of chain smoking. To some non-smokers, anyone who smokes more than two an hour gets the dubious classification. Others have a more literal view on it, describing a chain smoker as anyone who is never seen without a cigarette in his hand. The truth lies somewhere in between, as there are several stages to chain smoking.

  1. First Time

    • Once a newly minted smoker has gotten used to his fledgling habit, there will inevitably come a time where he finds that he's lighting up constantly. For some, this may be in a smoker-friendly coffee shop over a long conversation. For others, it can happen during the course of a long night of drinking. At this stage, this is a rare occurrence, however, as the smoker usually reverts back to his normal smoking patterns shortly thereafter or the next day.

    Occasional

    • The occasional chain smoker is no stranger to instances and events where he lights up non-stop. While it's not an everyday thing, it is no longer a rare occurrence. Most at this stage brush it off and chalk it up to extenuating circumstances like the ones mentioned above. However, at this point, it takes more and more nicotine to satisfy the smoker as his tolerance rises, which can lead to further chain-smoking episodes.

    Frequent

    • At this stage, it no longer takes a special event to merit chain smoking. For example, a smoker may begin chain smoking out of boredom. Other times, even the mildest stress can trigger an afternoon of non-stop lighting up. Chain smoking doesn't happen every day, but the reasons and triggers for doing so are becoming more and more common. Another common example of motivation would be being stuck in a traffic jam.

    Habitual

    • Habitual chain smokers are at the point where they rarely have a conscious moment without a cigarette. While they still crave nicotine from time to time---such as when waking up in the morning---they smoke as much out of sheer habit. Gone are the triggers and reasons; now it's just a matter of smoking being a regular thing that they do.

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