Smoking is... good?

[jsf]

The myth of nicotine addiction

A letter from Professor Molimard to HSA
The HAS (French High Health Authority) is preparing a revision of the 2003 Afssaps recommendations on strategies to support smoking cessation. These recommendations for "Good Practice", like many others, were written on the basis of expertise in a situation where conflicts of interest with the pharmaceutical industry were not controlled. The result was the promotion of drug interventions that have little or no effect, even with an unfavorable benefit-risk balance.


In this letter to the President of HAS dated 27 June 2012, Professor Robert Molimard summarizes the scientific knowledge on the actual effects of nicotine on smokers. It allows to understand the necessity that such recommendations be appraised by experts independent from the pharmaceutical industry. Only under such independent appraisals can new and reliable recommendations be developed, which effectively could help those who want to quit smoking.


This exceptional document, the result of 35 years of research by the pioneer of tobacco control in France, must be read and reread by doctors and patients eager to know about the real role of nicotine in tobacco addiction, its place in smoking cessation, in order to provide quality care free from commercial influences.

more : _http://www.formindep.org/The-myth-of-nicotine-addiction.html

found here : (in french) _http://www.tabac-humain.com/enseignement-daltertabacologie-2/

 

[jsf]

Another book (Perhaps it has already been mentioned) :
_http://www.amazon.fr/Cigarettes-Are-Sublime-Richard-Klein/dp/0822316412

In this iconoclastic gem of a book, Klein manages to provide a wonderful tool to those of us readers who resonate with his wonderful voicing of one giant "in your face" to the new and stultifying "Nanny State". This statement summarizes the message of "Cigarettes are Sublime" !
Usually we who chafe at "Big Brother" telling us how to treat our bodies, resort to arguments like: "Well, I want to have the right to smoke on my balcony at work 'dammit'!" Such protest can sound a bit like an adolescent stamping one's foot. Klein however, in this so well-spun book, with its rich historical analysis spanning many cultures, gives us a unique and powerful tool to use, in voicing our protest.
"Cigarettes are Sublime" manages to capture what is the CULTURALLY EMBEDDED power, and perhaps (if you agree with Klein) what is in fact the VALUE, as means of self-expression, of smoking, as a social symbol and act. As the Editorial reviews note, "vices" in general (drinking, playing poker, smoking, eating gloriously at sumptuous tables with friends) are all very powerful "games" or "props" in that very underappreciated arena of how we humans "play" with each other in private life--what mischief we toy with, what message we project to others about our "attitude"; to death, to sex, to an embrace vs rejection of the message (broadcast daily in ominous bulletins from our media),that our bodies are entities vulnerable and besieged by a barrage of "risks" that we must always vigilantly guard against, at any cost, including sacrifice of our bodies as instruments of pleasure and work. In this light, the puff on a cig is not JUST recklessness, but in fact, can give that same royal pleasure that one gets in reveling on one's roof to catch rays, as others , anxiously monitoring the daily published "cancer index" of the sun, huddle indoors.
Seen from this very often ignored angle of pleasure and play and social intercourse, cigarettes--as are so many of our personal habits and messages to others in our myriad relationships--are a sublime pleasure in the playground of life, the very thing that those who cry for quantity of life, ignoring quality of the play, indeed need heed, if life is what they wish to "celebrate".

 

[lostinself]

That's exactly how I feel- just dopey in general & dizzy. It's obvious that diet and breathing alters the effects of the tobacco. One small step at a time. I've made a commitment to engaging in the forum in a more meaningful way. Then comes the breathing and the broth (keto diet). Then let's see how the smoking fits in

I think that, like JayMark noted, smoking should just feel right. For me the first cigarette (actually a half) was a surprisingly positive thing, with some deeply intriguing quality to it. Suddenly i felt like being able to perceive the world more in depth. Actually, the word "deep" very well describes how tobacco smoke feels to me when i need it. When i smoke out of habit, without really having an urge, it feels "shallow" and brings fatigue.

If you don't feel attracted to tobacco, don't push yourself because the benefit will be minor, if any, and you'll be just burdening your body with an extra clean-up job (its usual reaction to constituents it doesn't really like). Now, when your body knows tobacco, it will "notify" you when it considers the surge of nicotine beneficial. Also, don't fall into thinking of being "worse" because of the current genetic profile. Some people need a pack a day, some are OK with several cigs a week and some don't need it at all. The real problem begins, i think, when one not only ignores signals from body but considers them the symptom of weakness or defectiveness - just as anti-smokers who have been effectively programmed to react adversely to their smoking urge (which is not an addiction).

As to the corelation between enjoying tobacco and diet - personally i haven't noticed any, at least not a direct one. There can exist roundabout corelations, though, like this candida thing.

 

[Minas Tirith]

I know that there are a couple of posts about e-cigs in this thread, but can't find them ...

Is there any liquid that is additive-free in the UK?

Thanks, M.T.

 

[SovereignDove]

For patches, though, I would advise taking them off when you go to sleep or are going to take a long nap. If you don't you might get dizzy in the middle of the night and also, you don't want your body expecting nicotine in the middle of the night.

Some people get nightmares as well if they leave the patch on overnight.

I believe it. The few times I forgot to take them off the dreams were extra vivid.

When still in high school, I used nicotine patches to attempt to quit smoking. It was a 2 week effort, then I went back to smoking cigarettes again. I left the patches on overnight, because the directions stated to do so if you had a cigarette upon waking up. I also experienced very vivid dreams, and would wake up once an hour through the night. I stopped using the nicotine patches when they caused me to get dizzy and have a panic attack. I don't know if that is a typical reaction to the patches though.

I have now been smoking for 16 years (organic American Spirit, one pack a day), and think I may fit the profile for smoking. Without the nicotine, I become disoriented, foggy, and think slowly after about 3 or 4 hours. My father smoked ( and died from lung cancer, but I doubt the cancer was caused from his smoking after reading much of the information here on the benefits of smoking), so I have never been in a smoke free environment. I actually started smoking when he moved out of the family home.

Just wanted to chime in with my experience with tobacco, FWIW.

 

[realitybugll]

I don't think this has been brought up in the smoking thread, I did a search for "carboline" and don't get any results. What I read about today is that when tobacco is burned that creates beta-carbolines which are psychoactive molecules that acts as a mono-amine oxidase inhibitor. The MAO is an enzyme that oxidizes neurotransmitters, the beta-carboline, binds to this enzyme I think, and slows down the oxidation.

Also there is different molecules that do the same thing called MOAI's that is prescribed for depression because it makes people have more concentration of neurotransmitters, which makes them happier. Also they can cause cell death due to blocking the enzyme too much. In tobacco the beta-carbolines are "reversible inhibitors" which is an important point. I think it means it's less toxic.

Some study about this.

Human monoamine oxidase is inhibited by tobacco smoke: beta-carboline alkaloids act as potent and reversible inhibitors
ABSTRACT

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is a mitochondrial outer-membrane flavoenzyme involved in brain and peripheral oxidative catabolism of neurotransmitters and xenobiotic amines, including neurotoxic amines, and a well-known target for antidepressant and neuroprotective drugs. Recently, positron emission tomography imaging has shown that smokers have a much lower activity of peripheral and brain MAO-A (30%) and -B (40%) isozymes compared to non-smokers. This MAO inhibition results from a pharmacological effect of smoke, but little is known about its mechanism. Working with mainstream smoke collected from commercial cigarettes we confirmed that cigarette smoke is a potent inhibitor of human MAO-A and -B isozymes. MAO inhibition was partly reversible, competitive for MAO-A, and a mixed-type inhibition for MAO-B. Two beta-carboline alkaloids, norharman (beta-carboline) and harman (1-methyl-beta-carboline), were identified by GC-MS, quantified, and isolated from the mainstream smoke by solid phase extraction and HPLC. Kinetics analysis revealed that beta-carbolines from cigarette smoke were competitive, reversible, and potent inhibitors of MAO enzymes. Norharman was an inhibitor of MAO-A (K(i)=1.2+/-0.18muM) and MAO-B (K(i)=1.12+/-0.19muM), and harman of MAO-A (K(i)=55.54+/-5.3nM). beta-Carboline alkaloids are psychopharmacologically active compounds that may occur endogenously in human tissues, including the brain. These results suggest that beta-carboline alkaloids from cigarette smoke acting as potent reversible inhibitors of MAO enzymes may contribute to the MAO-reduced activity produced by tobacco smoke in smokers. The presence of MAO inhibitors in smoke like beta-carbolines and others may help us to understand some of the purported neuropharmacological effects associated with smoking.

Also, in this thread _http://www.smokingfeelsgood.com/node/2601 I found, people report the subjective anti-depressant effects cigarettes vs smokeless tobacco which doesn't produce the beta-carbolines.

It sucks because Im addicted to snus.

There was a time 4 or 5 months ago I decided to go
Back to smoking strictly. I quit snus. I did it a month.

But the crazy thing was I could never relax. I literally worked out all day long. I couldnt stop it.

I finally was sick of smoking, and went happily back to snus.

Problem is, when I was smoking I realized I wasnt depressed. The only way I can manage the depression
With snus is if I drink a lot of coffee.

I want to go back to smoking, its just snus is so convenient. I can snus anywhere.

I used to be a smoker. Then one summer decided
To try snus, because I was sick of smoking outside near
a then construction zone (building a new house) next door.

I somehow started to like snus and actually switched to snus.

Other than a few smokes I prettt much snused for a year.

Recently I moved and I couldnt handle things very well. I decided to start supplementing my snus with smoking.

I have a history of depression and one time ten years ago I decided to start smoking as an experiment.

With just three cigs a day I realized I wasnt depressed as much, or at all.

I definitely know that since Ive started smoking
more Ive felt an antidepressant effect.

For me to really only snus I have to drink a ton of
Coffee. Which is a bad idea for me.!

The antidepressant is called Beta Carboline, and MAO Inhibitor. It can be found in lower concentrations in coffee (apparently the MAO Inhibitor is produced when something is roasted or burned) and higher in dark roasts than light. It takes a while to absorb the Beta Carboline form coffee, though, where with cigarette smoke the absorption, and the relief, is nearly instantaneous.

You're not alone. I've known people that quit smoking, or switched to e-cigs, and had to switch back due to crippling bouts of depression.

Its been awhile since commenting on this post.

I actually went back to smoking exclusively, and depression vanished. A couple months ago decided to cut back. Started snusing in the morning and smoking just at night. However slowly I started getting depressed.

So Im kinda back where I started. Ive tried smoking again and have thrown away $50 worth of smokes in the past week. But it looks like ill need to simply go back to smoking unless i want to take an antidepressant. I wish snus worked for me but it just seems like a waste of time. Its a good way to get nicotine though!

Lately i have been just using 4-5 swedish snuses during the day then smoking my rollies at night. Gives my lungs a break. I kinda get depressive if i dont smoke at night. So for now, ill keep smoking at night. I switched to snus durimg the day because i walk alot and the amoking with this dry fridged air wasnt doing good with my lungs.

 

[nicklebleu]

Hi wetroof,

This is fairly common knowledge ...

The thing about carbolines is that they are non-selective MAO inhibitors - they inhibit MAO-A and MAO-B (whereas most antidepressants are pure MAO-A inhibitors).

From Wikipedia:

Because of the vital role that MAOs play in the inactivation of neurotransmitters, MAO dysfunction (too much or too little MAO activity) is thought to be responsible for a number of psychiatric and neurological disorders. For example, unusually high or low levels of MAOs in the body have been associated with schizophrenia,[8][9] depression,[10] attention deficit disorder,[11] substance abuse,[citation needed] migraines,[citation needed] and irregular sexual maturation.[citation needed]

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are one of the major classes of drug prescribed for the treatment of depression, although they are often last-line treatment due to risk of the drug's interaction with diet or other drugs. Excessive levels of catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine) may lead to a hypertensive crisis, and excessive levels of serotonin may lead to serotonin syndrome.

In fact, MAO-A inhibitors act as antidepressant and antianxiety agents, whereas MAO-B inhibitors are used alone or in combination to treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.[12]

Maybe they are the reason why smokers have a lower incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

Another clue, that nicotine is not the sole "active" ingredient in smoking cigarettes is, that smokers who quit with the aid of nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) don't stay on these pharmaceuticals for a long time. Studies show that of all people who take NRT only a small minority still takes that after 12 months - the others either start smoking again or quit completely.

If nicotine was the only "active" ingredient in smoke then NRT would be a very easy way to completely avoid cigarettes and still be able to reap all the benefits of smoking. And we all know that this is not the case ...

 

[Mr. Premise]

I recently tried some Nicotiana Rustica I grew last year, and it definitely feels like it has more of those beta carbolines than regular tobacco. Rustica has higher nicotine, but the Rustica felt different than just smoking two cigarettes in a row. Unfortunately, Rustica doesn't produce near as well as regular tobacco plants. I only got two ounces out of two Rustica plants. Two regular nicotiana tabacum plants would have produced a half pound.

 

[Leòmhann]

For those interested in whole leaf organic, Leaf Only (_http://www.leafonly.com/) has 2 different types of organic tobacco, both of which we greatly enjoy, especially when blended together :

• USDA Certified Organic American Virginia Flue Cured (_http://www.leafonly.com/organic_tobacco_leaf_american_flue_cured.php) @ $20.99 / lb
  
• USDA Certified Organic Canadian Virginia Flue Cured (_http://www.leafonly.com/organic_tobacco_leaf_canadian_flue_cured.php) @ $21.99 / lb

In the US, they have fast shipping turnaround time, at least to our location, the price being $10.93 ... here is a link to more detailed shipping information, especially for those outside the US: _http://www.leafonly.com/tobacco_cart.php

Although I bought a manual shredder from their site, it was largely problematic (quickly gummed up and would no longer crank without great effort), so I found and purchased an Imperia Titania chrome-plated steel pasta maker at a Marshall's Department store (regularly priced @ $60.00 and marked down to $39.99).

This works really well for leaf shredding, particularly when a second pair of hands ;) feeds the tobacco into it while I hand-crank ... I've attached a picture of it below ...

Here are some links for those interested in shopping for one of these pasta makers:

_http://www.imperia.com/prodotti/titania.php

_http://www.aiosearch.com/search/7/Shopping/titania+pasta+maker/#/tabs?site=262&sitename=eBay+|+Electronics%2C+Cars%2C+Clothing%2C+Collectibles+and+More+Online+Shopping

_http://mysalehero.com/Titania%20Pasta%20Machine?p=scb&gclid=CLyKlZje_L0CFSwdOgodBRkAgA

The method we've been using:

1 Remove multiple leaves while refrigerating the rest in air-tight containers.

2 De-vein and break the leaves into smaller pieces (I've found just removing the middle vein is pretty much okay, although some of the side, branching veins in the American Virginia Leaf also tend to be thick and have a tendency to really create extra gumminess while shredding; thus, removing these also is recommended).

3 Using a spray bottle of distilled / purified water, lightly spray the leaves and place them inside a large ziplock bag (freezer bags with zippers work best, I've found), or, better yet, spray the leaves while they are inside the bag.

4 Jostle the leaves inside the bag to get them thoroughly moistened, but not sopping wet, of course.

5 Place the bag(s) of leaves inside a tupperware type of airtight container and then place in the freezer for an overnite visit ;) .

6 Remove the container(s) from the freezer the next morning and place in the refrigerator "crisper" drawer.

7 By the afternoon / evening, the leaves will be ready for prime time shredding

8 Shred the leaf by utilizing your pasta maker shredder over a tray or plate of some sort, and every so often, take some of the shredded leaf from your tray and place into another container that has humidifying stones (or another type of humidor enhancer to keep the shredded leaf from getting overly dry and brittle). We prefer a large sealed glass container we use specifically for tobacco storage (ours is shaped like a pumpkin! :P )

Hope this is helpful info, and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask :)

~ L

 

[darksai]

more : _http://www.formindep.org/The-myth-of-nicotine-addiction.html

found here : (in french) _http://www.tabac-humain.com/enseignement-daltertabacologie-2/

I found this part particularly interesting:

In fact, simple observations could suffice to question that nicotine alone explains the powerful tobacco dependence:
- Usually, when a chemist isolates an active molecule from an addictive plant, drug addicts get hold of it quickly (morphine from opium, cocaine from coca leaves, tetrahydrocannabinol from cannabis, etc).
- We have known nicotine for a century and a half. It has been extracted, synthesized, used as an insecticide, yet we have no observation of its use for addictive purposes.
- During wars, when tobacco was rare and its availability limited, we had no reports of addition of nicotine to various dried leaves, wormwood, walnut and so on used as tobacco substitutes.
- Under the same conditions, no smuggling or any kind of traffic of nicotine has ever been reported.
- The pure nicotine can be obtained from chemical companies (Fluka) at a price of €440 per liter, which for 1 euro would make up 143 packs of 20 cigarettes. No "drug" is available at such a low price.

 

[Gaby]

This one made me chuckle because CoQ10 is the ultimate heart health drug among others. This tobacco fear mongering is looking more ridiculous everyday:

_http://wispofsmoke.net/goodforyou.html

The miracle supplement (for skin, heart, brain rejuvenation) Coenzyme Q10 is extracted from tobacco leaf. . WebMistress: Coenzyme Q10 is also essential in fighting cancer!!!

In Coenzyme Q10: A Miracle Vitamin , Dr. Richard A. Kunin extols the benefits of Coenzyme Q10. He also says:

The energy of oxidation in cells depends on CoQ in partnership with niacinamide (vitamin B3), riboflavin (vitamin B2), and minerals such as iron and copper to effect the movement of electrons and hydrogen protons in the power plant of cell, the mitochondrion.
...
Incidentally, tobacco leaf is the champion source, containing 184 mg in a quarter pound.

Note that the doctor follows with the disclaimer, "In fact, the Japanese companies make their CoQ from tobacco, however it is only released by means of bacterial fermentation not by smoking." The fact remains that CoQ 10 is a natural miracle for the human body and its chief source is tobacco! Those MDs just can't get their heads around the fact that tobacco is a valuable gift from nature! Now take a look at what a pharmacy has to say about natural vs. synthetic CoQ10:

The natural CoQ10 in Qmelt is made via fermentation in which a microorganism (in the case of CoQ10, a bacterium or yeast) naturally produces CoQ10. The CoQ10 is then extracted from the organism and concentrated. It is termed natural since it is normally and naturally produced by the yeast or bacterium from which it was taken. This is different from synthetic CoQ10 which is made by taking a compound found in tobacco and then mixing it with other chemicals to form a similar structure of CoQ10. While tobacco is natural, CoQ10 is not taken from tobacco in this synthetic process....the only thing taken from the tobacco is a compound which is used as the starting material for chemically creating CoQ10. That is why it is referred to as a synthetic process. Tobacco or plants in general do not contain significant amounts of CoQ10

The pharmacy "information" is in direct contradiction of what is known by everyone else: (1) tobacco is the chief source of CoQ10 with an abundance of the enzyme and (2) the means by which CoQ10 is extracted is not chemical, although it might involve fermentation. (Note: The fermentation process might involve beets or fermented sugar cane.)

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: The doctor cited above comments on the importance of CoQ in partnership with other nutrients, including niacinamide, AKA nicotinic acid, niacin and vitamin B3. This is a form of nicotine, which could result from the alteration of nicotine as it is very unstable. Please see Facts about Nicotine.

Here is a study about it:

Tobacco biomass hydrolysate enhances coenzyme Q10 production using photosynthetic Rhodospirillum rubrum.
_http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20554198

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a potent antioxidative dietary supplement, was produced using a photosynthetic bacteria Rhodospirillum rubrum ATCC 25852 by submerged fermentation supplemented with tobacco biomass hydrolysate (TBH) in comparison with media supplemented with hydrolysates prepared with alfalfa (ABH) or spinach (SBH). Growth medium supplemented with 20% (v/v) TBH was found favorable with regard to cell density and CoQ10 concentration. The stimulation effects on cell growth (shortened lag phase, accelerated exponential growth, and elevated final cell concentration) and CoQ10 production (enhanced specific CoQ10 content per unit cell weight) could be attributed to the presence of solanesol, the precursor of CoQ10, in the tobacco biomass. The final yield of CoQ10 reached 20.16 mg/l in the fermentation medium supplemented with 20% TBH.

 

[happyliza]

Does anyone know why most people smoke ryo cigs with filters? I don't like using the filters as my papers are hemp and baccy is natural but the filters are anything but natural. I read above about the hemp filters but they are not readily available in some places.

The only reason I don't smoke with no filters is that the tobacco starts coming out the end and gets a bit strong on one's lips!

I was wondering if old fashioned cigarette holders would do - not the ones you get now with filters, and not the long ones in Audrey Hepburn's time. Just a plain regular cigarette holder. This way all is natural - no filters necessary. Plus it would be more economic as I would get more nicotine through so maybe could seek out a 'slim' version for thinner cigarettes.

If anyone knows of any good cigarette holders I will be able to order online. It is worth a try - if the cigarette remains inside the holder without the need for a filter.

Also I have noticed that when I am doing a lot of writing and have a ciggy in the opposite hand, I tend to get nicotine marks on my fingers which is not very lady like. Though my pumice stone sorts that out, but after a while, ie after condensed writing, the fingers can get a bit sore and sensitive fro too much scubbing.

 

[Psalehesost]

Here is a story that might be useful for those of you in need of nicotine but otherwise stranded in a very fascist anti-smoking setting. Quite a few in today's world :(

The other day I did a very difficult competitive test which was sort of like a massacre to filter out thousands of people. You are not allowed to get out for the duration of the test (5 hours). It didn't help that I absolutely needed nicotine to do this test. So I went to the pharmacy and inquired about nicotine patches. The lady who attended me told me that if I don't want to quit smoking, but still needed an infusion of nicotine in a non-smoking setting, then candy was the best way to go. So I got these mint candies with 1.5 mg of nicotine and OMG was it heavenly! I tried it first at the 2nd hour of the test and the boost I got was so great, that I had a candy underneath my tongue for the rest of the duration of the test. Well considering that if smoking would be allowed, I would had smoked the entire time.

My mind felt so sharp and I felt so relaxed that I actually had a lot of fun considering the circumstances. I don't know if I made the test cut, but still... Prior to the nicotine candy I was freaking out seeing that I was not going to have time to finish the test, but I actually was the first one to finish (5 minutes ahead of the 5th hour).

Pretty bad considering that we were all doctors... There you have it, no "great" knowledge can be applied when the medicine we learn prohibits us from much needed nicotine.

Usually I roll my cigarettes thinly, so I only get around 0.8 mg maximum of nicotine per cigarette. The candy was double the dose and for me it was a great difference. The only setback was that I couldn't find a candy with natural sweeteners.

Hope this trick helps someone, but what is more, hope no one will EVER find themselves in this situation.

Viva la smoking! :)

I didn't see this post until now, but want to add that there's also the option of making your own snus. Throughout the EU, it's banned outside of Sweden, but there's no preventing anyone from making their own. This option is quite cheap, is perhaps the most effective non-smoking way of delivering nicotine, but as with other alternatives to smoking, not really the same.

I made a post earlier in the thread here about my experience with snus making, and Aragorn replied with a complete recipe here.

A caveat, something I've learned in the past months: constant snus use can turn into a bit of an escape from emotional tension. Perhaps because, in being alkaline and temporarily dissolving the mucus membrane under one's lips where it's placed (it very slightly burns), it makes the body release some endorphins. (This is just my speculation.) Anyway, it can easily become something turned to for a little bit of comfort.

For the times when one can't smoke, I still think it's the best smokeless option, but it's no longer something I use all day. (I used to use snus AND smoke throughout the day.)

 

[1peacelover]

People use the filters so they don't have little bits of tobacco at the end. In my circle, people use Quintessential Hemp Filter Tips, here you can find the information, http://www.1percent.com/quintessential-hemp-filter-tips.html.

I found using Pitara rolling tips fantastic & I always have extras so I can give them as gifts to my smoking friends. Very easy to use. It acts like a filter without filtering anything. Info, here, http://www.smokepitara.com/store.

 

[fabric]

Does anyone know why most people smoke ryo cigs with filters? I don't like using the filters as my papers are hemp and baccy is natural but the filters are anything but natural. I read above about the hemp filters but they are not readily available in some places.

The only reason I don't smoke with no filters is that the tobacco starts coming out the end and gets a bit strong on one's lips!

I was wondering if old fashioned cigarette holders would do - not the ones you get now with filters, and not the long ones in Audrey Hepburn's time. Just a plain regular cigarette holder. This way all is natural - no filters necessary. Plus it would be more economic as I would get more nicotine through so maybe could seek out a 'slim' version for thinner cigarettes.

If anyone knows of any good cigarette holders I will be able to order online. It is worth a try - if the cigarette remains inside the holder without the need for a filter.

Also I have noticed that when I am doing a lot of writing and have a ciggy in the opposite hand, I tend to get nicotine marks on my fingers which is not very lady like. Though my pumice stone sorts that out, but after a while, ie after condensed writing, the fingers can get a bit sore and sensitive fro too much scubbing.

I prefer the filters as I find the tobacco too strong when on it's own. I also think it makes it 'taste' better. The ones I use are the RAW 100% cotton brand...

_http://rawthentic.com/accessories/filters/?age-verified=18889d1004

They're relatively easy to get (ie, Amazon, Ebay) or at most online tobacco shops.