Who influenced you to start smoking?

[Karla1948]

For me, it was a combination of my mother and two girlfriends at school. I grew up watching my mother smoke, and always felt that I too would smoke one day. But it was when I came back to school for summer break, two of my best friends had started smoking during the summer, and that gave me the urge. I eventually told my mother that I wanted to smoke too, she had no problem with it, even told me that she expected it sooner or later, and offered me one of hers. It didn't take long until I too was smoking full time.

[cindysam]

It was my family. Everyone in my family were smokers, most from their very early teens so it was hard not to be influenced by them. No one encouraged me but I was always told to let them know when I started so I didn't have to hide it. I let my mom know shortly after my 13th b'day.