My dad started on pall malls in the army in the early 60s. It seemed to be a thing back then.
We used to get them in C Rations. Four cigs as I recall. And no, I wasn't in the Army at the time, we just knew them GIs had a stash, By the time we got them I bet they were 20 years old, dried out, and nasty.
I started with a Marlboro as I recall, given to me by my older bro so he could smoke one and so that I couldn't tell. It was off to the races then.
Smoked whatever I could get my hands on, BullDurham, Tops, Bugler, cigs stolen from my mom or other kid's parent. Ride up to the door of the gas station "office", hop off the bicycle, throw a quarter in the machine and push buttons. No time to look as by this time Elvin was cussing us from the lift bays. Whatever came out got smoked by me and buds.
Forge a note from folks, take to little neighborhood store, get smokes.
Stop at liquor store on way to school, get some Hostess crap, one guy distract owner, someone else takes smokes from display on counter. Someone leave a window open in their car and smokes on the dashboard.............whoosh, they gone.
Smoked butts out of ashtrays when needed.
Horrible addiction and I firmly believe I was addicted before that first one given me by my brother. The old man always had a cigar going, or was chewing the stub, if he was awake. Mom always smoked when she wasn't pregnant "to lose weight" she'd gained having kids. In the closed up house, in the car with the windows rolled up in winter. Didn't matter, they were always smoking.
By the time I quit 36 years ago this coming April, I was smoking 2.5-3 packs a day on average and if it was long day, up around a campfire type of day, it was probably more. Mostly Marlboro red, then lights, then some sort of "low tar" brand I can't recall because I knew I was gonna smoke 2+ packs that day. Not to mention chewing leaf tobacco at times while smoking, doing snuff (not the Copenhagen type) , and enjoying the odd cigar.
Can't imagine smoking now, it was $2 a pack when I quit and it used up a bunch of my take home pay then.
Anyone smoking now that wants to quit, when you do just remember to not smoke the first one. My old man figured that out on his own and probably hadn't had a cigar (he smoked a 5 pack a day at least, White Owls, Phillies) for close to 20 yeas when he passed.
Don't smoke the first one, don't bum just one from your buddy, don't just take a dip from a friend. If you're seriously addicted it's almost guaranteed you'll start back up.
