Aspies don't smoke?

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(please, don't vote if you don't have an ASD)

I want to test my hypothesis according to which most people smoke because they feel like it's cool, and they feel it in a NT way (in a way that aspies can't feel). If it turns out to be true, I'll know that someone most likely isn't an aspie, because he smokes.

I know that most of the smokers are men. However, this is compatible with my hypothesis.

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I don't think there's a correlation between people smoking and being aspie. Because there can be many factors why someone starting smoking other then trying to be "cool". I did know an aspie who did smoke, I didnt know why he started tho. I mean all those messages to kids make it seem like that most people start smoking due to peer pressure. I dont know if thats nessarily true.

I don't smoke. I think there isn't a strong correlation between smoke/don't smoke and not ASD/ASD. However, when someone on the spectrum dislikes smoking, he does it extremely. Me and my suspected HFA friend hates every bit of it, I even get angry when I have to inhale smoke on the street accidentally.

On again off again. I started in my twenties, with only a cigarette once in awhile. In the last six months I've worked my way up to 7 cigarettes a day. I've become psychologically addicted to the relaxing sensation of nicotine. It's a stimulant, but it feels relaxing.

I quit a week ago, but I feel the urge all the time. It's a dangerous thing to pick up if you have compulsive tendencies.

I've personally never smoked and wouldn't want to start. I know many people with AS who do smoke though so I don't think smoking is something people with diagnosed AS do not do.

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I have HFA, ADHD, OCD & Tourette syndrome. I love animals, especially my bunnies and hamster. I skate in a roller derby team (but I'll try not to bite )

I smoked tobacco regularly since I was about 10 years old, untill a couple of years ago. Now I don't smoke it at all. Don't know what that says about Aspies and smoking.

According to the results so far, my hypothesis is invalid.

You mentioned that there might be other reasons for one to start smoking. Could someone list them?

I've written quite a lot regarding this topic before so I'll be brief here.

Autistic spectrum individuals are notably, and significantly, not smokers. In fact, this attribute is a diagnostic feature. Amongst all neuro/psych disorders, ASD are remarkably distinct in that we do NOT smoke as opposed to all the others. For instance, the proportion of smokers amongst schizophrenics is astronomically high as compared to the general population.

In brief (since I've covered before): ASD are associated with nicotonic receptors in the brain where our nicotonic receptors are literally flooded; to smoke would be nearly overflow to even sickening. (Please do check this out on PubMed, for instance). Separately, as far as sociological influences regarding smoking: Correct, in that we know that many smokers begin smoking (i.e., as teen-agers) because it's "popular" and/or "cool" and we know that ASD individuals may be largely excluded from these societal peer pressures.

I tried it and threw up. Surprisingly, I don't smoke.

I smoked a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far away called Nevaaaaar.

The poll results so far seem consistent with the % of smokers in the general population, at around 20%:

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=2 ... opic=16083

I smoked from when I was 18 to 34. I was initially desensitised to the smoke as I came from a home where both parents smoke and starting was not difficult at all. In fact, I wondered at first what the fuss was all about with regards to nicotine addiction, but it was a useful "prop" for socialising purposes and I stuck with it. It was only a few years down the line that I realised I was well and truly hooked.

When I was young I had been vehemently anti-smoking so I'm not sure what turned me around, though I did start at much the same time a really got into drinking alcohol, so perhaps that had something to do with it.