Why is cigarette smoking so widely accepted by AA members

[Brandon1981]

Only requirement of AA is a desire to quit drinking alcohol.

I personally hate cigarettes - and watching my dear mother pass away from her addiction to them via lung cancer 3 years ago is what threw my drinking off a cliff.

I may have opinions on what other people put into their bodies, but I keep it to myself. I do really like that in my 40 years of life, the amount of smoking I see around me has decreased significantly, but am reminded it's still an issue outside of AA meetings.

[PaigeB]

I am currently struggling with this addiction. I haven't smoked for 2 months now.

Congrats! Keep it up... If you start to weaken in your resolve there are many support systems out there for you. If you are an AA member, I am certain you will find MANY folks who have quit the cigarettes among us!

[D'oh]

I didn't start Smokiing until I came in the doors the first time. The rooms were filled with Smoke, even in the Rectory Meeting (My First Meeting).

I never wound up in Handcuffs due to Cigarettes.

However when I relapsed after 12 years Sober, I didn't stop Smoking. By far the worse of 2 evils

[Layne]

I went to AA for help with my problem with alcohol. In working the 12 steps I got help with other problems of mine that I hadn't previously recognized as problems, that as it turned out were bad for my sanity, health, and spiritual condition. I also learned to let go of the fact that what I viewed as problems for other people, might vary from what they viewed as their problems.

[D'oh]

I went to AA for help with my problem with alcohol. In working the 12 steps I got help with other problems of mine that I hadn't previously recognized as problems, that as it turned out were bad for my sanity, health, and spiritual condition. I also learned to let go of the fact that what I viewed as problems for other people, might vary from what they viewed as their problems.

It has always been easier to take someone else's Inventory than my own.

AA did heal my Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Illness! When ever I let it, no Ask for it

[Theo50]

I think it is a human trait to take someone else's Inventory rather than one's own. It certainly is easier and I find I need to work on this all the time.
As alcoholics, I also believe that we can justify our other addictions such as smoking cigarettes just like we justified our drinking. I know I could always justify my drinking.

[Macworkz]

Quitting nicotine was harder for me than alcohol pot or Coke. It's highly addictive and has different types of concentrations of chemicals they put in the processed tobacco to be highly addictive. From a cultural standpoint it comes down to profit margins. Those companies don't give a rip about you or anybody else.
AA loved me when I could not love myself. They taught me the true meaning of unconditional love. Once I love myself to address the potential pain I quit. And I haven't smoked since.
My experience has been that people that learn to love themselves will quit anything that is destructive to them as a matter of course in doing the next right thing. I always ask new members if they realize yet that smoking cigarettes is a form of suicide.