The number of smokers today is much smaller than when I was growing up.

My mother was a smoker and many of her friends were too.

I started smoking my senior year in high school. My family had no particular objections.

Cigarettes were, to the best of my memory, 25 cents a pack

That was over 50 years ago and 25 cents seemed like a lot of money at that time. I swore if they ever got as high as 50 cents a pack I would quit smoking.

I did eventually give up the habit, but it didn’t have anything to do with the cost of cigarettes.

I developed a bronchial infection and was having a difficult time breathing. It seemed I could not take a deep breath without almost choking. I didn’t really have much of a choice.

I put my cigarettes down and didn’t pick them back up again.

In the meantime, the cost of a pack of cigarettes continued to climb. I knew they were expensive, but had no idea how expensive.

It seems the most I ever paid for a carton of cigarettes was around $5 which figured out to 50 cents a pack for 10 packs to a carton.

If I was going to continue to smoke, I would have to pay for my own cigarettes, my mother warned. At that time it was still more of a money issue than a health issue.

Cigarettes didn’t carry a warning message and you didn’t hear of folks dying of lung cancer.

Smoking was addictive, that’s for sure, but we didn’t think of it as being dangerous.

After I put my cigarettes away all those years ago, I never smoked again. I knew, and still realize, that all I would have to do to be hooked again is to take a draw on one cigarette.

I’m ashamed to tell you that I was smoking over two packs a day when I quit. I was a regular smoke stack puffing away.

A cigarette still smells good to me. I have several friends who smoke and I don’t object to their second-hand smoke.

My smoking friend and I were talking the other day about the cost.

I couldn’t believe a carton of cigarettes is now over $20. That’s a long way from $2.50 a carton.

That’s enough to keep me from smoking even if I were tempted which I definitely am not.

If you want to smoke, that’s your business. Just count me out.

In my opinion, a cigarette is not worth what it could cost you money-wise or health wise.

Contact Lifestyles Editor Catherine Monk at 997-3111 ext. 16, e-mail cmonk@yourdailyjournal.com.