"I am mom."

"O.k., you said that you were getting light headed. Does that mean you're inhaling?"

"What does that mean?"

"I mean you take a drag like this" she brought her cigarette to her lips and took a drag, then inhaled the smoke deep into her lungs. "Then breathe in like I did" Then she exhaled the smoke.

"Yea...kind of. But only once or twice. Any more than that and I'll pass out!!"

"That means you're inhaling. Your body doesn't know what to do with the smoke and its not used to it so you feel light headed. It will take a few weeks for that to go away. You'll slowly start to not notice that, except maybe in the morning or when you haven't smoked for a while" She said and took a final drag off her cigarette and extinguished the butt out. "Here, why don't we both smoke one together" she said as she opened her pack and removed two fresh ones.

"I don't know...to be honest I tried one this afternoon and I got pretty light headed"

"That's normal honey!! I try to help you and we'll work through this, you'll see!!"

Denise's mother handed her a cigarette which she accepted. She placed her cigarette in her mouth following her mothers lead.

"Now, when you light it, just suck on it bit and then blow the smoke out" Her mother said with her cigarette dangling from her lips, and the demonstrated by lighting her own cigarette. She extended the lighter over to her daughter and she repeated the process. She was a good pupil.

"That's it dear....now try sucking on it for less than a second and inhaling."

Denise drew on the freshly lit cigarette dangling in her mouth like her mother said and inhaled. She exhaled right away and immediately noticed that the ill effects of the afternoon didn't over come her.

"Wow....I don't feel light headed like I did this afternoon. How come?" Denise asked.

"Well, I think you were taking too big of a drag....your body isn't used to that. You have to build up to where you can accept that."

Over the course of the next few minutes, Denise attempted 4 'mini' drags and inhales and felt slightly light headed, but nothing like this afternoon. Her mother explained that she needed to build her self up, and that could take sometime, but after a while, her own body would decide how long of drag and how deep an inhale she should take, something that she couldn't force.

The two women made dinner, and over the course of the evening, Denise had one more cigarette.

"Denise, honey, I know that when you begin smoking, the real pleasure is from the effects of the nicotine, and the smoke itself and it takes a while to get used to that. If over the course of the next few weeks you get sick of it, just let me know. I don't want to force this on you, but want to help you with it. After that time, the real pleasure of smoking kicks in, and it will be harder for you to stop then. Do you understand?" Her mother said.

"I do mom, and I will let you know" Denise responded.

Over the next few weeks, Denise would have her afternoon cigarette, one when her mother came home and one in the evening. Occasionally she would join her mother in a morning cigarette. Over time, her 'mini' drags became longer, as if it was her own bodies way of maintaining the same buzz she received from her first cigarette. Her smoking times became rituals and she found her self looking forward to her afternoon treat and evening delight as she would refer to them.

Her mother kept an open supply for her, but she never really increased her consumption. Even on weekends she maintained the same pattern, her afternoon cigarette, and two evening ones, with sometimes having one with her mother in the morning. One day, she noticed that she was inhaling on the entire cigarette, not just a few drags, and she noticed that she was taking more drags, not just the four or five she started with.

A few days later, she and her mother were sitting down to dinner when then began the usual routine of pulling out their cigarettes for their after dinner cigarette.

"You know sweetheart, I've noticed that you're taking longer drags" her mother said.

"I noticed that too mom.....I do seem to be enjoying it more...in fact, I look forward to my cigarette breaks" she responded.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to have a set schedule of when you can smoke honey. Go ahead and have one when you want."

"Yea, I know, but I just don't want to over do it and get too light headed"

"You're still getting lightheaded?" her mother asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"No, not really, but I think its because I've gotten used to the same amount of smoke each time"

"Actually dear, your drags are much longer now, and you actually inhale it too. Remember when you first started you were taking 'mini' drags?"

"You know...you're right."

"Pretty soon that one cigarette you have will be maxed out and you'll need another before you'd normally have your next one any way......You've been having one with me in the morning almost every day lately."

"Come to think of it, I do find myself thinking about a couple of hours after my morning cigarette, but I just wait until the afternoon."

"And how does that afternoon cigarette taste?"

"Oh I love that one the best!! Its so refreshing."

"Your body is wanting a cigarette in the early afternoon....its called a nicotine fit. I'm sure its not so strong like the ones I get sometimes, but maybe you should add a few to your routine."

"I'd have to smoke at school and don't have anybody to smoke with"

"what about your friend Jen?"

"Oh, she still tries it sometimes with me, but she can't smoke at home like I can, and isn't used to it yet. I feel so sorry for her sometimes"

"well, that's it!"

"What's it?"

"You and Jen can smoke at school and then come over here to smoke....I'm sure she'd like that don't you think?"