Hello again Marty. Of course I am bringing this one up again for obvious reasons. The risks of carrying cigarettes as discussed in this letter are obvious. But there is another issue not mentioned in here. It is at what point does a person move on from the emotional state of being a smoker trying to quit to the phase of considering him or herself an ex-smoker. See, ex-smokers, or non-smokers or never smokers don't carry cigarettes. There is no reason to. Smoking is not a part of their life anymore or in the case of a never smoker, it never was. As long as you keep cigarettes you are keeping the mindset that you are a smoker trying not to smoke. As long as you feel this mindset, you will have issues of being a smoker trying not to smoke. Some where down the line you want to change your attitude to that of an ex-smoker. You are still at risk as an ex-smoker, one puff and the quit can go out the window, but the time period that you are fixated on thoughts of smoking will get further and further apart and diminish in overall intensity. This can all expedited by the simple act of getting rid of cigarettes. So besides the obvious risk, the less than obvious ones are also worth considering.
We are all dealing with addiction here. Carrying cigarettes once you have quit is as logical as carrying a flask of alcohol when in recovery for alcoholism or carrying heroin or cocaine when recovering from those substances. The risks are great. It may cost the recovering addict their quit. In the case of illegal substances, it may cost them their freedom. While the smoker may not end up incarcerated from carrying their cigarettes, it can ultimately take an even higher toll, it can, if under a weak moment or a temporary loss of judgment it can cost him or her their quit and that can cost him or her their health and ultimately their life. It simply is not worth the risk. Your best route for mental health and for physical health is always to keep yourself nicotine free. The best way to accomplish that is not having personal sources of nicotine and when encountering other people's stashes to stay focused on the fact that your plan is to never take another puff!
Joel