Daily blog (audio): It's not how long since, it's how long to [Smoking, but the same with anything]

<p>It's not how long since, it's how long to [Smoking, but the same with anything]</p> <p><br> <br> We're on a mission to help one million people RISE by 2030 - join the movement at <a href="http://www.myrise.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.myrise.co.uk</a></p> <p><br></p> <p>It’s amazing to think that up until the late 1980s you could smoke on a plane.</p> <p>I have vague memories of people doing so.</p> <p>The Australians were the first to ban smoking on planes in 1987 and the rest of the world followed suit shortly after.</p> <p>Not long before that it had been practically encouraged.</p> <p>“Complimentary cigars” on “men only” services in the 50s show how much the world has changed, in more ways than one.</p> <p>Anyway……..</p> <p>Studies into people’s cravings for smoking in the years after the ban showed a number of interesting things.</p> <p>The most interesting (to me, at least) is what had the biggest effect on the levels of cravings.</p> <p>It wasn’t how long SINCE their last smoke.</p> <p>It was how long (or how soon) until their next one.</p> <p>Right from the start of a short flight, people reported high levels of cravings.</p> <p>They knew they would be able to smoke in an hour or two and really wanted to do it now.</p> <p>You’d assume that on long haul flights the cravings would start at the same time and continue or worsen for the rest of the flight.</p> <p>But, in most cases, people found the first bit relatively easy.</p> <p>The first 8 hours of a 10 hour flight not too bad.</p> <p>But the last two, when they were only a few hours from being able to smoke, were much harder.</p> <p>Time since mattered less than time until.</p> <p>And it’s the same with our eating.</p> <p>We’ve probably gone days or weeks at times without cake, biscuits, ice cream, alcohol and the like and it not been a big deal.</p> <p>Put it in front of us?</p> <p>Put us only seconds from having it?</p> <p>And the cravings can feel overwhelming.</p> <p>When we decide on a time on when we can start drinking………</p> <p>6p