#3: For first timers- how to light a Cigarrete (at your own risk)

Part One - Lighting The Cigarrete

1) Tamp the pack. There are certain preparatory rituals associated with smoking, and chief among those is "packing." This is accomplished by inverting an unopened pack of cigarettes, and rapping it smartly, three to six times, against a table or your palm (spanking the camel). This condenses the loose tobacco so that it's a little tighter in the paper, and in theory, burns a little smoother.

                                         

2) Open the pack. Either tear open one end of the exposed silver foil, or for flip-top packs, remove the cellophane, then the foil.

                                        

At this point, many people remove the first cigarette, invert it so the tobacco side is up, and then replace it in the package. For some, this is for good luck. For others, it's just a ritual that they may have learned from another smoker. In any case, the lucky cigarette is the last one smoked.

3) Remove a cigarette. A new pack of cigs will be fairly tightly packed. Invert the pack of exposed cigarettes, and rap against your finger to encourage the cigarettes to come out of the pack. When one has emerged far enough to take up with your fingers, do so.

• A pack that's been partially emptied will be much easier to retrieve cigarettes from.

                                              

There is a significant degree of coolness imparted when one removes the emerging cigarette with teeth and lips, rather than fingers.

                                              

4) Hold the cigarette. Whether you pull it from the pack with your fingers or your mouth, you'll eventually be holding the cigarette. This is an entirely personal choice with no rules, but there are some common method of smoking to be aware of:

• Classic. Hold the cigarette between the index and middle finger, between the first and second knuckle, palm facing downward.

                                               

5) Put the cigarette in your mouth. If you pulled it out of the pack with your teeth, you're already there. If not, put the filtered end of the cigarette between your lips.

                                                 

Some prefer to smoke on one side or another, others in the middle. If you want to know, before you light up in public for the first time, try practicing with a pen or pencil to see what feels right for you.

                                                   

If you're smoking unfiltered cigarettes ("straights"), in theory it doesn't matter which end you put between your lips. In general, however, you'll insert the end with the logo or brand on it.

6) Light up! Bring your match or lighter up to the tip of the cigarette, and suck in as if you're sucking a milkshake through a straw. Don't inhale when lighting a cigarette: just take a couple short, firm draws on it to get the tobacco lit. Factory-made cigarettes will generally light quickly, and burn uniformly.