Does smoking a cigarette break the one-hour fast?

[John13]

I am a smoker. I need to to smoke before going places and especially after I wake. If I do not, I start feeling like I really need a smoke and no matter how hard I try I cannot detour from this thought. I have witnessed a number of churches with public ashtrays for disposing of cigarette butts. So is it breaking the fast if I have a smoke at home and then go to church? It really isn’t eating, but I still wonder.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

No, smoking does not break the Communion fast. (And, for that matter, before this question inspires a similar one, neither does chewing tobacco.) Tobacco is not a food and smoking or chewing is not eating.

That said, if you cannot bear to postpone having a cigarette for a couple of hours, then that could indicate a serious addiction problem that you might want to consult with a doctor about. I know cigarette smokers, some of whom have addiction issues, and have never known any of them to be so consumed with smoking that they could not postpone having a cigarette for a few hours should prudence suggest doing so. That you experience this might mean that you could have an addiction so strong as to require medical intervention.