Vault: Is Jenn still smoking?

Summary

The Bert Show Podcast Summary

Episode: Vault: Is Jenn still smoking?
Date: July 17, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on a candid group discussion about the challenges of quitting smoking, personal journeys with addiction, and the impact of smoking on relationships. The main focus is on Jenn’s efforts to quit smoking, her experiences with hypnosis therapy, and how the topic resonates with other show members and listeners. Honest reflections, practical advice, and raw opinions flow freely, making for a relatable and often humorous exploration of an issue that touches many lives.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introductions & Atmosphere

• [01:19] The show opens with hosts Patrick, Jeff, Wendy, Melissa, Jen, and Stacey exchanging playful banter about allergies and pollen levels, setting a relaxed and friendly tone.

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Jenn’s Smoking Journey

• [02:09] Listener Jeff asks for an update on Jenn’s attempt to quit smoking and inquires about the hypnotist she visited.
• [02:21] Jenn shares her story:
  • She saw hypnotist Shawn Wheeler (website: purehypnosis.com), who helped “kick start the process” of seeing quitting as a major life decision, not merely breaking a habit.
  • Jenn admits her journey hasn’t been flawless: she slipped up on vacation and during a couple of nights out with friends but has mostly avoided daily smoking.
  • “But have I been perfect and flawless? Absolutely not. I fell off on vacation and had a few on vacation, but didn’t smoke for a long time when I came back. And then one, two, I think like two different nights [...] But I haven’t been smoking in my everyday life since.” (Jenn, [02:21])
  • She considers herself a non-smoker despite occasional relapses: “99% of my life is completely smoke free.”

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Defining a “Non-Smoker”

• [03:17] Patrick and Jeff probe the definition:
  • Patrick asks if Jenn considers herself a non-smoker.
  • Jeff shares his own journey, quitting smoking “three and a half years ago”, noting the struggle of a friend trying to quit with a nicotine patch.
  • Jenn discusses various quitting aids and the importance of mindset:
    • Hypnosis, gum, the patch, prescription medications, and the book "Easy Way to Quit Smoking" (can’t recall the author).
    • “The patch keeps you addicted to the nicotine, you know, so you still will need it if you continue with the patch for a long period of time.” (Jenn, [03:31])
  • Jenn emphasizes using whatever tool works but underscores the health risks: “Stories or pictures of people who have emphysema [...] that will change your mind. It will completely change your mind.”
  • She acknowledges it’s “something that I struggle with for a lot of my life” but identifies as a non-smoker now, even with slip-ups—seeking validation for this self-definition.

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Relationship Dynamics and Social Smoking

• [05:03] Patrick shares his difficulty coping with his wife’s return to smoking:
  • He doesn’t want to nag, but the smell and presence of smoke bother him emotionally and physically:
    • “I love my wife and I like my wife to be around [...] for a really long time for my kids [...] The superficial part is I don’t like kissing a smoker.” (Patrick, [06:03])
• [07:02] Jenn connects, citing her boyfriend’s non-smoker status as motivation:
  • “I felt gross being around him as a non-smoker. I just didn’t want it around him at all.”
  • She describes the mental burden of planning life around smoking: “A lot of brain space is taken up by wishing you were somewhere else smoking... when that’s gone, it really frees you up. Like, it really frees up your life.” (Jenn, [07:02])
• [08:39] The group supports Jenn's progress and discusses the identity shift from being a smoker to a non-smoker.

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Social Commentary and Health Impacts

• [09:25] A caller, Blythe, shares a dramatic anecdote about her mother being dependent on oxygen due to lifelong smoking.
  • Patrick and Blythe reflect on the ignorance of previous generations (“Our parents didn’t know any better...”) and express frustration with smoking in the present:
    • “I think if you’re smoking now, you’re just stupid.” (Patrick, [09:44])
    • “It is a death sentence.” (Patrick, [10:03])
• The team discusses the emotional weight for families and children of smokers.

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Societal Observations

• [10:58] The conversation turns to seeing pregnant women smoking:
  • Reactions range from disbelief to condemnation, underscoring how attitudes have changed.
  • Patrick references a past show moment where a listener defended smoking during pregnancy, challenging the research on its effects.
• Melissa, Jenn, and others agree that even a tiny risk to a child isn’t justifiable: “If the chance is 1/10 of 1%, why? Why would you do it? You know, it’s only nine months.” (Melissa, [11:58])

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Broader Reflections on Addiction

• [12:08] Stacey and Jen share their past as smokers, recognizing both the difficulty of quitting and the inevitable health consequences:
  • “It’ll kill you. It will kill you. It will kill you.” (Stacey, [12:08])
  • “There’s a reason why the doctors ask you if you’re a smoker. Because it will.” (Stacey, [12:23])
• The group reflects on how even former smokers are affected for life in medical records and ongoing health monitoring.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “99% of my life is completely smoke free.” – Jen, [02:21]
• “But have I been perfect and flawless? Absolutely not.” – Jen, [02:21]
• “To me, if you hear stories of or see pictures of people who have emphysema from a lifetime of smoking, that will change your mind.” – Jen, [03:31]
• “I love my wife and I like my wife to be around for a really long time for my kids.” – Patrick, [06:03]
• “A lot of brain space is taken up by wishing you were somewhere else smoking.” – Jen, [07:02]
• “I think if you’re smoking now, you’re just stupid.” – Patrick, [09:44]
• “It is a death sentence.” – Patrick, [10:03]
• “There’s a reason why the doctors ask if you’re a smoker. Because it will.” – Stacey, [12:23]

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Key Timestamps

• 01:19 – Sunday roundtable catch-up and allergy chat
• 02:09 – Jeff asks about Jenn’s smoking and hypnosis experience
• 02:21 – Jenn details her quitting journey and honesty about relapses
• 03:17 – Broader discussion on quitting methods and “non-smoker” identity
• 05:03 – Patrick shares frustrations about his wife smoking again
• 07:02 – Jenn explains how quitting freed up her mind and daily life
• 09:25 – Listener Blythe shares impact of smoking on her family
• 09:44 – Strong opinions expressed about smoking in modern times
• 10:58 – Debate over seeing pregnant women smoke
• 12:08 – Final reflections: health consequences, addiction, and the lingering effects for former smokers

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Tone and Takeaways

The tone is open, slightly irreverent, and supportive—blending honest confrontation of addiction’s realities with humor and empathy. The group normalizes struggle, celebrates small victories, and candidly shares personal and family stories, making the conversation accessible and encouraging for anyone facing similar challenges.

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Note: Commercial breaks and unrelated content have been omitted for clarity.

Transcript

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The Bird Show. Good morning, show listener. Patrick, how are you today, man?

[Jeff]

I'm good. How are y' all doing?

[Patrick (Host)]

Doing well. Let's go around the room. Wendy, how are you doing?

[Wendy]

I'm doing good. Just ready for the pollen particles to get out of every orifice of my body.

[Patrick (Host)]

That's a pretty picture. What is the pollen count today supposed to be?

[Wendy]

It's too high.

[Melissa]

I'll tell you exactly what it is. Hold, please.

[Patrick (Host)]

Hold on while jeffipedia takes a look for you. All right, so as he's looking when he's doing okay. Melissa, how are you?

[Wendy]

I'm doing good.

[Melissa]

It's low. It's 1440.

[Wendy]

Oh, okay, then I should be feeling

[Jen]

a lot better today.

[Melissa]

2563 yesterday, but now it's 1440. So we're good.

[Wendy]

We're getting down there.

[Patrick (Host)]

Jen, how are you?

[Melissa]

Good.

[Jen]

Really good.

[Patrick (Host)]

Jeff? I'm doing fine. It's a longer answer than you wanted, but what's up?

[Jeff]

Hey, y' all having too much fun. I was just curious of how Jean is doing on her not smoking and the name of her hypnosis that she went to.

[Patrick (Host)]

Well, we may want to do those in reverse order.

[Jen]

No, no, no. I'm doing well. I can't say that I have been flawless or perfect. But I went and saw a hypnotist named Shawn Wheeler. Hypno. His Twitter name is ipnoweel. And then what is his. It's purehypnosis.com it's his website. And it definitely kick started the process for me, made it more about a life decision and all that kind of stuff and kind of took it outside of the everyday addiction that you feel. But have I been perfect and flawless? Absolutely not. I fell off on vacation and had a few on vacation, but didn't smoke for a long time when I came back. And then one, two, I think like two different nights when I have been out having lots of drinks with friends. I have slipped up, but I haven't been smoking in my everyday life since. So I have had some slip ups but I've been able to for the most part that 99% of my life is completely smoke free.

[Patrick (Host)]

So you don't consider yourself a non smoker anymore?

[Jeff]

I quit three and a half years ago, but I have a friend who's trying to quit. He's using the patch and every time he takes it off he says he needs a cigarette.

[Jen]

Yeah, it's about his mindset too. And that patch keeps you addicted to the nicotine, you know, so you still, you still will need it if you continue with the patch for a long period of time. I think it's a great way to get you out of the habit part. And I think any way to help you stop is a great way. Whatever it is that you need to use it, whether it's those prescription medications that a lot of people have had success on, that a lot of people reach out that book, the Easy Way to Quit Smoking. I can't remember the name of the author, but it's been around since the 70s or 80s. Tons of people have had success on that. The gums, the patch, whatever it is that takes you to do it, you just gotta do it to me also if you, I mean this sounds awful to say, but if you hear stories of or see pictures of people who have emphysema from a lifetime of smoking, like that will change your mind. It will completely change your mind to me. And so yeah, no, I have not been perfect. And I think it may be something that I struggle with for a lot of my life. But as far as now I would consider myself a non smoker. Even though I've slipped up. Is that okay to do?

[Jeff]

I smoked for about 25 years and then I put it down and just walked away from them. But that was easy for Me, I understand. Not everybody can do that. She says I was just, you know, I'm trying to help my friend quit smoking. He needs to.

[Melissa]

So how long does she have to go not smoking at all before she's a non smoker?

[Patrick (Host)]

Jeff is asking under our breath. Jen said that she considers herself a non smoker now. And this is a pretty hot button with me right now because I see my wife's going through the same. Well, she's. My wife has decided not to become a non smoker right now. She stopped and then started and stopped and then started and now she's just, she's smoking quite a bit now. And Jen's smoking only when you go out?

[Jen]

No, it's been a couple of slip ups. Like every time I go out I don't smoke but it's definitely been here and there.

[Patrick (Host)]

Yeah, I'd consider you a non smoker at that point then.

[Jen]

But it's not every time or it's not like every time I have a drink or whatever. But I have definitely screwed up.

[Stacey]

Well, I commend your focus through whatever he was doing while he called us. I don't know if the loud call or is it just me?

[Patrick (Host)]

Yeah, it does sound like he was on a cash register.

[Stacey]

Yeah, I don't know what the hell he was moving the pallets that he was knocking against the phone. But anyway, I recommend your.

[Melissa]

I mean I know you're non smoker but do you have a cigarette now? Because I could really use one.

[Jen]

No, I don't, I don't. That's the good news. Like I don't have any. I don't have lighters, I don't have matches, I don't have any of that kind of stuff and been one of those annoying people that bum one.

[Melissa]

Give me one of your airline bottles of liquor then.

[Patrick (Host)]

Yeah, Stacey and I, I'm not, I still don't know how to handle this with my wife. I really don't. I just know that she's smoking and she has been smoking and she's not ready to quit. But it hits me on so many different levels, so many different levels that I just don't know where to start with her. Like I know she's not ready to quit smoking and I don't want to be a nag and stay on it. But also, I mean I'm in this relationship also and I love my wife and I like my wife to be around for a really long time for my kids. That's the deep part of it. The superficial part is I don't like kissing a smoker. I don't like when my wife walks by that I can smell cigarette smoke on her. I hate when my wife walks in the house and I want to put a kiss on her. That as I'm approaching, I can smell cigarettes. It really, really affects me. And I don't want to be a pushy dude, but we're all in this together, you know.

[Jen]

That was a huge reason behind me stopping smoking too. Because my boyfriend does not smoke. And I don't want to smell like it around him, taste like it. Like, ew. Like I. I felt gross being around him as a non smoker. I just didn't want. I just didn't want it around him at all. So when we first started dating or whatever, I mean, I would go, you know, like long date days and not smoking. Like in the back of my mind being like, hey, going crazy. You know, and then I thought, that's stupid. Like, I'm really enjoying myself here. Like, I don't want to wish I was somewhere else because I really want to be right here, you know? And I think that, you know, when you're smoking, I think the hardest. The hardest part about it is you're always. A lot of brain space is taken up by wishing you were somewhere else smoking. Because you can't smoke inside. You can't smoke in a lot of, like parking decks anymore. You can't smoke, you know, I mean, you're like banned to the dumpster area of most buildings if you're gonna smoke. You can't smoke in restaurants or bars except for the vortex and. But you know what I'm saying, like, you know, you have to sort of really have a lot of your time of your day thought about, do I have enough in my. For me, it was, do I have enough left in the pack to make it through the day? You know, can I go out tonight or do I need to stop at the gas station? Get them. Do I have a lighter in my purse? Where is the lighter in my purse? You know, where are the matches? Are they out yet? You know? You know, oh, I should go talk to my friend so and so down the hall. Cause they smoke and I should go have a lunch break with them. Like, there's so many different thoughts throughout your whole day consumed with it that when that's gone, it's really frees you up. Like, it really frees up your life,

[Melissa]

but you're really doing a good self or something that Stacy can't do.

[Patrick (Host)]

Well, I know she can.

[Stacey]

That's.

[Wendy]

She Can.

[Patrick (Host)]

I know she can.

[Jen]

When I first met Stacy, she didn't smoke, right?

[Patrick (Host)]

Yeah. And now for years. And I also. There's. There's a part of me also that sort of feels like she was. There was. There were stages. There was non smoking, then it became just smoking while she was drinking. Then it became regular smoking, then she was smoking, but she was never smoking in front of me. And now she's smoking in front of me, which pisses me off.

[Stacey]

When did that start?

[Patrick (Host)]

A couple of weeks ago. She invited me out on the patio. We had some people over the house, and there she was, just lighting up. Like, has totally forgotten how much it bugs me. And then it happened the other day also. And I hate everything about it. Everything about it. Hey, Blythe, Good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller (Blythe)]

Hey, good morning. Burt Show.

[Patrick (Host)]

Good morning.

[Melissa]

Hey.

[Caller (Blythe)]

I was just gonna say my mother is hauling around oxygen from, you know, a lifetime of smoking, and she's miserable to be around.

[Patrick (Host)]

Yeah. My dad has emphysema so bad now he can't. He can't walk 100ft without hitting some oxygen.

[Caller (Blythe)]

That's how my mom is. Except she has it 24 7.

[Patrick (Host)]

Well, I see. My thing with that is that our parents didn't know any better. They were ignorant. Like, they didn't know how bad cigarette smoking was, so they were going for it. Now they have to. Obviously, they got the repercussions. Personally, I know this sounds harsh. Harsh language right here. I think if you're smoking now, you're just stupid.

[Caller (Blythe)]

I mean, you know, it's the stupidest thing anyone can do.

[Patrick (Host)]

It is a death sentence. And, you know, and gosh, this sounds so hard. The words are coming out of my mouth, but I'm getting passionate about it now. It's not fair. I mean, you're killing yourself in front of your kids. If you have kids and you're smoking, you're doing a tremendous disservice for everybody in your family.

[Caller (Blythe)]

Amen.

[Stacey]

You know, I. I think that for a lot of people. For a lot of people. And I don't know if it's human nature or whatever it is, but this whole. In the future, 20 years from now, you know, like, when you're thinking, when you're warning about the end of their life and how the end of their life is coming, and this is with food and with cigarettes and with drinking and with everything, I think it's hard for people to think, oh, I know I should be the perfect weight, and I know I should be exercising, and I Know I should, but it's so hard to do it. And I think it's the same mentality with smoking. But I do know that smoking will kill you. The other ones might kill you. It might kill you to have that candy bar. It might kill you to have that drink. It will kill you to have that cigarette.

[Jen]

I heard a couple of friends the other day who saw like a very pregnant girl go outside and smoke a cigarette.

[Wendy]

Oh, no.

[Melissa]

I used to work with a girl who would drink and smoke at like, I mean, big, big belly, pregnant. I don't know if she's seven. When does the belly. You know how the belly gets.

[Stacey]

Don't look at me.

[Jen]

I don't know where you can tell

[Stacey]

where it's like a kid.

[Wendy]

She started like three months, six months.

[Melissa]

Not a pooch.

[Jen]

Like the belly, that's like what, seven

[Melissa]

and a half, eight months, something like that.

[Patrick (Host)]

Well, you remember that virtual listener we had on years ago that was smoking while she was pregnant. And she said, you know, my parents smoked when they were pregnant with me. I'm fine. My grandparents smoked. And she said, go ahead, go online and find real concrete research that shows something happens to your infant when you smoke during pregnancy. And we had a couple of people researching it and the evidence wasn't so black and white.

[Melissa]

I know. Unfortunately, the thought is, why would you

[Jen]

do anything that could put sensation if

[Melissa]

the chance is 1/10 of 1%, why? Why would you do it? You know, it's only nine months.

[Patrick (Host)]

I understand it's hard to do, but

[Jen]

it's hard to quit it really.

[Melissa]

I know.

[Stacey]

Yeah. It just. But yeah, I mean, I, I'm a former smoker. I mean, I was stupid too. I. It's just. But it, you know, it'll kill you. It will kill you. It will kill you.

[Jen]

It will.

[Stacey]

And from the from now to.

[Melissa]

You're so negative.

[Stacey]

Yeah, I know.

[Patrick (Host)]

God, Melissa, can't you be more positive about people killing?

[Stacey]

God, Melissa, why do you have to be so opinionated all the time? Your opinions, blah, blah, blah. But it's just, I mean, there's a reason why the doctors ask you if you're a smoker. Because it will. Even now with me, with Jen, you know, people who had smoked when we're 80, you know, God willing, will live to be 80. It'll still be part of our record and the doctor's concern for us.

[Patrick (Host)]

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