Here are the rules for a happy life. Choose a nice big smoker, not one of those pencil slim Binghams. Get an A4 sized bit of newspaper and crumple it up. Add a little dry fuel. Not cardboard, because its often treated with a fire retardant.
Straw burns too quick.
Choose a fuel that burns slowly and without too 'hot' a smoke. Watch for fuels that will produce chemical vapours. The idea is to add a bit of fuel, pump the bellows so it's well alight, add more, pump more and so on. Put the final ration of fuel in and shut the lid. Pump every now and again when using it and refuel as necessary.