Last cigarette was four years ago.

[230RN]

07 SEP 2017

Don't miss 'em a bit.

Was not easy, but was doable with grit and determination.

No "programs," but I cut a small 1-1/4" square of lightweight aluminum to hold between my fingers and blow on to make it spin.  I was thinking to patent that, but figured I'd let it go for the benefit of Humanity. 

The other thing was kind of making a game of predicting my next craving... like after hanging up a telephone, or pouring a cup of coffee, or getting going in the car, or getting done with almost any chore or task.  Out would come the aluminum square.

The worst thing was with writing.  I used to smoke like crazy while writing; the concentrating on the task made me lose track of the fact that I was chain-smoking... and as above, each paragraph was like a task ending, so I'd frequently light up another without thinking about it.

Going #2 was a problem, too.  Yeah, yeah, you laugh, but think about it.

Oh, and the money.  I was spending over 5 big ones a year on smoking.

Still not easy but I dood it.

Four years.

Terry, 230RN

[Ben]

Congratulations! The old man always said that willpower was one of the best human traits.

[K Frame]

Nice. I need to give it another try.

[Brad Johnson]

Congrats! Nine years and counting for me.

Nice. I need to give it another try.

Try vape. Seriously. Get a tobacco-flavored juice with middle-of-the-road nicotine levels so you can still puff, but without all the carcinogens and nasty smell of cigs. That's what's kept me off smokes for most of a decade. Way cheaper, too. I figure I have about twenty bucks a month in juice and coils.

Brad

[Boomhauer]

Congrats! Nine years and counting for me.


Try vape. Seriously. Get a tobacco-flavored juice with middle-of-the-road nicotine levels so you can still puff, but without all the carcinogens and nasty smell of cigs. That's what's kept me off smokes for most of a decade. Way cheaper, too. I figure I have about twenty bucks a month in juice and coils.

Brad

Yep. Vaping with decreasing levels of nicotine to zero is what got my father to quit plus it’s a hell of a lot cheaper

[BobR]

Congrats on keeping it up. I would never lecture people on the detrimental health effects of smoking, they know them. I would point out the cost and other things they could do with the money, maybe it helped, maybe it didn't but it planted the seed. :)

bob

[230RN]

Congrats! Nine years and counting for me.

Try vape. Seriously. Get a tobacco-flavored juice with middle-of-the-road nicotine levels so you can still puff, but without all the carcinogens and nasty smell of cigs. That's what's kept me off smokes for most of a decade. Way cheaper, too. I figure I have about twenty bucks a month in juice and coils.

Brad

Well, if substitutes work, all the better, but after several tries with electronic cigs and the like, I decided that didn't work for me.

Same thing when I quit drinking.  I will not drink alcohol-free beer because it triggered the same engrams in my head (hence, desire) for real beer.  I used to love beer with pizza, but even today, 28 years after quitting drinking, I still think twice when I'm going to have pizza.

It's OK, but it's like the anticipation game I noted in the OP:  "Ha-ha, gotcha, you damned craving.  Now go away and let me be."

Good on you, Brad, but substitutes are not for me.  I just quit, went through the agony for a week, ten days or so (in both cases), and "walked it off."  On the other hand, I would never condemn substitutes for anyone else.  Whatever works.

It even took a while for the "I wonder if I have enough for the weekend" thoughts to go away when driving by a liquor store.  (At the time, liquor stores in Colorado were closed by law on Sundays.)

Terry, "Less noble than all this would make you think," 230RN

ETA: Thanks, BobR.  Agreed. Posted this before I saw your post.

[Brad Johnson]

Well, if substitutes work, all the better, but after several tries with electronic cigs and the like, I decided that didn't work for me.

Same thing when I quit drinking.  I will not drink alcohol-free beer because it triggered the same engrams in my head (hence, desire) for real beer.  I used to love beer with pizza, but even today, 28 years after quitting drinking, I still think twice when I'm going to have pizza. It's OK, but it's like the anticipation game I noted in the OP.

Nope.  Good on you, but not for me.  Just quit, go through the agony for a week, ten days or so (in both cases), and "walk it off."

It even took a while for the "I wonder if I have enough for the weekend" thoughts to go away when driving by a liquor store.  (At the time, liquor stores were closed by law on Sundays.)

Terry, "Less noble than all this would make you think," 230RN

Congrats were for you. Quitting ain't easy.

Vape recommendation was for K-frame.

Brad

[grampster]

Congrats.  I remember when you decided to quit.  I admire your moxie.  I quit maybe 20+ years ago.  Though I have had maybe 10 cigs total over that 20 some years at a campfire after a few beers.

I have emphysema that started up about late 2019, thanks to those dang things.

[RocketMan]

Congrats on the nixing cigarettes anniversary, Terry.  Good job.

[T.O.M.]

Like Terry, for me it was the habit/time thing.  Get in the car to drive to work, light one up.  Get in the car to drive home, light one up.  Head to my workshop to surf the net, light one up.  So, it was about changing the habits.  Don't go to my workshop after wife heads to bed.  Playing XBOX instead of surfing.  XBOX is inside the house.  No smoking in the house.  The driving thing...I cleaned the car really well, and (mostly) killed the smoke smell, so making myself not smoke in the car so it doesn't get the smell back.

I'm only coming up on 3 months (since June 17), but I'm doing it this time.

[230RN]

Glad to hear from you on this topic and especially glad to hear about the three months.

I will say this.  It's sure harder to get through that three months than my four years.  Like I said, I don't miss 'em a bit.

[brimic]

It gets easier and easier the further you get away from that last cigarette. My worst issue was weight gain after quitting.

[Unisaw]

Congrats!  I "quit" after 1 cigarette in 2nd grade.  The post chaplain's son led me astray before his sister ratted us out. 

[MechAg94]

Like Terry, for me it was the habit/time thing.  Get in the car to drive to work, light one up.  Get in the car to drive home, light one up.  Head to my workshop to surf the net, light one up.  So, it was about changing the habits.  Don't go to my workshop after wife heads to bed.  Playing XBOX instead of surfing.  XBOX is inside the house.  No smoking in the house.  The driving thing...I cleaned the car really well, and (mostly) killed the smoke smell, so making myself not smoke in the car so it doesn't get the smell back.

I'm only coming up on 3 months (since June 17), but I'm doing it this time.

Those situational habits can be pretty strong.  I don't smoke, but that applies for me with snacking or other bad habits.

My grandfather smoked.  When we visited when I was a kid the smoke from his cigarettes almost always drifted right at me.  I guess that was one reason I was never tempted to start.

[JTHunter]

Good for you !
You found something that worked for you and persevered.

Personal note - as a student at a certain southern IL-ANNOY college in the mid-70s, there were hawkers passing out 5 cig boxes of "Merit" brand to promote the brand.  I had actually started smoking a pipe the year before as a freshman, but I never actually inhaled as I coughed uncontrollably.  By the end of college, I had switched to cigars for the convenience, portability, and variety.  I didn't inhale those either and, after the death of a beloved grandparent shortly before my 21st birthday, I cut back on the cigars as well.  The last one I had was after I got some in Key West in 2003.  The only "inhaling" I ever did was NOT a "tobacco product" and haven't done that in 40 years. 

[230RN]

Congrats!  I "quit" after 1 cigarette in 2nd grade.  The post chaplain's son led me astray before his sister ratted us out. 

Hilarious.

,... to the barkeeper, who was seeing the chaplain's wife.

Terry, "Good Story Puncher-Upper," 230RN

[Lennyjoe]

Congrats.  I quit cigs in 1990 and have picked up another smoking habit in the last 3 years…

[230RN]

I went the cigar route, too, but discovered I was inhaling anyhow.  Besides, I was smoking tiparillos and I was starting to find the plastic tips all over the place. 

So I went back to square one with cigarettes. Rats.