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Anybody who quit smoking cigarettes? How did you do it?

TM Riddle

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I smoke like one cigarette per day on an average and been doing this for about 4-5 years now. Fine it's not as bad as smoking packets like a chimney but would love to quit the nasty habit . I just don't wanna get cancer or similar diseases.
Anybody on this forum who quit smoking , How did you guys do it ?
 
I don't smoke but I'm a pharmacist and like most places we do a smoking cessation service where I work. It depends on the individual.

Some can go cold turkey. Others find Nicotine Replacement Therapy using patches/gum/lozenges helpful.

Try avoiding social situations where you're tempted to smoke. Set yourself targets (I'll go one or two days without this week) and remember the health benefits in the long-run of quitting.

Don't worry about failure - the majority of people go through multiple failed quit attempts before finally kicking the habit.
 
I personally don't smoke, but my older brother used to and he quit by stop buying packs. Initially he would borrow from a friend to fulfill his craving but eventually it became a matter of ego to keep asking for mufta sutta from a buddy which led him to dropping his smoking habit.
 
Just started caring for my body and that was it. Got rid of all the subcontinental foods from my diet as well as cigarettes. I wasn't heavily addicted though, would smoke twice a week maybe when I hung out with toxic phonies.
 
Used to smoke 2 packs a day but for the last few years I smoke Dokha (tobacco from Dubai) as it doesn't have that many chemicals and the taste is fantastic. Plus I can smoke blends from cold to warm depending on my mood and since it's a bit of a hassle I smoke a lot less.

Thing is I just enjoy it too much and know that as of yet I cannot quit it. Everyone around me quits for a few days/weeks only to get back on the wagon and I do not want to go through that useless cycle. I will quit when I don't enjoy smoking as much anymore.
 
It's been 2 days since I last smoked. [MENTION=137142]JaDed[/MENTION] My GF hates it but that has never deterred me into quiting this habit. It might work if she threaten me with break up or something though.
 
It's been 2 days since I last smoked. [MENTION=137142]JaDed[/MENTION] My GF hates it but that has never deterred me into quiting this habit. It might work if she threaten me with break up or something though.

wont work normally with girl friends , may be if you end up marrying this girl and then she threatens there is a chance you will stop ..for a year or two .

Otherwise it has to come from within , I just stopped one day after having a been a chain smoker for years ..well I stopped for ~2 years , but been smoking one or two last 6 months .
 
wont work normally with girl friends , may be if you end up marrying this girl and then she threatens there is a chance you will stop ..for a year or two .

Otherwise it has to come from within , I just stopped one day after having a been a chain smoker for years ..well I stopped for ~2 years , but been smoking one or two last 6 months .
Why start smoking again?
 
It's been 2 days since I last smoked. [MENTION=137142]JaDed[/MENTION] My GF hates it but that has never deterred me into quiting this habit. It might work if she threaten me with break up or something though.

I hope you guys are serious,she should had threatened you already, or maybe you should tell your mom ,that you smoke , emmotional blackmail would work better from mother.
 
Why start smoking again?

A moment of weakness , but I was craving for it for few weeks before that . I had changed my job and was getting a little bored in this company , if thats an excuse .

My brother Vapes , for past 3 years and he hasnt smoked ever since ..my be you can give that a shot ?
 
I started smoking since high school, when i was 16. Instead of quitting, i started vaping. Which isn't bad, but you dont get the same KICK, as you do, when smoke. Trust me, when you start vaping, and try cigarette after 1 week, You gonna hate it. Best solution is there to quit smoking is vaping. I started Nicotine level 6, now i'm down to 3. Vaping isn't safe or anything, but it's way safer than cigarette and great alternative.
 
I used to smoke 16-20 cigarettes a day. Gave it up a decade ago.

OP, if you're serious, just remind me tomorrow, and I'll write a more detailed post. it's late night here and I'm about to crash.
 
I started smoking since high school, when i was 16. Instead of quitting, i started vaping. Which isn't bad, but you dont get the same KICK, as you do, when smoke. Trust me, when you start vaping, and try cigarette after 1 week, You gonna hate it. Best solution is there to quit smoking is vaping. I started Nicotine level 6, now i'm down to 3. Vaping isn't safe or anything, but it's way safer than cigarette and great alternative.

What do you mean by level 6 and 3, I tried vaping and even bought an Air (forgot which, have to check) state of the art device for 90 Euros and then also had to adjust the heat and filters, not to mention trying to find the difference between 0,3,6,12 mg liquids and what not. Was just too much work.

Come to think of it I also started smoking at 15 and it will almost be 23 years of smoking soon.
 
I used to smoke 16-20 cigarettes a day. Gave it up a decade ago.

OP, if you're serious, just remind me tomorrow, and I'll write a more detailed post. it's late night here and I'm about to crash.

I need to know a serious way to quit cigarettes. A method which actually works.

Asking for a friend. Seriously asking for a friend :))
 
I think Peer pressure plays a huge role. You can only avoid your friends for so long.
 
OP, first of all if you smoke only one cigarette a day, I'm not sure what advice to give you. That frankly doesn't even sound like a potential health problem for me. All I really want to say is: keep it at one a day and enjoy :)).

I need to know a serious way to quit cigarettes. A method which actually works.

Asking for a friend. Seriously asking for a friend :))

Ok longish post, which I may add to now and then. This is addressed to people who are hardcore smokers.

Every person's quit (once you get into the research, you'll realise that 'quit' is treated as a verb and a noun in the quit smoking community) is different. What works for me may not work for someone else. That said, below are the best practices that usually work for a lot of people.

Don't try just one method to help you quit. In other words, there is NO '"a serious way to quit smoking". In my experience, you have to used a number of methods simultaneously to make it work. In other words, just setting a date and time and then quitting on that date is mostly a recipe for disaster. The more different ways you try (at the same time) the better your chances of success.

The typical quit goes like this- I'm going to quit as of now, in one day, this weekend, etc. Even if you stick to the deadline, a few minutes/hours /days later you're back to smoking. This is because the nicotine urge gets to you.

What you should be doing instead is: Join a quit smoking forum, read a quit smoking book(s), do plenty of online research on hazards of smoking, see a hypnotherapist (if that works for you), tell your friends you're quitting, and anything else that feels right. In other words, prepare to quit, don't just treat it as a single activity.

Look at it this way (since this is a cricketing forum)- most people can't just become top class athletes by only practising hard. They need to practice, get the right nutrition, do the right exercise, find coaches, develop mental strength and so on. Similarly, most people cannot quit smoking if they think they can 'just stop'.

Why should you research the need to quit? To internalize why smoking is bad for you (there's a huge amount of very convincing literature that goes beyond the 'smoking causes cancer/is bad for your body' thing). To understand how your quit can be threatened, by circumstances or friends who smoke, or old habits (example- smoking after a meal). To learn to recognize dangerous times (waking up, drinking) and places (bars) and situations (work stress, friends standing around chatting, parties)

Why should you join an online quit smoking forum (I was on an about.com site)? Because you need friends who're quitting at the same time, so you can share, vent and avoid common traps. You can learn from their errors, and you can move forward as cohort. I recall how we would check in daily (at first) to reassure each other that we were still smoke free. Then every two days, then every week or so (a year later) and so on.

I'm not sure which method worked for me- the forum, or the research or the hypnotherapist- but I do know that all of them taken together did work out.

The single most important advice I can give you is to read up. Read in particular "Easy Way To Quit Smoking", By Allen Carr. I was never a fan of help books- until I read this one. I'l tell you this is one of the most popular books ever written, and it has worked for many people. It was the best money I ever spent on anything, period. Just try it.

The other resource (among many online resources) I liked was http://whyquit.com/

This is a guy in Chicago (now retired) who helped a lot of people give up smoking in the 1980s and 1990s. He has ported a lot of his techniques online for free. This is an excellent, excellent resource.

That's it for now, feel free to ask questions.
 
[MENTION=3685]Cryin Out Loud[/MENTION] Thanks a lot.
I actually created this thread a day after a long party under the hangover (out of guilt you know). Even though my intake isn't much quitting it now would be safer I guess lest it becomes an addiction.
In my case I need a ciggy with daily tea. The combination is so addictive that it's hard to give up.
 
OP, first of all if you smoke only one cigarette a day, I'm not sure what advice to give you. That frankly doesn't even sound like a potential health problem for me. All I really want to say is: keep it at one a day and enjoy :)).



Ok longish post, which I may add to now and then. This is addressed to people who are hardcore smokers.

Every person's quit (once you get into the research, you'll realise that 'quit' is treated as a verb and a noun in the quit smoking community) is different. What works for me may not work for someone else. That said, below are the best practices that usually work for a lot of people.

Don't try just one method to help you quit. In other words, there is NO '"a serious way to quit smoking". In my experience, you have to used a number of methods simultaneously to make it work. In other words, just setting a date and time and then quitting on that date is mostly a recipe for disaster. The more different ways you try (at the same time) the better your chances of success.

The typical quit goes like this- I'm going to quit as of now, in one day, this weekend, etc. Even if you stick to the deadline, a few minutes/hours /days later you're back to smoking. This is because the nicotine urge gets to you.

What you should be doing instead is: Join a quit smoking forum, read a quit smoking book(s), do plenty of online research on hazards of smoking, see a hypnotherapist (if that works for you), tell your friends you're quitting, and anything else that feels right. In other words, prepare to quit, don't just treat it as a single activity.

Look at it this way (since this is a cricketing forum)- most people can't just become top class athletes by only practising hard. They need to practice, get the right nutrition, do the right exercise, find coaches, develop mental strength and so on. Similarly, most people cannot quit smoking if they think they can 'just stop'.

Why should you research the need to quit? To internalize why smoking is bad for you (there's a huge amount of very convincing literature that goes beyond the 'smoking causes cancer/is bad for your body' thing). To understand how your quit can be threatened, by circumstances or friends who smoke, or old habits (example- smoking after a meal). To learn to recognize dangerous times (waking up, drinking) and places (bars) and situations (work stress, friends standing around chatting, parties)

Why should you join an online quit smoking forum (I was on an about.com site)? Because you need friends who're quitting at the same time, so you can share, vent and avoid common traps. You can learn from their errors, and you can move forward as cohort. I recall how we would check in daily (at first) to reassure each other that we were still smoke free. Then every two days, then every week or so (a year later) and so on.

I'm not sure which method worked for me- the forum, or the research or the hypnotherapist- but I do know that all of them taken together did work out.

The single most important advice I can give you is to read up. Read in particular "Easy Way To Quit Smoking", By Allen Carr. I was never a fan of help books- until I read this one. I'l tell you this is one of the most popular books ever written, and it has worked for many people. It was the best money I ever spent on anything, period. Just try it.

The other resource (among many online resources) I liked was http://whyquit.com/

This is a guy in Chicago (now retired) who helped a lot of people give up smoking in the 1980s and 1990s. He has ported a lot of his techniques online for free. This is an excellent, excellent resource.

That's it for now, feel free to ask questions.

Thank you. Much much appreciated.
 
[MENTION=3685]Cryin Out Loud[/MENTION] Thanks a lot.
I actually created this thread a day after a long party under the hangover (out of guilt you know). Even though my intake isn't much quitting it now would be safer I guess lest it becomes an addiction.
In my case I need a ciggy with daily tea. The combination is so addictive that it's hard to give up.

I'm not sure how many years you've been smoking, so it's hard to say how much you are in danger of going from one to 15 cigarettes a day. Contrarily enough, if you've been smoking one a day for 10 years, it's a lot safer than if you've just started out, because in the case of the former it means you've settled into a 'safe' smoking habit. I repeat, one a day, in my strictly personal opinion, isn't cause for alarm.

What is alarming is the potential to escalate this. In 99.99% cases it goes from 1 to 5 to 10 and so on. That's the problem.

What you're describing is the perfect example of the power of association in addiction. In your case, chai and cigarettes may have become inseparable in your thought pattern, so every time you have a chai, you want a ciggie. It could also could also be post dinner, early morning, meeting friends, over a drink and so on and so on (the possibilities are endless).

If you want to give up your habit, you'll have to break this thought pattern. The 'how' is described in my earlier post.
 
Thank you. Much much appreciated.

Cheers. I'll repeat it- if you haven't already, buy the Allen Carr book. There's a very high chance it'll be the best investment you've ever made.

(On a side note, the man actually asks you to keep smoking as you read his book!)
 
Mother threatened to throw me out of the house if my clothes or car ever smelled of cigarette. I took the threat seriously and greatly reduced my smoking habit.
 
My Grandfather's quota was 40 cigarettes per day and continuous Traditional Kashmiri Hookah throughout day, one day he was watching news and during break an advert re cigarette causes cancer was displayed (which used to be displayed 100 times on local Doordarshan Channel as they dont get any ads except Govt. sponsored ads). Grandfather took it seriously and just stopped smoking cigarettes and Hookah with immediate effect.
 
I'm not sure how many years you've been smoking, so it's hard to say how much you are in danger of going from one to 15 cigarettes a day. Contrarily enough, if you've been smoking one a day for 10 years, it's a lot safer than if you've just started out, because in the case of the former it means you've settled into a 'safe' smoking habit. I repeat, one a day, in my strictly personal opinion, isn't cause for alarm.

What is alarming is the potential to escalate this. In 99.99% cases it goes from 1 to 5 to 10 and so on. That's the problem.

What you're describing is the perfect example of the power of association in addiction. In your case, chai and cigarettes may have become inseparable in your thought pattern, so every time you have a chai, you want a ciggie. It could also could also be post dinner, early morning, meeting friends, over a drink and so on and so on (the possibilities are endless).

If you want to give up your habit, you'll have to break this thought pattern. The 'how' is described in my earlier post.
It's been around 4 years. The number might go up when I'm drinking but there are days when I go without smoking so I guess that should narrow it down to around one cigarette a day. That's not bad right?
 
My Grandfather's quota was 40 cigarettes per day and continuous Traditional Kashmiri Hookah throughout day, one day he was watching news and during break an advert re cigarette causes cancer was displayed (which used to be displayed 100 times on local Doordarshan Channel as they dont get any ads except Govt. sponsored ads). Grandfather took it seriously and just stopped smoking cigarettes and Hookah with immediate effect.
mA how is he now? Older people have this amazing immunity esp the ones living in villages thanks to the fresh and healthy food they consume. My grandfather is 85 years old and probably more fitter than me.
 
mA how is he now? Older people have this amazing immunity esp the ones living in villages thanks to the fresh and healthy food they consume. My grandfather is 85 years old and probably more fitter than me.

He died few years ago(may Almighty grant him best place in Jannah), about 20 years after he left smoking.

One interesting thing, my Uncle(Father's cousin) used to visit different countries bcz of his business commitments and when he used to come back to meet us, my Grandfather didn't allow him enter into house unless he had brought him a pack of Foriegn Cigarettes.
 
He died few years ago(may Almighty grant him best place in Jannah), about 20 years after he left smoking.

One interesting thing, my Uncle(Father's cousin) used to visit different countries bcz of his business commitments and when he used to come back to meet us, my Grandfather didn't allow him enter into house unless he had brought him a pack of Foriegn Cigarettes.
I'm sorry to hear that. May his soul rest in peace. Hukkah culture is quite prevalent in my area as well although it's been like two or three decades since my grandfather quit it.
 
Cold turkey.

I smoked for 15 years and gave it up cold turkey. You have to make the conscience decision to stop and use some willpower to fight the cravings. The first 3 days are long and hard but it's well worth it. I usually just repeat the saying "I don't smoke anymore" whenever I get a craving.

I enjoy hiking in the mountains and have some local routes that I use to benchmark my fitness (before and after quitting). When I was a smoker, I had to stop halfway on a certain route to rest, where after quitting I could complete the whole route without any stops. Well, I'm sure you guys are well aware of the health benefits, but actually experiencing it left me in wondering what else I can do.
 
Cold turkey.

I smoked for 15 years and gave it up cold turkey. You have to make the conscience decision to stop and use some willpower to fight the cravings. The first 3 days are long and hard but it's well worth it. I usually just repeat the saying "I don't smoke anymore" whenever I get a craving.

I enjoy hiking in the mountains and have some local routes that I use to benchmark my fitness (before and after quitting). When I was a smoker, I had to stop halfway on a certain route to rest, where after quitting I could complete the whole route without any stops. Well, I'm sure you guys are well aware of the health benefits, but actually experiencing it left me in wondering what else I can do.
Yeah nice dp though :afridi
 
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I think Peer pressure plays a huge role. You can only avoid your friends for so long.

Financial pressure plus peer pressure is even better.
6 of my Uni. friends & I all gave up smoking together the year after we graduated. I had been smoking > 20 sticks per day for around 7 years at that time. The others probably smoked less than me. We had a bet. Every person who restarted smoking had to take the others (who stayed off the fags) to a restaurant for a dinner. That was a fairly stiff penalty. I had 4 great dinners & also successfully quit smoking forever. One other also quit forever. Funny thing was that 2, who restarted smoking & paid the penalty, quit again permanently years later.
 
Cold turkey.

I smoked for 15 years and gave it up cold turkey. You have to make the conscience decision to stop and use some willpower to fight the cravings. The first 3 days are long and hard but it's well worth it. I usually just repeat the saying "I don't smoke anymore" whenever I get a craving.


I enjoy hiking in the mountains and have some local routes that I use to benchmark my fitness (before and after quitting). When I was a smoker, I had to stop halfway on a certain route to rest, where after quitting I could complete the whole route without any stops. Well, I'm sure you guys are well aware of the health benefits, but actually experiencing it left me in wondering what else I can do.

Hey Ozy - completely off topic, but I just noticed where you live. When is the best time for whale watching? What whales are commonly seen? I will be travelling to SA again this september for a couple of weeks. And do they do white shark encounters in your neck of the woods? Cage diving I mean. Not that my wife will let me!
 
Hey Ozy - completely off topic, but I just noticed where you live. When is the best time for whale watching? What whales are commonly seen? I will be travelling to SA again this september for a couple of weeks. And do they do white shark encounters in your neck of the woods? Cage diving I mean. Not that my wife will let me!

September is a great time to visit my area (and South Africa in general). The whale festival is in September and you'll see plenty of Southern right whales. For shark cage diving you'll need to go across the bay from Hermanus to Gansbaai, the great white capital of the world. Enjoy
 
Cold turkey. The only method that worked for me (and I tried them all). It is the hardest method due to its sudden nature, but also the easiest because it is simple and straightforward - no substitutes, no routines, just stop going to the corner shop to buy cigarettes. Counting the years now since my last smoke.
 
I started at age 17, and smoked “analogs,” i.e tobacco cigarettes for ten years. I switched to e-cigarettes the very year they became available. It’s been ten years, and after switching, I haven’t had any analogs.

I’m trying to quit e-cigs now. It’s an expensive hobby, and while much safer than tobacco, they’re still not totally safe.

I’ve found it harder to quit e-cigs than tobacco cigarettes. The device is always at hand, and you find yourself constantly puffing away, so you end up far more dependent on nicotine. The 4000 or so carcinogens aren’t there, but the addictive substance, nicotine, is.

However, I’ve been working on a plan. I’ve gradually cut down on the nicotine strength, so I’m barely at 1 mg/mL now. I’ve also got rid of my collection of powerful devices, and now only have a low-powered one that lasts five minutes before it needs to be charged. I now get to take a few puffs every hour or so. I think I’ll be free of the habit in a few months.
 
They played this ad in the cinema, made me think about this thread. Fail often, fail hard, but one of those failures will be your last.


 
I smoke unfiltered tobacco 20 sticks a day (Average). I just can't seem to function without it tbh.....I know this is depressingly sad but that's how it is.......
 
I've never been a long term smoker so I'm not sure how useful this information will be but I've heard that having milk before cigarettes makes the fag disgusting when you are eating it. So maybe could give that a go as it may put you off smoking I guess.
 
I've never been a long term smoker so I'm not sure how useful this information will be but I've heard that having milk before cigarettes makes the fag disgusting when you are eating it. So maybe could give that a go as it may put you off smoking I guess.

Tastes pretty heavenly with the chai though
 
Tastes pretty heavenly with the chai though

I can imagine that it does tbh. But with milk before it can't taste too nicely surely. I guess have something else while having tea to overcome the absence of a fag if you are trying to quit.
 
Tastes pretty heavenly with the chai though

I have said this earlier itself, you need to start caring about your body and health before you regret about it. Take it as a word from your elder sister..
 
Cold Turkey. Just quit one day. I saw the movie Heat and decided that's it. I can do it. Never touched it again. Been 3 years now. Why? "Don't get attached to anything you are not ready to walk out in 30 seconds"
 
It's been around 4 years. The number might go up when I'm drinking but there are days when I go without smoking so I guess that should narrow it down to around one cigarette a day. That's not bad right?

Well, it isn't good either. I had in mind the standard 1 a day number, not an average :))

Actually - this is strictly my opinion - it's not a good pattern, because you're setting yourself up to smoke more. This habit of smoking a few on some days and not at all on others is typical for the early years of a lot of heavy smokers . What happens is that the number of smoking days increase (instead of the number of non smoking days increasing) and sooner or later you may find yourself smoking many cigarettes per day.

Of course every case is different and this may not apply to you individually. I am making a general comment.
 
Cold Turkey. Just quit one day. I saw the movie Heat and decided that's it. I can do it. Never touched it again. Been 3 years now. Why? "Don't get attached to anything you are not ready to walk out in 30 seconds"

Does that apply to family relations too? Or just these addictive habits only?
 
I only smoke sheesha(that too only like once in 2 months) but I know many people who smoke cigs regularly.My grandfather(nana)was a chainsmoker and used to smoke at least 2 packs a day.Then,at age 65,he got a heart attack.Now,at 72 he smokes like half a pack a day.He finds it very hard to quit.He didn't smoke at all for a few days after the heart attack.But he resumed shortly and lessened the quantity.His sons and all their sons smoke.Moral of this story is that quit while you're ahead.Don't think that you'll quit sometime in the future.
 
Does that apply to family relations too? Or just these addictive habits only?

Family relations are not 'things' and one is not 'ready' to walk out. It applies to all tangible instances in lifestyle.
 
I only smoke sheesha(that too only like once in 2 months) but I know many people who smoke cigs regularly.My grandfather(nana)was a chainsmoker and used to smoke at least 2 packs a day.Then,at age 65,he got a heart attack.Now,at 72 he smokes like half a pack a day.He finds it very hard to quit.He didn't smoke at all for a few days after the heart attack.But he resumed shortly and lessened the quantity.His sons and all their sons smoke.Moral of this story is that quit while you're ahead.Don't think that you'll quit sometime in the future.

This is something I have personally seen many people do. They think they are alright and restart it. I know a guy who got Cancer, and then his cancer subsided and he was getting better and he started again and died of cancer!
 
It's been 25 days, I finally quit smoking. I was smoking about 12-14 cigarettes a day since last 8-9 months. Before that I was smoking for a year about 5 cigarettes a day. I feel much better and able to get up early now.
 
Quit it in 2008 for a couple of years. Then once again started the habit willingly like an idiot.
 
I smoke around 15 cigs a day. Been doing this for last 8 years and im in my early 20s. I have tried everything to try to quit but its almost impossible for
Me. I hate that cough i get in mornings and the way my mouth is all pasty. Its just too hard to quit. I have realized as long as Belmonts( canadian smoke) exist im going to be smoking.😒
 
I smoke around 15 cigs a day. Been doing this for last 8 years and im in my early 20s. I have tried everything to try to quit but its almost impossible for
Me. I hate that cough i get in mornings and the way my mouth is all pasty. Its just too hard to quit. I have realized as long as Belmonts( canadian smoke) exist im going to be smoking.😒

Try gym or any sports, try to take long gap between your smoking breaks by doing some other activity that you like. But be sincere about it.

For me, I thought I would buy a car and use that cigarettes money I spent and some more to pay the monthly EMIs. I bought a car ,so far working for me :-)
 
I would love to start again. Miss the taste, the serenity and the appetite control terribly. But got my health, my wallet and my family to think about.

And yet it is still so tempting. Now that’s a powerfully addictive drug that can provoke such desires. It’s much more addictive than alcohol or cannabis in my opinion.

Junk food, although not a drug, is another addictive one.
 
Try gym or any sports, try to take long gap between your smoking breaks by doing some other activity that you like. But be sincere about it.

For me, I thought I would buy a car and use that cigarettes money I spent and some more to pay the monthly EMIs. I bought a car ,so far working for me :-)

I think i might give this a try. Thanks for the advice.
 
I smoke around 15 cigs a day. Been doing this for last 8 years and im in my early 20s. I have tried everything to try to quit but its almost impossible for
Me. I hate that cough i get in mornings and the way my mouth is all pasty. Its just too hard to quit. I have realized as long as Belmonts( canadian smoke) exist im going to be smoking.😒

Brother, I am really worried for you. And I am a smoker myself. But your number is too high....
 
A lot of the kids these days are smoking JUULS or whatever the heck it’s called. Is it better?
 
Dumbest habit one could have.

Clean as a whistle and hate the smell of tobacco.

Part of the reason why I don’t drink coffee either.
 
OP, The chances of you getting cancer from smoking one a day is probably as much as getting cancer because you breathe.

On topic, I'm kind of reaching acceptance that cigarettes are too emotionally and physically tied to my existence to ever quit. Would like to reduce though.

I have tried quitting several times. And for anyone really interested in it, you need to be careful about a week or more into the quitting period. The pangs hit harder than the first few days, which is what you'd intuitively expect. I think it's something to do with nicotine remaining in your blood for a while, so the first few days you actually have some of it hanging around pacifying you.
 
This is the time!

===


All smokers have been urged to quit their habit and cigarette companies have been told to stop producing and selling tobacco during the coronavirus pandemic.

Professor John Newton, Public Health England's director of health, said "there has never been a more important time to stop smoking, not only for your own health but to protect those around you".

COVID-19 attacks the respiratory system and smoking can cause damage to the lungs and airways.

PHE officials also highlighted a survey from Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began, which found smokers who developed COVID-19 were 14 times more likely to develop severe disease.

As well as smoking, the study found age, maximum body temperature on admission and respiratory failure were among other significant factors.

The study took place between 30 December last year and 15 January 2020 and was published in the Chinese Medical Journal.

An additional warning for smokers from PHE is that the virus can be given an easier route of entry into a person's body during the act of smoking which sees the smoker repeatedly raise their hands to their mouth.

PHE is not alone in calling for people to quit smoking in light of the pandemic.

Experts from the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease have said they are "deeply concerned" about coronavirus' impact on the world's 1.3 billion smokers - particularly those in poorer countries whose healthcare systems are already overburdened.

Gan Quan, a public health specialist and director of the union, said: "The best thing the tobacco industry can do to fight COVID-19 is to immediately stop producing, marketing and selling tobacco."

Mr Quan said governments around the world have a "moral imperative" to advise smokers to stop.

"This is the absolute best time to quit smoking," he said.

The World Health Organisation and the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention also warned smoking can expose people to serious complications from COVID-19.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...ged-to-quit-to-reduce-covid-19-risks-11969444
 
I stopped completely in September 2019...

Download Allen Cars Easy Way to Stop Smoking...

Read the book

Readi it again

And then again
 
I stopped completely in September 2019...

Download Allen Cars Easy Way to Stop Smoking...

Read the book

Readi it again

And then again

What a wonderful thing you have done!
 
Around a year since I quit now.

Most important thing to quit smoking is to make upp your mind that you want to quit. If you still have it in your mind that 1 cigarette or 1 puff won't harm you then you can never quit.

Once you decided you want to quit, then just quit. The first couple of weeks will be really hard and it will take around 2 months to be normal. Make sure you have friends and family around you whom you can talk to when you feel low.

Be sure you have some activities going on, you need less time to think so keep yourself busy at work, gym, sports etc whatever suits you. If you have nothing to do it will be really difficult, so keep yourself engaged in something.

Don't be around people who smoke or go to places which has open smoking for first 2 weeks.

When I quit smoking, I started drinking a bit more than usual it did help me go through the first month. After that you get used to it and you don't need to drink to survive withdrawal symptoms .

There will come a day you go out to party with friends/gf and you see everyone smoking with their drinks, however, you don't feel the urge to smoke and you don't.

When that day comes, means you have quit for good.

Depending on how long and how much you smoke, it will be different for everyone. You just need to be headstrong and .Ake up your mind that you can do it.

Trust me it's not that difficult to quit as people suggest. Half the people say it's tough to quit because they don't want to quit. The day you make up your mind you want to quit, you can easily quit.

Good luck and hope you kick the habit.
 
Smokers are 14 times more likely to contract coronavirus compared with those who do not, the head of a Turkish anti-addiction group told Anadolu Agency.

Professor Mucahit Ozturk, president of anti-addiction group Turkish Green Crescent, on Thursday urged those who smoke to quit to protect themselves from the contagion.

"Using tobacco and tobacco products increases the risk of catching the coronavirus, therefore, avoiding all addictive substances plays an important role in protecting ourselves against the virus," Ozturk said.

Coronavirus: All you need to know about symptoms and risks

Ozturk underscored smoking weakens the immune system and has negative impacts on coronavirus treatment.

"A weak immune system poses a threat to your health since it delays the treatment process and makes treatment difficult during the epidemic, even if you occasionally use addictive substances," he said.

"Smoking can cause damage to the lungs and block the cough reflex so viruses and bacteria could stick to the airways and lungs, which could lead to serious infections."

The World Health Organization (WHO) also said smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to the virus as fingers are in contact with the lips, which increases the possibility of hand-to-mouth transmission.

According to research by Chinese doctors, cited by the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, acute smokers were more at risk of dying than elderly people.

Smoking damages your lungs and other parts of your body, and it makes you more vulnerable to #COVID19 infection. It is the right time to �� quit smoking for a safer and better health

After first appearing in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 185 countries and territories.

More than two million cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll at more than 137,000 and 517,000 recoveries, according to data compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/smokers-14-times-contract-coronavirus-200416071258252.html
 
Used to smoke casually. Left smoking in 2014.

It was not hard as I was never a regular smoker.

I used to look at lung cancer photos and it used to motivate me to not go for smoking.
 
Used to smoke casually. Left smoking in 2014.

It was not hard as I was never a regular smoker.

I used to look at lung cancer photos and it used to motivate me to not go for smoking.

Very well done as quitting smoking is one the toughest thing.

I blame call centre for my bad habbit which started 10 years ago (need to blame someone ;-)). Night shift, Delhi ki thandi, pressure from boss, client shouting, love problem, money issue - only one solution "Chalo yaar sutta pi ke aate hai" in the name of team bonding. :))
 
Very confusing this!

===

French researchers are planning to test nicotine patches on coronavirus patients and frontline health workers after a study suggested smokers may be much less at risk of contracting the virus.

The study at a major Paris hospital suggests a substance in tobacco – possibly nicotine – may be stopping patients who smoke from catching Covid-19. Clinical trials of nicotine patches are awaiting the approval of the country’s health authorities.

However, the researchers insisted they were not encouraging the population to take up smoking, which carries other potentially fatal health risks and kills 50% of those who take it up. While nicotine may protect those from the virus, smokers who have caught it often develop more serious symptoms because of the toxic effect of tobacco smoke on the lungs, they say.

The team at Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital questioned 480 patients who tested positive for the virus, 350 of whom were hospitalised while the rest with less serious symptoms were allowed home.

It found that of those admitted to hospital, whose median age was 65, only 4.4% were regular smokers. Among those released home, with a median age of 44, 5.3% smoked.

Taking into account the age and sex of the patients, the researchers discovered the number of smokers was much lower than that in the general population estimated by the French health authority Santé Publique France at about 40% for those aged 44-53 and between 8.8% and 11.3% for those aged 65-75.

The renowned French neurobiologist Jean-Pierre Changeux, who reviewed the study, suggested the nicotine might stop the virus from reaching cells in the body preventing its spread. Nicotine may also lessen the overreaction of the body’s immune system that has been found in the most severe cases of Covid-19 infection.

The findings are to be verified in a clinical study in which frontline health workers, hospital patients with the Covid-19 virus and those in intensive care will be given nicotine patches.

The results confirm a Chinese study published at the end of March in the New England Journal of Medicine that suggested only 12.6% of 1,000 people infected with the virus were smokers while the number of smokers in China is around 28%.

In France, figures from Paris hospitals showed that of 11,000 patients admitted to hospital with Covid-19, 8.5% were smokers. The total number of smokers in France is estimated at around 25.4%.

“Our cross-sectional study strongly suggests that those who smoke every day are much less likely to develop a symptomatic or severe infection with Sars-CoV-2 compared with the general population,” the Pitié-Salpêtrière report authors wrote.

“The effect is significant. It divides the risk by five for ambulatory patients and by four for those admitted to hospital. We rarely see this in medicine,” it added.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...-smokers-at-lower-risk-of-getting-coronavirus
 
See a hypnotherapist, who will explain to you when your psychological triggers for smoking occur and scramble these neural pathways.

You still have to tough out the cravings though.
 
If you're looking to cut down and slowly give up, sorry it's never going to work. Just get up on a fine day and stop smoking. It's going to be hard but believe me it is worth it. Imagine getting up without any heart burning sensations and the stinking feeling you feel deep within. A non smoker can never appreciate normalcy like a smoker who quit.
 
Signals are confusing - seems nicotine will help vs Covid
 
Signals are confusing - seems nicotine will help vs Covid

French authorities have banned the online sale of nicotine products to prevent stockpiling, after a study suggested the drug could protect people from coronavirus.

The new rules cover products like nicotine gum and patches, designed to help people stop smoking.

The move comes after a study at a Paris hospital indicated smokers were statistically less likely to be admitted for treatment for Covid-19.

Now researchers intend to use nicotine patches in a clinical trial.

But the researchers stressed that smoking had “severe pathological consequences and remains a serious danger for health”.
 
See a hypnotherapist, who will explain to you when your psychological triggers for smoking occur and scramble these neural pathways.

You still have to tough out the cravings though.

Or just stop?

ITs all in the mind Robert. Weak people will still struggle or resume soon after;
 
Had been off cigarettes for 5 days due to availability drying up.

Yesterday, a couple of packs unexpectedly fell into my lap :yahoo

lol at smokers' immunity being bad enough to not trigger the worst of the symptoms.

The weak shall inherit the earth :cobra
 
Smokers are less likely to suffer severe symptoms of Covid-19: The Economist

Researchers at a Paris hospital found that only 5 per cent of 482 Covid-19 patients who came to the hospital between February 28th and April 9th were habitual smokers. The results were surprising since a quarter of the French population is known to smoke.

Similar ratios were found at hospitals in the United States, China and other cities of France. Smokers elsewhere too are underrepresented in Covid-19 patients. In their report, the researchers concluded that smokers are "much less likely to suffer severe symptoms of the Sars-Cov-2", the virus that causes Covid-19.

Source Economist
 
More than one million people have given up smoking since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, a survey for charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) suggests.

Of those who had quit in the previous four months, 41% said it was in direct response to coronavirus.

Separately, University College London (UCL) found more people quit smoking in the year to June 2020 than in any year since its survey began in 2007.

Government advice says smokers may be at risk of more severe Covid symptoms.

Between 15 April and 20 June, a representative sample of 10,000 people, enrolled by pollster YouGov on behalf of Ash, were asked about their smoking habits.

The results were used to estimate the total number of people giving up smoking in the UK.

Just under half of people who had quit in the past four months said the pandemic had played a role in their decision. That may have been down to a range of factors including health concerns, access to tobacco while isolating or no longer smoking socially.

A team at University College London has been asking 1,000 people a month in England about their smoking habits since 2007 as part of the Smoking ******* Study.

In the year to June 2020, 7.6% of smokers taking part in the survey quit - almost a third higher than the average and the highest proportion since the survey began more than a decade ago.

On average, 5.9% of surveyed smokers quit per year since 2007.

Ash director Deborah Arnott said: "Over a million smokers have succeeded in stopping smoking since Covid-19 hit Britain, but that still leaves nearly five times as many who have carried on smoking."

About 7 million people in the UK in total were smokers in 2019.

Ash is launching a stop-smoking campaign funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, targeting people in areas of the country with the highest rates of smoking.

Terrence Craggs, who lives in Newcastle, quit smoking after spending time in hospital on oxygen - although his coronavirus test was negative.

"I could hardly breathe," he said. "I was hunting for air all the time. [The pandemic] is more of an incentive to stay off them, even though it's more difficult at the moment because of the stress," he told the BBC.

The North East has seen a bigger fall in smoker numbers than anywhere in England since 2005.

What are the risks?

Data from the Zoe Covid Symptom Tracker app suggested smokers were 14% more likely than non-smokers to develop the three "classic" symptoms of coronavirus infection - fever, persistent cough and shortness of breath.

The app, created by researchers at Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals and King's College London, analysed data from more than 2.4 million UK participants.

Their analysis found smokers with a positive Covid-19 test were more than twice as likely as non-smokers with coronavirus to be hospitalised.

This aligns with research from the US which found hospitalised smokers with coronavirus were 1.8 times more likely to die.

Although the small number of smokers in the Zoe study who took a coronavirus test appeared to be less likely than non-smokers to test positive, they were more likely to report serious symptoms.

Some studies from around the world have suggested smoking may actually have a protective effect against coronavirus. This is based on groups of hospital patients where smokers seemed to be underrepresented, compared with their numbers in the wider population.

Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, from the University of Oxford's Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, said there was a "biologically plausible" explanation - that nicotine could be blocking the same receptors use by the virus to get into your cells.

But, she said, the "clinical significance of these is entirely unclear".

And "this isn't consistent across studies and it's unclear if the data from these studies are reliable," she said.

Smoking itself, rather than just taking in nicotine through a patch or gum, is "uniquely deadly" she pointed out, meaning the the health harms far outweigh any potential benefit.

Public Health England's guidance states: "There is strong evidence that smoking tobacco is generally associated with an increased risk of developing respiratory viral infections.

"Smoking causes damage to the lungs and airways and harms the immune system, reducing your ability to fight infection."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53403610
 
For the last couple months, have been on a mix of Nicotex (Indian nicotine gum brand) and 2-3 cigarettes a day. I have no intention of quitting ever, but it's nice not to smoke so much and have my lung areas feel better.
 
For the last couple months, have been on a mix of Nicotex (Indian nicotine gum brand) and 2-3 cigarettes a day. I have no intention of quitting ever, but it's nice not to smoke so much and have my lung areas feel better.

Here’s analogy for you.

Think of smoking like driving a red Ferrari At full speed around a race track, only that you know there is a brick wall somewhere on the circuit. Why would you do it knowing a crash is inevitable and likelihood is it will kill you?

It only takes one cigarette
 
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