Quitting smoking

[Sxotty]

I can argue that I don't want throat, mouth, or gum cancer. I can argue I don't want to waste money paying for something that only gives a bit of a buzz until you are addicted, then does nothing at best and kill you at worst. Sure it is safer than cigs, and more importantly I don't have to breathe the second hand smoke . My point is your link says it is bad for you. The citations to lancet say it is bad for you. And the part that isn't cited is what says it is unknown how it affects your health.

 

[Blazkowicz]

I stopped for more than a week, but noticed I was drinking every day that time
before that I considered myself to be slightly alcoholic or with the potential to become one (i.e., I know alcoholics lie to themselves, so you have to check your behavior and don't fall into the trap)

now back to the rolled cigs (without additives thus very dry, use the trick of a small potato or carrot slice for that) ; no drinking.

getting out of the drugs is possible as long as I improve other parts of my personal life.
and well, the wine bottles don't care, they can wait endlessly.

that no smoking wasn't even planned by the way.

 

[Moloch]

I can argue that I don't want throat, mouth, or gum cancer. I can argue I don't want to waste money paying for something that only gives a bit of a buzz until you are addicted, then does nothing at best and kill you at worst. Sure it is safer than cigs, and more importantly I don't have to breathe the second hand smoke . My point is your link says it is bad for you. The citations to lancet say it is bad for you. And the part that isn't cited is what says it is unknown how it affects your health.

For the record I didnt' do my own research using wikipedia, in my own research it was concluded that there is a lack of evidence to prove anything and of course in my own link the title of the section was Debate among public health researchers.
The key element I believe is the fact that snus has much lower tobacco-specific nitrosamines than any other form.
So do you conclude that the fact sweden has amongst the lowest cancer rates in the world is merely an anomaly?

 

[Sxotty]

You read research done by others I assume not done your own radeonic. And I certainly don't attribute low cancer rates to snus use. That is pretty much madness. It doesn't matter though, people should be free to do what they want.

 

[Moloch]

You read research done by others I assume not done your own radeonic. And I certainly don't attribute low cancer rates to snus use. That is pretty much madness. It doesn't matter though, people should be free to do what they want.

Believe what you want to, it doesn't matter to me. However, given the large number of people in Sweden who use Snus I believe if it was as harmful as you believe it to be then you would see much higher cancer rates in Sweden.

*pops in an Extra Strong Oden's snus*(17mg of nicotine, obviously not all of it gets absorbed)

 

[Dresden]

So, here's the latest on my quitting smoking saga: I've been wearing a Nicoderm patch for about three weeks now, and still have the occasional cigarette. I'm well aware of the fact that it's terribly unhealthy to smoke while using the patch. The good news is, I haven't bought a pack throughout the span of my stint with quitting, so I've saved a great deal of money, seeing as cigarettes here go for nine dollars and change. I have, however, had a few instances where I got sick. I assumed it was because I had been off of actual cigarettes for so long, the patch was overdosing me with nicotine. I find it hardest to hang out with my friends and pretend I haven't just quit. I bum one now and then, and it's great strides from smoking an entire pack a day, but I can't seem to prevent myself from having one, occasionally. I've heard chewing gum can reduce cravings, is there any truth to this?

 

[Sxotty]

Lots of people say chewing gum can work for the mechanical need to do something.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Yup, helps with the oral fixation thingy. I just use a bat from a dugout, I leave it hanging out of the corner of my mouth just 'cause it feels right.

Plus I almost always have it with me, to get high with and such.

 

[BoardBonobo]

On Saturday one of my work colleagues died after a contracted fight with lung cancer. He was only 59. It's a very harsh reminder of the damage smoking does. He smoked for less time than I did but he was also twenty years older. COPD had set in and that was it.

Sad times.

 

[liolio]

I've managed to stoppend for three months once, too bad I failed in a pub...
I was using chewing gum which I don't advice anybody to use.
I'm in US now and I had to use them again during my flight... Addiction....

I'm planning to quit this year (or seriously try), my consumption has peak with my funky schedule... morning one week, afternoon the other... I'm not a morning person, I've used cigarets and cofee to keep my alive in the morning... It's gone bad I smoke too much, not a crazy amount but way too much especially as I smoke hand rolled cigaret but I smoke a lot more in the morning when it's especially wrong for your body... usually 3 or 4 cigaret in the first 1.5/2 hours of my day.

This time I plan to use patch and inhalators, patches seems to works great as they provide you nicotine continiously (vs chewing gum where at some point you can find yourself starving and che like crazy... Did I state how funky those chewing gum make your mouth and gencivis feel? ... ) and inhalators should help for emergency situations. It should be easier now as in France you can no longer smoke in restaurants and bars (where I failed last time).
I plan this attempt when I'll have move from my actual appartement, say end of winter / early spring.

Good luck everybody as quiting is pretty tough for real smokers.
We will win

 

[digitalwanderer]

Amazingly I still haven't had a cigarette or cigar, I've actually been good.

I had a dream the other night that I snuck a cigarette. I was visiting my Mom's and I bummed one of my sister and snuck out in their garage to smoke it. It was glorious, tasty, and I got a huuuuge rush off it. Then I woke up feeling HORRIBLY guilty.

Do dream smokes count? I don't think they should, but I could have resisted the urge in my dream too if I would have tried just a bit harder I think.....

 

[Babel-17]

I see some people had dreams about smoking after stopping. I did too and, according to Joel the stop smoking guru, it's normal.

I've got a link to him talking about that and I've got a lot of other useful links as well.

http://www.wikihow.com/Quit-Smoking-by-Using-an-Allen-Carr-Book

I quit smoking on April 4, 2011.

I used Allen Carr's "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking".

Border's had a nice compilation of some of the best quotes from that book in a nice pocket sized paperback that I carry around and which was very helpful and inspirational.

Great free videos that were also helpful http://ffn.yuku.com/topic/12886/Video-guide-for-those-just-starting-their-quits#.Tdwsz0dmCUk|here].

Lol, I quickly figured out that I'd feel at a loss when walking past the spot I'd stash my cigarettes when at home. I'd have a cup of coffee in my hand and feel like I was forgetting something.

I've had several nightmares about smoking. Supposedly this is ok/"a good thing".

Dreams of smoking 2.38mb 7.10mb UTube http://www.whyquit.com/videos/smokingdream_bb64Kbps.mp3|2.92mb] 06:28 11/10/06

Joel Spitzer's Stop Smoking Video Library

Allen Carr’s 7 Tips To Stay Quit

Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Quit Smoking

If you follow these simple instructions, you cannot fail.

1 Make a solemn vow that you will never, ever, smoke, chew or suck anything that contains
nicotine, and stick to your vow.

2 Get this clear in your mind: there is absolutely nothing to give up. By that I don't mean simply that
you will be better off as a non-smoker (you've known that all your life); nor do I mean that although
there is no rational reason why you smoke, you must get some form of pleasure or crutch from it or
you wouldn't do it. What I mean is, there is no genuine pleasure or crutch in smoking. It is just an
illusion, like banging your head against a wall to make it pleasant when you stop,

3 There is no such thing as a confirmed smoker. You are just one of the millions who have fallen for
this subtle trap. Like millions of other ex-smokers who once thought they couldn't escape, you have
escaped,

4 If at any time in your life you were to weigh up the pros and cons of smoking, the conclusion would
always be, a dozen times over, 'Stop doing it. You are a fool.' Nothing will ever change that. It always
has been that way, and it always will be. Having made what you know to be the correct decision, don't
ever torture yourself by doubting it.

5 Don't try not to think about smoking or worry that you are thinking about it constantly. But
whenever you do think about it –whether it be today, tomorrow or the rest of your life think,
'YIPPEE! I'M A NON-SMOKER!'

6 DO NOT use any form of substitute.
DO NOT keep your own cigarettes.
DO NOT avoid other smokers.
DO NOT change your lifestyle in any way purely because you've stopped smoking.
If you follow the above instructions, you will soon experience the moment of revelation. But:

7 Don't wait for that moment to come. Just get on with your life. Enjoy the highs and cope with the
lows. You will find that in no time at all the moment will arrive.

http://allencarr.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easyway-Stop-Smoking/dp/0615482155

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/easy-way-to-stop-smoking-allen-carr/1100625699

I also read that it worked for Pink

I was looking at Carr's Wikipedia page and I noticed that. After googling I saw this.

The 'Blow Me (One Last Kiss)' superstar told Shape magazine that she was smoking a pack per day by just 13-years-old so it was a tough addiction to let go of, but she found support in a book that proved very effective for her:

"I quit when I got pregnant by reading Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking. That really worked for me. (And now) Willow makes me not want to (smoke). And besides, unlike before, cigarettes smell repulsive to me."​

I hope she sticks with it!

http://www.pressparty.com/pg/newsdesk/pink/view/60186/

http://www.contactmusic.com/news/pink-quit-cigarettes-to-become-a-mum_3338425

I had another friend at work watch an Allen Carr video and he stooped smoking for a couple of months but then he relapsed. But now he's stopped again.

 

[homerdog]

I stopped smoking cigarettes about a year ago when I discovered e-cigs. Now I have a nice vaporizer and I feel a lot better. Way cheaper than cigarettes too. A $13 bottle of fluid lasts me about a week and a half.

 

[zed]

If you care about price. Go to Lao, a packet of cigs there is about 20 cents

 

[Grall]

I'm amazed you dare to smoke e-cigs homer. There's no way of knowing what in the way of additives and cancerous shit is in that smoke fluid (which certainly is not harmless in of itself), and most fluid "brands" are basically no-name with unclear origin or contents.

Also, e-cig fluid contains nicotine of course - and very likely LOTS of it too to keep you hooked on that shit - and nicotine is pure poison. It'll still give you heart disease and all that other fun stuff that nicotine does to the human body.

 

[Mize]

I have multiple friends who successfully quit smoking with e-cigs as the intermediary step. I don't know if they're safer than smoking, but if a short stint of e-cig gets you to no-cigs, that's likely a net positive.

 

[Grall]

If it stays as a short stint, yeah, but many consider them a viable alternative for cigarettes for smoking indefinitely. Who knows what effects breathing in that fluid vapor will have on your body in the long run, not just years but several decades of frequent use. It's like being an experimental jet fighter test pilot, with no ejection seat and no parachute. A human being only has two lungs; unlike with your teeth you can't grow a second set once you're done with the first...

 

[Tahir2]

I quit smoking about 8/9 years ago gradually.. Funny thing is there was no real intent or plan on giving up smoking.

Reviewing what I did though it makes some sense:

1. Gave up smoking Malboro Reds and switched to Malboro Lights
2. Gave up Malboro lights and switched to Silk Cuts
3. Cut down from 10+ (20+ when going out) a day to approx 5 a day
4. Switched from Silk Cut to Tobacco roll ups
5. Changed jobs to one where no one smoked and stopped going out this meant I had no chance of social smoking and only smoked about 2 roll ups a day
6. And finally.... decided roll ups were too much of a hassle and basically made my hands stink and gave them up too.

The above took probably a couple of years but the gradual, steady reduction in nicotine probably meant I was no longer addicted to it so when I decided I didn't need them anymore I was already at an advantage.

However every once in a while I have a dream I started smoking again and believe me it is not pleasant waking up to that thought.

 

[homerdog]

E-cigs need to be regulated like other tobacco products. Anyway I don't think it's as bad for you as smoking cigarettes. At least that's what my body tells me.

 

[Grall]

I think e-cigs need to be banned, because they lower the threshold to get people hooked on nicotine. There's already tons of scented fluids aimed at kids/youths, to get new generations hooked and bilked of money. Evil cynical people manufacture shit like this, makes me want to crucify them to a concrete wall with a pneumatic nailgun. ...And not just through their wrists and feet neither.