What made you quit smoking ?

Answer 1

Pride. Let me explain.....

I used to LOVE smoking. I never had any ambition to give up and I thoroughly enjoyed every cigarette I ever smoked and I used to smoke 20 a day!!

However...

One day I came down with a really bad gastric flu and couldn't stop throwing up for 5 days, had no appetite, terrible pains etc etc. This had nothing to with being a smoker but it did mean that in those 5 days I didn't smoke a single cigarette. Believe it or not this was the longest ever time I had ever gone without a smoke. I think before this it was about 9 hours and that was only because I was asleep!

Anyway, because of this I kind of got thinking to myself, could I give up? I didn't particularly want to but I noticed that I wasn't actually as desperate for a cigarette as I always presumed I might be in this situation. Ok I thought, take it one day at a time. Let's try and make the no smoking to day 6.

Ok. Day 6 passed. No cigarettes.

Went back to work on day 7 and announced to my whole office (where I worked at the time) 'I'm giving up smoking, that's it, no more cigarettes for me' Really showing off and being cocky about the whole thing because I had managed nearly a whole week without the evil weed. I even gave a nearly full packet of 20 Benson and Hedges (my weapon of choice) to one of the girls at work as I was that confident.

Some people were great and of course some were 'oh she'll never do it' and it was those people that made me even more determined (not to mention the fact I had announced it to over 75 people so you see, I HAD to do it!)

Basically it's been 5 years now and I haven't even had a single puff of a cigarette since.

It was hard I'm not going to pretend and the cravings were out of this world!!! I would like to say that I would never go back to it and I'm pretty confident because I can be around smokers now and its fine but I still think about it.

But before I couldn't smell the smoke on me now I can and it's vile!!! That literally must have been what I smelt like and it is not nice at all.

I also saved my cigarette money up in a jar which was a massive help. I used to base it on a twenty pack a day which then cost £5 so you are talking about £35 a week ($70) £140 a month ($280) and £1680 ($3360) a year!!!!!!!

I saved for three months and spent it all on a pair of Manolo Blahniks - money well spent I think you will agree!!

Anyway, that's my (rather long) story as to why I gave up and I would also like to point out even though I am now a 'non smoker' I'm not anti smoking at all (I know how some people get all holier than thou about it and it is usually the non smokers who are the worst!!) but I remember what a pleasure it was although I am very, very happy I don't smoke anymore - and very proud might I just add!!

Kind regards xxx

Answer 2

Major surgery. I could smoke - once I could get up and walk either outside or to the smoking room. I drank water every time I wanted a cigarette and spent a week thinking how I could beat the addiction. After a week of withdrawal - I decided if I could go a week - I could do it the rest of my life. I found many reasons to stop, health, money, insurance costs are higher if you smoke, you have to decorate more if you smoke, you risk sexual dysfunction, lung cancer. I wrote down how much I'd saved that week. I was on a pack of 200 a week. I kept on writing it down for the first 2 years. That was 3 and 1/2 years ago. I suppose I saved around - £8,000. I promised myself a few things with the money. After my first year it was a DVB with a hard drive to watch digital TV, then a car, this year a laptop with a wireless home network. You can buy a lot with an extra £2,500 in the bank each year. If you save it on a regular basis - it helps psychologically to give you an incentive. Barclay's will also give you 10% interest for the first year on regular monthly savings. If you ask, home insurance is cheaper if you are a non smoker and contents insurance and you get a better deal on some other insurance products like health insurance. Even life insurance - smokers - tend to die young. Remember, that drinking water helps - it really does.

Answer 3

I have not stopped smoking, but I changed from roll your own cigarettes to a pipe twenty-three years ago.

I changed on the advice of a Doctor, who is an ex-smoker himself. What happened was that I had acute bronchitis two years running, and I was also finding that I was getting out of breath when bowling in cricket - not a good thing at the age of 27.

I am now nearly 50. I've had no bronchitis since I abandoned the fags. I still play cricket, and bowl 7 overs without any problems. I lift weights as a hobby, and can get 50kgs over my head.

Smoking is considered an absolutely foul form of behaviour, but many of us older folk were brought up in a society wheresmoking was the norm. The Medical profession should be looking at ways of convincing diehard smokers to indulge in "safer smoking" Pipesmoking could well be the answer.

As an aside, I worked in London for fifteen years. I had to use a Salbutamol inhaler twice-daily to control asthma. I lost my job in London about 14 months ago, and have worked locally (Harwich, UK) ever since. (I live in Harwich). Now, I use my inhaler about once a week, when the weather gets hot and humid. Comments, Professor Doll?

Answer 4

I don't know. I smoked 19 years, and I loved every minute of it. I never WANTED to quit. I mean, I LOVED TO SMOKE!!!!!!!!! I got up to 2 packs a day, and one night, I was standing in line at Walgreen's, waiting to buy a pack, and I noticed they had the nicotine gum sitting there on the front counter. I started looking at it, and I just picked it up when I got to the register and bought it instead of the smokes. That was December 9th, 2004. I haven't had a cigarette since. I can't explain it, that's just how it happened. I'm glad I quit though. I feel better.

Answer 5

Running the London Marathon. Completed the run, went to the reception held by the charity I ran for, had food, had drink, changed clothes,wanted a smoke. Trust me, this was the finest tasting and most deserved cig I ever smoked. What I didn't account for was the headrush to end all headrushes and having to lie flat on my back in the middle of a crowded bar because I thought I was going to need an ambulance! No more smoking for me!

Answer 6

I got bronchitis - having not smoked for a week, I realised it would be a wasted opportunity to give up for good.
I have to say, I was pretty keen to give up anyway, so it was most serendipitous, albeit uncomfortable.
That was in March 2002.
Find someone with bronchitis. Snog them.

Answer 7

My Daughter came home from school and said Dad your killing me, and i asked her what she meant, and she said through passive smoking. I stopped the same day and havent had one in 14 years, best thing that ever happened to me. Unfortunatley i am now dying through everybody else smoking.

Answer 8

stopped smoking as a family member had asthma, I stopped by using what was called "hightec laser", A laser was used on my acupuncture points on my head/wrists and feet, cost £50, 14 yrs ago, no cravings and never looked back, I never hear it mentioned these days.

Answer 9

i am on day #2 right now. i quit because its bad for my health, it makes my clothes/hair/breath stink, i have a daughter, its expensive....there really isnt any reason to continue smoking

Answer 10

A two week stay in hospital, i thought if i can go without for two weeks then i may as well stop altogether !.