I quit smoking almost 2 years ago and I remember something that I found to be rather outstanding as an issue in regards to smoking in general. I was maybe 2 weeks into my no smoking regimen and I was at work in my office around 9 am. All my co-workers were going out for their morning smoke and naturally since most of them are first class pricks they invited me, even though they knew I had quit. God love them!

Anyhow at that stage I really thought I needed some help. I had quit cold turkey not because I thought it was a good idea but rather since I had to. I was 32 and had problems breathing. I am a relatively smart individual and I guess it took me only 10 years of smoking to realize that… inhaling smoke = hard laborious breathing and hence quitting should improve the situation. I swear that Atomic Energy of Canada should hire just based on that brilliant statement – I am a freaking genius!

In any case I needed more confirmation to strengthen my resolve and thus I called a hotline. To this day I think it was the antismoking hotline for the Cancer Society but I am not sure. I guess I just wanted to talk to a someone with vast experience on this subject and could maybe talk me down from the precipitous perch I was standing on.

After talking to the young lady on the phone I swear I wanted to smoke more then than I ever did before the call -- and heck have a donut while I was at it. Nothing she said was what I should have heard. Obviously in distress and wavering in my commitment and determination, I had asked her to give me some good reasons for quitting smoking (not that I did not know them already but I just needed to hear them).

The agent politely informed me of the following advantages of remaining smoke free:
1) That you can now save almost 200$ a month by not smoking.
2) Also your smile will be much brighter with whiter teeth.
3) Also you wont smell as much nor will your hair or clothes or home
4) Proven sexual performance increase

Now here’s the clincher.. NOTHING of what she said or proposed had to do with health. This was the Cancer Society right that I had called??? I had dialled the right number or had I called Phillip Morris by mistake? What really blew me away was the fact that these 4 reasons to quit smoking were the ones that actually worked for many. Truly a sad day in nonsmokersville. Moreover she informed me that telling someone you will be healthier and possibly live a longer and happier life is not good enough. Studies tell us these are the main reasons or drawbacks to smoking and thus these are the ones pushed. Sigh.

As long as anyone uses these deterrents to want to quit smoking, I believe that individuals will fail. These issues are not strong enough to make people want to quit. Anyhow maybe I am totally off base -- heck wouldn't be the first time.

I remember that what helped me was an article in Time magazine where doctors and heart surgeons stated that quitting smoking today instantly reduces your chance of a heart attack or stroke by 30%!!! Also losing 10% of your bodyweight if overweight would have a similar benefit. That’s all I had to hear oh apart from my "small" breathing problem. Something rather simple like that. Too bad we have to play with money, looks, smelly clothes and the promise of better sex to try to get folks to quit. Argh

My main reason to quit this time was because at 42 I want to meet my grandchildren and have as much energetic fun with them as my MIL has with my 7 kids. I don't want to be remembered by them as some creepy old lady with the O2 mask always on her face.

Claudius...I think the vanity things do have some place, but once you get past 30 I think it's time to start warning of serious health issues that WILL visit you.

At 20 tes...tell her that kissing her is like licking an ashtray or smoking makes your skin dirty and clogs pores but later we need to have it socked to us because time is literally running out...

Well one would hope that if you are talking to someone at the Cancer Agency that they would make an attempt to correlate smoking with the reason they are in business.....strange. Well I guess we can only cross our fingers and hope that when they are talking to our young and impressionable youth that they stick with some of the health issues over the others....catch em young and scare em young. I wish I had been taught the evils of smoking when I was young. But growing up in a day when smoking was the norm for most adults, my parents smoked as did the majority of their adult friends and relatives. Thanks god things have changed since then.

For me.....I quit because of the money. I knew it was bad for me, but the thing that bothered me most was the I was so hoplessly addicted to something that I had to spend so much money on. When I quit, I was a pack and a half a day....so at that time $16.50 a day for smokes for me plus $8.25 for my husband's pack a day habbit....it made me angry! Now don't get me wrong, I am happy for the rewards I am reaping health wise because I quit....but sadly my motivating factor was the cash. Doesn't say alot for me, but hell, I'm smoke free over 8 months now and that does say alot for me.

Congrats to all who have quit.....it's a tough thing to give up and you should all be very proud of yourselves!

I agree with josiekat, money is the big thing for me, plus a dusgusting taste in my mouth, I'm starting today, so wish me luck.

Is there a person in the world who doesn't know that smoking is bad for your health? Even the young ones starting up.

But if you say you're are going to be broke and you'll get lines around your mouth ugh! and non-smoking boys and girls wont want to kiss you, in otherwords appeal to their vanity then maybe we can stop them.

Anywho.......I'm wising myself goodluck.......

Wishing you much success Frances! We'll all be here to support you!

I agree with josiekat & Frances, money is the big thing for me as well. Good luck Frances -- I quit 28 days ago. Hope it goes well for you as well.

Quit date: 01/14/2004 09:45:11

I've quit smoking for:
1 Month 1 Week 11 Hours 3 Minutes 29 Seconds

Well, unforunately it didn't happen, I've had a few interuptions..........I split from my partner and so the last couple of weeks have been spent finding somewhere to live and then moving, so I lost my motivation, excuses....excuses...I do still want to quit so I'll start again...

which day does everyone find the hardest?

F

I found the first 2 weeks the hardest....of course there is the nicotine withdrawl.....but the habit....I wasn't quite sure what to do with my hands!

Hope you are managing ok with all that is going on in your life....you are right, now is probably not the best time to quit....wait until you have a managable amount of stress in your life. Will keep checking in on you to see how things are going.

ANY reason to quit is a good one, but the best one is to quit because you truly KNOW you want to and must do it. No one "Wants" to quit persay, but we have strong enough reasons to do so. I have been quit for 7 months or so,losing track and am quite happy.