November 15, 2004

The Great American Smokeout! Every year the American Cancer Society promotes the Great American Smokeout (November 18th). Perhaps this is the year YOU should make the decision.

For years I pretty much would ignore all mention of this in the media, being a smoker (35 years, 2 packs a day) that didn't believe he could quit, it was the last thing I wanted to hear. This year is different, I don't mind hearing about it at all! When the state raised the tax on my smokes again during the summer, I said the heck with it and went cold turkey! The only help was a neat little web page called quitmeter that helped me keep track of how much money I have saved ($1,334) and how many smokes I haven't had (5,496)! Bottom Line...It has been about 4.5 months since I quit, it was nowhere near as difficult as I thought it would be and I feel about 100% better. If I (the one with no will power or self control) can do it, anyone can! It's at least worth thinking about, if not for yourself for your children, grandchildren, significant other, best friend, and anyone else that is gonna miss your butt when you are gone at an early age 'cuz you didn't at least TRY and quit....

posted by HuronBob 20 years ago
  • Whooo Hooooo ! ! ! I don't often smoke, but I think I'll pick up a pack today! ! ! *big inhale* Whooops, didn't read the fine print .. .
  • Well done HuronBob. I gave up last week after smoking 20-30 a day for 14 years. I am really surprised by how easy it has been. I have no desire whatsoever to smoke again. I'm wondering who benefits from the myth that quitting is hard.
  • It has been about 4.5 months since I quit, it was nowhere near as difficult as I thought it would be and I feel about 100% better. I know many people who started smoking again after 2 years of quitting. The habit is quite powerful.
  • Mare, I'm not fooling myself about the danger of starting up again... There is no doubt that I will experience many battles in the future! My comment was intended to express what seemed to be an almost complete lack of physical "withdrawal" symptoms... The hardest part was overcoming the habitual nature of just lighting up in conjuction with certain activities and or behaviors... but...thanks for the warning!
  • It's been 25 days since I stopped smoking. I'm still cranky.
  • Dumber still, I gave up smoking for ten years and then started again four years ago, maybe related to taking on a mainly writing job.
  • Yeah, November 16th will make three months for me. And November 31 will make the longest period of time I have ever not smoked, (I stopped for 3 months and two weeks a while back). I use SilkQuit to help, and it's pretty handy.... Output from the program: Two months, four weeks, two days, 9 hours, 55 minutes and 27 seconds. 1645 cigarettes not smoked, saving $329.09. Life saved: 5 days, 17 hours, 5 minutes.
  • If anyone is in the San Francisco Bay Area and wants to start a day early, my friend Andrea is sponsoring a free smoking cessation workshop on Nov 17th. Andrea is a medical hypnotherapist, and I think what she has in mind is a group hypnosis session to set in peopless' minds the message that they will quit, and to demonstrate techniques to calm the mind so people don't light up when they are agitated or nervous. And, since I mentioned this in the other quitting thread, it's only fair to mention it here. If you email her at andrea@mentalleverage.com , and tell her that Courtney said you could have a free smoking cessation cd, there's about a 90% chance she will send you one. The cd's are recorded self-hypnosis sessions that are meant to minimize cravings and boost your confidence that you can quit. I don't smoke, so I haven't tried the cd, but the weight loss one works well.
  • Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.
  • Quitting smoking is great, of course--but why November 16? Quitting smoking before the holidays seems like a recipe for homicide for me. I remember when I quit (cold turkey in January 2002) and it's a wonder my friends and relatives still talk to me. I was a little, uh, volatile.
  • I am really surprised by how easy it has been. I have no desire whatsoever to smoke again. I'm wondering who benefits from the myth that quitting is hard. Maybe for you it was easy. It was the single hardest thing, both physically and mentally, that I have ever done in my life. Ever. The only reason I stay quit is so I don't have to go through the hell of quitting again.
  • Savannah - I've heard a lot of people say that changing their routine helped them quit smoking. So maybe the pre-holiday date was chosen for that reason. People are travelling, not going to work, seeing loved ones, etc. I think the not going to work thing is less important now than it was back when people were working in smoke-filled offices.
  • I don't typically laugh heartily at posts, but - TenaciousPettle, well done.
  • oh, oh, here comes Crankyfilter Seriously, good luck Monkeys.
  • There's something all wrong with the phrase "Great American Smoke Out". It makes it sound like a barbecue. Like some kind of grandiose festival to celebrate the great American tradition of smoking. I don't think it should be carrying that kind of message. "Cigarette Day" sounds better. Smoke it on that last day if you've got 'em, then stop.
  • I can't wait for Smoke Out Eve, when all the kids will dress in costume (Bette Davis, Edward R. Murrow, etc.) and go door to door collecting packs of cigarettes from their neighbors while singing carols (Little Emphysema Boy (bah-rump-a-bum-cough), God Rest Ye Merry Cancer Sticks).
  • timefactor wins! )
  • I am going to try to stop smoking this Nov. 16. I have a 33 year habit of >2 packs a day. I have tried several times over the past 10 years to quit, but my luck has not been so good. I turn to my nicotine in times of stress, and since 1994 I have had more than my share of stress. I freely admit I am addicted to nicotine, I fully realize how much I hurt myself with this addiction, although I believe the smoke from the cigarettes is far more harmful to me than nicotine. My physician advised me to wear the patch, since that is what worked the best for me in the past. I was actually smoke free for 6 months, although not nicotine free, because I wore the patch. My physician agreed with me that I would be better off wearing a patch the rest of my life than smoking the rest of my life. Even so, I felt 100% better. I could breath. I could taste my food. My allergies and chronic sinus problems improved. I had no desire to smoke a cigarette, and being around others who smoked did not bother me. I don't have the habit of smoking, but an addiction to nicotine. I didn't kick my nicotine addiction, but I didn't trash my lungs with smoke either. Granted it is what some people have called cheating. But wearing a nicotine patch is better than smoking. Unfortunately I got lazy, not wanting to drive the 30 mile round trip to buy more patches, one cold snowy weekend. So I walked across the street and bought more smokes. So here I am again, two years later, trashing my lungs with smoke. Now my stress level has lowered, and perhaps not only will I kick the smokes, but hopefully I can kick the nicotine too.
  • Bratcat.... I wish you the best! and, to anyone else who gives quitting a shot, you have my best wishes... Tell everyone what you're doing, find things you like to do, avoid the old behaviors that went with smoking as much as possible.... keep track of how much money you've saved... and... sex helps
  • It's too bad they don't have anything like this to induce people to quit smoking.
  • Good luck, bratcat.
  • I found Quitnet to be very helpful. If I can do it, it can be done. Mind you, watching my mother die from lung cancer was also some pretty heavy motivation. It's a really lousy way to die, and it's not how I want to exit this world. Really, it's a very unpleasant way to go.