Stoptober

Oh happy days . . . I'm not alone

I gave up 34 years ago, in preference to mints. Given them up too. The first 10 years are the worst. The second 10 years, they were the worst too. After that I went into a decline.

I like Gordon's idea.

Geoff

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So you don't freeze up in winter then ?

Quit in 1985 after ~25 years. Went cold turkey for a month then, when I couldn't stand it any longer, used the gum (only thing available then) for a month then started cutting them in half for a month. Next month cut them in half again. After that they got a bit small so continued the progression by diluting them with regular gum (they don't actually mix that well but needs must).

After a year at that I was so close to 100% regular gum that it didn't matter. At that point I had a decent size heart attack. Can't win - I swear it was the quitting that did it. Seriously, I found the gradual weaning relatively painless to stick to.

I still have a bunch of heart issues probably related to the earlier smoking - ventricular arrythmia; afib; icd implant etc. It is possible to quit. Do it sooner rather than later.

PMSL

I was often sent round the shop to get sweets, and half ounce of Golden Virginia for my Dad. I was only 8 and was never refused the tobacco!

Started buying 5 Park Drive for myself, for a shilling, at aged 12. I then moved on to 10 No6. After that I started on 20 Senior Service (no filter). Happy days!

Steve

If you want to stop, then just stop, don't mess about with substitutes. I did 25 years ago, and if I can anyone can, as I have little will power (that's what my wife says anyway). It's hell for about 4 days, then after about 5 years you realise that even if they found it was all a mistake and was actually good for you you wouldn't go back. And think of all the useful stuff you can buy with the dosh. Other huge bonuses are not having to decorate the house anything like as often, and the ability to be po-faced with those who haven't quit.

Hi all

I smoked from 17 years of age until about 40. Last year , aged 71, I was diagnosed with bladder cancer and had my bladder removed.

If you smoke GIVE IT UP NOW,!!

Norman

Maybe he obesity will take over from smoking to get the life expectancy down

Only in the news today that life expectancy in the US is declining. Being put down to obesity.

Edited By not done it yet on 01/11/2016 18:37:54

It's a free world, I would be more than happy for some of my taxes to go towards setting up a smokatorium in the UK

(I was once taken on a shortcut through the Wolverhampton Council smoker's room - it was infinitely worse than that drawing).

Most people put the cigarette in their mouths Norman but I suppose it takes all types.

I had my appendix removed when I was about 17 and was in a ward where a guy was having his second leg amputated due to gangrene caused by smoking related circulation problems, my father died at 59 from smoking related heart and circulation problems, I watched a Deaf School gig where one of the singers carried his oxygen onto stage, he has sadly passed away now. My youngest son is now a vaper he didn't listen to the good advice that it is easier not to start than give up.

Mike

Agree with NJH. After being a 20-30 a day smoker for 50 years, it took a stroke to convince me to give up. Substitutes never worked for me - just had to grit my teeth and go cold turkey. I haven't had a smoke for over four years now, and do I miss it? Almost every day - tobacco is an incredibly addictive drug.

I wish i could convince someone i know to give up but, what can you do? All the facts are there, plain as day, it doesn't mean they can't be simply ignored though.

Michael W

John

That's really rather funny! After a trip to the local hospital this morning, where I and received an "All going well" report, it's nice to end the day with a chuckle!

I do agree with Mike it was very difficult to quit - for the first 3 weeks I felt really ill - it was like having the 'flu - and I could have restarted at any time. I guess that having struggled so hard was useful as from then on any temptation to restart was set against the knowledge of how much harder it would be to stop again. ( Even now I do feel the occasional desire to smoke)

I do accept that it is every individuals choice but, if time travel was possible, I would certainly go back to that first temptation and tell myself not to be so stupid. ........

Norman

Edited By NJH on 01/11/2016 20:31:25

Norm

I spend a fair amount of my life telling people the reasons to quit but everyone has the right to choose.

the wisdom of the choice made sometimes surprises but.... Similar arguments for legalizing cannabis, heroin etc ( which actually kill far fewer people each year than either smoking or booze as a matter of interest )

Everyone has to die of something but why anyone would want to increase their chances of ending up brain dead etc escapes me. You can never win the argument but as one of my old professors used to say " you can't win, you can't even break even but you cant quit the game"

glad you conquered the weed and hopefully some more will read , learn and benefit One can but hope.

keep up the good work

Ian

Smoking is enjoyable? My father apparently enjoyed smoking all of his adult life but he didn't enjoy the nine agonising months it took him to die of lung and cardiac cancer. Likewise, my sister in law was to a large extent defined by her smoking until she developed lung cancer and a secondary brain tumour that robbed her of her memory, her personality, the abilty to coordinate her limbs, her looks, and eventually her life. Her husband and my brother hasn't developed lung cancer yet, but the five coronaries he has suffered over the last few years means his life is but a shadow of what it could be. I don't suppose the mother of a good friend enjoyed having both legs amputated due to smoking induced Reynauds disease either. Many activities give many of us pleasure, but not many regularly exact such a high price as smoking.

Simple advice, repeated many times by many folk far better informed than I. If you smoke, stop, now, don't do it again. If you don't smoke, don't, ever.

Giving up isn't easy, I smoked for several years until seeing my father slowly - far, far too slowly - dying an agonising death made the decision easy. I stopped, cold, never touched one since but it was about 2 years before the craving finally disappeared. That was forty years ago when there was no help to quit, I would hope it's somewhat easier now.

Get yourself into the local High Dependancy Unit for 2 weeks then another 2 weeks in ordinary ward -- worked for me.

I take my hat off to anyone who gives up cold turkey and succeeds!

I smoked for a little over twenty years 30 -40 a day but stick a beer in my hand and i would near double that in a night at the pub.

I tried cold turkey twice and lasted a year each time but staying off them was near impossible as everyone i knew smoked so got hooked again and as i had a high nicotine addiction level my brian would not function without them .

Then in 2000 i had a very minor heart attack and the nicotine really affected my heartbeat after that time but being so addicted I couldn't stop - i was really caught between a rock and a hard place !

Once i tried the patches and ended up in hospital with my heart missing beats and the Doctor told me patches were unsuitable so the only thing to do was the cold turkey method .

In 2003 i tried some tablets ( zaiban I believe ) and after three days i was only smoking few a day but the taste in my mouth was terrible , a week later i had stopped completely and couldn't stand the smell of them or anyone that smoked and after 13 yrs i still can't .

It is the biggest regret in my life the day i stuck a smoke in my gob !

Ian

I am 70 and when at school it was so easy to smoke.The headmaster used to send me to the local shop for his fags .Us lads would pool our money and I would buy us 4 Domino fags in a paper sleve folded over and taped down with a domino on the front,dose anyone remember them.I stopped smoking at 21 when taking up swimming after a 6 year break I could not swim across the pool without struggling for breath.I stopped immediatly and have never touched one since.

Frank