This email was in my inbox the other day.  I thought it was a good bit of info for anyone trying to stop smoking cigarettes:

I am 4 months pregnant. I have been smoking for about 10 years, pack a day. I tried the “cut down” method. I am around 5-10 a day now, but I cant get below that. So, I am going to do it cold turkey. I really don’t want to go through the trouble of quitting because my emotions are already shot, but it must be done. I would love to be able to lock myself in my bedroom for about a week. I quit before for about 4 months, cold turkey. Then all it took was a weekend of parties and I was right back smoking again. I know I CAN do it, it’s just maintaining the will power to stop. I have heard that the physical addiction is only about 3 days of the quitting, and that the rest is habit and psychological addiction. IF this is true then I can just plan on three days to freedom from physical addiction, correct?  And then, they say, 28 days to make or break the habit. This one I believe. After a month of not smoking before when I did it, I felt strange even holding one. It felt foreign.

What I’m trying to say is, if you have a good enough reason to quit, like me, you can do it.  Just plan on a month of struggle!

Another great email:

I desperately want to quit smoking but I don’t want to try any of the stuff on the market.  I know a lot of people that smoke cigs and have tried all of this stuff and it just doesn’t work.  I am very ashamed of this addiction and am very aware of all the health problems that stem from it.  So please help.

This is a common problem.  People feel ashamed that they can’t  quit smoking, and maybe even ashamed that they started in the first place.  They think that using a quit smoking product is just admitting that they were weak to begin with.

However, if you’re really wanting to quit, GO FOR IT.  Quitting is awesome, but trying to quit never hurts.  When you’re ready, just try cold turkey, or hard candy or gum.  If you find the withdrawal is too much, talk to your doctor about finding a product to help you.  Remember, it’s your body, your health, and your money.

A common concern when one is trying to stop smoking cigarettes is weight gain.  Most people are aware that cigarettes are an appetite suppressant.  There is also some research indicating that they speed up the metabolic process a bit, so perhaps these fears have a bit of a foundation.

However, when you consider how much more active you’ll be after quitting, you’ll probably naturally be able to burn the extra calories.  Also, with the extra money you’ll have when not purchasing expensive cigarettes, you can indulge in a healthy diet to help you keep from consuming the extra calories in fast food and other inexpensive fatty selections.

Another letter:

I stopped in 1990. When the urge and craving became so bad I would take a cigarette from the pack that was opened and place it in my lips and draw the clean air through until the urge was gone. After a while, I finally threw that pack away.

Smoked for 25 years, cigarettes, cigars, pipe-chewed tobacco. Some times as many as three packs daily.

Smoked about ten cigars since and maybe 5 cigarettes to see if I wanted to go back, but the urge and craving is long gone. Even after being hooked, you should be able to kick the habit!

I get a surprising amount of comments and emails from people who just LOVE to smoke and who defend their pastime to no end.  I used to be a smoker; I understand this!  Smoking seems to relax one, and it’s fun, and you look cool doing it (oh wait, that’s only until you’re 15!).  A lot of people think it’s something they’re in control of, and they like that feeling.  However, anyone who’s actually tried to quit knows that it’s the nicotine addiction that’s in control.

Why stop smoking cigarettes?  Oh, the reasons!  Theyr’re expensive, they slowly kill you, they stain your walls, they stink up your car and clothes, they harm the people around you.  They set a bad example for you children, too, if you have them!

Really, what would your life be missing if you quit smoking?  Nothing!  You would actually gain health, gain life span, have more money and not be so stinky.  ;)  Any day is a good day to try and quit.

What a great question.  Here are a few good ideas on how to get a husband to stop smoking cigarettes, not stating the obvious:

• Tell him his breath stinks.  Because it does.
• Stop cleaning out the ash trays.
• Help him find activities that encourage physical activity, like taking a family bike ride together.
• Go to the doctor with him and discuss aids he might be able to use to help him quit.
• Give him as much support as you can while his attitude ‘adjusts’ to becoming a non-smoker as he goes through withdrawal!

Want to stop smoking cigarettes?  Try an idea or two off of this list:

• Take seven deep breaths every time you crave a cigarette.
• Stop hanging out with other smokers.
• Stop hanging out in smoking establishments.  Try a walk in the park instead.
• Drink a large glass of very cold water when you crave a cigarette.
• Suck on hard candy, or chew gum.
• Find a support group in your area, or even an online support group.
• Remember how much cigarettes cost!!

None of these things will cost you a dime, which is 100% less than what a cigarette or product to help you quit will!  What can it hurt?  Spend three days practicing these techniques, and that’s long enough for the nicotine to be gone from your system.

It’s so good to hear something motivational:

Next month I will have stopped smoking cigarettes for three months. I smoked a pack and a half for about 20 years. Your right about changing your other habits that go along with smoking. I used to play online poker and smoke all day long. I went to the doctor to get help because I knew I couldn’t do it on my own. He prescribed Wellbutrin, and I was to take it for 10 days before quitting so it would be in my system. On the 10th day I still had 1/2 a pack left. I wanted to be in control of the cigarettes and not them be in control of me. I grabbed the pack, all the ash trays and lighters, and threw them in the outside trash. I only took the Wellbutrin for one month and have NEVER craved a cigarette since. This was my first attempt to quit smoking and it was a complete success. I knew I could no longer sit and play poker all day so I started working out (because I gained 8 pounds in one week!!) Within one week of quitting, I could mow my lawn without losing my breath. I always heard you have to replace one habit with another if you want to be successful in stopping. I only exercised for 6 months, which was great and when I stopped working out I still never went back to smoking. Also, sour candy works really great to give your mouth something to do. Jolly Ranchers are fantastic because they last a long time.
Anyway, good luck in your journey to a healthier life, and just don’t give up. I feel 100 % better now that I can breathe and my breath isn’t knocking people out…lol.

It’s proven that nicotine is horribly addictive, and so I get tired of hearing people talk about how it’s all about willpower and that people who smoke are week.  Why else would we all be here??  :)  There are so many different ways to stop smoking cigarettes now, from good old cold turkey top prescribed aids.

Surround yourself with supportive people, even if you have to join a group.  Stop hanging out in smoking establishments.  Keep your hands and mouth busy with suckers or gum.  And if you have to find some kind of aid, then DO IT!  There’s no shame in doing whatever you can to quit a habit that’s so bad for your body.

A lot of people hope to be occasional smokers (which only really works for a small percentage of people and is STILL unhealthy!) or try to just by ‘light’ cigarettes because they think they’re not going to kill them as quickly.  The truth is, the best thing you can do for your body is Stop Smoking Cigarettes!

The only kind of “cigarette” you should be using is the kind they use as part of nicotine withdrawal treatment. There is no “good” kind of tobacco for you to smoke. Chewing tobacco is a risk factor for cancer of the mouth.  Try throwing all the money you spend on smokes in a jar for a year and buy yourself something with it. Or fill up your gas tank at least once (ha!).