Giving up smoking

[Allen]

Ok then, how many of you have tried it again this year? How long do you think you'll last this time? I'm going to try again but didn't want it being associated with New Years Resolutions! Was wondering if we can do a mass give up and all help eachother out at the same time!

So, how are you coping? What are you doing to stop the craving? Are any of you who might be giving up or have given up using or used any patches/gum? Are they worth it?

Perhaps we can get some sort of weekly updates from any of those who are trying to give up so we can see how we all do and offer any assistance.

Anyone know any sites that can offer assistance to us about to give up? I found to be quite informative:

http://www.quit.org.uk/
http://www.nosmokingday.org.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/mens/life_smoking.shtml

Let me know any more you find please.

Good luck!

[Stewart]

My Dad had a go, a while back, and tried to do it a bit at a time. Failed like a dog.

He's thinking of having another crack, and just cutting it all out in one go, Trainspotting style.

He has been smoking for 40 years though, so I think he'll smoke for ever, to be honest.

His Dad smoked 40 every day for his entire adult life, and died at 96 of natural causes, so I suppose there is hope for everyone.

Credit to my old man though, he always drummed it into me when I was growing up, that smoking was the biggest mugs game known to man.

I was never tempted to smoke, and now, at 23, never will.

Good luck to everyone going cold turkey, to get off the ciggies. Just remember, you'll get more birds, if your breath and clothes don't smell of ash, you'll live longer, and you'll have more money.

If that doesn't seem like a good deal to you, then go and suck on another cancer stick.

Fight the cravings!

[Shorty]

Was wondering if we can do a mass give up and all help eachother out at the same time!

Let me know any more you find please.

Good luck!

Al..

If we can get a few together, Il do it with ya mate

Been smoking for 8 years and would really like to stop.

[Allen]

I've been smoking for 7 years and wish I'd NEVER started! I smoke about 20-30 a day so not a really heavy smoker but perhaps doing it in a group will give us all a bit of push to carry on and stick to it.

[Blub2k]

My fiancee is moving over to Ireland with me this weekend (from Durham) and she is a non-smoker so I am going to give up soon, I dont think that it is a good idea to do it at New Year directly as so many fall off the wagon that you are one of many. The reason that I want to give up is health related as it is not a good habit and after 10 years of it I can feel that. If someone started a thread and got an agreement then we could follow the thread and what people are doing ( probably posting to the thread with shaky hands every five minutes ) to help them stay off and also a sort of a support network.

[Theo]

I've been smoking for the last 5 years, and managed to get myself down from 15-20 to 3-5 a day now, in the past year. I managed to quit for around 6 months in 2003 by stopping all cigarette buying and using snuff (Wilsons of Sharrow - Strawberry Snuff). I only smoke at night, now, as I don't sleep any more than 2-4 hours a day, and my other half moved in with me last february, and she won't come near me when I've had a cigarette. Long sentence.

I'm still at the stage where I don't really want to quit, because I still like it, but I really should because the temptation to smoke more is always there, plus it would benefit my health a fair bit.

I'll give it some thought over the next few days, and consider getting the snuff I have stockpiled in the cupboard.

[Allen]

If someone started a thread and got an agreement then we could follow the thread and what people are doing ( probably posting to the thread with shaky hands every five minutes ) to help them stay off and also a sort of a support network.

Yes, that is what I propose we do with this thread. We can all give some input then to help and give confidence to those who need it most.

How about we have a Hexus Health forum and get this as a sticky? Then we'd all know where it is and could update our own progress as we need to.

I'm still at the stage where I don't really want to quit, because I still like it, but I really should because the temptation to smoke more is always there, plus it would benefit my health a fair bit.

I still like it too, but financially I can't afford it and it's better to do it sooner rather than later for major health reasons. I read a leaflet that said if you give up before you're thirties you have something like 95% less chance of developing cancer at a later stage in life than a smoker. Something to consider!

[Raz316]

Good luck to whoever tries this
Go on holiday together and have as much to drink and smoke as possible for one night! It worked for me while in Magaluf

[Blub2k]

Ai a stop smoking sticky would be a good idea, I could then join it when I am off them , last time I used Nicorette sticks to give up and found them really good, although wanting to give up is the key. I managed to stay off for a year then one day was on the street and someone walking in front of me was smoking and I was following them inhaling the second hand smoke and thought mmmmm then went in and bought a havana cigar thinking, well I'm not going to get a habit on cigars @ €20+, but when I got up to €60+ on cigars I decided it was cheaper to go back on tabs and am on them since.

[wasabi]

I quit about 18 months ago. Although it sounds very arrogant, the best way to do it is have one last pack, knowing its your last pack, then just stop. No weird patches, gum etc etc. Just stop. I started going to gym at the same time so I was too knackered / stiff to worry about cravings.

[Knoxville]

Good luck guys, i won't be quitting this year despite the amount it costs me i enjoy it too much.

[jcoquillon]

My dad quit after 25 years of heavy smoking a couple of christmases ago. He went to a hypnotist and she didn't do much but gave him the edge to be able to just go cold turkey. His craving still exists as a psycological one but it's been 2 years now and he hasn't smoked again. He had to pick up a dog end the otehr day to put it in the bin and found the semll on his hands to be rather unpleasant, so looks like he's broekn the cycle

[malfunction]

I'm sure you've all seen those clogged artery pics / adverts by now (the ones with the puss like fat in them). Well it doesn't just cause blood clots and heart attacks, etc - somebody close to me was warned two or three times over a period of 18 months (verbal warnings and a kind of bypass op) before his circulation got so bad in one leg he had to have it amputated - it's an extreme case (he was being a bloody idiot not to take heed and had been smoking heavily for 40 years) but it can and does happen.

[RoganJosh]

I've managed 8 days so far - my longest without for over 20 years - only reason i'm giving up is because my wife is about to give birth and I want to be around - been using a few patches when things get tricky and gum for the hit. But I think I'll manage it this time cus it's not just about me anymore.

[dgr]

40 years at 40 a day at £3.50 a packet is over

£ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS!

come on guys!

[Theo]

£3.50 a packet? You're joking, yes? Higher, chap.