Do You Smoke?

[furrykidsmother]

After hearing about Dana Reeves it reinforces in my mind that I need to quit smoking. I usually only have 1 or 2 a day, but still that isn't good. If any of you have smoked and quit, I would love to hear how you did it. BTW I used to smoke almost 2 packs a day, so I have come a long way, but not long enough.

[mruffruff]

One winter I got a real bad case of sinusitis. Cigarettes tasted sooooooooooooooooooo bad. When I got better, I tried to start again, but couldn't stand them. Haven't smoked since.

Not the recommended way to quit, but VERY effective.

Mary

[anna_66]

I can happily say this

My husband and I quit in February and neither of us has had a cigarette since!
He used the patch and I did it cold turkey. I have to say, aids like the patch, gum, etc. only REALLY work if you want to seriously quit.
I honestly wouldn't have quit when I did, but Mark decided he wanted to, so I did it to help him. But now I'm glad I did and we are both smoke free

Good Luck, I know you can do it!!!

[slick]

When I was 22 I gave in to peer pressure and started smoking....well, one pack would last me a week. I was still living at home and didn't want Mom or Dad to know.

Anyway, I met and fell head over heels for this guy who gave me a choice - either him or the ciggies. The choice was easy. That was back in 1975 and I haven't touched a ciggie since.

[Logan]

No, I don't, and I can't remember anyone in my family ever smoking except my grandfather, who died of heart disease at age 64. I was 5 years old.

My husband is a severe asthmatic and our doctor says that he has the lung capacity of a 3 pack/day smoker, but he has never smoked. He grew up in a house full of smokers, though.

Logan

PS. Good for you who have quit or are thinking of doing so.

[Jadapit]

I smoke, I'm truly sick of smoking. I quit once for a year. But like an idiot i started smoking again. I tried quitting awhile back i was down to 2 a day, but it wasnt long before i was smoking more than that. I think i will pick a day and try to give them up. I wish you all the luck in the world we CAN do it!! You are so close to being smoke free give up the two you are smoking and you have it beat.

[Laura's Babies]

I smoke and have tried to quit many, many times.... always gained 20 pounds in 3 weeks because of the cravings. I tired the gum about 3 times and the Zyban once... Zyban worked like a charm but I was so wired and strung out on it that after many nights of NO sleep, I had to get off of it. I recently retried the gum again and soon as I popped a piece in my mouth and made a few chews, got distracted and lit up a cigarette too! So much for THAT idea!

I want to quit, I really do... I just don't have the will power to ride out the cravings or the desire to gain all that weight. My sister quit and has blown up like the goodyear blimp!... so there you are looking at high blood pressure, diabeties and heart problems..... I still haven't given up.. I still plan to try again.... one day......

But folks, I am appaled at how people are allowed to treat smokers. If any other population in America were so discrimanated against the law would not allow it.

It really chaps my hide when I am OUTSIDE smoking and someone walks by and complains about the smoke as they walk to their CAR! I ask you all, what is the biggest threat outside, smokers or car pollution?

One more thing, they are trying to tax them so high that we will get discouraged and quit..... Say we all do... WHERE is that lost tax revenue going to come from? Gas? groceries... especially the unhealthy stuff? Medicine? They are going to get that money somewhere and this is just the beginning.. Watch what I am telling you!

(getting off my soapbox and crawling to the sofa for a nap)

[DJFyrewolf36]

Me and the hubby both smoke unfortuneatly. I used to be a pack a day smoker myself...and I smoked non-filter! I'm down to about 5 a day now, if that. Somedays I won't smoke at all. I quit about 3 years ago cold turkey, but when I met my husband I started up again. He's gone down from being a 2 pack a day smoker to about half a pack a day and is trying very hard to quit. He tried the patch, turns out he is alergic to whatever is in them and the gum just makes him puke. My roomate doesn't help much. He goes through about $300 in smokes in a month by himself. Thats a lot of darn cigarettes (and a huge waste of money IMO). I've seen him go through three packs in less than 24hrs. Me and the hubby combined spend maybe $50 a month, and thats if we're being spendy.

My mom was a very heavy smoker until she was in her 20s and the Dr said that if she kept smoking, she only had maybe a year left to live. She took her last pack and flushed it and hasn't touched a ciggarette since (she is almost 50 now). I admire her a lot for that.

[luvofallhorses]

I smoke! although, I am not proud to admit it. I am trying to quit though, because it really messes up with my sinuses and it is annoying..I am going to try my hardest even if it means quitting cold turkey!! I wish you luck!

[Karen]

Originally posted by Laura's Babies
I smoke and have tried to quit many, many times.... always gained 20 pounds in 3 weeks because of the cravings. I tired the gum about 3 times and the Zyban once... Zyban worked like a charm but I was so wired and strung out on it that after many nights of NO sleep, I had to get off of it. I recently retried the gum again and soon as I popped a piece in my mouth and made a few chews, got distracted and lit up a cigarette too! So much for THAT idea!
(getting off my soapbox and crawling to the sofa for a nap)

I applaud your attempts to try to quit, and hope you'll succeed. I do not smoke, never have, have been an asthmatic since I was 5 years old, so was never even tempted to try.

Next time you want to quit, have you tried the old "rubber band on the wrist" for cravings? Might help ...

A co-worker who was quitting (she was home from work with pneumonia) met me at the door with a cigarette in her mouth. When she saw my face, said "Wait, don't yell, it's okay! It's not lit! My doctor recommended this is a crutch, and it's working for me. I've had this cigarette for three days now!"

I am here for support of anyone who is trying to quit. My Dad quit cold turkey after smoking for 35+ years (started when he joined the Army at 17, and they handed out cigarettes as incentives/reward, etc.). Dad never smoked in the house or even on the porch, always walked all the way out to the garage, and we weren't even supposed to know that he smoked. He says know that he wouldn't have wanted to live in their house during the two weeks after he quit, but Ma was the only one living there with him at that point, and her optimism was always pretty bulletproof, so it was okay.

My beloved Aunt Dottie and Uncle Jake (married to each other, not really related to us but might as well have been) died - of lung cancer and a heart attack, respectively, both because of their smoking.

I have friends suffer and die because of their smoking habits - Pancreatic Cancer in Bob's case, which was brutal, quick, and nearly symptomless until it was far too late.

[davidpizzica]

I used to smoke. I was a Marlboro & Winston man. I smoked from 1962 to January 31st, 1982. I decided to quit cold turkey that day. It wasn't doing me any good and they were geting expensive at 65 cents a pack! (back then). I took a puff of one about six weeks later,and I thought I was going to die! Haven't touched one since 1982!!

[JenBKR]

I used to, but I pretty much quit. I have one every once in a while, but if & when I go back to school I know I'll want to smoke more. My dad quit cold turkey, switched from ciggys to jolly ranchers he did gain some weight but he's thin to begin with. He still goes through a lot of candy, and it's been almost a year...but I am so proud of him for quiting.

[finn's mom]

I don't smoke.

I edited it to say "I" cuz it looked like I was telling people not to.

[finn's mom]

Wow, I had no idea that Dana Reeve had lung cancer. That is so sad. Because she's never smoked, though, her chances of recovery are good. Let's hope so! What a sad thing.

[Pam]

My hubby is a smoker and has smoked for decades. Recently, before the death of Peter Jennings and now the announced lung cancer of Dana Reeves, I refused to buy him cigarettes. They are about half the price in Delaware and I find myself there often. I was buying him cigarettes in Delaware occasionally to save money. Bottom line, I told him that I could no longer contribute to his habit. I don't want to have to look at him some day in a hospital connected to tubes and dying and know that I contributed. The night that we were watching all of the Peter Jennings clips after his death I said "this is why I won't be buying them any more." I do hope he starts thinking of taking better care of himself.