# What is the best way to quit smoking?



## SteveMarker (Oct 11, 2011)

What is the best way to quite smoking? 

In my opinion, Its not going to be easy but with will power and commitment you can do it. Stay away from cigarettes, always occupy yourself with work and also start chewing gum all the time. Maybe drink coffee instead and stay away from people who smoke all the time. First reduce the amount of cigarettes you take in a day from there quit entirely.


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## woodchuck (Oct 11, 2011)

Look at your lab work over a period of time and see how the blood pressure keeps going up, the cholesterol keeps going up, the lung capacity test results go down and then decide how long you want to live and what quality of life you want. Do you want to just live to 60? keep smoking. Live to 70? Cut back. Live to 80 or more? Quit!


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## BridgeMan (Oct 11, 2011)

If you don't have them, you can't smoke them.  Mooching from friends/relatives, smoking O.P.'s (Other People's), won't last long before they tell you to get your own.  So just don't buy the damn things.  End of problem.

My sister quit cold turkey, shortly after her husband died of multiple cancers from chain-smoking.  They had been doing 5 packs a day between them for more than 20 years.  She still says she occasionally gets the urge to light up, but it quickly disappears when she remembers the suffering her husband went through the last few months of his life. 

Cigarettes are killers.  Period.  Save the money you'd spend on them, and put it towards a new car or your kids' college fund.


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## kok328 (Oct 11, 2011)

The starting point is to stop making excuses as to why this is not a good time to quit smoking.
I smoked a pack a day for 35yrs. and successfuly quite using the 3-step nicotine patch system.  Of course I had to repeat step 3 a couple of times but, eventually kicke the habit.  Looking back, it was easier than I thought it was going to be.  Looking forward, the hardest part is staying quit.  Every now and then the urge to light one up comes out of left field.


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## mrrobinson (Oct 11, 2011)

i smoked for a while. it was very addicting. but what made me quit was that they just didn't make me feel good. i felt like i was always coming down with a cold or something, they made me feel gross and lethargic. i noticed big changes in my teeth yellowing and graying. i knew i had to stop. so i cut back more and more, and finally got it down to 1 a day. and when i finally did kick the habit, it was like night and day. i had more energy, i felt better, and most of all i got into great shape because my stamina and breathing got better and i was able to do so much more. but i'm not perfect, i will borrow one from a friend if i'm having a beer or whatnot. but other than that....they are gone.

my point it think of all the benefits of not smoking, and push yourself. it can happen


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## Speedbump (Oct 12, 2011)

I set a date about 90 days ahead that I was going to quit.  When that day came, I just never picked up the pack again.  My Wife threw it away after about six months.  I was a 3.5 pack a day smoker and loved smoking.  But didn't love what they were doing to my health.  It's been over 20 years now.


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## Rumi (Nov 13, 2011)

I don't smoke, never have; but I have friends who have quit. From what I can see, different people find success with different approaches. What worked for one hasn't for another, like cold turkey. It worked for my best fishing friend, but he has a very strong will.
Another friend couldn't quit until he went to a hypnotist!
After three office visits he was done smoking. 
That was 30 yrs. ago, and he still is his usual self- didn't start seeing ghosts, or coming to work in a dress!   (... steelmill) :rofl:

Those new electronic cigarettes work for some people too.

Keep at it Steve! You'll find what will work best for you. 
.


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## rollingmurphy (Nov 13, 2011)

Stay strong and don't cold turkey it, that's the worst. Stay strong and be strong willed. It CAN happen and it WILL happen if you push yourself. Think of all the money you will save!


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## Jimbo56 (Nov 25, 2011)

i find it is more of a social thing rather, i have many friends and relatives who are justg "social smokers" which is pretty normal these days so it tends to be just on a saturday night. I know how hard it is to quit like any addiction but determination and will power will get you through.


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## SolidOak (Nov 26, 2011)

Jimbo56 said:


> i find it is more of a social thing rather, i have many friends and relatives who are justg "social smokers" which is pretty normal these days so it tends to be just on a saturday night. I know how hard it is to quit like any addiction but determination and will power will get you through.


It's not an addiction if you only do it when other people are around. It's a habit.


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## SnellExperts (Nov 26, 2011)

I actually had to do a psychology experiment on with this when I was in college. The thing with quitting cigarettes is the same as losing weight, it has to be a life style change or it won't stick. Do the A-B-C program which is likely to be more effective than anything. Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence is what it stands for. Spend a week getting base line data by just carrying around an index card and writing down how many cigarettes you smoke a day and the A-B-C for each cigarette smoked. The antecedant is basically the preceding behavior, or the "reason" that the target behavior occured. Was it after a meal, driving down the road, saw someone else smoking, just a simple craving, etc etc. The behavior is obviously that you smoked a cigarette. And then record the consequence, how you felt. Did your lungs hurt, if you have kids did they start coughing, did it make you think about quitting even more, etc etc. After about a week you can see which behaviors are more prominent to lead to smoking. Start with the easiest ones first, or the ones that occur less often. Lets say your smoke 3 cigs a day after each meal. Well the meal would be your antecedant, so swap the behavior of smoking out with something like doing the dishes, or going for a walk. Once you get those kicked then move onto the next one. Sorry, I know that was quite a bit but I was trying to be thorough. Good luck with it, I know how tough it can be, but I do know quite a few people that have used this program to quit successfully. You may also want to look into an electronic cigarette for the tough days.


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## JamesFC (Feb 15, 2012)

Quite Life  JK! Well if you really want to quite smoking then you can , I know its  not easier but nothing is impossible! You can do it , yeah ! cheers!


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## Jdmrenovations (Feb 19, 2012)

One thing you must do is look at your normal routine and identify your "problem" times.  I used to drive 2 hrs to and from work every day down in DC, and it didn't take me long to realize that a good chunk of the smoking was done in the truck, sitting in traffic with nothing to do but sip coffee and light up.  I saw what was essentially chain smoking, and attacked that first.  It gave me a HUGE headstart on the overall habit...I just took fewer with me on the drive, I would put the others in the toolbox.  Once I cut that down, the rest was easier.  

Trying to quit cold turkey from 2 packs a day...for me at least...would end poorly.  You don't really realize how addictive nicotine is until you don't have it in your system.


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## TxBuilder (Feb 20, 2012)

Jdmrenovations said:


> One thing you must do is look at your normal routine and identify your "problem" times.  I used to drive 2 hrs to and from work every day down in DC, and it didn't take me long to realize that a good chunk of the smoking was done in the truck, sitting in traffic with nothing to do but sip coffee and light up.  I saw what was essentially chain smoking, and attacked that first.  It gave me a HUGE headstart on the overall habit...I just took fewer with me on the drive, I would put the others in the toolbox.  Once I cut that down, the rest was easier.
> 
> Trying to quit cold turkey from 2 packs a day...for me at least...would end poorly.  You don't really realize how addictive nicotine is until you don't have it in your system.



That's where I had my issues too. 

Getting a new car helped.


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## ilikeblue (Feb 23, 2012)

I smoked for a while when I was a teenager. I wish I never would of started. I eventually quit just my separating myself from the party scene for a while and friends that smoked. You'd be surprised how much of a social thing it can be.


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## 1jackguy (Feb 23, 2012)

Its a drug     Just say no DRUGS


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## paul52446m (Mar 4, 2012)

Maybe my story will help help someone stop. I smoked from 20 to 58. When i quit i was at 3 packs a day. I also worked in dusty crawl spaces with no mask. When i quit i just plain quit with no help. Now i am 65, have copd, and i am going in this Fri to have a biopsy on one lung because they think i have caner. When you are young you think you can do anything and get away with it.  Paul


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## oldognewtrick (Mar 4, 2012)

Paul, sorry to hear about your medical problems. Prayers for you, your family and the medical staff. Let us know how every thing turns out. You have been a great resource around here and we appreciate your time helping others.


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## paul52446m (Mar 4, 2012)

oldog/newtrick said:


> Paul, sorry to hear about your medical problems. Prayers for you, your family and the medical staff. Let us know how every thing turns out. You have been a great resource around here and we appreciate your time helping others.


Thanks for your reply, i will let you know how things come out.  Paul


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## inspectorD (Mar 4, 2012)

Good Luck Paul, Hope everything turns out to be just a test. Thanks for helping others understand the reality life throws at us all.


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## clerk1z (Apr 27, 2012)

Thanks for the nice tips really. Some people start smoking due to habits or having enjoy and some due to psychological and mind upset. I think yoga is the only way to giveup smoking. Becuase from yoga we can increase our mental ability and we can control our senses.


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## paul52446m (Apr 27, 2012)

paul52446m said:


> Thanks for your reply, i will let you know how things come out.  Paul



Hi all, Paul here. I went to see another Doc. today to confirm condition and treatment
 for my cancer.
 I do have stage 4 cancer that very rarely is ever cured. 
 I have a cancer tumor in my one lung, and some other cancer in my limp nods in my back.
  This next Wed. Leanna and i will be going to Ann Arbor and staying there for two to three
 weeks for the first part, which will be radiation to try to shrink the tumor in the lung so i 
 can breath better. If we can i will come home weekends
   After that they will let me recover a few weeks and then start keno treatments for for a while.
 The two things they hope for is stopping it from spreading any more. Or shrinking it down and try to control it.      Later Paul


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## inspectorD (Apr 28, 2012)

Good luck Paul, your a great help around here, get better soon.


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## oldognewtrick (Apr 28, 2012)

Paul, you have been a valuable asset around here for a while now. We appreciate the time you have taken to help other folks with problems around their house. It' because of you and a lot of others pros, this site is such a great place to be. You will be missed as you go through your treatments, but remember we are thinking about your well being and praying for you and your family as you face the challenges ahead of you . Please keep us updated of how things are going.  Wishing you pretty nurses, little needles and warm hands.        Tom


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## TxBuilder (Apr 30, 2012)

paul52446m said:


> Hi all, Paul here. I went to see another Doc. today to confirm condition and treatment
> for my cancer.
> I do have stage 4 cancer that very rarely is ever cured.
> I have a cancer tumor in my one lung, and some other cancer in my limp nods in my back.
> ...



I wish you the best Paul.


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## ffisher (Apr 30, 2012)

Paul, I'm really sorry to here that. Sending positive thoughts your way. And Clerk1z, yoga is a really good recommendation for this cause. You are very right.


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## Garenius (Sep 1, 2012)

I've heard that nicotine patches works to an extent, but I personally don't smoke, so I wouldn't really be able to give first-hand experience.


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## Kone (Sep 30, 2012)

In my opinion, if you really want to quit smoking, you can do it if you have strong will.


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