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Have a helpful hint or motivating thought to share? Tell us your story. Encourage others. Share strategies for quitting smoking. This area is for you.

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I would encourage everyone to seek help...quitting smoking is hard (but so rewarding) but it gets easier if you don't try to do it alone. Many states have many programs to assist you with quitting smoking. Whether it be a QUITLINE, a local cessation service, or a nicotine anonymous group there is help out there - you just have to look for it. Good places to start looking for help is through your local hospital or local health department, they can get you going in the right direction! And good luck!

Lauren from Ohio

With gas prices the way they are - if you smoke one pack a day, you could buy 8 gallons of gas, and travel 160 miles if you get 20 miles to the gallon - you could go to Chattanooga from Atlanta for that - or enjoy Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain Georgia! Thinking like this really helped me quit for good!

Judith from Georgia

Its been 2 month since I quit my 22 year old smoking addiction. The cravings are worse now in the 2nd month, than any time I have experienced thus far. I quit cold turkey and had a colonoscopy at age 40 3 months ago. They removed 3 polyps and colon cancer runs in my family. I decided then and there to live the next 22 years smoke free! How I did it: I bought a pack of cigarettes, smoked 1/2 a cigarette, got it wet, and stuck it in my cigarette case with the full pack. Every time I opened the case the stench reminded me of how my insides and my hair smelled, and it was that easy. The first month I had severe insomnia, probably related to the nicotine withdrawal and now in the second month I dream of smoking. But I will be strong and I wont cheat! I am strong!

Mary from Ohio

I started quitting in earnest before Thanksgiving last year. My husband was a two-pack-a-day smoker with COPD and other heart and breathing complications up till he passed away from a heart attack at the first of the year. I was not smoking at the time we met 20 years ago, but due to stress in the marriage, and the influence of his habit, I picked up smoking again just after the birth of our second daughter. I didn't even consider trying to quit, until after his death, when I decided to smoke outside only. After scrubbing the nasty smoke residue off the walls and windows--I thought--if it's that hard to clean what I CAN see, imagine what my lungs look like! Still, I determined to quit by Christmas, and the cold winter temps helped--who in their right mind would stand outside to smoke even a half a cigarette in 10 degrees?? I quit for a week or two, but the stress of the holidays brought me back to it, at the same half-cigarette level, though. About a month and a half later I came down with that winter cough-due-to-cold that was going around--colds were always a time I didn't crave a smoke, so it made sense just not to buy that next pack. I had been putting $5 in a piggy-bank for the packs I wasn't buying for my hubby, so I treated myself to a trip to California with that money. I stayed with friends who don't smoke, didn't have a car to run to the store 10 miles away, and I stayed smoke-free! It'll be four months next week, (Valentine's Day was my quit date--the heart image is more meaningful to me now) and though I've had a few times I wanted to go out and buy a pack, I told myself--"Sure, I'd smoke just one--but then what would I do with the rest of the pack?" and I chucked another $5 bill into the piggy-bank instead, dreaming of my next get-away reward trip--or, at this point, just the next gallon of gas! Keep at it--it's worth the health benefits and the money that you won't be burning up needlessly! You are stronger than that rolled paper tube of dry leaves!

Nee from Missouri

My dear friend since elementary school is having a triple by-pass today. He and I started smoking together in middle school we were 12 at the time. Over the years we used to love to sit and chat over a cup of coffee and a cigarette. At some point my friend was up to 2 packs a day. Meanwhile, I was smoking about one pack every 2 days. My husband quit smoking 10 years ago and none of my adult children smoke or will date a smoker. They have been urging me to quit smoking for years. In fact for Mother's day they took me to "The Body Exhibit" hoping I would be affected by the diseased smokers lung. Instead of being deterred, I lit up a cigarette the minute we walked out of the exhibit. Seven days ago my friend informed me that he has to stop smoking before his surgery because his recovery would be that much longer. That was it...I had to quit also. I realized that God forbid I ever needed any major surgery my chances of survival and a quick recovery were diminished by my cigarette habit. Today I am 5 days smoke free and going nuts. However, my friend's heart surgery is making me even more nuts. We won't know how successful the surgery is until later tonight...Until then, I pray for him, myself and all the foolish people lighting up "poison sticks".

Patty from New York

Hi! I really want to quit smoking. I've been trying so hard and can't. I've been smoking since I was 13 years old and back then I was able to quit off and on. Now I am 46 yrs. old and really want to quit and cant. No matter what I take or read nothing is working. Can someone who has quit please help me quit, because I really am scared now, plus I am going to be a grandma for the first time.

Vonnie from Pennsylvania

I'm 16 and have been smoking since I was 13. I can't stop now and know that the longer I smoke the harder it will become. I really need help.

Rach from Texas

I have been smoking since I was 15. I actually hated smoking and would hide it from everyone the best I could. The time and money spent and my health were all good reasons to quit. I quit with a smoking cessation product my doctor prescribed. I have not had ANY cravings at all. It has been 40 days since I quit. It makes me a little nauseated but that is better than smoking. I'm really glad I asked my doctor about my options.

Jonnie from California

I started smoking when I was 13 years old and now I'm 20 years old. It was really hard for me to quit back then, my friend even told me to quit or else! I finally did it! I just realized it wasn't really that hard, just find yourself something to do like working out, etc. Well good luck!

orlac from California

I'm 43 years old and have been smoking since I was 10! I'm up to smoking 3 packs a day and I'm going to try and go cold turkey on the 1st of June. That is my anniversary and I promised my wife I would quit. I'm going to come here and read your comments every day to help me get through this. I'll let you know what happens. :)

Mitch from Texas

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Content last updated June 10, 2008.

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