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I started smoking at 17 and quit at 27 while trying to get pregnant with our first child. In 2005 I started smoking again, due to a stressful period in life. My husband smokes, so it's very hard to quit. We don't smoke in the house, only the garage, so it seems we spend way too much time in the garage now! My oldest daughter is 10, and begs me to quit. She says she doesn't want to be 16 and be an orphan. She knows how to hit where it hurts, ha-ha. For some reason, the thought of quitting seems harder than the first time I quit in '97, and I don't know why. I did it once, I know I can do it again. I'm thinking about this Friday, June 13th as my quit date. Who says "Friday the 13th" has to be a bad day, why not make it good? Let's cross our fingers and chew that gum, tooth picks, whatever works. Asking for help can't hurt too.

Anonymous from Virginia

I gave up smoking-after 44 years-not for my health but when cigarettes went to $5.00 a pack! I got a big glass jar and put in $5.00 a day. This makes an impressive pile after a week or so. Then use that money to go on a trip, buy a new dress, go out to dinner-stop wasting your life blowing smoke up your nose!!

Barb from New York

I am not a smoker, and never have been but my mother died of lung cancer and I have 4 sisters that smoke or have smoked. I went to a seminar and the presenter was Pat McGill from Spirit Lake, Iowa. She handed out her book called "Holy Smokes" so I grabbed two copies for my sisters. My one sister started using the book and has now gone three weeks without smoking. The book is full of inspirational quotes and scripture and has a place for you to write. I am so proud of her.

Pam Caboth - Ranae's sister from Iowa

Begin to tell yourself "I am a non smoker". Your mind can not respond to negatively phrased statements. Also your mind will do what you tell it (I am a non smoker)and eventually when you light up (after stating to yourself that you are a non smoker,) you won't continue to smoke that cigarette and will quit altogether.

debb from Texas

Try chewing sugarless gum when you have the urge to smoke. Change routines that trigger your desire to smoke such as, instead of reading the paper, drinking coffee, and smoking, change to tea or juice. Immediately after dinner, get up and go for a walk, then return and do dishes. Many people feel the urge to smoke after meals. The exercise will also help prevent weight gain. Try sucking on sugarless suckers or lozenges. Try chewing on a plastic straw while driving.

Anonymous from Ohio

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

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Content last updated June 10, 2008.

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