Kicking the habit

[jsks]

Cigarettes killed my Grandfather. He was hit by a Rothman's lorry.

Actually he lived to be 89 and as a strict Presbyterian never smoked or drank alcohol. Disapproved of music other than hymns and thought dancing just the devil's come-on. He was a lovely man but stupifyingly dull.

Back to the topic...

[Veem]

It's interesting that of the 39 who took part in the poll, only 6 never smoked, which means 33 probably did, even if for a very short time. (We don't know about 4 who chose the 'Other' option and perhaps they were never smokers either, so smokers could be 29). Even so, 29 is quite a lot at roughly 75% of the total and I would think represents a higher proportion of smokers than amongst 39 random people from a younger range.

So, we smokers numbered 33 or 29 and either 31 or 27 of us have now kicked the habit (not counting the 4 (others'). Pretty good going.

That is absolutely no criticism of the two who still smoke. Perhaps they don't want to stop. That's their choice entirely.

After 55 years of smoking I finally decided at 3pm on December 9th 2016 that I would stop. And I did. There and then. Never had another since. But I wish I had done it 54 and half years earlier. I did the maths a long time ago LD and I could have bought a second home for what I chose to set fire to.

[b33jay]

My parents smoked heavily. Dad died aged 64 after years of emphysema. Mum died at 84 from a heart attack but never had breathing problems or other medical conditions.

I smoked from 16 to 30 at which point I started a job where the business owner was very anti-smoking. He offered £25 to any employee who stopped smoking for 6 months and I never smoked again. My wife took 6 months to realise I was not smoking although I rarely smoked in the house.

I like wine and some lager type beer and can keep up with most but I can also stop at will. Stopped for a year several times and currently been on the wagon for three months.

[Tom]

I don't drink alcohol during the forty days of lent. It's not too difficult and after a few days I don't even notice.

Cigarettes were a completely different thing... it was a totally compelling addiction.

[FrenchForumSurvivor]

I'm glad one other smoker has joined me on the poll, but who?

My parents smoked heavily. Dad died aged 64 after years of emphysema. Mum died at 84 from a heart attack but never had breathing problems or other medical conditions.

Which just goes to show that it affects different people different ways.

[Le Démerdeur]

I don't drink alcohol during the forty days of lent. It's not too difficult and after a few days I don't even notice.

Cigarettes were a completely different thing... it was a totally compelling addiction.

Not just me then!

Do others who have given up both even if not definitively agree with the difference between the sevrages? - Sorry - withdrawals, I could not recall the word.

[manonthemoon]

I'm glad one other smoker has joined me on the poll, but who?

My parents smoked heavily. Dad died aged 64 after years of emphysema. Mum died at 84 from a heart attack but never had breathing problems or other medical conditions.

Which just goes to show that it affects different people different ways.

Me! I clicked "other" because I was an in/out smoker

[FrenchForumSurvivor]

I'm glad one other smoker has joined me on the poll, but who?

My parents smoked heavily. Dad died aged 64 after years of emphysema. Mum died at 84 from a heart attack but never had breathing problems or other medical conditions.

Which just goes to show that it affects different people different ways.

Me! I clicked "other" because I was an in/out smoker

But you posted that you haven't smoked for 20 years, so you don't still smoke now.

[Veem]

I'm glad one other smoker has joined me on the poll, but who?

Me! I clicked "other" because I was an in/out smoker

What is an in/out smoker? A smoker who periodically gives it up but then goes back to smoking?

[clothmama]

I was an 'other' voter. I currently smoke and hate that I do but current life stresses mean that I'm a/ drinking too much wine and b/ smoking idiot!

I smoked socially as a teen (holidays / weekends home from boarding school) then lightly for a few years from about 18 and probably only about 10 a day (and rollies with filtersnot tailor mades), more when partying. I stopped when pregnant and then started again We tried (on a secu trail) probably 18 years ago with patches. DH managed for a while, they made me want to smoke more (I think I'd been having less nicotine than the patches!).

DH and I decided to give up about 10 years ago. We went cold turkey (I took up crochet which helped enormously!) and also knocked any booze on the head for about 6 months after as we were well aware of the dopomine pleasure pathway that links the 2 (was doing my nursing degree at the time!). We stupidly started again as my final exams drew closer, followed by a trip to France to visit friends (who all smoked). I think we did about 6 months then again went cold turkey - I was in the middle of midwifery studies so no drinking anyway! I did have the odd few if out with friends but that was it for a few years. I stupidly then started again when we got back to France, that glass of cold wine on the terrace got me! And the stress of a child who didn't sleep for 3 1/4 years! I actually gave up each autumn then started again in late spring and i was actually kind of OK with that. Since dad died a couple of years ago there seems to have been one stress after another and I've been back to smoking full time. Really need to do it again, i think I'll aim to try once school is back and hopefully a bit more 'normal' life! DH has been fabulous and never started up again, he occasionally rolls and lights one of mine if he's had too many wines but always has one drag and says 'yuck'!

It is seriously addictive and not to be taken lightly how difficult it is to stop. I sometimes see teenage girls (and boys) smoking and want to bang their heads together and warn them what they are getting into