On top of old smokey
Stroll with me, if you will, down memory lane all the way back to December of 1996 when I was nearly eighteen and feeling quite rebellious. You see, I'd spent years being a goody-two shoes, church-going teenager, and I was ready to break the shackles and live it up.
My parents had friends visiting from the UK, and one of them had bought a carton of cigarettes - Benson and Hedges Special Filter - and in the folly of my youth I decided that smoking would be a great way to make me appear cooler than I actually was. So I stole a packet from the carton and lit my very first smoke.
Twelve years later, I was still puffing away - in fact by that stage I was close to a pack-a-day smoker. I loved smoking, I was good at it, and it pretty much ruled my life. Smoking was my best buddy... oh the laughs we would have!
Then, a year ago today I smoked my last cigarette.
I woke up on the morning on January 18, 2009, and decided that the last cigarette in the packet would be my last cigarette full stop. And it was.
I'd finally had enough of stinking like ciggies, and feeling crap when I woke up. I didn't like the idea that smoking had such control over me, and of course I was frightened of the long-term effects on my health.
Looking back on the entry I wrote at the time of giving up it's obvious I wasn't entirely confident I'd be able to see this quitting thing through, so sitting here a year later, still smoke-free, makes me feel quite proud that I've managed to stay off the ciggies.
Don't worry, I'm not going to get on my high horse about smoking - there's not much worse than an ex-smoker suddenly getting all self-righteous and up in the grills of their friends who still smoke. Sure, I'm pleased I quit, but if you want to carry on smoking then go for it. I might even be a wee bit jealous of you.
Really, I just wanted to take a moment to stop and smell the roses (now that I can) and say "Woo! Look at me! I managed to quit smoking and it's been a whole year since my last cigarette."
Quitting is hard - and anyone who has never smoked really cannot understand what it's like to be addicted and try to break that habit. If you are thinking of quitting, I have just this one piece of advice for you. Wait until you're ready. If you quit because you feel like you should, rather than because you want to, you'll pick up another cigarette and then feel like a failure. You'll know when the time is right, and no one else can make that decision for you.
Have you ever smoked and managed to quit? If so, do you have any words of advice or encouragement for those who are considering giving up? What about those of you who don't smoke - what do you make of friends and family who do?
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I had my last cigarette on 30 Jan 2009. Mmmm B&H Special Filter... *cough* so almost 1 year as well! I found that nicotine gum helped me with the cravings so I could just focus on getting rid of the habit of smoking.
I have been trying to think of a reward for myself. Perhaps a holiday or a new ipod/cellphone but I havn't picked one yet.
Never a smoker so no advice, just wanted to say Congrats Jane!!!! A ehole year, thats great :-)
my friends smoke, i dont really know why. and ive been hanging out with a different crowd of people more and more, i forget how gross it is and when I do see my smoking friends and constantly wondering why. some of them started at 14 and call themselves 'social smokers'. i get that you meet people that way and all, but really im just over the whole idea.
on the other hand, my grandma smokes a pack a day and wont give up for anyone. she figures she's smoked for this many years, why stop now? Ive tried to show her how i feel and that i dont want to support her doing that to herself by not getting her duty free fags when i travel, but she says she'll just be buying them anyway and guilt trips me into it.
i wont be buying her anymore. if it costs her more and is an inconvience to get them, i doubt it, but it might just mean i few less that week.
It grosses me out and hacks me off. Yep, on my high horse, but i'm one of the "1 in 4" NZer's who has asthma and yep, walking through a pack of smokers does make me wheezy and feel horrible. Especially hating being pregnant and being forced to walk out the door through the throngs of smokers who all huddle near the exits.
If other peoples choice to smoke didn't affect me then I wouldn't care in the slightest. But it does and i'm not impressed with the selfish people that choose to do it.
Rant over, smokers fire away at me! Coz I know you will...
Awesum work congrats on your anniversary! I quit 30 Nov 08 - miss it but wouldn't go back Amy - yes you're right smokers do have more breaks, but then my 10 year experience of working and smoking shows that smokers breaks take the length of time to smoke a cig - couple of mins - vs the extrodinary length others sit in the tearoom for their breaks. Therfore smokers have to have about 3 to your 1 to make up for it. Yip smoking is gross but go easy on the ppl around you that do it - its and addiction and im sure that you have a few habits or appearance issues that they dont' bag you about
I gave up about 18 months ago after 20 years of smoking. I stopped one day, and havent even felt like one since. I thoroughly recommend a book called "The Easy Was To Stop Smoking" by Allen Carr. I rubbished this book, saying there was no way it would work, and that a book could never make you stop. I gave in and read the first chapter, and then just had to continue....and halfway through it I couldnt wait to get to the end so i didnt have to smoke any more. I did exactly as the book suggested, and carried on smoking until i got to the end, i then had my last smoke, and never felt better. I know others who have read it, and have the same thing happen. A friend of mine hired the "DVD" of the book, and i laughed and said the dvd would never work, but now he hasnt had one for 6 months, and doesnt want one either. I am still amazed how it stopped me getting withdrawal symptoms too....which was always the reason I couldnt stop in the past.
My partner is just past his 6 months smokefree mark and I couldn't be prouder of him. I've always hated smoking so it's the best thing ever not to be living with a smoker anymore. Good luck to all those who are quitting and from watching him attempt it many times all I can say is I agree with Jane - quit when YOU want to and you have to want to.
I smoke, and I am trying to quit.
When I smoke in public I tend to move to a location where no one can pretty much be around me unless they deliberately walk into that area. I refuse to smoke around children and I won't light up if I am at the busstop and there are a lot of people around me.
What really grinds my gears is on the odd occasion where I sit down on a bench on Lambton Quay, and everyone can see me smoking, someone comes along and sits next to me and starts doing that fake cough thing!! WTF?! You saw me smoking, if you don't like it, bugger off. I try my hard to be courteous of others but that sh*t just really ARGH! Now i'm raging.
Anyway, I can't wait for the day when I can finally kick the fags for good. I woke up this morning and my breathing was all stuffed blurgh.
But Congratulations Jane on kicking the terrible habit. I have been smoking for 8 years now (started when I was 13 :() and it's not easy for me, I can't even begin to imagine how tough it was for you!!
I smoked when I was 13 to try and look cool too. Problem was, we moved to another town when I was 15 and I couldnt find anyone to buy me smokes in my new town. Mostly cos I was shy and didnt make new friends easily. So I kinda had to quit. I dont think I was addicted, cos it wasnt easy for me to stop :P
My sister smokes now and I hate it. She always smells kinda stale and its not attractive to have a cigarette hanging out of her mouth :( But its her life so what can I do?! :P
Big ups to you Jane for your smoke free year. Its no easy feat to achieve and you should be really proud of yourself.
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I dont smoke but I used to work with a lady who smoked 24/7. I could not stand being in the same room with her breathing all over me.It would make me fell sick and her teeth where gross! I also found that smokers all ways seamed to have a lot more breaks then me.I find that unfair.