# Let's quit tobacco together!



## luvs (Jun 17, 2008)

i quit already, after my last quarter cigarette.
we don't need tobacco, let's throw tobacco to the wind!!!


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## Maverick2272 (Jun 17, 2008)

Oh Lord.. I am supposed to, and I know if I don't I will have emphysema within 5 years, but I failed again and am back on them!!
You should start a group on here for quitting smoking!


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## Saphellae (Jun 17, 2008)

A quitting smoking group would be great.  I love to see people kick the habit - it's such an awful one.  I know that alot of people started smoking when they didn't know it was bad for you, and were really young - so it's sooo hard to quit.

I myself have never smoked a cigarette in my life, or done drugs, so I hope I am a bit of inspiration for those who do smoke to quit - you CAN live without it!!


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## Maverick2272 (Jun 17, 2008)

I started when I was 14, that was 21 years ago... uggggg.


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## GrillingFool (Jun 18, 2008)

Thank goodness for Commit lozenges. Took a year, but my 3 pack a day habit
is gone now. 
Tis amazing how few colds I get, and how much more I can smell, and how FREE I feel,
not having to plan and ration and worry about when/where/how I was gonna get my
next smoke.


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## JillyBean (Jun 18, 2008)

I smoked for 25 years and finally decided to quit just over a year ago.  I needed the patch to do it, and so far it seems to be sticking.  Still, there are those days when I'd be willing to spend the $10 for a pack...and then I come back to my senses.


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## Russellkhan (Jun 18, 2008)

It's a really tough one. 

I quit for 3 years in my late teens, but one day at the end of high school I picked it up again in a fit of nostalgia. Nowadays I have no idea how I managed it then. It seemed as easy as a decision at the time. Lately I've been thinking about quitting but it's hard to even approach. At this point I'm just trying to cut down. I'm thinking if I start tracking how much I smoke each day I can limit myself or reduce the next day. But I haven't even started the counting. 
It's harder than I want it to be.


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## texasgirl (Jun 18, 2008)

It has been 4 months, 17 days, 48 minutes and 30 seconds and 1667 cigarettes, here!!LOL
Commit lozenges really helped, but, I only used those 4 days. You have to want to quit and stop looking at it as " omg, what am I going to do without them?" and start looking at it this way instead "wow, look at all the things that I can do without them!"
The commit did help and I still have 2 little bottles never opened. After 4 days, I quit those too. It is hard, and people will tell you, if I can do , you can. Well, it's true. I smoked since 12, I'm 39, that is 27 years that I was slowly killing myself. I do feel better as far as breathing and when I got sick a couple of weeks ago. I kicked it so quickly!!! Normally, I am sick for weeks. If you want to quit, you will quit. Me, I would probably still be smoking and hacking if it weren't for dh griping at me day in and day out, but, he did me a favor. And if I hadn't been for the fact that I was sick of the taste of them and the morning ones were making me nauseated, I don't think I would have been able to quit. I just thought, what am I doing, when I was get sick from the first one every morning. GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!


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## Hoot (Jun 18, 2008)

I reckon I oughta try to quit. 
I got several hundred cigars in various humidors. Maybe after I get through them.
Stealing a line from Andy Stewart of the Silly Wizard Band from a few years ago....."Luckily, we live in a place where cigarettes and fried breakfasts are still good for you."


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## Jeekinz (Jun 18, 2008)

texasgirl said:


> It has been 4 months, 17 days, 48 minutes and 30 seconds and 1667 cigarettes, here!!LOL


 
LOL - last I checked I was at 5500 and change.  Yeee Haaa!!!!!!


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## suziquzie (Jun 18, 2008)

luvs, do you knit or crochet or anything?
It really helps keep your hands busy..... you don't need to have them at your mouth so bad...
Guys I don't know what to tell you.... my husband used sunflower seeds to take care of the hand to mouth thing.


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## DramaQueen (Jun 18, 2008)

*I quit smoking 22 years ago after smoking for 35 years.  Started when I was 11.  I tried several times to quit and couldn't get through the first 6 hours without a cigarette.   I decided to go to Smoke Enders,  threw away my cigarettes at the last meeting and never craved one since.  I have no idea why, I just felt wonderful after the first day and no cravings.   *
*I will NEVER go back to smoking not only because of the price of cigarettes,  (biggest waste of good money ever!)  but because I never realized how bad I must have smelled.  People who smoke can't smell their own bodies and that's too bad.  Those of us who don't smoke sure can smell you a block away.  Your breath, your clothes, your skin and your hair reek.   Never, ever again.  *


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## GB (Jun 18, 2008)

I had tried to quit a number of times unsuccessfully. When it finally worked for me it was because I was mentally ready. I had told myself that after this last cigarette I will never have another one NO MATTER WHAT. That means if I go out drinking I won't tell myself I will just have one or two because I am drinking. That means that if I am going on a long car ride I will not allow for a few butts. That means that if I have a horrible day and an super stressed that I can have one. No matter what I will never have another cigarette.

As soon as i was able to accept that then I became a non smoker. I am not sure when I quit, but it was probably about 10 years ago or so. I still have cravings. It is not easy to be a non smoker after being a smoker. It can be challenging. The challenges get easier though even if they do not go away.


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## suziquzie (Jun 18, 2008)

I'm at 9 years this week.
GB hit the nail on the head. 
I'd really love one some days, but I don't smoke.


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## mikki (Jun 18, 2008)

I quit 16 years ago, my husbands whole family smoked so we quit together. Everyone is still a non smoker except my dumb husband, he started smoking the mini cigars with the notion that it was different because they were mini cigars not cigaretts. I could kill him. Oh yeah and I don't allow him to smoke in the house, in my car, or anywhere around me or my kids. The one thing I know is you have to set your own mind to quitting.


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## skilletlicker (Jun 18, 2008)

*Nicotine's a tough nut*

I quit eight years ago. Had tried and failed dozens of ways and hundreds of times. Every cold led to lung infection that required breathing treatments and antibiotics.

My doctor referred me to a lung specialist who diagnosed COPD and promised that if I wasn't dead in five years I'd wish I was. He suggested a smoking cessation medication called Zyban. My insurance wouldn't pay but luckily the *exact same pill* is also sold as an anti-depressant called Wellbutrin which he prescribed for the mild temporary depression caused by the news of my own impending death. Honestly I suffered no withdrawal and have not been tempted to smoke since.

I have some first hand experience kicking addictions and nicotine is a son of a gun. Good luck to you all.


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## LT72884 (Jun 18, 2008)

GB said:


> I had tried to quit a number of times unsuccessfully. When it finally worked for me it was because I was mentally ready. I had told myself that after this last cigarette I will never have another one NO MATTER WHAT. That means if I go out drinking I won't tell myself I will just have one or two because I am drinking. That means that if I am going on a long car ride I will not allow for a few butts. That means that if I have a horrible day and an super stressed that I can have one. No matter what I will never have another cigarette.
> 
> As soon as i was able to accept that then I became a non smoker. I am not sure when I quit, but it was probably about 10 years ago or so. I still have cravings. It is not easy to be a non smoker after being a smoker. It can be challenging. The challenges get easier though even if they do not go away.



keyword.. mentally ready.. 

its all about being ready and emotionally ready to stop. 

You all can do it, its just hard as heck. I found it easier to never start because stopping is harder than starting. 

i wish i could help somehow. reward yourself. start off for every week you dont smoke. go to dinner or something like that.


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## Fisher's Mom (Jun 18, 2008)

skilletlicker said:


> I quit eight years ago. Had tried and failed dozens of ways and hundreds of times. Every cold led to lung infection that required breathing treatments and antibiotics.
> 
> My doctor referred me to a lung specialist who diagnosed COPD and promised that if I wasn't dead in five years I'd wish I was. He suggested a smoking cessation medication called Zyban. My insurance wouldn't pay but luckily the *exact same pill* is also sold as an anti-depressant called Wellbutrin which he prescribed for the mild temporary depression caused by the news of my own impending death. Honestly I suffered no withdrawal and have not been tempted to smoke since.
> 
> I have some first hand experience kicking addictions and nicotine is a son of a gun. Good luck to you all.


Thanks so much for posting this Skillet. I've been wondering about the Zyban because I had read it made it easier to quit without becoming really cranky (my poor family) and without weight gain. Next time I see the doc, I'll ask for a script.


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## CharlieD (Jun 18, 2008)

Saphellae said:


> A quitting smoking group would be great. I love to see people kick the habit - it's such an awful one. I know that alot of people started smoking when they didn't know it was bad for you, and were really young - so it's sooo hard to quit.
> 
> I myself have never smoked a cigarette in my life, or done drugs, so I hope I am a bit of inspiration for those who do smoke to quit - you CAN live without it!!


 
Let’s see if I can take your post apart. 


First of all, I do not believe even for a second that people did not know or do not know that smoking is bad. I knew that it was bad when I was 5 and a half. That is when I tried to smoke my first cigarette. That is exactly why I was hiding from the adults when I was doing it. 
After I got cut, that time, and receive a serious spanking I realized that smoking was actually even worse than I expected, because on the top of it being bad it hurts when you get cut doing it.
So, I did not smoke any more until I was 9. At which time I started to smoke during warm season and only in school, because that is what everybody else did. Thank G-d warm season did not last long from the beginning of school in September until it would get pretty cold. 

Finally by the time I tuned 13 I was very much addicted and (here comes my second point) despite of what you are saying one really needs that smoke, especially in the early morning and after lunch. The only people who think that you do need a smoke are the ones that never smoke and thus have no clue about necessity of smoking. 

Now the third point. How can you be an inspiration for people who are trying to quit smoking if you never had to quit smoking yourself? You don’t know what it takes to stop even for a day, let alone quit completely, since you never started. When you try to smoke, when you get addicted and then quit, oh then you come back here and tell us what a good inspiration you are until then don’t even bother.

Now, I do hope you take this lightly, because even though I am serious about smoking and quitting, I have been doing both for more than 35 years. I was joking about you and your post. So no hard feelings, ok?


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## MJK (Jun 18, 2008)

I was hard core into snuff, and cigars.  Not really into cigarettes since college and I gave them up relatively easy.  But snuff and cigars?  That was a long drawn out effort.  Finally gave up the Skoal for a year or two then went to Copehagen (the snuff not the city).  Finally when I turned 50 I decided this is it and gave them all up cold turkey.  Snuff is much harder than inhaled tobacco because of the longevity in the mouth and the amount of nicotine you receive.  Long story short, I was a bear but at least a bear who began to feel better and I put on about 20 lbs.  Recently I have had a few cigars and I need to stop doing that.  When I am hanging around the Missus I don't want or need nicotine but when I am fishing or off by myself is when it is most difficult. Quitting is easy I have done it thirty or forty times at least during my life.  Staying quit before you hit the Big Quit is hard.  Those who never have cannot speak to the addictive power of nictine.  It's easy to say that is a filthy, nasty deadly habit but until one has experienced it first hand (and I don't recommend doing that) the best inspiration to use is expired calendar pages since you quit.  Peace out.


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## luvs (Jun 18, 2008)

congrats on sfforts & quittin, guys! that's great!


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## love2"Q" (Jun 18, 2008)

i need to quit .. 
but its easy to put it off till this carton is gone ..
and the next one ..


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## mudbug (Jun 18, 2008)

I hear you, "Q".  Been telling myself it'll be easier if I go back to buying by the pack (at almost $5 per).

If I had to do a personal ad right now it would have to start off as "intelligent but still smoking..."


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## love2"Q" (Jun 18, 2008)

funny thing for me .. i do not smoke in my house ..
or in cars .. anywhere there are children .. 
but when i am at work .. i can go through a pack in 6 hours ...


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## DramaQueen (Jun 18, 2008)

mudbug said:


> I hear you, "Q". Been telling myself it'll be easier if I go back to buying by the pack (at almost $5 per).
> 
> If I had to do a personal ad right now it would have to start off as "intelligent but still smoking..."


 
*Sorry Mudbug, but the term "intelligent but still smoking" is an oxymoron.  No intelligent person starts to smoke or continues to smoke.  As I said, I kicked the habit by deciding to do it and my mindset kept me from ever craving a cigarette.  After 35 years it was possible.  I have never had one cigarette since the day I quit, nor do I ever want to again.  *

*  Two of my good friends discovered that cancer cures smoking.  One has died, the other has a hole in her throat and will not be with us much longer.    Give this some serious thought.   *


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## Maverick2272 (Jun 18, 2008)

Sorry, but I disagree DQ, just because I smoke does not mean I am suddenly stupid or my IQ just dropped 30 points. I don't think the argument that only stupid people smoke would hold up, and is rather offensive to be honest not to mention stereotypical.
Bless you that you found it so easy to quit, I really wish it was that easy for the rest of us as well. But as my own doctor has put it, she has had more success getting people off crack than cigarettes. She also believes, thru observation and agreement with others in her profession, that todays cigarettes are as addictive if not more so than some illegal drugs today. They are purposely made that way by the cigarette companies.


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## Jeekinz (Jun 18, 2008)

Maverick2272 said:


> Sorry, but I disagree DQ, just because I smoke does not mean I am suddenly stupid or my IQ just dropped 30 points. I don't think the argument that only stupid people smoke would hold up, and is rather offensive to be honest not to mention stereotypical.
> Bless you that you found it so easy to quit, I really wish it was that easy for the rest of us as well. But as my own doctor has put it, she has had more success getting people off crack than cigarettes. She also believes, thru observation and agreement with others in her profession, that todays cigarettes are as addictive if not more so than some illegal drugs today. They are purposely made that way by the cigarette companies.


 
I can has a brain now?


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## Maverick2272 (Jun 18, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> I can has a brain now?



There is always that exception to the rule....!

Yes Jeekinz, we will let you have one now, and then a cheeseburger too!


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## Jeekinz (Jun 18, 2008)

Kewl.


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## texasgirl (Jun 18, 2008)

DQ, that's a little harsh. OUCH!

Mudbug, mine were at $6.62 when I quit. It's sickening how they are able to do that and we are all but pawns when addiction has us in it's grip!!


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## suziquzie (Jun 18, 2008)

I wuz is dumb a long tyme agu but now I am a genius.


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## Fisher's Mom (Jun 18, 2008)

suziquzie said:


> I wuz is dumb a long tyme agu but now I am a genius.


Yeah, but even a genius can be defeated by a Lego!


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## texasgirl (Jun 18, 2008)

Aaaaaaaaaaa, Lol! Now That Is Funny!!!!


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## luvs (Jun 18, 2008)

not like a rubik's cube, though!


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## Maverick2272 (Jun 18, 2008)

LOL too funny!


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## CharlieD (Jun 18, 2008)

My neighbor has never smoked, never even touched a single cigarette, he was diagnosed with lung canser in march, and gone may. Yes smoking is bad, but canser cures many other things too, not only bad ones. Bad example.


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## suziquzie (Jun 18, 2008)

Fisher's Mom said:


> Yeah, but even a genius can be defeated by a Lego!


 
I was NOT defeated by a Lego!
I was defeated by a 2 year old.


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## Maverick2272 (Jun 18, 2008)

That's her story and she is sticking to it! LOL.


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## MexicoKaren (Jun 19, 2008)

Well folks, let me add my two cents...I am also a smoker and so is DH. I don't think that anyone who hasn't smoked could possibly imagine how addictive nicotine is. I was talking to someone about it the other day (never smoked) and she said something silly about being addicted to chocolate. I almost lost it. I said "Try kicking heroin. It's easier." And adding to the problem is that cigarettes are SO much cheaper here - only $20 a carton. Still, we spend alot of $$$ on smokes, and the ironic thing is how much we enjoy our lives. And we are cutting them short by smoking. We talk about quitting all the time.


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## texasgirl (Jun 19, 2008)

CharlieD said:


> My neighbor has never smoked, never even touched a single cigarette, he was diagnosed with lung canser in march, and gone may. Yes smoking is bad, but canser cures many other things too, not only bad ones. Bad example.


 
Yeap, that seems to happen to many people. BIL has Mesothelioma, from asbestos and look at Christopher Reeves wife, Dana, also a non smoker.
You dont have to smoke to get cancer, BUT, smoking does give you a much higher risk of developing it later.


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## Jeekinz (Jun 19, 2008)

Fisher's Mom said:


> Yeah, but even a genius can be defeated by a Lego!


 
Daaaa!

Bwaaahahaha.  

Fishers Mom has a funny!  LOL


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## DramaQueen (Jun 19, 2008)

Maverick2272 said:


> Sorry, but I disagree DQ, just because I smoke does not mean I am suddenly stupid or my IQ just dropped 30 points. I don't think the argument that only stupid people smoke would hold up, and is rather offensive to be honest not to mention stereotypical.
> Bless you that you found it so easy to quit, I really wish it was that easy for the rest of us as well. But as my own doctor has put it, she has had more success getting people off crack than cigarettes. She also believes, thru observation and agreement with others in her profession, that todays cigarettes are as addictive if not more so than some illegal drugs today. They are purposely made that way by the cigarette companies.


 
*Maverick, I didn't mean my post to be offensive or insulting.  Remember I too smoked for 35 years until I got smart.  When I said "stupid" I meant for you to think about spending up to $6.00 per day for cigarettes - that's about  $180. per month - so complaining about the cost of gas is ludicrous.   Why would anyone continue or start to smoke with that in mind along with the fact that you smell awful,  are hopelessly tied to cigarettes,  and know that it kills hundreds of thousands of people each year not to mention the array of illnesses that smoking causes.   My husband suffered 4 heart attacks in 26 years.  The doctors said that if he had been a smoker he would not have survived the first one.   I guess I'm wondering why smart people start in the first place, knowing all this.   Smoking is no longer cool.   It IS possible to stop smoking.   Millions have done it.   I know I'm going to get flack on this one, but keep in mind, I have been smoke free for 22 years.   YOU CAN DO IT.  *


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## MexicoKaren (Jun 19, 2008)

DQ, I hope you will consider that everyone is different and faces different challenges. Your experience, i.e., "*I kicked the habit by deciding to do it and my mindset kept me from ever craving a cigarette." *is clearly somewhat unique, and as Buddy points out, the chemical composition of cigarettes may indeed be different than it was 22 years ago. Nobody WANTS to smoke. I don't know about Buddy's IQ (although I have my suspicions that it is off the charts), but I do know that my own is well above normal, and therefore I am generally regarded as "intelligent." Insulting people is really not a productive way to motivate them. I accept that you did not intend to be insulting, but in the interests of maintaining harmony here, it is sometimes a good idea to re-read your post before you click "submit."


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## JillyBean (Jun 19, 2008)

I envy people who can convince themselves to stop a bad habit and have success.  I am not one of those people.  I have an inner voice that may be helpful sometimes, like when it tells me not to speed past that radar trap or not to walk down a dark alley at 3 am, but it also tells me "I can do whatever I want to do, I shouldn't let people push me around, I LIKE to smoke and I work hard for my money, so it's nobody's business what I spend my money on".

The patch was a crutch that helped me ignore my "bad" inner voice and hear my "good" but often hard to hear inner voice.


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## GB (Jun 19, 2008)

JillyBean said:


> it's nobody's business what I spend my money on.


I agree with this, but only to a point. If and when you get sick because of smoking that will cost money. That will most likely be paid for by insurance. The insurance companies need to get that money back somehow. Guess who pays for that? It is not just the smokers.


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## TanyaK (Jun 19, 2008)

DH quit smoking about 8 years ago but has also started smoking those mini cigars in the last year or so which makes me very nervous ! He only smokes one or two a weekend - sometimes not even - and he insists he won't start smoking again. I told him if he starts again he's sleeping in the garage until he quits again!



mikki said:


> I quit 16 years ago, my husbands whole family smoked so we quit together. Everyone is still a non smoker except my dumb husband, he started smoking the mini cigars with the notion that it was different because they were mini cigars not cigaretts. I could kill him. Oh yeah and I don't allow him to smoke in the house, in my car, or anywhere around me or my kids. The one thing I know is you have to set your own mind to quitting.


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## Saphellae (Jun 19, 2008)

Well, despite all of the discussion, if anyone decides to try quitting, you know you have a huge support group here!!!


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## Russellkhan (Jun 19, 2008)

DramaQueen, your posts in this thread have been self righteous and insulting. Not exactly supportive to those of us who are making an effort to do something difficult here. It would be nice if you would stop it.


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## luvs (Jun 19, 2008)

i agree- my thread was meant to be supportive. 
&to those who've quit, or work towards quitting, GREAT job!!!!!


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## Maverick2272 (Jun 19, 2008)

GB said:


> I agree with this, but only to a point. If and when you get sick because of smoking that will cost money. That will most likely be paid for by insurance. The insurance companies need to get that money back somehow. Guess who pays for that? It is not just the smokers.




You mean the insurance companies aren't making a profit?? Sorry, just had to throw that out there... I understand your point, but that is also the nature of insurance and variable premiums. The same argument can be applied to alcoholism as well, not just the alcoholics pay for their health problems. 
You can make the same argument about many many things people out there do today, but until all the multi-billion dollar a year profit making insurance companies go broke I just aint gonna worry about them!

Public supported health insurance though, that is a much different beast and a much tougher issue.


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## Maverick2272 (Jun 19, 2008)

DramaQueen said:


> *Maverick, I didn't mean my post to be offensive or insulting.  Remember I too smoked for 35 years until I got smart.  When I said "stupid" I meant for you to think about spending up to $6.00 per day for cigarettes - that's about  $180. per month - so complaining about the cost of gas is ludicrous.   Why would anyone continue or start to smoke with that in mind along with the fact that you smell awful,  are hopelessly tied to cigarettes,  and know that it kills hundreds of thousands of people each year not to mention the array of illnesses that smoking causes.   My husband suffered 4 heart attacks in 26 years.  The doctors said that if he had been a smoker he would not have survived the first one.   I guess I'm wondering why smart people start in the first place, knowing all this.   Smoking is no longer cool.   It IS possible to stop smoking.   Millions have done it.   I know I'm going to get flack on this one, but keep in mind, I have been smoke free for 22 years.   YOU CAN DO IT.  *



I am not holding anything against you, I understand what you are trying to say I just think there was a better way to say it. And far be it from me to judge when I myself have submitted posts before that I should have read not only a second time but maybe a third time.
The biggest difference is 22 years ago they did not add in the additives they do today. They have made cigarettes now up to 5x more addictive then they were, and some in the medical community are now saying quiting smoking ranks up there with meth and cocaine addiction. Not sure if I buy into it being that bad, but it is much harder than it used to be to kick the habit.
That being said, with 2 heart attacks under my belt, a triple by-pass, and my COPD getting worse by the day, oh and now facing the prospect of perhaps more surgery, I really do need to quit, and fast.
But, you get more flies with honey than vinegar DQ. Cheer people on, support them, be there for them and maybe you can play a part in helping them quit. Your story can be inspirational, and should be put out there for us to draw strength and hope from.
Nagging, belittling, etc will only stir resentment and drive them away...


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## MexicoKaren (Jun 19, 2008)

Insurance is risk-adjusted, and the insurance companies make very healthy profits. I understand the concept, and spent a good portion of my professional career lobbying for seat belt legislation, mandatory child protection seats, mandatory motorcycle helmets and tougher penalties for drunk drivers - using the same logic. But there are so many diseases that are lifestyle-related, where do you start and stop imposing penalties? Do you also know that smoking has demonstrated a protective effect against Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease and certain types of endometrial cancer and breast cancer? I don't think the arguments are entirely conclusive.


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## GB (Jun 19, 2008)

Maverick2272 said:


> You mean the insurance companies aren't making a profit?? Sorry, just had to throw that out there... I understand your point, but that is also the nature of insurance and variable premiums. The same argument can be applied to alcoholism as well, not just the alcoholics pay for their health problems.
> You can make the same argument about many many things people out there do today, but until all the multi-billion dollar a year profit making insurance companies go broke I just aint gonna worry about them!
> 
> Public supported health insurance though, that is a much different beast and a much tougher issue.


I agree that the same can be said for alcoholism as well as many many many others things (drug abuse, people who are overweight, people who do not wear their seatbelts, and the list goes on). My point though is that it is not as simple as saying that it is my life and I can do what I want. Your choices affect others in many many ways. You can think that smoking is only harming you, but that is not always true.


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## GB (Jun 19, 2008)

MexicoKaren said:


> where do you start and stop imposing penalties?


I am not advocating penalties. I am only saying that those who smoke and say they are only doing it to themselves really are not seeing the entire picture.


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## Maverick2272 (Jun 19, 2008)

GB said:


> I agree that the same can be said for alcoholism as well as many many many others things (drug abuse, people who are overweight, people who do not wear their seatbelts, and the list goes on). My point though is that it is not as simple as saying that it is my life and I can do what I want. Your choices affect others in many many ways. You can think that smoking is only harming you, but that is not always true.



Very true, there is also second hand smoking and then of course the example we are setting doesn't help either...heck you could even mention the time it takes for the filters to break down in landfills, LOL.
But yes, not a simple thing at all.


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## MexicoKaren (Jun 19, 2008)

> My point though is that it is not as simple as saying that it is my life and I can do what I want.


Oh, GB - I could not agree with you more! I am a strong believer that we all share a collective responsibility for one another, but I don't think I have ever really applied that principle to smoking. Maybe you have planted a seed that will finally give me the motivation that I need. Thanks.


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## GB (Jun 19, 2008)

If you do decide to try to quit Karen then I am behind you 100% and will support you in any way that would help.


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## Jeekinz (Jun 19, 2008)

GB said:


> I agree that the same can be said for alcoholism as well as many many many others things (drug abuse, people who are overweight, people who do not wear their seatbelts, and the list goes on). My point though is that it is not as simple as saying that it is my life and I can do what I want. Your choices affect others in many many ways. You can think that smoking is only harming you, but that is not always true.


 
Sorry dude, I'll spend my money how I please.  I could care less what others think.  I work for it, I deal with the consequeneses of making it, and I'll do what I please with it.  I don't put my *behind on the line* everyday for others comfort.


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## GB (Jun 19, 2008)

Hey don't take me wrong Jeekinz. I am not saying that you should not spend your money however you want. I am only saying that smoking affects other people in ways that people do not always think about.


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## Jeekinz (Jun 19, 2008)

Bro, usually people start smoking because of a mistake in their life.  It's not like the MEAN to throw second hand smoke at people or anything like that.  It's hard enough trying to deal with the addiction than worry about others feelings on it.

Bottom line is it stinks, and most would rather not be addicted, but it is what it is for some.


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## GB (Jun 19, 2008)

I never said anymore MEANS to throw second hand smoke or anything like that. I never implied anything of the sort.

Again, all I was saying is that smoking affects other in ways that are not always obvious. And I was only saying that in reference to the person who said that it is their money and they will spend it however they want and it is *no ones business*. That is not completely true and that is all I was trying to point out. When that person is in the hospital for emphysema or lung cancer or any other smoking related disease racking up the hospital bills then that is affecting me and everyone else. 

Do what you want, but do not say that it is no one elses business what you do because often times it is not that simple.


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## MexicoKaren (Jun 19, 2008)

> If you do decide to try to quit Karen then I am behind you 100% and will support you in any way that would help.



Thanks, GB. You're a good friend.


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## Maverick2272 (Jun 19, 2008)

The more crowded the world gets, the fewer the resources left, the more we have to start thinking of our neighbors. I do agree with GB on this one, but I do get peeved when people seem to apply it only to things that they personally don't like instead of the entire mentality.
Nothing ticks me off quicker than some yuppie complaining about my cigarette right before they chuck their recyclable into the wrong container than jump in their 8 mile per gallon Hummer and drive off...
I don't think asking for a little consideration or understanding is necessarily getting into someone else's business.


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## Russellkhan (Jun 19, 2008)

Exactly my thinking, Maverick. 

Yes I know that what I do, including smoking, affects those around me,  but I do get tired of hearing about it from people who do plenty of things (that I'm not going to list here as I find myself happier not dwelling on these things and besides I don't feel the need to alienate half of DC at this time) themselves that affect my world in ways I would rather not have done.


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## Jeekinz (Jun 20, 2008)

GB said:


> When that person is in the hospital for emphysema or lung cancer or any other smoking related disease racking up the hospital bills then that is affecting me and everyone else.


 
Because of the healthcare reform in Mass?

I can think of a bazillion ways tax dollars are wasted away that have much more of an impact on your wallet then some poor soul fighting for their life in a hospital bed.  

If anyone chooses to quit, I will help them out as much as possible.  But I do know some people that actually like to smoke. They like everything about it.  Does that make them a bad person?  You cant throw "using resources" or anything like that in their face because they smoke.


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## Corey123 (Jun 20, 2008)

DramaQueen said:


> *I quit smoking 22 years ago after smoking for 35 years. Started when I was 11. I tried several times to quit and couldn't get through the first 6 hours without a cigarette. I decided to go to Smoke Enders, threw away my cigarettes at the last meeting and never craved one since. I have no idea why, I just felt wonderful after the first day and no cravings. *
> *I will NEVER go back to smoking not only because of the price of cigarettes, (biggest waste of good money ever!) but because I never realized how bad I must have smelled. People who smoke can't smell their own bodies and that's too bad. Those of us who don't smoke sure can smell you a block away. Your breath, your clothes, your skin and your hair reek. Never, ever again. *


 





It'll be 14 years for me in late September since I stopped smoking.

I had stopped in '86 for two years, went back to it in '88 for 6 years, then in September '94, I had enough!

I wore the patch for two days and just never went back to it at all. Not even once!

Yes, you're right went you said that some people who smoke don't realise how offensive it might be to others! It is bad. And it DOES get into their clothes, skin and hair.

Massachusetts is supposed to be completely non-smoking in public buildings, restaurants, airports, bars and nightclubs - yet out in Springfield's bars and nightclubs, bartenders and patrons there are allowed to smoke indoors - showing absolutely no regards for the law!!


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## GB (Jun 20, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> Because of the healthcare reform in Mass?
> 
> I can think of a bazillion ways tax dollars are wasted away that have much more of an impact on your wallet then some poor soul fighting for their life in a hospital bed.
> 
> If anyone chooses to quit, I will help them out as much as possible.  But I do know some people that actually like to smoke. They like everything about it.  Does that make them a bad person?  You cant throw "using resources" or anything like that in their face because they smoke.


No what I said had NOTHING to do with healthcare reform in MA and lets not let this get into a discussion about politics as we all know that is against the rules. People smoke, they get smoking related illnesses, they need medical care that insurance pays for. Insurance companies see how much they are paying for the things and raise their prices to cover the costs. This is true with every illness, but illnesses from smoking can be avoided. If you get cancer from inhaling asbestos and my rates go up because of it then that is fine. If you can cancer from smoking and my rates go up because of it then that is not fair to me and everyone else around me who chose not to smoke. 

Jeekinz you keep posting as if you think I am telling smokers they can't do something or are somehow bad people because they smoke. I have never said or implied anything of the sort. I have been very clear in what I was saying and the ONLY thing I was saying is that smoking affects more than just the smoker in many ways. You can try to twist my words and make it seem that I am saying smokers should or should not do xyz or that I think smokers are lesser people, but that would be you saying those things, not me. Let me be ultra clear here. I have never said those things and never would say those things as I do not believe any of that.

And for the record, I am on of those people who enjoy smoking. I didn't just like everything about it. I LOVED everything about it. Do you think I think I am a bad person about it??? I honesty do not know where you are coming up with this stuff. ALL I said was that smoking affects others. How do you get that I think they are bad people out of that???

And I really have no idea why you would say something like 





> I can think of a bazillion ways tax dollars are wasted away that have much more of an impact on your wallet then some poor soul fighting for their life in a hospital bed.


 What does that have to do with anything we are discussing here? Who has said anything about taxes being wasted? You are the only one who brought that up and it really has nothing to do with this conversation.


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## GB (Jun 20, 2008)

Maverick2272 said:


> The more crowded the world gets, the fewer the resources left, the more we have to start thinking of our neighbors. I do agree with GB on this one, but I do get peeved when people seem to apply it only to things that they personally don't like instead of the entire mentality.
> Nothing ticks me off quicker than some yuppie complaining about my cigarette right before they chuck their recyclable into the wrong container than jump in their 8 mile per gallon Hummer and drive off...
> I don't think asking for a little consideration or understanding is necessarily getting into someone else's business.


I agree 100%.


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## GB (Jun 20, 2008)

MexicoKaren said:


> Thanks, GB. You're a good friend.


As are you. And I really mean it. When I quit I did it with two other friends. Two of us were successful and we both credit part of our success to the other. Without their support it would have been much more difficult. When the cravings got to be too much we would call each other or visit each other and help each other through the hard parts. That really helped me a lot.


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## Jeekinz (Jun 20, 2008)

GB, let's say, hypothetically, that everyone quit smoking. Then there wouldn't be people dying from cigarette smoke, right? So insurance costs would be lowered.

Well, what about the missing cigarette tax dollars? The gov't will tap your wallet to recoup that. That's why I don't understand why the gov't endorses non-smoking ads, etc. It's a viscious cycle.

I never meant to bring up the politics side of cigarettes, you did in your comment. The insurance issue has political background. And to discuss it any further would lead to more politic discussion.

We'll just have to agree to disagree.


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## GB (Jun 20, 2008)

Sorry jeekinz, but I never brought up politics. I brought up insurance which is not the same thing.

I don't know how many times I can say it. I am ONLY SAYING THAT CIGARETTE SMOKING AFFECTS MORE THAN JUST THE SMOKER. Anything else you are typing about are things that you are saying, not me. You can try to turn it into whatever you want, but the fact remains that people who say that their smoking has nothing to do with anyone else just are not seeing the whole picture.


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## Jeekinz (Jun 20, 2008)

GB, if you haven't already, you're not going to see where I'm coming from.

Let's let these folks continue their quitting smoking thread.


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## GB (Jun 20, 2008)

Likewise and agreed.


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## suziquzie (Jun 20, 2008)

Anyone got a stick of gum? I need a smoke now....


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## texasgirl (Jun 20, 2008)

Whoa, screeching halt, this was started for "'Support" in quitting, not for non smokers to vent reasons you hate it. Come on DC, we have too much love for each other and care about each other to let these people down in helping them kick an addiction that is hard enough to quit without making them feel alone or whipped.


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## Jeekinz (Jun 20, 2008)

I said this in another thread, but what really helped my urge after quitting was spicy foods.  I did, and still do, put Tapatillo hot sauce on orange slices for an after dinner snack.  Next to zero calories.  I didn't like spicy food while I smoked, but after quitting I can't get enough sometimes.


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## texasgirl (Jun 20, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> I said this in another thread, but what really helped my urge after quitting was spicy foods. I did, and still do, put Tapatillo hot sauce on orange slices for an after dinner snack. Next to zero calories. I didn't like spicy food while I smoked, but after quitting I can't get enough sometimes.


 
hot sauce on orange slices?? The cigarettes REALLY killed your tast buds J/K!! It's weird how stopping does change them though. It's like trying things for the first time all over again.


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## Jeekinz (Jun 20, 2008)

texasgirl said:


> hot sauce on orange slices?? The cigarettes REALLY killed your tast buds J/K!! It's weird how stopping does change them though. It's like trying things for the first time all over again.


 
LOL - You should try it sometime.  It starts of tasting like BBQ, then you get the orange, then the burn from the sauce. 

YUM!


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## skilletlicker (Jun 20, 2008)

I was under the impression that insurance companies factored the additional liability potential of smoking into the rate when underwriting a policy.

I can't prove this but strongly suspect that the net fiscal effect of tobacco use on the federal budget is positive. Sure medicare and medicaid expenses increase but, as mentioned earlier, there is an offset by the "sin taxes." Of course if folks don't die of smoking related disease they will eventually die of something else and incur medical and other government subsidized expenses during their additional years. Also cigarette smokers, dying younger as a general rule, forfeit the social security and other benefits that non-smokers receive during their extended life span.

I don't think one single smoker is going to quit because he is nagged at or feels guilty about supposedly being a drain on the wallets of the rest of us. The point is that they (used to be we) not only pay the exhorbitant prices, including taxes, on cigarettes but, in many ways, miss out on their fair share of the benefits.


> *Maverick2272* said earlier:
> That being said, with 2 heart attacks under my belt, a triple by-pass, and my COPD getting worse by the day, oh and now facing the prospect of perhaps more surgery, I really do need to quit, and fast.


I only write this in the hope that feeling taken advantage of might be the last straw that helps somebody like Maverick finally become entirely ready to quit.


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## GB (Jun 20, 2008)

skilletlicker said:


> I can't prove this but strongly suspect that the net fiscal effect of tobacco use on the federal budget is positive. Sure medicare and medicaid expenses increase but, as mentioned earlier, there is an offset by the "sin taxes." Of course if folks don't die of smoking related disease they will eventually die of something else and incur medical and other government subsidized expenses during their additional years. Also cigarette smokers, dying younger as a general rule, forfeit the social security and other benefits that non-smokers receive during their extended life span.
> 
> I don't think one single smoker is going to quit because he is nagged at or feels guilty about supposedly being a drain on the wallets of the rest of us. The point is that they (used to be we) not only pay the exhorbitant prices, including taxes, on cigarettes but, in many ways, miss out on their fair share of the benefits.


And again none of that has anything to do with what I was saying. Smoking affects more than just the smoker. That is it. Even with everything you say above, what I said still holds true. 

My statement was not aimed at nagging anyone to get them to quit. My statement was aimed at the person who said it is no ones business what they do with their money because it only affects them. I was only pointing out that is not true.


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## luvs (Jun 20, 2008)

geebs, i, fer 1, see that your point is simple to understand & not a lecture, political, etc.

i say click 'ignore' in your mind, & continue to be a support to others.


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## skilletlicker (Jun 20, 2008)

GB said:


> And again none of that has anything to do with what I was saying.



Gee whiz you're right GB. It isn't about what you're saying. It's about what Maverick said.


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## GB (Jun 20, 2008)

My apologies then.


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## DramaQueen (Jun 20, 2008)

skilletlicker said:


> I was under the impression that insurance companies factored the additional liability potential of smoking into the rate when underwriting a policy.
> 
> I can't prove this but strongly suspect that the net fiscal effect of tobacco use on the federal budget is positive. Sure medicare and medicaid expenses increase but, as mentioned earlier, there is an offset by the "sin taxes." Of course if folks don't die of smoking related disease they will eventually die of something else and incur medical and other government subsidized expenses during their additional years. Also cigarette smokers, dying younger as a general rule, forfeit the social security and other benefits that non-smokers receive during their extended life span.
> 
> ...


 
*If you're using the logic (strange though it is) that smokers do us non-smokers a favor by dying young therefore giving us their benefits, then I guess we should thank all smokers. In that case forget what I said about quitting, and keep on puffing.  *

*Unfortunately it is also a known fact that smokers develop many more smoking related health problems even if they don't die young, so therefore they do their share of draining the health care system. When I owned my retail shops we paid for the health insurance of our employees. We could not carry insurance on the employees that smoked because the insurance company said they are sure to rack up costs of health care. I know that many companies will not hire smokers because they seem to take too much time off of work. Interesting fact. *

*You're are right about one thing, no one is going to quit or even attempt to quit just because someone is nagging or shaming them into it. They should quit only if they truly value their health, their lives or care about what happens to their loved ones seeing them suffer through the horrific symptoms of emphysema, or lung cancer. *
*Have you ever seen a young woman with a hole in her throat and speaking by holding an appliance up to her throat and "burping" the words??? If that doesn't make you quit, nothing will. *
** 
*There has been much said about taking cigarettes off  the market.  I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.  Too much money will be lost.  However, as much as I am opposed to smoking and wish people would really consider the risks,  I will defend anyone's RIGHT to smoke.  You can't tell anyone NOT to smoke,  but you can and I do tell people they can't smoke around me.  I think that those companies that hire people who smoke should give each of them a cigarette break, I really do.   When you are craving a smoke, and you can't have one, horrible things happen to your mind and you aren't very effective at your job in that condition. Been there, done that. *


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## Russellkhan (Jun 20, 2008)

GB said:


> My statement was not aimed at nagging anyone to get them to quit. My statement was aimed at the person who said it is no ones business what they do with their money because it only affects them. I was only pointing out that is not true.



Sorry GB, but it really is not your business what I do with my money. Yes smoking does affect others, but so does every other decision you make. 

So until the day that you're reporting to me and correcting as I see fit about  what you do with every dime, what you do with your free time, what you do at work, how you travel and commute, and everything else you do that might affect me in some way, my smoking is my decision.


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## luvs (Jun 20, 2008)

i wouldn't apologize, geebs. what for, ya knowwhat i mean?


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## GB (Jun 20, 2008)

And once again I need to say it. People this is the last time I am going to say it because it is really getting tiring. 

I am not telling you that smoking is not your decision. I am not saying that if you have decided to smoke that it is up to anyone else if you do or not. All I am saying is that smoking affects more than just the smoker. 

If you want to smoke then fine, smoke, but do not try to tell me that the decisions that you make that affect ME are none of my business. Do I have the right to tell you to stop smoking? Absolutely not. Does your smoking affect me? Yes it does. When you do something that affects me that makes it part of my business. It does not give me any rights to tell you what to do or not do, but it affects me and than makes it my business. It gives me no rights to do anything about it directly, but when something affects me by definition that makes it my business.


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## lulu (Jun 20, 2008)

Side stepping all the above, good luck to all of you giving up.  As an ex, albeit light, smoker I know how FANTASTIC the results are and its worth the struggle.


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## luvs (Jun 20, 2008)

isn't not puffing away great, lulu?


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## Maverick2272 (Jun 20, 2008)

OK, I made a group for this:
Discuss Cooking Forum - Smokers Annonymous
Just because I made the group doesn't mean I am leading the way!! LOL, four times I have tried, once smoke free for a year, once 8 months, once for three months, and the last time lasted all of three weeks.
I don't have a good track record there, but who knows maybe one more try is in order?


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## GB (Jun 20, 2008)

Don't give up Mav. I bet most people who quit tried many times before they were successful. I know I tried many many times before it worked.


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## Maverick2272 (Jun 22, 2008)

OK, I am a wee bit confused. You guys said a stop smoking group was a good idea... but so far only one other person has joined in... so I guess everyone else was... uh... just blowin smoke there?


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## MexicoKaren (Jun 22, 2008)

I'm thinking about it, Buddy....


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## fortheloveofdumdum (Jun 22, 2008)

I'm off to the hypnotherapist tomorrow!  Not coughing and having florescent teeth will be nice!  It will be my 3rd big attempt... I'm sending out happy fresh air filled energy to all my tobacco enslaved homies!!


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