A bass player friend... he's scared now. His mom just got a lump in her chest. His dad died of lung cancer, so did uncle. My friend smokes like a chimney. He's a tobacco addict, age 43. Looks 55. He said he kicked a morphine addiction, a codience addiction but can't lick the cigs. I told him far as I know, cold turkey is only way I've heard good results. He said he really does want to quit. (I hate cigs.) He admitted he despises them too. I don't know what to tell him, how to do it.

His mom just got a lump in her chest. His dad died of lung cancer, so did uncle.

How much more warning or reason does he need !!!!!

Sometimes, individuals just don't have the willpower to quit bad habits until it smacks THEM right in the face. Hearing about others just doesn't cut it. My wife knows she must quit, but the addiction is too strong. Even with a rapid heart beat that sent her to the hospital last month, she is still at it....like a chimney.
zuki

Surely you know how evil tobacco is. I am searching for feedback from people who might have insight as to what WORKS to quit. Maybe an expert on here.

From what I have gathered, consensus so far is COLD TURKEY is the most successful method. Although, success rate, I doubt, is that high.

Tobacco is evil, I tell ya. EVIL. People gloss over the fact how evil it is. I see these young people puffing away like it's so cool. It ain't cool. (And yep, I was an idiot when I was young and foolish.)

Right now, I am washing the clothes from a gig last night. I had to shower just to sleep cuz it was on my skin and I couldn't stand it.

You would think somebody would invent a purifier that actually WORKS for bars.

Cigarette addition has been described as worse than heroin, and I sincerely believe this is the case. I smoked for more than 30 years, tried quitting a half-dozen times, and finally, 20 years ago, I was laying in bed with a moderate to severe case of pnumonia and gasping for every breath. I fell asleep for about an hour, woke up and reached for a cigarette. At that point, I quit--cold turkey.

The secret success, at least for me, was to have my wife toss all of the ash trays in the trash can, wash anything that smelled like cigarette smoke, and tossed that last pack of cigarettes in the trash as well.

For the next two weeks, I was the most misserable SOB on the planet to live with. And, for at least a year or more I would wake up in the middle of the night, dreaming I had a cigarette in my hand.

Now, after nearly 20 years, the smell of cigarette smoke becomes noxious, even when I'm outdoors. I gues there's nothing really worse than a ex-smoker!

Gary

Since past July I can say that I am a proud ex-smoker (20 cigarrets/day).
I am happy with this radical decision.

Chico

Only YOU can QUIT Smoking, Only if YOU want too!
Just carry a picture of your wife & kids around look at it and think about life.......

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 09-29-2004).]

I agree with the previous posts that only the person himself can quit smoking, and if they want to. At the same time, if they do resolve to themself to do it, I think the things like the nicotine patch and nicorettes should make it easier than in the past. In fact, I have heard an advertisement on the radio about a medical clinic offering quit smoking injections. They say a single shot is all it takes. Fortunately, having never touched a cigarette in my life, I have no reason to test the validity of their claim; however, there must be some basis to this claim.

Tell your friend that if this statement is honest, he's already 90% home free. Tell him the difference between humans and other life forms is that we have free will. The next step is to find the mechanics of what will work for HIM.

Cold turkey IS NOT the only way... everyone is different. For some, gradual weaning works. Simply estimate how many cigs are smoked in a day, then every morning, 'ration out' that day's supply... one less each day, or every other day.

BTW, I certainly don't mean to suggest that quitting smoking is easy, for many, quite the contrary. But when there's a will (he wants to quit), there's a way. Good luck.


Glenn



[This message has been edited by GlennT (edited 09-29-2004).]

I used nicotine gum, it's expensive and it took me about 2 or 3 years of trying. The thing I liked about the gum is the package is a pain in the ass to open so it gave me something to do with my hands when it was cigarette time.I tried the patch but you put it onb and forget it. I need the routine of opening the pack of gum.
But I had decided to put $150 in my budget every month for the gum sometimes I smoked and chewed gum at the same time. Sometimes just the gum but then I bummed a cig from everyone I saw. It was the hardest thing I've ever done like I said it took years to quit. You just have to keep trying and don't let a setback get you off track.
I'm 55 been smokin 40 years. Then I had to get off the gum, thats another story. Been free over two years I'm afraid of the gum or the cig now because I know how easy it is to get back in the habit. And I've found better things to do with the money