re: Did You/ Do You Smoke Cigarettes?

I used to, then I chewed for a while. I had to get off it for life insurance. Agent said I could start back once I passed the blood test for non-smoker. But it was such a bitch to get off it for that long that I decided that was the time to finally kick it.

You really do have to make your mind up that you aren't going to do it anymore. I had cravings for at least a year. I'd still love to have a big chew of Red Man, though.

I had my first one at 8. I smoked a little bit in my mid-teens and got busted with a pack at school, so I quit.
I picked it up about 10 years later in my mid-20's, for about a year.
Picked it up again in my late-30's and haven't quit. About a pack a day at 41. I can go a day or two without having one, then some days I'm having 2+ packs. My wife(no pics) smoked when she was in college, and will have one every now and then on a kid-free night, but she harps on me constantly about quitting.
The times I have quit have been cold turkey. I know that's what I'm gonna have to do this time, just haven't made myself.

Grew up in 50s and 60s.

Heavy smoking killed my dad and uncles who were WWII vets. Just what they did back then.

My dad’s smelly hands convinced me to not smoke. Have never had one in my mouth in my 74 years.

Twice in college my friends tried to convince me to smoke a joint. Both times I absolutely hated the heat near my lips and stopped after one drag each time. Plus it did nothing for me. Never have missed smoking of any kind.

Heck, I even tried these “new” gummies and find them overrated.

Probably too straight for my own good. Now, pain meds, that’s another story. But that, too, got old.

I had a Medical doctor tell me about 40 years ago, "smoking no more than 5-6 cigarettes a day won't kill you".

I tried it with a young lady as a teenager and hated it.
I later smoked an occasional cigar while traveling around the islands and Central America, but never seriously.
I later watched my in-laws die of lung cancer and this removed any interest in smoking for me. A terrible experience for them and us.

Smoked for 25 years. Quit for a few long stretches in there. Most recently was about 14 months ago. Used patches, but that was just as a confidence boost, I was just done regardless.

My 8 yr old son would start crying when I’d light up. It got to me just one day out of the blue when he said,” I don’t want you to die, daddy.” That night I laid a pack of Marlboros with 6 smokes in it on my dresser and they were still laying there six months later, when I threw them in the trash. That was 29 yrs ago, and I haven’t smoked one since.
It was real tough for about two weeks, but I pulled it off.

Smoked about a pack a day for around 40 years. We got tired of it, I was tired of it...caught covid, said frick it and just quit. Cold turkey, me and the missus. Never missed it or regretted it. We both threw away half a packs and just never looked back. They stink more to me now.

A year afterward I found I had lung cancer. Stage 3. Did chemo and a year of immunotherapy. Two years after treatment I am still cancer free, knock on wood, getting CT scans every 6 months, now.

I recommend quitting cold turkey and stick to your guns.

3 packs a day but I don't inhale.

Not to sidetrack this thread, but smokers, what do you think the best advice or tips for someone trying to quit smoking are? I know you have to want to do it, but what else helped you the most to quit? Do the patches really work that well? I've never smoked a cigarette ever in my life, but my mom is a pretty heavy smoker. I'd love to help her quit.