Step by Step Guide to Quitting Smoking - 4 Easy Steps

Stopping smoking, whether it be cigarettes, cigars, or a pipe is not easy. Some "wag" made the remark "Quitting smoking is easy, I've done it 100 times." I don't remember who said it but I can tell you it is NOT easy.

The first step that every smoker must take is to say "I will quit." Any habit that has been shown to cause lung cancer and/or cardiovascular problems is a bad habit, and stopping may mean adding many years to your life.

In my own personal case, I had been smoking cigarettes from age 18 to about age 35, at which point my wife in an economy move suggested that I switch to smoking a pipe. I welcomed the move because many pipe smokers do not inhale the smoke, and this is a "biggy" from a health standpoint. Even smoking a pipe however is also addictive and a pipe smoker still gets the toxic nicotine in the system, mostly through the mouth. To tell you how bad the habit was for me: I can still remember the panic setting in when I realized I had used my last match, and I searched frantically through all the jacket and trouser pockets in hope of finding more. On some occasions I ended up lighting the pipe on an electric stove burner. If you've never tried it that's quite a trick. I had thought about quitting more than once but had trouble really decided for sure. You play those "mind games" with yourself where you say "I don't want to quit because I enjoy it so much." or "It keeps me calm, so why should I quit?" The turning point in my "smoking career" came when I was in a 1 on 1 meeting with my boss at the time. He had been an "All American" basketball player and had never smoked in his life, so far as I know. I lit my pipe and he started coughing.

He was very tolerant and didn't say a word to me, but at that moment I decided I was not only endangering my health, but maybe even my livelihood, so I said to my self " This is just a bad habit so I'm going to quit.

Step 2 - Set a time goal (a couple of weeks or so.) Having read some motivational material about how to get rid of bad habits, I remembered the advice of several guru's. They suggested that to change a bad habit, the habit should be replaced by another habit.

Step 3 - Pick a substitute. My first thought was the "Lifesaver" (TM) candies. I went out an bought about 20 rolls, which I though would be enough to last me through the ordeal, which I thought might take a couple of weeks.

Step 4 - Start using the substitute every time you get the urge to smoke. At the end of the first week my teeth were hurting so bad from all the sugar, I thought they might all drop out. At this point I switched over to pretzels, figuring the extra salt wouldn't be as bad as the extra sugar. This worked, and after about 2 weeks as I recall I was really over the smoking habit. I have not had so much as one cigarette, pipe load, or cigar, since that time. I am rather strong willed and determined, so it may not be as easy for you unless you are really strong in that respect. It is a FREE cure, because you will save way more, money-wise from not buying the smoking products, than the cost of the pretzels. If you can't tolerate either sugar or salt, then try raw vegetable sticks, like carrots, celery, or broccoli. If you try this FREE way and it doesn't work, my suggestion is that you try one of the patches or hypnosis, whatever it takes.

Step 1 - Decide you are going to quit (this IMO is the hardest step)
Step 2 - Set a time goal (I would guess a couple of weeks from smoking to not-smoking)
Step 3 - Pick a substitute for smoking (some edible product is easiest)
Step 4 - Start using the substitute every time you feel like smoking.

Note - DO NOT try to "taper off" instead of quitting "cold turkey" because for most people it simply will NOT work.