Today I am smoking my last pack of cigarettes

[Matt]

Erika -

This might sound rough, but your SuperCaller status is contingent upon you sticking with this.

You are free to call every week and have people cheer you on. We're all behind you and we want you to stop smoking! You know it's the right thing to do, so do it for 2008!

Tom.

You know what they call that? Tough love.

It seems like just yesterday, my older brother and I guilted our dad into quitting smoking. For some reason, he insisted on keeping a carton of Newports in the freezer - "Just in case." That was about thirteen years ago and he hasn't touched a cigarette since, so it can be done!

Good luck, Erika!

[Dorvid Barnas]

When it works, tell others you used the Tom Method.

[John Junk]

I was never a huge smoker, at most I smoked 1/2 a pack a day for about 4 years, but I quit for a few years and what worked was just deciding to one day.  Like, not making a big deal about it, and not doing it for anyone else but myself.  I was in a situation where my girlfriend was living 300 miles away, I was living with my parents, and no one I knew smoked.  It just seemed dumb.  I started again a little bit in the last 2 years and I kick myself.   I've had one already this year, but maybe I could make it a one-cigarette year.  Worth a shot. 
Just think about that awesome full lung capacity.  Seriously!

And, finally, I'd temporarily avoid watching French New Wave film and anything featuring late-60's, early-70's Rolling Stones.



(Edited for brevity's sake on 1-06-07)

[Forrest]

  I've had one already this year, but maybe I could make it a one-cigarette year.  Worth a shot.

One? This year? If that's true, you're probably not really a smoker. Walk away while you can.

[bookem_dan-o]

I managed to quit smoking by literally making myself sick from them. One day, I took a whole pack of B&H menthols, and actually smoked them all at once, like that one guy from the picture in the Guinness Book of World Records. I was actually trying to be Mr. Funny in front of my friends by imitating that guy, but i got so sick from that stupid stunt that I could never stomach the thought of smoking ever again....and almost 20 years later, I haven't.

Not necessarily suggesting this as a way to quit smoking, of course. But it worked for me.

[Sarah]

And, finally, I'd temporarily avoid watching French New Wave film and anything featuring late-60's, early-70's Rolling Stones.

Also the AMC show Mad Men.

[folksnake]

And, finally, I'd temporarily avoid watching French New Wave film and anything featuring late-60's, early-70's Rolling Stones.

Also the AMC show Mad Men.

...or anything with Serge Gainsbourg in it.

Great to hear this, Erika! Out here in Western Maryland, you're our favorite caller.

I smoked for 25 years, finally quit at age 40 (had the last one the night before my birthday) and have been happy about it ever since. Nicorette helped some, as did working in a public library  I figure as long as I continue to work there, I'm good.

[buffcoat]

My friend's dad had tried about 20 things and Chantix finally did it for him.  I've since heard some weird stuff about it, but he swears by it.  He had a 40+ year habit.

I wish I could quit sodie sometimes.  I quit drinking it for about a year, but I love it so.  I only drink it at mealtime but then I'll refill on the way out and nurse it for another hour.

I know that as vices go, it's not a huge one, but it's 200-400 absolutely empty calories a day, plus a lot of high fructose corn syrup.  And I heard Mountain Dew does bad things to a fella's equipment, although, that's, you know, not true.

[Josh]

Good call Buffcoat. I've tried dropping colas and iced tea off and on, and I definitely consume less than a couple years ago, but boy oh boy doesn't a Coke taste so good after a month without?

[John Junk]

  I've had one already this year, but maybe I could make it a one-cigarette year.  Worth a shot.

One? This year? If that's true, you're probably not really a smoker. Walk away while you can.

You think you're better than me?

[erika]

I tried a single Lozenge for about 10 seconds. They taste like bad bad burny chemicals. So I'm gonna skip those. If I do anything, I'll do a light version of the patch.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

There might be a connection between this:

I managed to quit smoking by literally making myself sick from them. One day, I took a whole pack of B&H menthols, and actually smoked them all at once, like that one guy from the picture in the Guinness Book of World Records. I was actually trying to be Mr. Funny in front of my friends by imitating that guy, but i got so sick from that stupid stunt that I could never stomach the thought of smoking ever again....and almost 20 years later, I haven't.

And this:

And, finally, I'd temporarily avoid watching French New Wave film and anything featuring late-60's, early-70's Rolling Stones.

Also the AMC show Mad Men.

...or anything with Serge Gainsbourg in it.

[Rainer]

Erika,

I stopped smoking about three years ago (after puffing off and on since college).  My first son probably had a lot to do with it.  We were watching an American Cancer Society TV PSA on the internet.  I think it must have been part of some ad agency's demo reel.  People running into city traffic only to be creamed (via cgi) by cars, trains and buses. "One out of every three who start will die."

After the PSA ended, B turned to me and said, "Daddy, do you smoke?"  To which I replied, "not any more." 

And I said those three words IN BALTIMORE. 

Good for you!  You will succeed, without a doubt.

--Rainer

[Gilly]

"One out of every three who start will die."

Not to rain on the parade but three out of every three who start will die. Just probably not as peacefully as a non-smoker.

[folksnake]

Not to rain on the parade but three out of every three who start will die. Just probably not as peacefully as a non-smoker.

I heard it was four. Weird.