"How I quit smoking."
A health scare convinced Wendy Fox it was time to quit smoking; a popular book helped her achieve her goal
By Wendy Fox
When I lit my first cigarette under the Graham River bridge in Judique, N.S., The Spoons were my favourite band (okay, they still are). For the next two decades, my smokes stayed with me as I moved to five different cities, changed careers, met new people and left old friends behind. And I was devoted to them, until last Labour Day.
My “aha!” moment came last year after a health scare (which turned out to be minor). I was worried about my life potentially being shortened, and suddenly saw the irony: By smoking, I was purposely reducing my life expectancy. What a fool! I asked myself, “If I don’t quit now, then when?”
I wasn’t sure how I’d do it. Over the years I’d tried nicotine gum, going cold turkey and cutting back, but without success. Then a colleague told me about a book called Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking, first published in 1985. I noticed it was endorsed by Ellen DeGeneres: “Everybody who reads this book stops, and I stopped.” That’s pretty powerful; Ellen doesn’t pussyfoot around.
I opened myself up to Carr’s advice. He was a chain smoker who quit in 1983 (he died of lung cancer in 2006). So he understood the smoker’s mind, and countered every argument I’ve ever made against quitting. Here’s one: “I could get hit by a bus tomorrow, so I should just enjoy today.” Carr wrote, “Would you deliberately step under a bus?” Of course not; yet I was deliberately stepping in front of the cancer bus every day. I also worried I couldn’t quit without a replacement such as food, but Carr wrote, “Would you tell an alcoholic who was trying to quit to do so by drinking beer instead of wine?” (I haven’t gained weight since I quit.) What about withdrawal pangs? Think of them as a reminder that the "smoking monster," as Carr called it, is dying. And I wondered if I could ever enjoy a social occasion again. Carr advised thinking of smoking as an isolated occasion, and remember that those “poor smokers have to smoke all day, every day, for the rest of their lives.” The cigarette stranglehold was loosening.
Then there was the chapter in which I had to account for the money I’d spent on smoking, and would spend in future. I was shocked: Smoking a pack a day for another 20 years, I’d spend $73,000 for the privilege of killing myself. (The sad part is that I had already spent almost that much.) I finished the book, and quit.
I think most smokers would prefer be non-smokers. The beautiful part is that you can stop. I don’t know what method is best for you, but the important thing is to try something. If not now, then when?
Wendy Fox, 38, is director of research for a Toronto executive search firm.
Reasons to butt out
Every puff raises your risk of:
• Lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer death for Canadian women;
• Other cancers, such as bladder, cervical, colon and rectal cancers (women who smoke are 95 percent more likely than non-smokers to develop the latter, said a recent U.S. study); and
• Heart attacks, stroke and respiratory ailments such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (female smokers are 20 percent more likely to develop COPD than male smokers, according to a recent study from Nanjing Medical University in China).
Quitting smoking reduces your carbon monoxide levels within hours and slashes your smoking-related heart attack risk in half within one year, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. Download helpful quitting tools at smokershelpline.ca and hc-sc.gc.ca.
Have your own success story you would like to share? Tell us, and your story may be featured on our site!
Best Health Magazine, Spring 2008; Photo by Steve Munday
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There are still many people that find quitting cigarette smoking hard. This can be in spite of the idea that everyone now became more cognizant of your schedule of smoking. With this particular comes the innovation with the businesses that centers on producing stop smoking manufacturing products. But in addition there are inventions for folks who wished to quit their smoking for instance nicotine gum and patches. For smokers available, in addition, you should be aware this brand-new invention called electronic cigarette.
This electronic cigarette can also be referred to as the smokeless cigarette that changes the legal landscape for that smokers. So, why is video great invention? This is a patented merchandise that is used to simulate effectively the conventional experience with smoking. The main difference though would it be does not have any legalities or health unwanted effects that surround this type of e-Cigarette. When you compare it towards traditional cigarettes, the electronic ones functions very differently it feels, looks and tastes identical to the traditional tobacco.
Yes, that maybe true. The electronic cigarette will not really burn the tobacco but it surely just activates its flow sensor making an individual think that there're actually smoking with the traditional cigarette. The objective of this e-cigarette is it releases water vapor that contains the scent, nicotine and also the propylene glycol that simulates for any flavor of tobacco. Helpful in reducing idea that your body is certain to get fix level of nicotine, anybody also can avoid from your elements causing cancer on the traditional sort of cigarette. These harmful elements are avoided including glue, tar, hydrocarbons and hundred even more of additives. And also traditional and healthier cigarettes, this can be biggest to note that this device is completely legal. So, generates electronic cigarette not prohibited in restaurants, a workplace, airplanes and bars. For individuals who cannot apparently just prevent the habit of smoking, it is a good idea to implement the product or service and never having to inflict harm on others and your own body.
Another highlight is some thing. Such a electronic tobacco is manufactured consisting liquid nicotine and nicotine cartridge too. If the user will inhale it, the tiny atomizer electric batteries will turn handful of liquid nicotine strait into the vapor. It is like what's instructed above. You will find there's small Led light at the electronic cigarette tip any time an individual will inhale it, the cigarette will just glow to orange. It even appears like the individual simulates a genuine cigarette.
It's various strengths too in regards to the nicotine cartridges that this user can decide to. There are numerous brands of electronic variety of cigarette that contains minimal strength, half strength and full strength too. Bear in mind though until this strategy is solely intended for individuals who wished to give up cigarettes because as they get use towards product, little every day could they reduce the strength in the tobacco. Gradually, it will help these to quit the habit of smoking. This is what takes its boon of your product. Right on top of the financial perspective, additionally it is beneficial. Simply because each of the nicotine cartridges in various strengths would usually just cost around £8. That money is equaled to about 500 cigarettes. And therefore choice . energy production of the cigarette kit would reach for £50, a persons can easily still lower your expenses whenever we will compare it to the traditional style of cigarette.
About the refillable cartridges of the electronic cigarette, it's multitude of flavors. You could pick from apple, strawberry, regular and menthol flavored cartridges that should pair the nicotine strength level just like light, medium and none. This smoking alternative is a real cessation device supplying the people enable you to quit their smoking habit. In the end, what propelled its popularity would be the fact a lot more people needed to also restrict their habit yet they won't appear to find the good way to apply it. Now, with all the e-Cigarette out there, it is really an interesting and healthier alternative to popular stop smoking. Naturally, you retains the liberty to smoke whenever and wherever they wanted. But this artificial smoke had undergone rigorous testing to help smokers lessen their habit soon enough.
There are plenty of different kinds of brands of electronic cigarette around. We have tested a couple of to discover which can be great for a smoker that's planning to quite smoking regular cigarettes but still wants that satisfaction of smoking.
excellent Electronic Cigarette Review
I never wanted to quit, was a smoker for life, enjoyed smoking, and it calmed my nerves, with a very stressful life. However, in Jan. 2011 I had a car accident due to fainting, which turned out was due to my heart rate slowing down to about 25 beats per minute. After the accident, I smoked for a few weeks, while recovering from my injuries, but had two more episodes, which led to the discovery that my heart rate was slow and needed a pacemaker. My last cigarette was Feb. 3, which was the day an ambulance took me to the hospital and since I was there for 2 days, I could not leave to have a smoke, by the time I got home, I realized that I had not had a cigarette in 3 days, and lit one. It was disgusting. It smelled awful and I realized I could not smoke it. I tried again the next day, same disgust. At that point I realized, I was trying to get used to it and enjoy it but it made me ill, along with the fact that I now had a little computer in my chest helping my heart to beat, was pure stupidity by smoking and possibly doing more damage to my heart. The day of my accident, I realized that I was only 53 years old and I did not want to die. I want to spend time with my family, my three sons, my grandchildren. I guess I am one of those people that never wanted to quit, but now that it has been 8 months am really glad that I have. There are days, when I think I want one, but take a few deep breaths, put my hand over my scar on my chest and think about what I really want, and that is to have more time on Earth. I realize how hard it is to quit, and believe me I did it that hard way, but am very glad that I did. I wish everyone that wants to quit the best of luck, get help and enjoy your new freedom of being smoke-free.
I quit smoking in 1969, way before smoking was deemed "BAD FOR YOU"...I was laughed at i was rediculed .i was told they are no harm.etc,etc,...Well all those people. and i mean ALL THOSE people ..They are all DEAD...Not sick.. not all wrinkled up ..THEY ARE ALL DEAD..
Hi Kim,
The only aide I used was the book itself. By the time I read the last word in the last chapter I was a non-smoker. And I am still smoke free. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing your story; I'm curious if you quit cold-turkey and did you use any aides. I think I'll pick up a copy of that book. It's definitely time, and there are a lot of things, and people, to live for.
I read this book after getting laser therapy treatment! It makes perfect sense! I totally recomment laser treatment for quitting! It is 4 days of exhaustion, irritability, and sickness...but it is worth it!