# One year of not smoking! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 24, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665 "2003-01-24T18:30:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reuben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/54ee81/32.png) [@Reuben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reuben)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/1 "2003-01-24T18:30:43Z")
At c.11:15am 24th Jan 2002 I puffed my last cigarette outside of my then workplace in central London, just prior to the umpteenth smoking-related major coughing fit of that week. I went home at midday, cried a bit in the pit of despair (I honestly thought I was dying - this awful cough had gone on for many weeks) and suddenly something snapped and I found a steely resolve to never put one of those goddamned cancerous death sticks in my mouth ever again. At 11am 24th Jan 2003 I am still completely resolved, and more than a little chuffed. And lets take a quick inventory : **Smokers cough** : 0%. Completely gone. For 15 years I invariably got a major cough after having a cold or flu. When I had a cold this winter, just the teeniest tiniest cough that cleared up in 48 hours, ie the kind everybody gets. **Self-esteem** : Up 300%. I did an entire YEAR! I’m tough! **Health** : Up 1000%. As an adult I’ve never been so fit, and that’s the best feeling of all. **Wealth** : Saved approx £1000! And on the downside… er, nothing whatsoever. There is no downside! Life is good. 🆒 How’s _your_ non-smoking going? ---
**Author:** ![banks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/banks)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/2 "2003-01-24T18:33:41Z")
Good work **Reuben**! Even though I’m still an ardent supporter of smoker’s rights, I have now been tobacco-free for two and a half weeks. Got tired of spending the money. Wish me luck! ---
**Author:** ![laserkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@laserkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laserkitty)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/3 "2003-01-24T18:35:48Z")
I’m at 4 weeks myself. It’s been hard, but I feel and smell so much better. Congrats on hitting the one year mark! ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/4 "2003-01-24T18:47:36Z")
That is great! You’re an inspiration! I’m at four and a half months so far, and most days are easy. I never had a single craving after the first three days…until about two weeks ago, and they have been rather intense. I’ve heard this is fairly common though. Still, very frustrating. I want this stuff to go away! No matter how bad the craving, I will never smoke again. It’s not worth it. I’ve saved five hundred bucks already! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![1ofthegulls](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/bcef8e/32.png) [@1ofthegulls](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1ofthegulls)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/5 "2003-01-24T18:59:22Z")
Congrats! I had my 8 month (no smoking) anniversary on January 15th. 2 packs a day for 20+ years. I’m actually shocked that I don’t miss it and I’ve made it this long. My Doctor said “You’re 60% on your way to a stroke, how much further do you want to challenge the odds?” That’s all it took and 3 weeks of Zyban. Keep up feeling good!!! ---
**Author:** ![Spooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Spooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spooky)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/6 "2003-01-24T19:20:11Z")
Congrats, everybody! What are you all planning on doing with the money you saved? ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/7 "2003-01-24T19:27:21Z")
What wonderful news!!! Keep up the good work! I know it’s been a long year for you! Good Job!!! ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/8 "2003-01-24T20:24:38Z")
Hey, congratulations, you guys! IANASmoker, but my parents were (well, my dad still is, and he has emphysemia and **still** can’t manage to quit), and I watched my mom struggle to quit for years before she finally succeeded. Best of luck to all! ---
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/9 "2003-01-24T21:19:55Z")
Great Job!!! I can’t wait until I’m at that point. I just quit this past New Year’s, and so far so good. ---
**Author:** ![cherry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cherry)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/10 "2003-01-24T21:31:04Z")
It has been a couple of days of not smoking, I seem to light up in social situations but stop smoking after that. Good job everybody. ---
**Author:** ![Reuben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/54ee81/32.png) [@Reuben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reuben)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/11 "2003-01-24T21:34:25Z")
Many thanks for all the good wishes - it means more than I can say. And so many heartfelt congratulations to my fellow quitters. We rock! ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/12 "2003-01-24T21:36:57Z")
25 years 3 months after 10 years of two packs a day. And CONGRATS!!! to all you quitters. It’s tough, but well worth it. You should be proud of yourselves. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/13 "2003-01-24T22:38:46Z")
Congratulations! I don’t know you but can’t tell you how glad I am for you. My father is slowly dieing from a diseaser related to smoking and it is horrible to watch. Congratulations again. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/14 "2003-01-24T23:25:28Z")
Excellent job, everyone! Make sure you didn’t do what I did, and gain a whole lot of weight when I quit – four years later, the excess avoirdupois is still there. Ah well. One thing I like – I can laugh as hard as I want without it turning into a coughing fit. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/15 "2003-01-25T01:12:46Z")
Almost five months here and I really was a pretty serious smoker at 50 + a day for 20 years. Crazy thing is that once I divided up the habit (dealing with that first) from the nicotine addiction itself, it was simple and pang free – never once in the five months have I craved a ciggy. Really simple. It was using patches that worked for me – I didn’t care if I wore a nicotine patch for the rest of my life, as long as I didn’t feed the addiction orally with a ciggy I knew it was pretty healthy. The habit thing passed incredibly quickly - most of the associations went within two-three days - and I think it took another 8-10 weeks to wean myself gently off the nicotine addiction, but there was no hurry or pressure. I’m still surprised how easy it was and how I don’t even think about smoking – from 50+ a day to nothing in four-five months. Pretty remarkable, really ! Well done, everyone. Great isn’t it 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![auliya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90db22/32.png) [@auliya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auliya)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/16 "2003-01-25T02:14:55Z")
Congratulations to all the quitters! 4yrs on the 20th January for me, and I still feel proud of myself. Like you **London\_Calling** , I was heavy smoker for a looooong time, and I gave up by using nicotine patches I did put on a lot of weight though, which I am only now losing… ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/17 "2003-01-25T04:08:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spooky \* > \*\*Congrats, everybody! What are you all planning on doing with the money you saved? \*\* Spending it on good food. 😉 I quit cold turkey, but I gained about ten pounds. Started Atkins three days ago. Gotta whip one habit at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/18 "2003-01-25T04:29:39Z")
Congrat’s to all. You’re doing the right thing. If only everyone who wanted to quit could, but that’s a topic for another thread. ---
**Author:** ![Swagman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Swagman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swagman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/19 "2003-01-25T05:27:54Z")
Well done Reuben, I’ve done 5 years and I found it quite easy after the first month (I was on 30 a day). Alas I joined Rushgeekgirl and piled on a couple of kilos so now I’ve gotta exercise more - this health kick is killing me! ---
**Author:** ![Stinkum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Stinkum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stinkum)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665/20 "2003-01-25T05:55:04Z")
I quit as of today. Doing the nicotine lozenges. I have been cutting back slowly, and now the step off. I’ve smoked for 28 years, about 1 1/2 packs a day (sometimes more). Good work everyone! Can you be my official inspiration??? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-year-of-not-smoking/150665.md?page=2)