# quitting smoking **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 13, 2002, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758 "2002-06-13T01:17:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/1 "2002-06-13T01:17:35Z")
I’m sure this has been asked before: give me the links But what has worked for the Dopers? I’m thinking cold turkey, but those urges do arise. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/2 "2002-06-13T01:30:33Z")
What worked for me was Sunflower Seeds. Of course, now I’m hooked on salt and will probably die sooner of hardened arteries than I would have of lung disease, but there you are… ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/3 "2002-06-13T01:34:14Z")
more people quit cold turkey than with gum or patches or nicotine inhalers. But the average smoker manages to quit by their third attempt, whatever methods they use. So don’t give up! ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/4 "2002-06-13T01:47:45Z")
Yeah, you just have to find what works for you. If cold turkey doesn’t then you should really see a doctor about it. My ex-wife finally managed to quit after getting some prescription pills after trying 3 times over a seven year period of going cold turkey. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/5 "2002-06-13T03:04:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Amp \* > \*\*Yeah, you just have to find what works for you. If cold turkey doesn’t then you should really see a doctor about it. My ex-wife finally managed to quit after getting some prescription pills after trying 3 times over a seven year period of going cold turkey. \*\* What, Zyban? ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/6 "2002-06-13T03:04:36Z")
How about trying Allan Carr’s Easy way to give up smoking. My sister read it cover to cover and is now no longer smoking - it’s supposedly a type of brainwashing?! I bought it for my b/f and have only managed to read the first 3 pages but it also gives the friends of the smoker ideas on how to help and it doesn’t cost much!! ---
**Author:** ![stinkykitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@stinkykitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stinkykitty)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/7 "2002-06-13T03:57:25Z")
May 23, 1993 The only way I was able to quit my pack a day habit was to give up smoking one day, one minute, or whatever increment of time was driving me nutty. The only thing that helped me get over the oral need to have a cigarette was spicy hot food. My favorite salsa recipe was developed during those hard times. I am thankful everyday for being a non-smoker (read ex-smoker). I never thought that I could stop smoking. You will never regret an unsmoked cigarette. Good Luck. PS, I ran 3 miles today without gasping for breath!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/8 "2002-06-13T04:35:35Z")
Five weeks and two days as of now and it was cold turkey method with the assistance of Altoids Tangerine lozenges and sugar free chewing gum. After two weeks I couldn’t stand being around smokers so the social impetus to smoke was gone pretty quickly. I still would love a smoke, but i refust to be a slave to anything other than internet pornography. ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/9 "2002-06-13T05:35:33Z")
It’s been about a year now for me. Lots of things helped me break my sixteen year nicotine habit, but the two most valuable were Zyban and lots and lots of exercise. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/10 "2002-06-13T05:50:15Z")
This seems to be a sort of survey, so I’ll send it over to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/11 "2002-06-13T10:54:27Z")
Cold turkey. But, you have to really _want_ to quit. The first week sucks, but it gets better. Good luck to you, it’s worse than heroin to quit, so they say, and I’ll agree, having experienced both. ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/12 "2002-06-13T11:26:06Z")
superbee: Please don’t say things like that. You’re scaring me! I’ve been smoking for about 47 years and never tried to stop. I have pretty much decided to try to give it a went after I finish this carton- six packs left. What I want to know is, do you become a screaming jerk after stopping? Is it like constant PMS? I’m starting to feel pissy just thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/13 "2002-06-13T11:31:34Z")
I used Zyban pills and Nicorette gum. I couldn’t/didn’t chew as much of the gum as suggested by the instructions, but the four to five “chews” per day really helped at first. I’m off the pills and gum for nine months now, and the cigs for nearly a year. No matter the method, as **superbee** said, you will have to really _want_ to quit for it to work for you. ---
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/14 "2002-06-13T11:48:47Z")
I used Allen Carr’s “Easyway to stop smoking”. I had three or four minor twinges, found it incredibly easy, and haven’t had a craving since day four of quitting, approx. a year and a half ago. My husband is on day 6 of quitting (he used this book, too) and is going strong. We just ordered a DSL modem, as his reward 🙂 As far as cost goes, the only thing cheaper than this book is cold turkey. If you’ve tried cold turkey, it hasn’t worked, and not much has changed in your views on smoking, give the book a go. If it doesn’t work, there are always the more expensive options, (gum, patches, Zyban, Wellbutrin, etc…) but I swear by the book. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/15 "2002-06-13T12:43:29Z")
**spooje** ’s method: Cold Turkey Eat Everything Whine Incessantly Exercise Frequently Worked well. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/16 "2002-06-13T13:48:01Z")
Here is a good site for support and information from other quitters. [http://boards.webmd.com/roundtable\_topic/48](http://boards.webmd.com/roundtable_topic/48) ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/17 "2002-06-13T14:27:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ageless6 \* > \*\* > What I want to know is, do you become a screaming jerk after stopping? Is it like constant PMS? > I’m starting to feel pissy just thinking about it. \*\* No actually, you become much nicer, because you are happy with who you are. You feel better, you smell better, and you can taste snapple again. Best way to do it is when you wake up, dont have that first cig. It helps a lil bit because you haven’t had nicotine in 10 or so hours, so thats half a day right there. Once you go two weeks, that shit is out of your system and you are home free. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![FallFast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba9def/32.png) [@FallFast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallFast)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/18 "2002-06-13T15:19:16Z")
Here is a link to a discussion here several months ago. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=96711](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=96711) Some good ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Oak\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Oak\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oak_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/19 "2002-06-13T15:31:18Z")
9 years, 28 days since my last smoke. I got married to the lovely and charming Mrs. Oak, who HATED the smell of cigarette smoke. I snuck smokes while at work when we were dating, but realized that I’d need to quit completely when we got married. So, I quit cold turkey when we got married. Frankly, it was an easy decision: the lovely and sexy Mrs. Oak, or yellow teeth, smelly breath, and burn holes in everything. Of course, our honeymoon in Antigua did a REALLY good job at keeping my mind off the smokes for the first couple of weeks 😃 Take it day by day, and good luck! ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758/20 "2002-06-13T16:14:17Z")
If anyone’s considering Zyban, note that it and Wellbutrin are the same thing. Many insurance companies won’t cover Zyban (although why, I don’t know…you’d think they’d want their members to remain as healthy as possible), but they will cover Wellbutrin. A GP I talked to told me that he generally prescribes Wellbutrin instead of Zyban for this very reason. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quitting-smoking/113758.md?page=2)