Trying to quit again - for good this time....
Reset my quit date again - Damn this is hard - always excuses - BUT - I turned 49 yesterday and made a pact to stop smoking for good within 2 weeks - getting cocky does not work by just going cold turkey for me, so I have set a quit date and using the technique that worked for me last time - I quit for 2 years..
I looked at my goals and history from the real last quit, and ended up doing 2 major things with the cash I saved - I went to South Africa for 3 weeks - no expense spared, and bought myself a new motorcycle from the saving that I squirreled away from the smoking fund... it was amazing, then one day I just decided I wanted to smoke again, and I did - it's been another year already - another few THOUSAND $$$ !!!...
$258 a carton, 3 cartons a month - $774 a month... OMG!!.. I am so over cringing when I buy smokes..
I am going to cut down in the next few weeks, substitute every second smoke with a nicotine free vape, and take NRT gum to chew this time.., and cut down and honestly track my smoking daily for the next 2 weeks, until my quit date, and hopefully be smoke free for May 2018!!
I will then decide how I can stay completely quit and not start again on a whim, or a bad day.. but for now, I am just focusing on getting off the smokes - one thing at a time..
This site helped me quit last time, so trying what works.. also taking some advice and reading " Never Take Another Puff", that someone on here recommended a few weeks ago.. its a free PDF download too..
So, guys, I will be leaning on this community for support again, and will pay it forward once I am quit and hopefully be able to help other quit too..
This time I am gonna be a Quitter..
Great on all the guys that are in the quit stage for being able to at least try, or stop smoking - it is hard, but its worth it..
Have a great day everyone..
Good luck In your quit Dave.
I can relate to your story because in the past I quit twice before too. Once for 2 years and the second time for about a year and each time went back to smoking. I am on my 3rd and hopefully my final quit. Although I always thought that cigarette is my “friend” and it was a love/hate relationship I am glad I am no longer a slave to my addiction. Better breath, money saved, no morning coughs, etc, etc.
All the best in your quit.
I cant quit this stuff - Damn!!
I am now on a Vape with the same nicotine levels, subsidizing about 70% of my smokes with a Vape..
Notice the stop smoking cough kicking in and taste mostly back, and not so much of a stinky clothes smell from the smokes - Captain Black Mini Cigars, @ 15 a day...!
I read an article on this, and seems not too much data, considering it been around for 10 years.. whats the moderators opinions on Vapes here?
UK NHS recommends Vapes as a stopping smoking aid in a paper, but not any formal medical journals or official papers..
I also read another article online, that we are addicted to Nicotine, not cigarettes, and you get that from the vapes, with less carcinogenics than burning tobacco, for obvious reasons..
I am planning on cutting down the nicotine content of the vape slowly, to see if this helps me stop nicotine altogether, but considering the cost of smokes, it seems the price of a packet of cigarettes here is about 96% tax... which means in a few month the govt coffers will be taking strain, and they will either ban or tax Nicotine vape juices too..
Makes you wonder if the point is to stop people smoking for health reasons, or to generate money from another source..
We (Smokers and ex smokers) - should all get private health care free, from all the tax we have paid over the years on smokes... LOL!
Gonna be fun to watch how this Vape dilemma plays out over the next few months.. We already cannot buy nicotine vape juice in WA, but can import it for personal use???
Will try to keep posting on progress of the Vape, VS Cigarettes over the next while, but wish someone reputable would publish some definitive stats on the Vape situation, in terms of long term health implications...
Not promoting the Vapes, just after solid info ...
so, been Vaping since 1 May 2018, stopped the cigars a week in and added 16mg Nicotine to a dark wild cherry vape juice to match the taste of the Captain Black cigars I was smoking..
All is well so far, getting the nicotine my body wants to not induce moods and tempers, tried the VG fluid first, but got sticky or oily teeth, then moved to a PG juice, blended my own from 8mg nicotine to 16mg, as you only absorb 50% of the strength through a vape, so they say... stopped coughing in a week, setup cost me about $80 for the starter kit and a few cherry cigar juices, and another $50 for Nicotine to add to the vape juice...
All in all, Under $150 for enough e-juice to last about 6 months and a few spare batteries..
Plusses are.. not smelling like cigarette smoke, not inhaling 20 odd chemicals created by burning tobacco, cost - obviously, and no major withdrawal symptoms.. minuses are, not having anything in my pockets, slightly oily tongue, mixing the juice, and refilling the vaporizer, and not knowing long term effects of vaping..
All in all its a better experience for me, cheaper and I have saved heaps of cash - i actually don't mind the nicotine this way, as it seems to be a better option than smoking, for me anyway...
I am not saying its for everyone, or a good thing, but it may be a good way to reduce the side effects of giving up, and suicide or depression is not the side effect of vaping, like Champix.. I always missed smoking when I was off the cigs, but I don't have that continuous dialogue running in my head anymore, craving a smoke, like when off the smokes.. anyway - do with this post as you like, its just my humble opinion on the last 40 days without smokes, or the bill and cough that comes with smoking cigarettes..
A bit of solid research is required here, as it looks like smoking is restricted in Australia, as a means to generate another tax, from another group of individuals, as the nicotine purchase is now illegal in WA again, and customs are pouring Nicotine in postal parcels out, even though there is no solid laws about vaping, or the purchase of nicotine by individuals, for personal use.. seems a bit double sided to me..