how to quit smoking

Sunday, January 16, 2005

Is that what you want?

Posted By Kareem Saady

SESSION THREE

YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE UNLESS YOU HAVE NOT SMOKED FOR 5 DAYS.
Welcome back to the world of non-smoking!
If you have not smoked for 5 days, then I am absolutely delighted and I wish I that I could give you a handshake or a big hug! The fifth day of not smoking is a important milestone. Although you may not feel like it yet, your body has expelled all, of the nicotine that had accumulated. Your lungs have already begun rebuilding. Your circulatory system has already started recovery.
Again I say, welcome back to the world of non-smoking!
Becoming a non-smoker is not a single event. It is a process and it will take time. How much time, varies with each individual. EACH DAY WILL BE EASIER.
The urges will become less frequent, as I'm sure you've already noticed. Still, they will hit you when you least expect for several weeks. Continue practicing your trigger killers and don't be caught off guard. Remember that old habits are difficult to break. You need to really work at developing new habits to overcome old ones. You can teach yourself to reach for a toothpick, swizzle stick, chewing gum, etc., to replace the old habit of reaching for a smoke.
You ARE a non-smoker again! Do not for a single second, allow yourself to think otherwise.
Our brain is the center of our pleasure. Pleasure within the brain, is the same bio-chemical process, whether it is pleasure from ice-cream, sex, or smoking. Really! That's why it is VERY important, that you stimulate the pleasure center of your brain with pleasant thoughts, delicious food, engaging entertainment, mental relaxation, physical exercise, physical relaxation, etc.; the things that give you pleasure.
For the next couple of weeks, be sure to read through every page of this program every day. And be sure to review your FACT SHEET several times each day. There will be a tendency to skip doing these steps, as you build confidence in being a non-smoker. Don't let it happen. Remember to reward yourself at milestones, as suggested in Session Two.
When you have passed the two week milestone, would you please send me an email at the link below.
YOU CAN HELP OTHERS
Since this program has helped you, would you please consider helping others, by making a small donation to the continuing expense of maintaining this web site and it's program. I would be grateful. And you can take pride in being instrumental in perhaps saving a life. Just click on the donation link below.
Thanks and may God bless!

Session Two

Session Two

BECOMING A NON-SMOKER - DEVELOPING A PLAN
You should have completed Session One Parts 1 & 2 prior to coming here. If not, please go there now.
Welcome back and congratulations to you! Deciding to become a non-smoker is most of the battle. You have made one of the most important decisions of your life.
The objective of this session is to help you to develop a plan to return to being a non-smoker. You will learn and practice things that you can do to overcome the physical and emotional dependencies of smoking.
TRIGGER KILLERS
In Session One, we talked about things or events that trigger a urge to smoke. So let's now take a look at some smoking substitutes that you can call on when situations or events occur, that ordinarily would have made you reach for a smoke. If you have tried to quit before, then you know there are going to be difficult smoke urges to be dealt with. It would be great if I could give you a magic pill to swallow or a magic button to push and the urge would immediately go away. Well, wish as we may, there is no magic pill or button. However, YOU do have some built in weaponry that you can call on to help yourself. Very soon you'll learn to use it. This 'magic' lies in your imagination and subconscious.
This session will address practical conscious and subconscious activities to help you overcome smoking urges.
How many times have you had any great urge to smoke just as you were falling asleep or while you were asleep? My guess would be rarely if at all. The urge to smoke and your relaxed state of sleep are incompatible. Of course, a large number of people don't sleep well and may wake up and smoke because they are awake. But the need to smoke isn't what wakes them. Anyhow, if you don't have a sleep disorder and can easily do without smoking for a major part of your day (while you're asleep), doesn't it make sense that you ought to be able to abstain all day? Think about that for a moment.
The message here is that being relaxed is key to overcoming urges of habit and addiction. Millions of nail-biters can attest to that. The more tense some people are, the more they bite their nails; the more relaxed they are, the less nail biting.
The first trigger killer I want you to learn is DEEP BREATHING. Most of the time, we use significantly less than 100% of our lung capacity to breathe. Try this demonstration. Breath normally a few times, then inhale as deeply and fully as you can and hold the air in for a few seconds. Now try to see how much additional air you can inhale and wait a couple of seconds and inhale just a bit more. This is the depth that I want you to reach when I suggest that you deep breathe. Now breathe out very slowly. Now try it in one very slow steady inhalation. Take about 5 seconds for the inhalation. Then hold it for 5 seconds before exhaling equally slowly. Repeat this 3 to 5 times. This is a relaxation technique that you can do sitting, standing, lying down, driving a car, playing, working or in just about any situation. Now don't just read the words. Try it now and slowly repeat to yourself as you inhale: "one...getting relaxed, two...getting relaxed, three... getting relaxed, four... getting relaxed, five.. getting relaxed". Then as you hold your breath repeat to yourself: "one...getting easier, two...getting easier, three... getting easier, four...getting easier, five...getting easier". While you slowly release your breath repeat to yourself, 5 times: "no need to smoke..".
Now, you may think that these words are silly; they're not. They serve two purposes. First they pace your breathing, and second, they condition your subconscious thought process. After practicing this a few times, you really should substitute words of your own which compliment your motive(s) for becoming a non-smoker, such as: "I do want a boat..,” or “I do want a new car.." or "I will not die of cancer..,
I will not die of cancer.." or "This is for __________"(a loved one's name)..”, or "This is for ____________.." etc. etc. I suggest you choose from the items, people or things that you wrote on your FACT SHEET in Session One.
You'll find that repeating words that are meaningful to you personally, will be more natural and of much greater subconscious benefit. Now practice! Practice! Practice!
Deep breathing is relaxing and it's also good for lungs and blood pressure. DO NOT deep breathe while you are smoking. Practice between smokes until you are ready to make the final cut. Close your eyes as you practice this. As you inhale, 'mentally picture', fresh clean, pure air as it enters your lungs. Picture this air passing through your lungs to every part of your body, carrying invisible relaxation to your body and mind. As you slowly exhale mentally picture accumulated tar and nicotine being expelled from your lungs and picture tension and smoking urges also being expelled. Note the relaxation of your body and mind as you do this. A relaxed mental state will enable you to overcome any urge to smoke.
PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!
Starting now, do the deep breathing exercise from one to three times each time you feel the urge to smoke. Relaxation will be a major weapon that you will use to kill smoking urges later. So you need to begin practicing its use now.
Also, starting now and continuing until you have taken your last smoke, you must interrupt the unconscious routines that you have been using as you smoked. First, do not carry smoking or lighting materials on your person, in your purse or within easy reach. The idea is to force you to get up or interrupt what you are doing in order to smoke. This will help you to remember to do the deep breathing exercise and to start to take conscious control of your habits and actions.
Also starting now, and until you make the final cut, measure out a reduced amount of smokes at the beginning of each day and only allow your self to use that reduced amount.
Physical exercise is a very good trigger killer. Obviously you cannot be expected to jump up from your job when a smoke urge comes upon you and go jogging. So that's an occasion you might want to use the deep breathing exercise. Remember, though, being idle can be a major trigger. Plan now to replace some idle activities such as TV watching, reading etc. with some form of exercise. My personal favorite is walking. You should of course, consult your physician for a recommended exercise program that is safe for you, if you have any impediment. You will feel physically and mentally better if you exercise and this will reinforce your commitment to improve your health by not smoking.
Another trigger killer is chewing on a swizzle stick, tooth-pick, straw etc. Or you can chew gum or suck on a piece of hard candy. I used lollipops, mints and gum, but, I’m reluctant to recommend something that may not be good for your teeth or waistline. Make your own choice. You might do just as well nibbling on popcorn, bits of carrots, celery or apples. The point is that your mouth and hands have been an integral part of your smoking habit and they're going to need to be kept busy when urges come on. You may find it helpful to keep your hands busy fumbling with a pencil, a pen knife, key-chain etc. for a few days.
Some people may gain weight when they quit smoking. This is primarily the result of eating out of nervousness. Deep breathing should reduce your nervous tension and help to prevent weight gain from this cause. You probably will experience increased appetite and some weight gain during the first few weeks after becoming a non-smoker. This can easily be offset with exercise and the right kinds of foods. I don't mean that you have to starve, just be more selective and avoid high calorie foods. See your physician if needed, for dietary advice. And keep in mind that you would have to practically double your weight to produce a health risk equal to that caused by moderate smoking.
Another trigger killer is brushing your teeth. Think about it for a moment. How often have you smoked while you brushed your teeth? Also, most people find the taste of toothpaste and tobacco to be very incompatible. So, you may want to carry a tooth-brush and small tube of tooth-paste with you. Yes, I'm not kidding. Some other things to kill a urge are: take a shower, go shopping, go to church, gargle a mouthwash, stand up and stretch, say a prayer, meditate, go to a movie theater, whistle a tune, call a friend, go to the restroom etc. You can probably come up with many others of your own.
Recall in session One, you calculated the cost of your smoking habit for the rest of your life. Big bucks, right? Well here's probably the most powerful way to beat the urges. Identify rewards for yourself as you achieve milestones on the way to becoming a non-smoker. For example, after the first 24 hours treat yourself to something nice, not expensive, that you would like to have, but wouldn't otherwise have purchased. In my case, it was a nice dinner at a nice restaurant. Choose another more expensive reward to give yourself after 3 days of not smoking; again something you would not otherwise have bought or done; in my case a pair of binoculars. Pick another more expensive reward at the end of one week and one month. These should be things that you really want but likely would not have bought. After a month I rewarded myself with sporting goods that cost around $500.00 and as I mentioned before, after six months, a boat.
Now you may think I'm giving you some pretty frivolous, financially unsound, advice and that you can't afford rewards this expensive. I'm only suggesting a process. You need to establish the rewards that will incentive you and preplan how you are going to pay for or finance them. But know this for sure, that you are going to spend a ton of money on smoking materials and health care if you continue to smoke. So why not spend some of that money on not-smoking; in other words, on rewards that are significant enough to you, to promote success. The value of reward needed for successful incentive will be different for every person. As will also the ability to pay for their perks.
Every time you have a smoke urge, you should think about the items on your reward list. Force yourself to weigh your desire for the reward with the urge to smoke. And don't allow any compromise. If you slip up and have a smoke after 3 days (please try very hard to not do that), then start the reward clock over and punish yourself by giving an amount to charity that is equal to the last reward earned.
If you forget everything else out of this entire program but (1) realize that your very life may be at risk, right now, as you read this. And (2) if you can master the deep breathing method of relaxation and (3) can really understand and implement the right reward and punishment system for yourself. Then there is no way that you will fail to become a non-smoker again! Trust me!
Other Issues
If you drink beer or any alcohol beverages, put these aside for a couple of weeks. They are strong smoke triggers and they will tend to weaken your will power and make it easier for you to justify having "just one" smoke. If drinking coffee, triggers you to smoke, then you might consider switching to tea or cold juices for a few days. It will be helpful to increase fluid intake for a few days to speed up flushing the nicotine from your system (about 3 or 4 days).
If another member of your household smokes, ask them to abstain from smoking in the house for a while (or permanently). It won't hurt them at all and it will be much easier for you if you try to avoid friends and associates who smoke for a while.
If your spouse or house mate smokes, your task will be extra difficult. There are two reasons. First, the odor of smoke will be around to tempt your senses and second, you'll have easy access to a smoke when your will power is tested. You're going to need a commitment from other members of the household, to not smoke in the house for the next couple of weeks, and to not keep smoking material in the house (pipe, tobacco, cigarettes, lighters, etc.). This calls for sacrifice and will be easier made if other house members read through Session One to enhance understanding, empathy and commitment.
Would I encourage house mates to kick the habit together? Well, I sure wouldn't discourage it, especially if both are fully committed. What can happen though, is something like this. One partner may be less committed than the other and 'he or she rolls over' fairly quickly which produces self-doubt in the other mate, which is negative reinforcement. Just be aware of this possibility. You should never wait for a partner or mate to reach a non-smoking decision before you make yours. It’s unlikely that two people will reach the same decision at the same time, with the same level of commitment.
Would I reccomend nicotine substitutes? I'm really not too keen on them because I believe they keep you addicted, regardless of what the ads say. In my opinion, they just substitute one form of addiction for another. If you anticipate that you will be uncomfortably tense, during the first few days of non-smoking, I'm sure your physician can prescribe something to help you.
Now on the FACT SHEET from Session One, write down the trigger killers that you think will be most helpful to you. Think about which one will work best with each of your trigger situations that you identified in Session One. Review this session as many times as necessary to choose your best trigger killers. Do this before proceeding.
PAUSE
The only remaining area of the FACT SHEET that you have not completed is the place where you insert the date that you will become a non-smoker. It's almost time to pick a date and write it down. As you ponder this decision, don't let your mind linger on the negative aspects of quitting something. Instead, force yourself to think about the positives of becoming a non-smoker. And think about the pleasure you will get from the rewards to yourself.
My personal opinion is that it’s usually easier in the long run, if you set a very near date to become a non-smoker. You, must be the person to pick the date though. If you have a job that drives you up the wall, then you probably ought to have your last smoke on the last evening that you work before a weekend or vacation.
Plan to finish your last smoke at night. When you awake in the morning you will already have several hours of non-smoking and nicotine purging, behind you.
Discard all smoking material on the evening prior to the date. Yep, every thing; tobacco, ashtrays, matches etc. And I don't mean just put them out of sight someplace. Completely dispose of them! Trust me, throw everything away up front. If you keep a couple of cigarettes or a pipe of tobacco around for an 'emergency', you'll find an excuse to use them; been there, done that. And just knowing that you have them, will increase your anxiety and trigger smoking urges. Tapering off, very rarely works. I advise you to make a quick and final cut. Light up one final smoke and then talk to it. Let it know.. "You've controlled and threatened my life for the last time! I'm bigger than you; stronger than you! And I will no longer be controlled by you or the 'pushers' who want to keep me hooked on you! Goodbye forever!"
LISTENING TO YOURSELF
It can be helpful for you to tell a close friend (someone who will be supportive) that you have set a date to become a non-smoker again. You will need their support and encouragement. Just hearing yourself telling others, will strengthen your commitment. Every time you look in a mirror, after you smoke for the last time, until you have been a non-smoker for months, look yourself in the eye and say to yourself, " I am a non-smoker. I am proud of myself. I am doing what millions have not been able to do. Say these things to yourself several times.
Let me tell you one other thing which I did, that I think was extremely effective. Before I smoked for the final time, I bought a cheap portable cassette recorder, the kind with earphones, and used it to record my own voice. The script for the recording was loaded with positive, encouraging suggestions about becoming a permanent non-smoker. I listened to this tape 3 or 4 times every day at first, beginning at bedtime, after my last smoke. I used it less, as the days went by, but still listened to it often for weeks. The taped message consisted of about 20 minutes of repetitive statements to me, from me. You may think this is utterly ridiculous, talking to yourself, but I can assure you that it is not!
Do you ever find yourself humming some little jingle from a TV or radio commercial? The purpose of these tunes, is to implant a message into your subconscious, so that you cannot help but think about the advertised product. The tape that I used, achieved the same objective. You see, whether you realize it or not, you are more affected by suggestions to your subconscious than you might think. And the most effective person who will ever influence your subconscious, is yourself! Several positive self suggestions are required to overcome a single negative one. If you’re like most smokers, in the past, you have given yourself negative suggestions such as, “I don’t want to quit”, or “I can’t quit”. Again, one negative suggestion can only be overcome by several positive suggestions.
I always listened to my tape while in bed or a recliner and after doing deep breathing for a few minutes, to become relaxed. I found that sometimes I would fall asleep, while listening to the tape. Of course the tape continued to play and my subconscious mind still heard the messages being fed into my ears.
You might do well, by just reading a script to yourself without the recorder. But I really think a recording is best.
If you would like, as a courtesy to encourage you, I can supply a mini-cassette recorder with stereo ear buds for $29.95 plus $5.00 shipping. (Only to US 48). That is my cost, plus handling/packing fee. Click the purchase link below if interested. I'd really rather you bought one locally so that you can get started on the program sooner.
Also, click on the Sample Tape Script below and I’ll give you a sample of my script that I used, so that you can get a better feel for what I did.Sample Tape Script
Decision Time

This concludes Session Two. Don’t open Session Three, until you have not smoked for 72 hours
If you're still shaky about a final commitment to quit, I beg you, for the sake of your life and for your loved ones, to go back and reread Session One and Session Two again and again!

Session One Part 2

You should have completed Session One Part 1 prior to coming here. If you have not done so, please go there now.
If you have completed Session One Part 1, please continue here.
Session One Part 2
On the FACT SHEET, write the dollar amount that you would spend on smoking materials during the rest of your life (using the chart in Session One Part 1). Below that, write in things that you might buy with money saved by being a non-smoker. Then, spend a few minutes mentally picturing every detail of this thing or things and picture yourself enjoying and receiving pleasure from them. Perhaps you already have all the material things you need and so the cost of smoking is not an issue. But certainly a loved one or charity would appreciate a gift in the amount that you would save by not smoking for a year. So picture the delighted beneficiary of such a gift and etch a picture of their joy, upon receipt, into your mind.
IF SOMEONE OFFERED YOU $20.00 TO NOT SMOKE THE NEXT CIGARETTE, CIGAR, OR PIPE OF TOBACCO, WOULD YOU SKIP IT?
Of course you would! So consider this. If your above calculated lifetime cost came to, say $60,000, and given also, that in three months you can be completely free of smoking, it‘s habit and it's control, then you actually can earn $600 per day over the next three months by foregoing.
If you smoke 30 times per day, that would be over $20 per smoke, that you forego. Actually, in three days you can be a non-smoker. You will have purged nicotine from your system in three days and have only physical habits to break. That brings the value for each smoke that you forego over 3 days to: $60,000 divided by 90 or $600 per smoke foregone over 3 days. Think about that! It could be worth $600 per smoke, to you, over the next 3 days.
Now, on the FACT SHEET, complete the section labeled, "Situations or events that TRIGGER my smoking". You need to write down in your own words the primary situations that you feel trigger you to smoke. You may want to spend some time rereading this session and really thinking about what your triggers are. Take your time. It's very important that you know your triggers and that you write them down so we can come back to them from time to time. Write them on the FACT SHEET before continuing.
PAUSE
Now, having identified your triggers to smoking, immediately below that part of the FACT SHEET, write all the reasons that you feel you should not smoke. Again, really sincerely think about these and write them down before continuing.
PAUSE
Now, write on the FACT SHEET, the positive things you would gain, or the advantages of becoming a non-smoker. Save this FACT SHEET. We'll be referring to it later.
SESSION ONE REVIEW
1. Smoking is a habit done more often unconsciously than consciously.
2. Smoking has you hooked in two ways. The first is nicotine addiction which is relatively easily broken, within about 72 hours. Second is a psychological addiction which requires a thoughtfully planned process to overcome.
3. SMOKING KILLS! Smoking is dangerous to your health and those around you. Tobacco smoke is a poisonous, toxic, deadly substance.
4. Smoking is frequently triggered by other events of our lives.
5. Overcoming smoking triggers, (Session TWO) is a key factor to changing your habit.
6. You too CAN be a non-smoker which is simply returning to your natural state.
7. Being a non-smoker will be beneficial to you physically, financially, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.
8. Smokers are being ripped off by their habit, by politicians who take advantage of their addiction with unfair 'sin' taxes and by 'fat-cat' tobacco company executives and vendors who could care less about your health as long as they get your money.
The number one reason for most people continuing to smoke is fear. Fear of the pain of withdrawal, which is greatly exaggerated and fear that they won't be able to handle the emotional pressure. The following sessions will teach you how to overcome these fears and to develop inner strengths that will give you confidence.
You may tell yourself that the reason you continue to smoke is because of the enjoyment you get from smoking. But, can you really enjoy something that may be killing you? You have been tricked into thinking you enjoy it by chemically altered elements of your brain.
You can have the mental powers to kick the habit and addiction. It requires three things:
1. You must believe it would be a good thing to do. (Session One)
2. You need to believe that you can do it and have a plan. (Session Two)
3. You must stay committed to the plan and how to do so. (Session Three).
From this session, you should now have the facts and information to intelligently decide to become a non-smoker. Perhaps you aren’t ready to quit just yet, but you can certainly know that you should.
The next sessions will help you to develop a plan to become a non-smoker again and teach you how to overcome urges to smoke.
Before you begin Session Two though, it's decision time.
The question before you right now, is this: Do the reasons for becoming a non-smoker outweigh any reasons to continue smoking? Clearly, unless you already have a terminal illness, the answer is obvious.
You can do it! The remaining sessions will help make it easier than you may have thought to become a non-smoker again, once you have decided to do it.
BEGIN SESSION TWO WHEN YOU CAN HONESTLY SAY, "I'VE HAD ENOUGH. I'M THROUGH WITH BEING RIPPED OFF AND RISKING MY LIFE. I HAVE IDENTIFIED OTHER THINGS TO SPEND MY MONEY FOR THAT WILL MEAN MORE TO ME THAN THIS STUPID, DESTRUCTIVE HABIT"

SESSION ONE

MAKING A DECISION TO QUIT
Part 1


I sincerely hope that you are reading this because you already recognize a need, or at least have some degree of interest, in quitting a smoking habit.
The purpose, of this first session is to guide you in making a carefully thought out decision to quit. Following sessions will help you through the actual quitting process. For now, please just keep an open mind. You may or may not have made a commitment to quit yet. That's O.K. Just keep reading and smoking for now. You will quit only after you have made a personal, informed, reasoned decision. If you have tried to quit unsuccessfully in the past, that's O.K. This session will help you to make a decisive recommitment that will enable you to succeed this time.
THE SMOKING HABIT
Smoking is a habit. A habit is a inclination to repeat a act or activity, often unconsciously. The longer and more frequently the action has been repeated, the stronger the inclination becomes to repeat it. Does this mean that there is no chemical addiction to smoking? No, not at all. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. But, the important thing here, is that the majority of your smokes are determined by habit, and not at all by chemically addictive needs.
Nicotine is retained in your body for only a few days after quitting the use of tobacco but the associated physical habits including hand and mouth activities, can linger for some time afterwards.
Let's talk briefly about habits. Years ago, when you learned to write, you had to remember each time that you made a letter i, to place a dot over the stick. Soon, you did it out of habit. And that's another interesting thing about habit. A action of habit is very often triggered by something else. In the case of writing, you don't insert dots randomly. You do it only when your subconscious mind is triggered by a stick which needs a dot.
SMOKING TRIGGERS
There are situations that 'trigger' the urge to smoke, just as the stick in the letter i triggers you to insert a dot when writing. The same mental processes work, in triggering a smoke as in dotting an i or pushing on the clutch pedal of a automobile just prior to shifting gears. (If you’ve never driven a stick shift, I apologize). You don't have to remind yourself, "Time to push in the clutch pedal, I'm about to shift". The need to change gears 'triggers' your subconscious to cause your foot to push on the clutch pedal.
SITUATIONS THAT ARE MOST LIKELY TO TRIGGER THE URGE TO SMOKE
1. When you are drinking alcoholic beverages or,
2. When you are tense or under pressure or,
3. When you are bored or physically idle or,
4. When you are with someone else who smokes or,
5. In association with physical gratification. (after meals, sex etc.)
6. When you need a 'pick-me-up' and on and on.
If you will give some thought to the smokes you have had during the last couple of days, then you know that you rarely decided to smoke. You do so almost void of conscious thought. You light up, smoke, and extinguish with little thought of the details of the act. Like tying shoestrings, when you were first learning how to do it, every step of the smoking activity was deliberate and conscious.
Do you remember when you first smoked? Was it pleasurable or fun? Or did you do it to go along with the crowd. I still remember, just as clearly as if it was yesterday. It's been a lot of years. Some school-mates had obtained a pack of cigarettes and were secretly smoking in the school yard. I was coaxed into taking that first puff by them, and by my need to be one of the gang, and out of curiosity. I had no idea I would become hooked on a drug that might one day kill me. Probably like you, I still remember that the first smoke tasted horrible and made me choke and gag.
None of us were born smokers. We forced ourselves to inhale that awful tasting junk into our lungs until we were hooked. Why did you take your first smoke? Remember?
In the following sessions you will learn some tricks to help you overcome the 'trigger' process. But first, let's think about the decision to quit. The word decision is defined as the act of making up your mind on a course of action. In order for you to make up your mind you must review all of the relevant facts. Here are some very relevant facts regarding smoking.
SMOKING FACTS
You are many times more likely to develop mouth, throat, or lung cancer, heart diseases, emphysema, circulatory problems, bladder cancer (if you're male), unhealthy pregnancy (including SIDS babies) etc, etc, if you smoke.
You are a prisoner of your own habit. Did you ever suddenly discover as you traveled somewhere that you had left your smokes behind? Did panic and self contempt set in? I always kept extra packs stashed in the car, in the house, in a closet etc. In no way was I going to be more that a few steps from a smoke. Sound Familiar? If that's not imprisonment what is it?
You have, or will, influence others to take up the habit of smoking or at best not influence them to quit by continuing to smoke yourself. I regret that one of my sons took up smoking in his teens. I wish I could back up a few years and set a different example for him. I have watched close friends and acquaintances suffer the devastation of lung cancer and die. Oh how I wish now, that I could have influenced them to not smoke. Has this or will this happen to you?
There's a very effective little demonstration you can do in private to see what happens inside your lungs when you smoke. Just inhale a big puff of smoke and blow it out through a handkerchief or tissue, try it. You can imagine a layer of that stuff on extremely sensitive lung tissue. And, yes, it's being absorbed into the bloodstream continually, where it causes major and dangerous changes to your body organs and chemistry. Our bodies were not created to undergo this kind of poisoning!
Besides all the life-threatening health risks that confront smokers, you likely have more colds, sore throats etc. than non-smokers. Your sense of smell and taste are diminished and your eyes are frequently irritated.
The Surgeon General has reported that one of six deaths result directly from smoking.
And if these things aren't bad enough, you really are placing family and others close to you at risk. As a smoker you have probably already burned something of value; clothing, furniture etc. and you're paying higher taxes and life insurance than non-smokers. Your doctor will verify these health risks.
Smokers literally stink! You can't really know how bad you smell to non-smokers. Your sense of smell is so diminished from smoking that you honestly cannot smell tobacco on yourself or other smokers. After not smoking for just a few weeks my ability to smell was reborn. When I hugged a relative who smokes, I realized how much my wife must love me, to have put up with such a stink for twenty five years. If you want to experience what you put a non-smoking mate through, dump the ashes and butts from a ashtray that has sat overnight, put your nose and lips into the thing, take a good whiff and then kiss the bottom of it. I am not exaggerating.
Now, I have to tell you that as a smoker for 30+ years, I really did not like hearing these sort of facts. I didn't doubt them. I just didn't want to be told or reminded. After all these are pretty ugly negative things. And even the word quit (as in to quit smoking) sounds pretty negative, implying that you're going to do without something. Now it's just not in our nature to want to do without anything. We’ve been trained from birth to throw a tizzy fit when we have to do without anything.
Henceforth, we will not speak of quitting, we will talk in terms of becoming a non-smoker and of the advantages, to you, of being a non-smoker.
NON-SMOKING ADVANTAGES
1. You will have a healthier body, feel better and be more energetic.
2. You will have significantly less risk of cancer, heart attack, emphysema, circulatory problems and other potentially fatal diseases.
3. You will stop risking the health of your family and loved ones.
4. You will have extra money, probably a lot more than you've thought.
5. You will be a positive example and influence on others.
6. You will be more relaxed, less tense.
7. You will be more in control of your actions and your life.
8. You will be successful in accomplishing a very important goal.
9. You will be free of imprisonment to a habit or chemical.

COST OF SMOKING
Let's take a close look at the cost of smoking. On a daily basis it may not seem like a lot of money. It adds up! Take your daily smoking cost and multiply it by 365 to obtain your annual savings potential. Now multiply that amount by the number of remaining years you hope to live.
In my case the arithmetic went something like this:
My daily cost $5.00 X 365 days X 20 year = $36,500.00.
Of course if you are younger than I was, at the time I became a non-smoker again, then your savings would be greater. And keep in mind that this is after-tax money and could easily be three or four times as large, if wisely invested over the years.
For example if you now only spend $1,000.00 per year on smoking, but instead, invest that amount into a mutual fund returning 15% it would look something like this:
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 5
Year 10
Year 20
$1,075
$2,311
$3,733
$7,248
$21,826
$110,127
After I calculated my lifetime smoking cost, I committed to myself that when I had been a non-smoker for six months, I was going to buy a bass boat. As added incentive, I window shopped, picked up a boat brochure, and carried the picture around with me, all the time. Every time I felt a really intense smoking urge, I took the picture out and looked at it. I strongly encourage you to choose a similar positive goal. (I've enjoyed my boat for several years!)
In the following chart, in the left column, find the closest amount to that which you spend per day on smoking. Then, across the top of the chart, find the number of remaining years of life that you expect, or hope, to live. The number in the chart, where these two intersect, is your lifetime material cost, with the money invested rather than smoked (based on very conservative historic investment return rates). And keep in mind also, that the cost of smoking will continue to rise; doubling about every 5 years.
LIFETIME COST OF SMOKING
Daily Cost Number of years you expect to live

10
20
30
40
50
$4
$16,060
$32,120
$48,180
$60,225
$80,300
$5
$20,075
$40,150
$60,225
$80,300
$100,375
$6
$24,090
$48,180
$72,720
$96,360
$120,450
$7
$28,105
$56,210
$84,315
$112,420
$140,525
(The actual amounts would be greater because this chart doesn't include compounding)
USING THE ABOVE CHART, NOTE THE AMOUNT THAT YOU WOULD SPEND ON SMOKING DURING YOUR LIFETIME.
NOW, USE THE LINK BELOW TO A FORM TITLED, "MY FACT SHEET". PRINT AND KEEP IT. YOU WILL BE INSTRUCTED FROM TIME TO TIME TO ENTER FACTS AND INFORMATION ON IT. WHEN YOU HAVE IT PRINTED, GO TO SESSION ONE PART 2. Or you can copy the information onto a index card, to be carried with you for the next couple of weeks

INTRODUCTION

i found this article and i think that every smoker must read it!!

Hi, my name is bill. For over forty years I was a smoker. Before quitting, I smoked as many as three packs of cigarettes per day! I sincerely believe that the program which I followed will work for anyone who has even a slight interest in quitting. And so, I am making it available for free. Many people spend hundreds of dollars on programs to stop smoking.
I tried many times to quit without success. I tried a number of gimmicks and methods but always fell back into my old habit, usually smoking more. I tried so many times to quit that I became tired of quitting and tired of failing. Perhaps you can relate to that.
I decided that if I was ever going to quit for good, that I would have to really understand why I smoked and exactly what motivations that I personally needed to quit. After months of thoughtful analysis of my own habits, this program evolved. It does work! I haven't smoked in years!
Does smoking kill? With all the warnings by the Surgeon Generals, AMA, etc., there is little room for doubt. Is it a sin to smoke? I'll leave that to your conscience. We are wonderfully made and we Christians are the temple of God, according to the Bible. St. Paul said that all things are permissible but not all things are profitable.
I feel so strongly that smoking is killing people, that I decided to document and publish on the web, the processes which helped me to be free of smoking, in the hope that it will save someone's life; maybe yours!
This program can help you to make a decision to quit smoking and stick with it. What has worked for me will work for you too!
No one can "make" a smoker want to quit smoking. But, a person who smokes can be led to make a decision to become a non-smoker. It's well known that smoking is a very difficult habit and addiction to break; but millions have succeeded. So can you!
This program can significantly ease the fear and discomfort of quitting. This package is made up of three sessions, and MUST be completed in that order.
If you have an interest in quitting a smoking habit, whether cigarettes, cigars, or pipe, then you are ready to begin Session One.
It's free, so what do you have to lose, your life?