21 years a non-smoker

[Cowboy Bob]

I've just about got the shinyitis under control. Still can't stop myself watching Phil Busardo videos and drooling like Homer Simpson though

 

[Lynn Davies]

Its a curse isn't it! lol

 

[Northerner]

E-cigs didn't exist when I was a smoker. I tried gum, which made me feel sick, and patches. The patches worked, but when I came to reduce the strength I just started supplementing them with cigarettes again, so failed. For me, the only way was cold turkey. How do the costs work out for e-cigs, are they cheaper than real ones? When I stopped cigs were around £2 for 20 - I was astonished when I saw they are £6-£8 a packet now 😱

Although it was only about 3-4 weeks to get over the withdrawal from the nicotine, it did take me about 2 years before I fully got over the 'wanting to smoke' habit.

 

[Cowboy Bob]

Much cheaper, I'm spending about £20 a month. And they taste nicer too. Got a peaches and cream liquid on the go at the moment - all liquids use artificial sweetener too so it's all good

 

[Lynn Davies]

I spend about £10 a month mostly on ejuice from onequidliquid - blackcurrent and liquorice at the moment.

 

[Austin Mini]

Wow well done both of you!! It'll be 6 months since I've started using my ecig instead of real cigs. I've had a cheeky one every now and again when drinking but!

One never hurt anybody.

 

[Northerner]

One never hurt anybody.

As long as it's not the slippery slope! 😱

 

[Carolg]

Congratulations to all who stopped. I stopped in about 1978, few spells of cigs when out, or op's when having a drink. At asthma check 2 years ago, nurse asked if i was a smoker-said no and was told firmly it was yes if i even had a few a year. I am so thrawn,its now a "no" lol

 

[Rosiecarmel]

I am the same Bob - been now nearly a year and cut the nic down to 6mg - next drop will be to 3mg and then hopefully will have smashed the habit altogether. Need to keep my shineyitis under control though!!

Well done! I'm on 3mg now and think I did it too quickly as I'm really struggling on it!

 

[Northerner]

When I was diagnosed, nearly 8 years ago, I had to have an angiogram as they suspected I had had a heart attack whilst in hospital. Afterwards the surgeon told me that my arteries were in 'pristine' condition, which pleased me enormously 🙂 My dad was a heavy smoker and was diagnosed with mouth cancer at the age I am currently - he stopped immediately and thanks to the surgeon who treated him, lived for another 30 years 🙂

 

[Matt Cycle]

Well done Alan and everyone else who has given up. I don't smoke but can imagine it's a difficult habit to break. The way things are going though I think the tobacco industry in this country (and a lot of other westernised countries) is dying a slow death.

 

[Lynn Davies]

Well done! I'm on 3mg now and think I did it too quickly as I'm really struggling on it!

I mixed 12 and 6 together for a few weeks then moved on to just 6. I do have to confess that at first I tooted on my vape stick till my eyes wobbled!!!

All has settled down now with no ill effects. Hoping to be down to 3 by early summer then quite quickly on to zero. Then to quit the vaping habit altogether. I will probably mix 6 and 3 at first though.

If I can be 'stinky' free and vape free then that is a result well worth it.

 

[AlisonM]

There were no such things as e-cigs or patches in my day. I had to go cold turkey. I hid a pack in my dresser drawer so they'd be there if I needed them, then I spent I dunno how long telling myself it was OK, they were there if I really, really needed one. Two years later, I opened the drawer looking for something, the cigs had got shoved to the back and forgotten. I threw them out and haven't smoked since. The hardest bits were, social situations where everyone else was smoking and, finding something to do with my hands. I still chew pens.

Northe, if you gave up in the 70s you need to do some adding, cos that's more than 21 years.

 

[Lynn Davies]

I would struggle to have gone cold turkey Alison. I liked smoking too much! Vaping was the nicotine replacement that worked for me.

 

[AlisonM]

I would struggle to have gone cold turkey Alison. I liked smoking too much! Vaping was the nicotine replacement that worked for me.

Sadly, I had no real choice back then. There was acupuncture (an earring thingy you twiddled when you wanted to smoke) or hypnotism. You can imagine how successful they were.

 

[Northerner]

Northe, if you gave up in the 70s you need to do some adding, cos that's more than 21 years.

No, I started in the 1970s, I stopped in 1995 (can't believe that is now 21 years ago 😱)

 

[Northerner]

Sadly, I had no real choice back then. There was acupuncture (an earring thingy you twiddled when you wanted to smoke) or hypnotism. You can imagine how successful they were.

I remember once they were pushing some kind of mouthwash that made your mouth taste disgusting if you smoked (this must have been late '70s). Tried it once but it made everything taste horrible, so didn't try it again 😱

 

[AlisonM]

No, I started in the 1970s, I stopped in 1995 (can't believe that is now 21 years ago 😱)

Ah, need eye test obviously. I started at 16 and stopped at 24, but I was doing 40 a day by the time I gave up. They were a whopping £1 for 20 the day I bought the last packet. 1981 that was.

 

[Northerner]

Ah, need eye test obviously. I started at 16 and stopped at 24, but I was doing 40 a day by the time I gave up. They were a whopping £1 for 20 the day I bought the last packet. 1981 that was.

Ah yes! I remember in 1981 as a very poor student spending (literally) my last 41.5p on 10 Sovereign - cheapest they had! 😱 They were 1/- for 5 Park Drive when I started! 😱

 

[Austin Mini]

You must remember in the 50s 60s everybody smoked. If you didnt peps thought there was something wrong with you. Fags were 2 shillings (10p) or 20 in 1963 when I started work. I enjoyed a fag or three. Given up now but do have the occasionsl small cigar.