Quitting a habit

[Oldoak]

I quit chewing tobacco when I was about 12 or 13 years old. My best friend and I stole a nickle cigar, hid down by the river bank, broke it in half and began chewing. Turned green to the gills, puked our guts up. :confused2: Never ever chewed again!

 

[Deere Dude]

Started secretly smoking at 15+yo and smoking until I was 28yo. I went to a barber and saw pictures of a healthy lung next to a charcoal looking lung. The next day during a break at work I told my friend about the picture and I bet my buddy $5 I could quit longer than he could. The bet was on. By the end of the 15 minute break both if us were craving a cig. but he caved in and I lasted for half an hour. Then I tried again and made it until noon. Then again I made it until the ride home from work at 4 O'clock. Not to give up I made it until 10PM before bed.

The next morning I got up and threw my 2 cartons of smokes in the burning barrel and lit them up. Never smoked since that event. The big problem for me was I was getting free cigarettes in the mail for the next month or two from empty packs I sent in previously. Smoke two packs and they send you a pack free. I would get the mail and crush them as soon as I got them in my hand and threw them in the burn barrel as I walked past to the house. It was very difficult to stay quit. It was very generous and thoughtful of the cig. company to help me out with free cigs.

I quit just before cigs went to 50 cents a pack and I went out and bought a table saw with my one year savings as kind of an incentive to stay off the habit.

 

[Doofy]

KENT cigarettes were the big moneymaker while stationed in Okinawa in the mid 70s. Buy at the PX for $2 a carton and sell out in town for $10. No interest in Marlboro or Winston.

 

[Sigarms]

Gave up Kodiak and Skoal about a year ago. That after about a good 14 years that I picked up after I gave up drinking.

Had to quit and set an example for the boys and not be a hypocrite.

 

[Alien]

Its hard when others smoke around you. I quit over 3 years ago but my wife liked a social smoke. Also both our families have smokers so when we get together and have a few bourbons then it got harder for me. I was tough for 3 years and then weakened and have been having a few lately and cursing myself for it. I guess I have an addiction to it but my wife can go without with no problems. (Until the family visits again)
About $29 bucks for a small pack of 20s here.

 

[Fuddy1952]

I never smoked but chewed Levi Garrett for about 10 years, quit cold turkey over 20 years ago. It started just a chew while cutting grass then more until I was hooked. It was fantastic! Then I realized I couldn't do anything without a chew first. Quitting was awful for the first few days.
My friend, neighbor has been chewing 50 years. Hanging around him increased my chewing back then!
It was amazing as I remember. Any task, a chew and it made the work go better!
Around here no problem, in public first thing I was looking for was a trash can.
I'm so glad I quit. We don't even drink. Life is the best without any addictions.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Gave up Kodiak and Skoal about a year ago. That after about a good 14 years that I picked up after I gave up drinking.

Had to quit and set an example for the boys and not be a hypocrite.

To make a long story short, same thing here. I felt like telling my girls never to smoke was a bit disingenuous when I had a cigarette in my hand...and I really couldn't be the man, the father and husband and Christian I wanted to be and still smoke. We had a prayer session, claimed victory and I haven't had a cigarette or any form of tobacco since 1982. I swore they would take me to the emergency room before I would ever smoke another cigarette, and it was the toughest three months of my life, but here we are today!

 

[Doofy]

I'm so glad alcohol never took hold. I made up my mind in the early 70s that booze was something I really enjoyed and that I could easily become an alcoholic. Whiskey and Gin Sours were my forte and I absolutely loved the taste. Now maybe one or two beers a year and a splash of Carolines in my coffee after dinner.

 

[Sigarms]

To make a long story short

I was laying in bed watching the news when I saw my one boy coming out of his room into the hallway "snapping" his hand like he was practicing packing a tin (he had been doing this for some time from time and time and I never addressed it). I hollared out to him asking him what he was doing. He got kind of defensive and said nothing. I asked him again what he was doing, again, he said "nothing". I looked right at him and said "Buddy, I'm not as dumb as you think I am and I KNOW EXACTLY what you were doing!". He looks at me, seems to get really embaressed and excited at the same time and says "dad, I swear to you I wasn't masturbating!"

Honestly had no clue what to say, wasn't expecting that...

 

[Molalla1]

To make a long story short, same thing here. I felt like telling my girls never to smoke was a bit disingenuous when I had a cigarette in my hand...and I really couldn't be the man, the father and husband and Christian I wanted to be and still smoke. We had a prayer session, claimed victory and I haven't had a cigarette or any form of tobacco since 1982. I swore they would take me to the emergency room before I would ever smoke another cigarette, and it was the toughest three months of my life, but here we are today!

2Lane, it sure would be being a bit of a hypocrite wouldn't it . . . :thumbsup: I quit smoking cigarettes about the same time (camel straights) I believe me and my older brother (by 1 year) started smoking around 11-12 years old . . .