a pal is driving me nuts with his 'wish i could quit smoking' bullshit

[mopaul]

everytime i see him, he's moping and whining about how badly he wishes he could quit smoking cigarettes. i always laugh and deride him. his dad is a doctor, who smokes 4 packs a day! and i just tell him, dude, shut up all that whinin' and snivelin' and just toss them cigarettes in the trash and BE DONE WITH IT for christ's sake.

and if you can't quit, please don't whine all over my living room about it. i got the exhaust fan on to rid me of the smoke, now relieve me from the whining.

[demnan]

1. If his father is a doctor

Why doesn't he get the patches or the gum or whatever is in vogue now to help people quit smoking? If that doesn't work, suggest he get hypnotized. I certainly would try to encourage him to quit, you could point out how difficult it is to breathe when one gets emphlasyma. Who wants to spend the last 20 years of your life gasping for breath? (Having witnessed family members go through this).

[bicentennial_baby]

2. He's obviously struggling

Addiction is such a powerful force, it can make even the strongest, bravest person feel like a weak baby in the face of it. Especially nicotine addiction, b/c it's so in your face, every store you enter has them right at eye level! There is no rehab for smokers, no escape from the environment that nurtures the addiction. If you're his friend, why don't you see if there are any smoking cessation support programs in your area. That way you can help him and help yourself at the same time.

[mopaul]

3. i still think that a person can simply QUIT, i've seen many do it

in fact, i believe it's the only way. no program or speech is going to change it. they have to really want to quit, and they will.

[wildeyed]

5. I quit smoking about 7 years ago.

Before that I quit alcohol and cocaine, which I was also major league addicted to. Guess which was harder? Guess what I still crave?

It is true that if he really wants to quit, he will. But it is one hell of a difficult undertaking. It took me several tries to get clean of the smokes. When I get stressed I still crave them, even seven years later.

[HughBeaumont]

8. Funny you should mention that . . .

2 years ago, my friend got out of an Indiana rehab for heroin and meth addiction. He was pretty far gone, selling over 10k worth of music equipment, bouncing his then-girlfriend's checking account, his car, everything just to get another fix.

He's been clean from both for two years, and only drinks occasionally.

Guess which habit he still cannot quit.

Marlboro Death 100s. Amazing. He quit heroin and meth . . . can't quit cigarettes.

Man, any teenager reading this - do not EVER start smoking with the mindset that you'll quit one day when you're older, because you won't. You will not beat the odds. Cigarette companies aren't stupid - they target teens because that's the period when their bodies' glandular systems are most susceptible to addiction. Ask my sister-in-law and her partner - both smokers since their early teens and have not successfully quit in six attempts. Ask my friend - eight times. Still can't do it.

Nicotine is more of a motherfucker than people think it is. I lost a grandparent because of those things, which is pretty much why I've never even tried cigarettes. Learn from other people's mistakes, don't make them on your own. It's overrated at best.

[Mizmoon]

4. Gee, with friends like you ... n/t

[mopaul]

6. i gave up cigs, and lots of other habits.

and i used to actually try to persuade folks to quit, and offer suggestions, all of which failed. only actually quitting works. suddenly, quickly, in one day.

[wildeyed]

7. Not true.

I quit using the nicotine gum. I would get a bad nic fit and chew so quickly that I got nicotine overdose which causes a horrible case of hiccups. I was pretty pitiful.

I do agree that cutting down on the actual smoking does not seem to work. You really just have to put the cigs down.

Quitting smoking is like quitting any other addictive behavior. One day at a time and you have to want to NOT smoke more than you want to smoke. I try to be supportive to people who want to quit. If they fail, I always encourage them to try again. I figure they may not be successful this go round, but next time they might.

[Bunny]

9. I quit about six years ago.

It was tough, and I still miss it occasionally. But I do not miss the stinky hair, clothes, car, house, etc. And the price - how can people afford to smoke? Those suckers are expensive!