Two years and counting

[Tobin S.]

Last edited Wed Jul 9, 2014, 05:05 PM - Edit history (1)

I have been quit for 2 Years, 3 Days, 12 hours, 34 minutes and 40 seconds (733 days). I have saved $6,535.68 by not smoking 22,005 cigarettes. I have saved 2 Months, 2 Weeks, 9 hours and 45 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 7/5/2012 5:00 PM


I was talking to a guy at work on 7/5/2012 and we were both smoking cigarettes. I mentioned that I was thinking about trying to quit. I was 39 years old. He said that although he still smokes, he has emphysema. He was 51. That got the wheels turning. I went home from work that evening, sat out on the porch, drank two beers, and smoked two cigarettes. I then threw the rest of my cigarettes away and I haven't used tobacco or any nicotine replacement products since then.

It was pretty rough for about a month for me, but the first 3 days were the worst part. After that it starts getting easier as your confidence in your cessation grows. There is an excellent video posted here in the lounge by Babel 17 about quitting tobacco. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever used tobacco.

[shenmue]

1. Yay

Congratulations.

[hedgehog]

2. Way to go!

[bpollen]

3. Congratulations!

I quit over 10 years ago. I was fairly slow and stupid about it. I finally quit, about 2 weeks before my mother died of lung cancer. I was DAMN sure I wasn't gonna have another cigarette after that, and so far so good.

[Callalily]

4. Big Congrats!

I know how difficult it is to quit smoking - I've been there too! As you know, you did one of the best things you can do for yourself - and Jen too!

You continue to inspire!

[mnhtnbb]

5. Good for you, Tobin!

[Demeter]

6. You are an inspiration

Thanks for the post.

[TBF]

7. Congrats! nt

[Dustlawyer]

8. Way to go, I am still in the sucky part!

[Tobin S.]

12. Keep at it. You'll get comfortable with being a ex-smoker soon.

Soon you'll feel better than you did when you were smoking. You'll feel like you were trying to feel by lighting up but never quite getting there. That is, GOOD!

[Dustlawyer]

23. Thanks!

[JDPriestly]

9. Congratulations. Quite an achievement. BRAVO!

[1StrongBlackMan]

10. Looks like I will soon to be "forced" into your numbers ...

my employer is going to a "tobacco-free campus" model. So, soon, there will be no smoker's haven, anywhere in walking distance.

I've stocked up on the books and am psychically loading up for the big quit moment; but I've read that a/the key determinate in quitting success is the internal desire/decision to quit. And to be honest, my non-smoker boss, and the equally non-smoker committee of "Wellness" folks' declaration, just hasn't gotten me there.

[Tobin S.]

11. Yeah, trying to force people to quit doesn't usually work.

I think it actually has the opposite effect. You'll be loading up on nicotine more than usual before and after work partially out of spite. It also forces people to suffer more than usual through the work day. If I ran a business, I would be realistic about the issue and have a designated smoking area outdoors on the site somewhere.

I post about quitting here and there on DU. I was kind of hardcore about it for a while, but I've learned that that just pisses people off. The best way to try to get people to quit is kind encouragement. I've also got no room to be preachy having used tobacco for about 20 years.

[1StrongBlackMan]

14. Out of spite is ...

exactly correct.

In a conversation prior to the dictate, I asked the committee developing the policy (not a single tobacco user on the committee) whether e-cigs and/or vap was covered. The committee responded that both were covered as they are both tobacco products. I provided the committee documentation that neither are tobacco products.

So the next version of the policy banned all tobacco and nicotine products. I asked what about cessation aides, like the "patch" and nicotine gum? They provided no answer ... they just issued the policy banning all tobacco and nicotine products.

I told my boss that I get "wellness", and I would comply with the policy, but warned that it will be disruptive to the workforce and is, for an employer, virtually unenforceable ... the only enforcement mechanism is discipline; no company has enough supervisors, to monitor 5,000+ employees ... especially, in a space that is open to the public.

[OriginalGeek]

15. My company tried a smoke-free campus for a bit

Maaaaybe 6 months. Was so disruptive that they built a patio outside away from the main building. People were driving off campus to smoke and it was so many of them the bosses couldn't fire them all and still get shit done. The patio has a roof and an ashtray but no chairs.

To their credit they will provide patches at cost which is how I finally quit in 2003. With the company subsidizing the patch they were no more expensive than cigs so I gave it a try and have been quit ever since (except for maybe 4 ~ 6 cigars a year)

I'm glad I no longer have to plan my days around when I can get a smoke but I do still miss it a little at times. One of my friends here is trying to quit and uses a pretty fancy vape kit but we also have a no vape in the building policy (you can use it in the smoking area though). I let him vape in my office so he doesn't have to go outside and take longer.

I think it's worth quitting and I wish you luck 1SBM - no matter what you decide I wish you luck (And hope your company comes to a compromise that folks can live with).

[1StrongBlackMan]

16. I expect ...

it'll take my employer about 6 months to figure out how disruptive their Wellness Policing will be to the company.

I predicted (to my "cigar smoking at home" boss), the first recognition will be the loss in productivity as workers leave campus to smoke; followed by an increase in inter-personal clashes as "nico-fiending" co-workers will have less patience/higher irritability, with no easy out-let; followed by an increase in employees pressing personal vendettas, though informing that a disliked co-worker is smoking "in the boys room."

I predict a complete clusterf@$%; and, my company's management will never compromise (it's a sign of weakness/an admission of being wrong). But that said, because of my position in the company, I will be quitting ... soon ... and liking it!

[Aristus]

13. Well done.

[Wounded Bear]

17. Congrats!!!

You'll never regret it. I quit in the Carter Administration.

(Sorry to one up you )

[CaliforniaPeggy]

18. I'm really proud of you, my dear Tobin!

I'm so glad I was never able to get that habit. It made me feel sick, dizzy and nauseous the few times I had a cigarette, so finally I decided it wasn't worth it.

Your life is precious and by not smoking, you have extended it!

[rurallib]

19. Looks like you beat one of the big 3 of addictions that Americans give themselves

Alcohol, nicotine and (to me) meat and dairy.

Curious - were your parents smokers? And how long did you smoke?

[Tobin S.]

24. Yes, my parents were smokers. I smoked for 20 years. n/t

[rurallib]

25. mine also - They died of lung cancer

one at 53 , the other at 62.

After I quit I realized that all I was basically doing was imitating the adult lifestyle I had seen all my life. Adults were supposed to smoke, drink alcohol and eat whatever they wanted til they were stuffed. Now I am working to overcome addiction #3

[Mojorabbit]

20. Congratulations!!!

My quit date was July 6. I used chantix at a half dose and an ecig.
Your Quit Date is: Monday, July 06, 2009 at 12:00:00 PM
Test Time Smoke-Free: 1825 days, 16 hours, 55 minutes and 11 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 82157
Lifetime Saved: 20 months, 27 days, 14 hours
Money Saved: $14,379.75

It is great isn't it?

[MrScorpio]

21. WTG!!! nt

[magical thyme]

22. Way to go and Congratulations!!!!

That's very, very impressive!

I'm lucky that I'm so sensitive to the chemicals that just smelling a whiff of burning cigarette is enough to leave me hurling until there's nothing left but dry heaving. So I never got the addiction.