[Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by mjdollard

Cold turkey

Set a date - something like a birthday, a special event, first of the month - whatever. If you decide to make it sudden, like tomorrow, you might not make it as you need to get your mind prepared for the change.

Smoke up to the chosen day as you normally would. When you wake up on the chosen day you have gone 8 hours without a cigarette. The only thing you have to do is keep adding hours.

The first few days are tough but after about 72 hours is gets easier - it takes about that long to flush nicotine out of the system, after that point it is memory not the body looking for nicotine. Because of that I feel nicotine reduction programs just prolong the misery.

A few things to avoid for a few days - alcohol (reduces power to say no), coffee (ok to have but the norm is a cup and a cigarette, stick to just the coffee). One odd thing is sharp cheeses in the first few days - somehow they mimic nicotine to the taste buds.

After the first few days it gets easier but keep telling yourself that one puff and the smoke free journey ends, and that isn't your goal.

Quitting smoking is said to be harder that quitting heroin - smoking is legal, it is easy to obtain cigarettes and (somewhat) socially acceptable.

Good luck, you WILL feel better

This is the best way. And you have to WANT to quit. Can't be for anything other than you want to.