How "quitting" has completely changed my life.

I started smoking at a very young age. I was probably 14 years old or younger when I tried my first cigarette, which I "borrowed" from my parents. I didn't enhale, so didn't get the full effects of the powerful and addicting substance, nicotine. Then one summer a "friend" taught me how to really smoke and enhale the smoke deep nto my lungs. Of course the first time you cough a bit, but then you get that "first time user" buzz from the serious does of nicotine. Once you've experienced the feeling and your body and lungs have made the adjustment to what is normally NOT a natural thing a "normal" person would do - intentially inhale poisonous smoke deep into their lungs.

The US Army didn't help, since a common "break time," especially during Basic Training and AIT (Advanced Individual Training - Advanced Basic for me as an infantryman) was announced by the drill sergeant by saying, "Alright, smoke 'em if you got 'em." Guys who never picked up a cigarette were borrowing them from us already adicted smokers, since it seemed like a rare treat and moment of pleasure, during a usual day of torture and humiliation at the hands of our ruthless Drill Instructors. A VERY large percentage of military personnel smoked at this time in the late 70's, so it was nothing like today's attitudes or society's laws and concerns for "second hand smoke" and smokers have now become the minority AND the outkasts forced to stand outside in the worst of weather, just to get "their fix." This also illustrates the powerful hold that smoking has on both the mind and body of the addict.

When I found myself turning 40 years old AND realizing at this point that I had been a smoker for more years of my life than I had been a non-smoker AND hoping to quit before too much damage had been done to my body to repair or reverse.

So, I began looking into Stop Smoking methods and information, which I found VERY useful in stregthening my resolve. At the age of 40, I quit smoking with the aid of some simple non-nicotine pills designed to reduce my cravvings. It was called "Cigarest" or something like that. In addition to the pills, it included some good techniques and tools to help me STAY a non-smoker and get past those "bad moments" when my mind and body begged and screamed to me inside - "JUST ONE CIGARETTE!"

(Next post: some tips and benefit lists