Just One Cigarette

I decided to commence this blog earlier today. Actually, just after midday, I sat down and thought that I was ready to begin this blog. I've been really great about being a non-smoker. It isn't easy being a new non-smoker after more almost two decades as a maniacal pack a day (and a bit) smoker.
After midday, I craved some real coffee. The craving related to a bad purchase of instant coffee (Nescafe Gold Blend, which is beyond bland), not being able to deal with the remaining contents of my coffee mug, I grabbed a friend and went to have a real coffee.
At my local café, we saw an acquaintance. In the traditional manner of most diehard smokers, he carried his packet of cigarettes in his hand. He updated us on his latest news. He’s also the type to over-stress over just about anything. One of those people who think stress is a validation of masculinity and success…
“I went to have angiogram the other day I was bleeding too much, so they rescheduled.”
“And you’re still smoking?” asked my friend.
Quiet. No immediate answer. The answer that did arise related to the stress of work (don’t we all have stress?) and that it actually hurts him to smoke.
“When I drag it in, it hurts.”
“Then why do you do it?” asked my friend.
I sat there, quiet and reflective, knowing that there was no point. But this doesn't stop my friend telling people to quit if they're obviously experiencing medical issues. He had his own issues. Smoked 40 a day. A mild heart attack put a stop to that.
Our acquaintance sat somewhere else, lit up and continued smoking.
I'm not the type to tell others to stop. I'll briefly outline the benefits I've experienced, but I'm not in the habit of face-to-face preaching. What does annoy me? Smokers who whine about their health issues, to my face, knowing that their cigarettes are the direct cause, who continue to justify their habit with...
"I'm going to have two a day."
"I'm going to cut down gradually."
"I'm going to have cigarettes with my coffee only."

It's all pointless self-talk, rarely works to nip the habit in the bud, and no one adheres to a set regimen.

I can't claim to be an ace who stopped cold turkey overnight. Over the years, it took ten attempts for me to stop. In the past, I'd used every excuse to continue puffing.
The reason I stopped late last year related to the gradual decline of my fitness; I was unemployed (following a work complaint/claim), smoking my head off, beating my own personal record to smoke forty cigarettes a day and I'm not talking about 'light' milligrams. I was a 16 tar/milligram smoker.

There is no such thing as a 'light' cigarette. It's generally wise not to inhale something that is in the process of combustion. Cigarettes or any other tobacco product, are lethal. As is weed...but that's another story, and I'm not a weed smoker (although every weed smoker I've known has notched up quadruple bypass operations).

Back to our acquaintance mentioned above. I tend to be intuitive. The vibe he gave off, whether aura or not, indicated that he'd continue smoking. Some don't know what to do or how to be without cigarettes, as cigarettes are entwined with personal identity. That may seem crazy to a non-smoker, but it's quite real. Quitting isn't just about quitting. It's about reconstructing one's personal identity and behavior. This is why quitting is difficult for many smokers and will continue to be difficult in spite of the alleged assistance of products like nicotine patches, lozenges, gum and pills/anti-depressants (Zyban). I've tried them all, to fail miserably each time.

How did I prevail?

That's what this blog is about. That, and the way tobacco companies still try to prevail. To quit smoking is also to battle against the low tactics used by tobacco companies.

Remember:

It only takes just one cigarette to create a lifelong smoker. Tobacco companies manufacture cigarettes the way they do, with the 500+ chemical additives, to reduce the odds. Just one cigarette is enough to kickstart the temporary euphoria nicotine seemingly provides.