I didn't start smoking until I was in my 20's, but I got hooked real good. I was never able to smoke very much though - took too much of a toll. So I averaged about 2 packs a week - when I didn't abstain altogether. I would quit for weeks and even months at a time but could never give it up for good. It's a strange addiction. Even when the nicotine is still completely out of your system, you still have intense cravings. At one point I read that the success rate among heroin addicts is better than it is for smokers. Of course if heroin were legal, who's to say.

When I started therapy, I asked my shrink for Nicotrol nasal spray. It was still a fairly new product, but I must have read about it somewhere. It's excellent stuff from the point of view of completely eliminating any desire to smoke. One spray up each nostril delivers 1mg of nicotine. It works almost immediately and peaks in about 10 to 15 minutes. Just don't wait until you're jonesing really bad or else you might be tempted to use more and you don't want to induce nicotine poisoning. That has to be one of the top 10 worst experiences I've ever had. Ranks a little higher than a bad case of food poisoning.

The best approach is to use a transdermal patch in combination with the nasal spray. This gives you a stable plasma level with the ability to handle passing cravings. The destructions on both products say not to use them in combination with other sources of nicotine, but a study I read about many years ago used just this approach. You do however need to be very careful.

It's also worth noting that there are genetic differences in the extent to which they are likely to be addicted to nicotine. I think that explains why a lot of people are able to quit with no problem or just smoke socially. So if quitting seems harder than it should be based on what you've heard from others, don't get down on yourself.

I know some people here have also tried Zyban and Chantix(sp?), hope they'll post here too.

Give the butts the boot.

Good on you !!

I call them Bullets

hypnotizing Works??
who'd a thought

I'm crunching to kick CA butt..ergo the destructive ciggie butt as well. Gave up the weed many moons ago when a close relative died from esophageal cancer. Second hand smoke is a killer - Thinking of loved ones might be a strong motivation to quit.