NO SMOKING!

I quit cold turkey once and stayed off it for a year and a half before life stressed me out too much. The second time, I quit by switching to e-cigs and have been off cigarettes since November. 

I had a friend who died from passive smoking.

Ron , the cutting down has been admirable, but you will have to bite the bullet so to speak and stop totally.

Set a date , smoke the last one in the packet at the time you normally smoke the last of the day, and then to sleep. No cigs left in the house, none to wake up to next morning.

You will succeed if you really deep down are determined to stop, if thats not the case , you wont.

I know the first day without is not nice, Ive been there. Try and make that first day or two really busy ones, see friends keep occupied . When you wake on day 2 its already easier , and so on for day 3.

If you really really want to stop you can. 

I smoked more than a pack a day for 20 years, havent touched one since I stopped , almost 28 years now.

Good luck my friend!

     Thank you PB. I just learn't recently that you can stay on the patch for a few months even if you don't smoke.( I never thought of that.) I'll try that when I get down to 2 or 1. For everyone else, thank you all for your support. I understand what your saying about the cold turkey/just quit. 4 is within reach. Plus I just need to exercise more. Get in shape. The CAT scan on my lungs went fine today. Only took about 10-12 mins. You take a deep breath and hold it 3 times. Somebody will read the film and get back to me next week. I'm bumping into  lot of people REALLY trying to make serious attempts at quitting. I know my triggers now. ALTER, REPLACE, AVOID.

Best of luck Ron , good news on that scan.  

Its always easier to advise other folk what to do, a bit like chess, I always found it easier to say what other players should have done in their games, than in my own!

Very salty comments indeed, its that understanding  and tolerance of others I admire.   (Ref comment 391)

I don't understand all the drama with quitting smoking.  I read Allen Carr's book and stopped easily.  Pack and a half a day of non-filter Pall Malls to zero painlessly.  

Hey! Did you move to work in the space program? :D

I stick to cigars and the occasional bump of snuff.  Thankfully tobbacco has never been a crippling vice for me.

A question: how being of certain gender of having certain job could be embarrasing?

Open day at the asylum, I see. Actually, when is not?

Don't you think I made a legit question, you crazy Froggie? I've never met a sane person who is embarrased about his/her gender or job.

And about my grandparents, none of them lived enough to get old. We only had the help of a handful of brigadists, not an international alliance, against the fascists.

Are you making a poll?

Just as me.

Ok: Daniel (putting the accent on the e), Spanish male, former truck driver working at a factory nowadays, 75 kg. Please don't ask me about that size, you wouldn't believe it.

And I was unemployed for a few months, due to the crisis. Nothing embarrassing, unless is your choice.

Why do you think he is? You can't be brave or coward in the internet.

Crazy as a goat, but a winner.

How to stop smoking cigarettes. All you might need is a rubber band! A friend of mine put a rubber band on his wrist and when he craved one or felt the urge, he would snap the rubber band. It is a true story and actual account. He quit smoking that way. It worked for him.