Smoking: Why It's So Damn Hard to Quit

By SusanC HERWriter Guide

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Every smoker can tell you of the pleasure of that first drag of a cigarette every morning, or the one with coffee after lunch or how great those ciggies go down while out for dinner and drinks. While it’s harder and harder to find a place to smoke inside anymore, as more and more states rightfully make it illegal, the truth is that many of us still smoke. We like it, and we need it. The addiction of nicotine is strong; in fact, far stronger than many of the street drugs that get so much attention. I should know, it dictated my life for 18 years before I finally stopped and took the control of my life back from a little stick of tobacco that had a grip on me for far too long.

Considered by addiction experts to be one of the hardest drugs to quit (and some say the hardest), there seem to be far more reasons why it’s harder to quit than other addictions than just the addiction itself:

Smoking is still socially acceptable.
Yes, it still is, no matter how people frown on it or laws try to stop it. The fact is that America still has over 40 million smokers and even in a nation of 300 million people, that’s a sizable chunk. While smoking indoors is not legal in many states, it is in others and smoking in general is viewed as a part of life and certainly part of our social life. Smoking and drinking go hand in hand, many say and most smokers will agree. People who are not daily smokers will often light up if drinking.

The cool factor
Smoking still has some kind of “cool factor” in movies and in pop culture, where being a bad-ass often includes a sultry look with a cigarette hanging from the mouth. Stars like Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Twilight star Robert Pattinson, Eva Mendes, and Lindsay Lohan are only a handful of the many Hollywood stars who smoke and regardless of silly it may sound, people really do emulate the stars they love, although obviously smoking is a individual choice. Hollywood bigwigs have said they are showing characters smoke far less in movies but in R rated movies, that’s not the case (although smoking on prime time TV is uncommon). Cigarette companies still sponsor major events where young people flock. And the fallacy that cigarettes will keep you thin is still alive and well.

Smokers are friends with other smokers
True. Smokers tend to flock together since they aren’t welcome indoors and thus congregate outdoors, on restaurant patios and outdoor spaces in bars as well as taking smoke breaks together at work. So when many of your friends (or partners) smoke, it’s even harder to quit. Smokers will sometimes be unsupportive of their friends wishing to quit and can even sabotage their attempts.

Damage caused by smoking is invisible
At least for many years. With many other drugs, needle lines and scabs are visible quickly, as are lost teeth, skin acne, blemishes and lesions, as well as weight loss and troubling behaviors. But it takes many years for signs of damage to appear when it comes to smoking and even then, it’s merely a cough or a husky voice. Even tired skin and yellowed teeth can take years. Cancerous growths are usually inside the body (although can be visible in the mouth) and by the time the damage is found, it’s often too late.

It’s a cheap drug
Depending on the brand, a pack a day smoker will spend about five dollars a day for their habit. This makes it an extremely inexpensive addiction (no more than lunch at the office canteen or a fancy coffee at the local coffee house) with few financial consequences.

Smoking is highly addictive
That’s just a fact. With a high rate of failure and many attempts needed to quit, nicotine addiction is really tough to beat. Experts compare it to quitting heroin but it’s often even harder and cravings can remain for years. Like any addiction, some major lifestyle changes will be necessary and social support is imperative.

So after all this doom and gloom, is it even worth quitting? Of course it is! It'll save your life! But bearing in mind the reasons why it’s so hard to quit, here are some practical changes to make:

Set your quit date and rid yourself of anything smoking related from your home or car (lighters, matches, ash trays, etc). Act like a non-smoker, even if you're not quite there yet.

Stop the smoke breaks with co-workers and friends. If they give you a hard time or take bets on when you’ll fail (and many will) ignore them. They obviously weren’t your friends to begin with. Smokers can turn into saboteurs, even if they don’t mean to. Some will be annoyed at your change of heart or quest for health and others will simply miss your company. You won’t be one of the smoking gang anymore. But then again, neither will many of those who continue to smoke. Cancer, strokes and heart attacks will take care of that.

Stay away from bars and restaurants where smoking is allowed. Stop drinking for the first month of quitting and try to go cold turkey on caffeine (both can triggers major cravings). Pay for gas outside, so you don't see hundreds of cigarette packs staring at you from the cashier's counter inside the station.

Tell everyone you know that you’ve quit and ask them for support. You’ll get it. Join a smoking cessation support group either face to face or online. These resources are instrumental in helping you quit and it’s heartening to know that you are not alone.

Use medication or gum if necessary or try hypnotism. Meditate. Use relaxation to ease stress. Keep a journal.

Be prepared for many physical side effects including insomnia, constipation, physical cravings, anger, frustration, tears and temptations. Quitting is really hard so use every kind of support you can get. There will be psychological difficulties too – anger at feeling weak regarding temptations, anger at having to quit in the first place (we all have die sometime, right? And we could get hit by a bus tomorrow…and the justifications go on and on…) and missing the act of smoking (holding the cigarette, inhaling, doing something with our hands) so it’s okay to replace one habit with another. Hold a pen, suck a lollipop and chew lots of gum.

Think of all the money being saved and know that every day that’s smoke free is another day towards healing your body. And it will get easier, it really will. If you slip, it’s okay. Just begin again. It’s takes a while to become addicted and it’ll take a while to quit. We’re human, we're sure to mess up. But what’s also sure is that for a smoker, quitting will probably be one of the most important things he or she has ever done and there is no better feeling than no longer being a slave to a cigarette that can no longer rule your life. At the end of the day, of all the things to die from, that cigarette just isn't worth it. Die for, or from, something far more worthy.

For more tips and support, try www.quitnet.com or contact the American Cancer Society here: http://www.cancer.org/

Tell Us
Have you quit? Do you want to? Tell us your story!

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.