The Giving Up Smoking Thread!!

:eek: This is proper going public, can't go back now :undecided

So....I've decided to give up smoking tomorrow to help save money. I spend £5.60 smoking a day and I can't afford it.

So if any of you smoke and feel as though you might want to try giving up then post here and join me, more the merrier!!

Can't believe I'm doing this but...I pledge that I will not smoke tomorrow, will take every day as it comes, and will be completely honest with all of you.

So, I've worked out (if I'm right...) in a year I would save £2,090.40!!!!

So I gotta go for it...anyone wanna join me??:eek:

EDIT:

Here are a few links to websites that you might find useful for info on various types of NRT, support groups etc. Plus a couple of books that you might find helpful. Thanks to Oops a daisy for compiling this list :T

If you would like to add any links or ideas to this list that you think are useful for other members then feel free to leave a message on here or PM me and I'll add it so that it's all kept in one place and easy to find. Thanks

link to FrugalJo's Blogspot: Exhaler - Diary of a Nicotine Addict http://www.exhaler.blogspot.com/
link to silk quit http://www.silkquit.org/sqmmiv/meter.aspx
link to quit smoking website http://www.whyquit.com/
niquitin website http://www.click2quit.co.uk/
free niquitin twister http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....html?t=462895
link to another thread on MSE for quitting smoking http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...=38742&page=68
link to info on new drug for quitting smoking http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6705667.stm
link to on line smoking support group http://users.boardnation.com/~fullst...ng/index.php#1
link to info in champix drug http://www.theonlineclinic.co.uk/champix.asp
link to ASH http://www.ash.org.uk/
link to Max Kirsten's stopping smoking site (watch the smoking vid!) - thanks to TNG for this link http://www.maxkirsten.com/resources/resource_view.asp?id=13


Recommended books:

The Nicotine Trick by Neil Casey
Easyway to quit smoking by Allen Carr


And here is a list of reasons that make the posters on this thread happy that they've stopped smoking, I hope this gives everyone a bit of encouragement, whether you're still to stop or have stopped and waivering, or just stopped and want to remind yourself how great you are

Not having to ask non smoker friends if we can sit outside, when the weather really isn't good enough

Having nice smelling hair and clothes

Coming home to a nice smelling house

No more sore throat and burnt feeling tongue

No more 'smoking hangovers' where the night before you smoked a packet which makes you feel much worse than any amount of alcohol

Not worrying about whether you've got cash for cigs all the time

Not getting evil looks from passers by when you have a cig break on the pavement at work and the smoke goes near them

Smelling smoke from other people and thinking that actually it doesn't smell very nice and realising you might be able to actually give up

Having a £2,000 a year tax-free pay rise :j

Being able to concentrate on what you're doing without thinking about going and having a cig when your finished, eg eating, cleaning, working!

People not backing off from smelly smokers breath

OH saying how much better the flat smells now

No nasty clearing your throat all the time

Taking deep breaths of clean air

Being a bit richer

Having a pink tongue!

Your lungs getting rid of gunk

Clean fresh hair and clothes

Paintwork will stay whiter as will ceilings

Lovely clean teeth

More energy

Ateries becoming un-clogged

Longer life

Not having to go outside the pub for one

Laughing at those who do have to go outside for one

Moaning about all the butts they leave outside


And finally, but most importantly, here's the reason we're doing it (thanks to Adz for digging out this info):

At 20 minutes after quitting:

• blood pressure decreases
• pulse rate drops
• body temperature of hands and feet increases.

At 8 hours:

• carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
• oxygen level in blood increases to normal

At 24 hours:

• chance of a heart attack decreases

At 48 hours:

• nerve endings begin regrowth
• ability to smell and taste improves

Between 2 weeks and 3 months:

• circulation improves
• walking becomes easier
• lung function increases

Between 1 to 9 months smoke-free:

Starting as early as a month after you quit smoking, and continuing for the next several months, you may notice significant improvements in these areas:

• coughing
• sinus congestion
• fatigue
• shortness of breath

At One Year Smoke-Free:

Your excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker after one year.

At Two years Smoke-Free:

Your chance of achieving long-term success with quitting tobacco increases significantly after two years.

At 5 years smoke-free:

• from 5 to 15 years after quitting tobacco, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.

At 10 years smoke-free:

• risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
• risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases
• risk of ulcers decreases

At 15 years smoke-free:

• risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked
• risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked