herbal?

I have to agree with everyone else, smoking is smoking is smoking.... But you need something to help with the "hand to mouth" habit, I was the same, there are various things you can use, some of which have already been mentioned, like ball pens or straws. Pharmacies often sell dummy cigarettes too. My favourite was cinammon sticks: they are the "right" size and shape you get good resistance when you pull air through them (just make sure there aren't any loose bits to choke you when you start a new one!) you get a little bit of cinammon flavour with the air, which is soothing you can gradually nibble at them to get more cinammon flavour they are fairly readily available in the spices section of most stores (or in the home baking section) Just don't attempt to light one up!!! You're nearly through hell week now, well done and keep going! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/16/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 719 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 23,025 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �4314 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 94 [B]Hrs:[/B] 2 [B]Mins:[/B] 19 [B]Seconds:[/B] 45

December Hall Of Fame Recipient!

[B]Congratulations RDMan, welcome to the HOF![/B] :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/16/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 722 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 23,111 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �4332 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 94 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 41 [B]Seconds:[/B] 49

I did it !!!

Yes, well done Super! :8|: [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/16/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 732 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 23,451 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �4392 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 95 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 0 [B]Seconds:[/B] 7

The Mad Englishman's Christmas Message (couldn't get the Queen)

Great post m8! :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/16/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 732 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 23,451 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �4392 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 95 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 0 [B]Seconds:[/B] 22

Frustrated@#$$%

Have you done the quit program workbook here Jan? (LH side of the page) I believe there is a facility to print it out, perhaps that would convince your doctor you have prepared, planned and are ready. The quit date is normally in the second week of taking Zyban. From my personal experience (and having watched others here) I would suggest you schedule it to the back-end of the second week (I quit on day 13 of taking it) to make sure the full effects have kicked in - provided that is OK with your Dr of course. The psychological effect of painlessly cutting down (without any intent to do so!) on those last few days was very powerful for me. But of course we all vary. That would mean starting today or tomorrow for a quit date of Jan 1st, if I've worked it out right. Good luck today! :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/16/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 733 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 23,463 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �4398 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 95 [B]Hrs:[/B] 21 [B]Mins:[/B] 16 [B]Seconds:[/B] 10

What was your Worst Ever Smoking Moment?

I think most of us will have had some "nightmare moments" that we remember from our smoking days. I know I've had my fair share, but I'm interested to know your worst. This was mine: It was in 2000, I came home to see two fire engines outside my house. As my husband came towards my car, my only thought was "My God, surely I haven't set fire to the house?" When he told me the fire had been caused by faulty electrics on a dehumidifier unit, I almost cried with relief - even though the house was badly smoke damaged. We spent 14 months in a mobile home (trailer) while the house was refurbished. I have no idea how I would have coped with the guilt if the fire had been caused by a cigarette. :gasp: [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/16/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 733 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 23,465 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �4398 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 95 [B]Hrs:[/B] 21 [B]Mins:[/B] 30 [B]Seconds:[/B] 43

i have 8 weeks!

Woohoo!!! Way to go Lynne!!! :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/16/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 733 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 23,468 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �4398 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 95 [B]Hrs:[/B] 21 [B]Mins:[/B] 40 [B]Seconds:[/B] 50

KIWI @ 80!!

Well done Kiwikeith :) You will be at the beach in less than 3 weeks :8|: [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/16/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 733 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 23,483 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �4398 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 95 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 12 [B]Seconds:[/B] 49

ROS has TWO YEARS

Thank you so much Rusty for starting this for me - you were (and still are) an amazing quit buddy, as well as one of the pillars of this site :) I have had the enormous good fortune to have quit at a time when there were some outstanding quitters at SSC - many of whom have posted on this thread - duffis, Lady, walkingeagle+attaboygrl, 3galeh, Shevie, N2k (still on the cheese closers? I am!) Luna, Lolly, ladybugg (bugg huggs) and Rachel (just down the road in Kent) I can see a "younger" crop of fantastic quitters, CobenFan, Monica, Mr Ed, ParrottLady (how lovely to find another fan of Morro Bay - that must mean that we are both due a reward there!) fagashlynne, cheermom - you are all going great guns and I have the utmost faith that even the newer ones amongst you are going to make it :) Shevie, thank you for your kind words, my research in turn was triggered by the words of who came before me. Lolly, what can I say about Rome? I shall never forget that fantastic lunch with good company and the Colliseum will always have your name written on it (figuratively of course, I'm not a graffiti artist!) Casey - of course I had a reward (quite a few actually) this is the self-styled "Rewards Queen" of the SSC here! ;) Way back in the 80's I left a job and left a deferred pension fund behind in it. I've thought little of it over the years, and since built up another fund in a second career. As some of you might remember, my quit date turned out to be the 3 month anniversary of my birthday (although I didn't think of that when I chose it) Just after my birthday, I found out that this old deferred pension has actually been growing rather nicely. Not only that, there isn't much penalty for drawing it early. Once the seeds of the idea were planted, it seemed so obvious to start drawing it on my 2 year quit anniversary, and I filled out all the necessary paperwork. Under UK law, you can take out up to 25% of a pension fund as a tax free lump sum (as long as you are over 50) at the time you start taking that pension. On Saturday 16th I drove into town and checked my bank account, the lump sum was there :) I walked down the street with a huge smile on my face, knowing I could pretty much buy anything in the town that day. In the end, I b

Hey now

Too right! I blew a one year quit, way back when I was young - and I never really tried to quit again until this time - a gap of over 30 years. The key here is understanding (and acknowledging!) the nature of nicotine addiction, something I had little idea about until I came to SSC and started to learn. [b]We can never have "just one"[/b] I think those that lapse think that after a certain length of time think that it must be possible. Certainly I have spoken to some very long term quitters (10 years or more) who wonder if they could "handle it" now. They don't need or even want to smoke, they are just curious (didn't most of us start smoking in the first place because of curiousity?) Once you have taken on board the idea of NOPE (not one puff ever) hopefully the temptation to "play with fire" will not trouble you. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/16/2004 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 731 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 23,403 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �4386 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 95 [B]Hrs:[/B] 15 [B]Mins:[/B] 20 [B]Seconds:[/B] 16