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1. treepeo1

   

   255 posts
   Registered:
   06 Feb 2020
   15 Jun 2021

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   Hi,
   
   I reconnected with someone I hadn't talked to for years the other day.  She told me she had quit smoking for 10 years.  Shortly after the pandemic started, she decided to give in and have a cigarette.  Well, you guessed it, she has now smoked  for over a year.  She is back to her old ways, smoking when she is happy, when she is sad, when she wants to take a break - well, you get the picture.  This nasty habit has gripped her with full force once again.
   
   I am relaying this story as a reminder that none of us can afford to get complacent with our quits.  You just never know when temptation will raise its ugly head, and you have to be prepared.  Keep the mantra NOPE (Not One Puff Ever) close to your heart.  If you never take that first puff, you will remain a non-smoker forever.  And keep coming here for some much needed support.  We are all stronger together.
2. lesleyaf

   

   37 posts
   Registered:
   23 Nov 2020
   16 Jun 2021

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   Thank you for relaying this story to the forum, Treepeo1!.  I will definitely think of this story the next time I have an urge to light up!
   
3. renee, quitcoach

   

   117 posts
   Registered:
   16 Jul 2018
   16 Jun 2021 in reply to treepeo1

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   Thank you for the reminder.
   
   It has been around 24 years since I quit and I sometimes think it would be nice to smoke again but then I remind myself, how I promised myself I will never touch a cigarette again!
   
   Renee
4. treepeo1

   

   255 posts
   Registered:
   06 Feb 2020
   17 Jun 2021 in reply to renee, quitcoach

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   Hey Renee,
   
   I think all of us get those thoughts from time to time.  It just goes to show that this is not just a physical addiction, but a mental one as well.  Smoking used to be an integral part of our lives and that is what we tend to remember no matter how long we have been non-smokers.
   
   Besides reminding myself of the hell I went through in order to quit, I also tell myself that if I ever reached for a cigarette now, it would burn my throat and make me dizzy.  And even though that initial cigarette would not be enjoyable, I would still reach for another and another.  That is the nature of the beast.
   
   How wonderful that you have 24 smoke free years under your belt.  We who have managed to quit are the lucky ones.  Quitting is truly a life changing experience and I wish that everyone could quit successfully.  With the warmer weather, I am passing more smokers on the street and the smoke from their cigarettes is now starting to bother me.  I wish I didn't have to deal with that.    I have enough problems without adding secondhand smoke to the mix.
5. aurora

   

   94 posts
   Registered:
   08 Mar 2018
   31 Jul 2021 in reply to treepeo1

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   hello treepeo
   your post is so timely. I am rarely here in the site anymore, but I logged in today to relay some of the same kinds of examples.  A friend that I do not see often came by the other day, and she was smoking, and we were having drinks.
   This would normally have been enough to get me smoking again in the past, but I am three and a half years in, and thanks to the supports on this site I adopted the motto that other successful quitters have used - NOPE - not one puff ever.  This is how I have done this for so long, and I am never going back. 
   but you are right, sometimes we can get to that edge, still, after a long time. 
   I was looking out my window today watching a guy smoking - and just thinking about the grip that nasty habit has on us when we smoke. I remember smoking like that, just a ball and a chain, and it took too much of my time. 
   the freedom of my quit has been the best thing ever. thanks for the cautionary tale, We can never take this for granted.  Stay quit and stay focused.
6. smkfreepauli

   

   1 posts
   Registered:
   27 Jul 2021
   12 Aug 2021 in reply to treepeo1

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   This is so true! Last year thought, “oh I’ll just smoke with my brother at the cottage - but not anywhere else”. My cigarette smoking increased bit by bit and I was totally hooked again. I quit as of July 16/21 - and I will remember NOT ONE PUFF EVER!! 
7. wandam

   

   241 posts
   Registered:
   05 Feb 2019
   28 Aug 2021

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   Thanks for sharing, how we must always be on guard & not become complacent with our quits! I totally agree, you never know when temptation will raise its ugly head & you have to be prepared to fight it! NOPE (not one puff ever) is an awesome motto to follow & live by in helping us to beat this awful addiction! Take care everyone & keep rocking your quit journey! 
   
   Wanda

   Last modified on 28 Aug 2021 22:32 by wandam
8. dublinguy

   

   379 posts
   Registered:
   09 Dec 2021
   10 Dec 2021

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   The 'ah shur just one wont do any harm' is exactly why Im back on forums like this trying to quit a pack a day habit. Not One Puff Ever is what us addicts have to get used to and repeat to ourselves all the time. Its too easy to slip up and be back to the old ways. Im 41 and need to start saving to buy my own apartment so money has to be saved somewhere. I was spending a fortune on smoking and its just getting more expensive all the time.
   
   Did any of you see that in New Zealand they want to bring in a law to forbid anyone under the age of 14 from ever buying cigarettes in their lifetime? Nice idea but it will just mean that they will get them from the black market.
   
   
9. jenna lee, quit coach

   

   265 posts
   Registered:
   28 Jun 2018
   11 Dec 2021 in reply to dublinguy

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   Hey Dublinguy,
   
   Welcome back, we are glad you are reaching out at a time where you're feeling tempted to smoke. Happy to hear the mantra NOPE is helping you to get through the cravings, as well as your motivation to save to buy a place.
   
   Regarding the foreign tobacco policies, hopefully those teens would have not started smoking by 14 as to not have to want to buy them illegally when they grow up!
   
   Thanks for sharing in your quit efforts,
   
   Jenna Lee