Helping a friend stop smoking

[noleen111]

First off.. this not me.. I know often people say this for a friend and they mean themselves...

about me to clear things..

I am a regular smoker, i have been for about 5 years now.. I smoke about 3 to 5 a day. I am addicted to nicotine as I do get cravings.

My friends story.

She tried her first cigarette about year ago, we are close group of female friends, at that time 3 of the 4 us smoked. She was curious what it was like to smoke, so at one of our girl evenings
she asked to have a puff of my smoke. I smoke a light menthol cigarette so against my better judgement i let her. She coughed as do most new smokers, she ended up taking 3 puffs of that cigarette
and on the last one she did not cough that much. Later that evening she tried her own one and kinda smoked... coughing a bit.

The next girls evening she smoked again.. we thought her to inhale properly as she wanted to learn and we warned her smoking is very addictive from that point on she smoked with us at our girls evenings.
She never smoked any time else. She would like smoke 1 maybe 2 at these evenings and this number did slowly climb,, or she would have one with me if we were together.

She told no one besides us she smoked, her hubby does not know. She could always blame us, we she came home for the smell on her clothes. i dunno how she explained her hand smelling.

We had a girls evening about 2 weeks back.. and I noticed that she smoked about 6 cigarettes that evening over a course of about 4 to 5 hours

Then last night... she came over to my place and we spoke about her smoking.. ironically over a cigarette.

She told me since December she started to get cravings, especially if she is seeing me or our friends.. she cant wait.. so she can smoke. She caved twice and sneaked a smoke at home while her hubby was
out.. she chew strong peppermint chewing gum and sprayed air fresher on herself to cover the smell.. This week her hubby was away on business and she smoked a few everyday.

Her and hubby want to start a family... and she knows she has to stop smoking.. when she falls pregnant .. she said with a tear in her eye.. she does not think she can stop. She said she enjoys the social
aspect of smoking and she enjoys the feeling of the menthol in her lungs. No one in her family smokes..so she is the first.

I said to her.. girl you are addicted.. I told her well you have really want to stop or you will not be able to. She admit she does not really want to.. but she has to..and she does not want her
hubby to know, as he hates smoking.. I said you will struggle.

My advice was too get nicotine gum to try beat the cravings..and then wean yourself off and she cant smoke around me at all.. I said to support her I will not smoke around her too. I will tell our friends this too.

was that right advice?

[noleen111]

well an update on my friends situation...

She told her husband about her habit .. he was angry.. but they spoke about it.. he said he would help her quit when she is ready..

but she still smoking and now as a regular smoker.. she told me she smokes about 7 a day... She told me she did quit for about 4 days.. and then the craving came too much.. and she broke..

she said she will try again next month... when they officially start trying to get pregnant.

[Cindy]

Not sure if they are available where you are but some friends have had success with nicotine sprays. They carry them and just squirt a shot when they have a craving.

Not a good role model myself, I went cold turkey 20 years ago. Seemingly not recommended for some reason. But cigs are close to $30 for a pack of I think 20 here and graphic pics on them of diseased legs, lungs and body bits. No brand names are allowed, except in small print. There is also zero advertising of cigs on TV, magazines and in shops.

It has worked, kids do not smoke. It just isn't cool anymore.

Oh you cannot smoke in a restaurant or pub and it is an offence to smoke in a car when you have children in the car. There are moves to stop smoking in public, anywhere.

The cig companies hate it, the health system loves it.

I love it!

[Danielle11746]

I recently went back to smoking after quitting, it is so hard

[noleen111]

For those who this post and update on my friend some two after my first post. She never really attempted to stop again until last year when she fell pregnant. She said it was hard to stop and she did get cravings in the beginning, especially when her work smoking buddy would go and smoke, but she knew the health of her baby was at stake and she never smoked during pregnancy. She even did not smoke during her breast feeding phase.. and told me she has no intention of smoking again.. famous last words

Then she had a crap day at work.. and she caved and had a cigarette. She said that first drag felt amazing as it filled her lungs and now she again smoking regularly.. about 7 a day of which about 5 are at work.. during the weekends she smokes maybe 3 a day. She told me she enjoys smoking and does not really want to stop, I really cant tell her not to, as I myself am a regular smoker and enjoy smoking and have no intention of stopping anytime soon. Unlike my friend I have never attempted to stop. I don't think I could even drink my morning coffee without a cigarette.