I’ve quit smoking! I haven’t mentioned it before now because I wasn’t convinced it would work. I quit on Saturday. Smoking has been the one and only thing I’ve regretted doing in my life I’d say. I’ve always known how ridiculous it is and have managed to quit a few times before but then for reasons unknown to me, I’ve stupidly lit up again, normally on a night out on the lash.

Well not this time. This time is for good. There really is no such thing as one cigarette. Ten years down the line, if I try one cigarette, I’ll be regretting it for the next ten years! Not gonna happen. For those of you who smoke and are wanting to give up (that will be pretty much every smoker I reckon), honestly, do it. Make that decision and make it happen. The relief is amazing.

You’re probably thinking calm down pal, don’t get too giddy, you’ve only managed two days so far. Believe me, it’s a done deal. I’ve stuck them ‘orrible stinkin’ little things in my mouth for the last time.

The giving up thing has been a pleasure to do thanks to Allen Carr’s book Allen Carr’s Easy Way To Stop Smoking. You’ve probably heard of it if you’re a smoker. The funny thing is I had it for a couple of years before I read it, what a muppet!

I think the thing that put the icing on the cake was visiting my Mum and finding out she quit smoking two weeks ago, leaving me as the only smoker left in the family (my brother, sister and parents all used to smoke).

One other thing I did was smoke my last four cigarettes back to back. I literally had to do this sat next to the toilet because by the end of the second one I couldn’t take a single drag without retching. It was absolutely minging… but that is now my lasting memory of smoking. I felt rough as a badger’s bumhole for hours after that as well, sick, dizzy and light headed. I’d love to reel off a load of clever and technical advice but that’s literally all I’ve done. Read the book, done as it said and added the chain smoking my last cigs bit.

Obviously I recommend the book. It does repeat itself over and over which can get boring but I suppose it’s the author’s way of drilling the message in… and it works. It isn’t 200 pages of scare mongering either, just good common sense and logical reasoning that somehow manages to flick a switch in the old noggin. I’d probably bet that anyone who has read it and still smokes, didn’t do as the book said and probably did the things it said not to do. Does it take willpower? A little bit I suppose, but nothing compared to the hassles and inconveniences of smoking, which I’m not going to list here… we all know and are sick of hearing about it.

If this post can help one person quit smoking and feel like I do now, quality.

Cheers Al… you can add me to the list!

Edit: Here is a link in case you want to buy the book from Amazon.

Just so you know, if you buy through this link, Amazon will pay me a small percentage (at no cost to you that is). If you don’t want me to get paid, then just visit them direct at either www.amazon.com or www.amazon.co.uk (for UK). I don’t mind.

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