My Reasons for Stopping Smoking After 40+ Years

By Arnold Nadler

It's funny in the era I was born people knew cigarettes weren't good for them. However, you could smoke in a plane, a hospital bed, or anywhere because it was fashionable. In those times the cure to making situations better was either a drink or a smoke or both. Even if it was as simple as being nervous about a date, your friends would say have a smoke everything will be OK. I even remember at weddings they had cigarettes on the table, with matches that had the wedding date and details. If you're someone younger now you wouldn't believe any age person could buy cigarettes. If ever asked I would just say they're for my father. When I began smoking a package was only forty-cents. Cigarettes were my best friend there in good times, bad times, when I woke-up, ate, drank, whenever I needed them they were there. That was the glamour of the times, now let's talk about the reality...

I have been lucky so far, no cancer from smoking but it did take its effects on me in the breathing area. My development after smoking over forty years was asthma. Not C.O.P.D but laughing was a challenge because of coughing, bringing-up phlegm regularly, and most times colds turned into chest infections including pneumonia. I am smoke free now for 3 months breathing better, no coughing or phlegm, and hoping asthma will be gone being a smoking thing. That doesn't mean I don't miss my best friend, especially in certain circumstances. We didn't smoke in the house but outside because of our son, but always in the car which my craving in the car are still high. When I smell cigarettes it's still like the most amazing perfume in world, but my craving periods have diminished. After this amount of time I've beaten the physical need, but mentally still difficult as they were my go to.

The reason I stopped was beginning with the price $15/pack every two days, or $1400.00/year. When first beginning the taste of cigarettes were more flavorful. Now my palate would taste more chemicals than sweetness. It was a terrible habit for all those years, but on the other side so enjoyable too. Stopping smoking has been so hard and rewarding at the same time. A person must be ready, not forced to be peer pressured into it because they will not cease forever. I never judge those who still smoke or preach at them. On a sidebar, my generation also were big pot smokers now we are legalizing that too, what will they find out in 40 years about health issues from smoking pot? Will they put additional chemicals like cigarettes over time? What type of discouraging pictures or advertisements will they legally be allowed to put on the packages? Our people going to be permitted to smoke it anywhere, or near children? The point is smoking is smoking pot or cigarettes.