Any advice for a pilot who wants to kick the cigs?

This may only help if you are as weird as I am. And for me it wasn't tobacco. Telling myself 'never again' seemed overwhelming and undoable. Telling myself 'not today' was something I could face. Put enough of those together and you have decades in the bank.
 
tmcquinn said:
This may only help if you are as weird as I am. And for me it wasn't tobacco. Telling myself 'never again' seemed overwhelming and undoable. Telling myself 'not today' was something I could face. Put enough of those together and you have decades in the bank.
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Good advice. Short achievable goals. I did hours, then days, weeks, months and years. I'm now working on decades.
 
azure said:
You couldn't prove it by me, that's for sure. In the condo where I used to live back in Michigan, I was one of 3 people in the building (out of 16) who didn't smoke. Every day there was a group of people standing by the open building door, smoking up a storm (and yes, the smoke nearly always blew right into the hallway). Driving by down the driveway in the evening in summer, I used to see lots of people on their porches, hanging out and smoking. Even here in Vermont, I see people standing by the roadside all the time, holding a cigarette. Heck, I've even seen hikers smoking, if you can believe it.

Big Tobacco shouldn't be anywhere near going out of business...
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Yup. As the owner of a hotel, on an island where people go to let off steam, I get to see folks in their natural, unvarnished environment.

In my experience, over 30% of adults regularly smoke, and another 15% are "recreational" smokers -- the ones who treat smoking like scotch.

Why the discrepancy between reported and actual? My best guess: Because it's now seen as politically incorrect to smoke, smokers (like voters) simply lie to the pollsters.
 
Jay Honeck said:
Yup. As the owner of a hotel, on an island where people go to let off steam, I get to see folks in their natural, unvarnished environment.

In my experience, over 30% of adults regularly smoke, and another 15% are "recreational" smokers -- the ones who treat smoking like scotch.

Why the discrepancy between reported and actual? My best guess: Because it's now seen as politically incorrect to smoke, smokers (like voters) simply lie to the pollsters.
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Your numbers seem high, possibly related to your specific region. In my area I could have sworn it was significantly lower than the CDC's numbers, at least in recent years. Anecdotally, in our 100+ member gliding club I can't think of a single smoker, while I know many there used to smoke in the past, some heavily (and died from it). I personally wouldn't join a club that included smokers, BTW.
 
On day 11. It's probably because one only done it a few years, but I'm over it. The headaches stopped, and the only thing I have trouble with is not sticking everything pencil shaped in my mouth! :)
 
RotorDude said:
Your numbers seem high, possibly related to your specific region. In my area I could have sworn it was significantly lower than the CDC's numbers, at least in recent years. Anecdotally, in our 100+ member gliding club I can't think of a single smoker, while I know many there used to smoke in the past, some heavily (and died from it). I personally wouldn't join a club that included smokers, BTW.
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What? Why? As long as I they don't breath it all over on you why would that matter? I don't hold it against them if they want to get lung cancer, I just would rather not.
 
Jim Case said:
On day 11. It's probably because one only done it a few years, but I'm over it. The headaches stopped, and the only thing I have trouble with is not sticking everything pencil shaped in my mouth! :)
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Good on ya Jim! Better pencil shaped things than them dern cigs!
 
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Jim Case said:
What? Why? As long as I they don't breath it all over on you why would that matter? I don't hold it against them if they want to get lung cancer, I just would rather not.
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As a smoker (or hopefully ex-) you might not realize it, but a non-smoker can smell/sniff a smoker from a distance. And this is even when the smoker hasn't smoked in hours or days sometimes, simply by the way smoke particles get stored on their hair, skin and clothing. So for someone like me being anywhere near a smoker is a huge problem, and can lead to headaches and general disgust which makes the experience a major non-fun. Having to pay for their addiction via higher insurance and other taxes is disgusting intellectually. So maybe this explains why I find any contact with such people repulsive.
 
RotorDude said:
As a smoker (or hopefully ex-) you might not realize it, but a non-smoker can smell/sniff a smoker from a distance. And this is even when the smoker hasn't smoked in hours or days sometimes, simply by the way smoke particles get stored on their hair, skin and clothing. So for someone like me being anywhere near a smoker is a huge problem, and can lead to headaches and general disgust which makes the experience a major non-fun. Having to pay for their addiction via higher insurance and other taxes is disgusting intellectually. So maybe this explains why I find any contact with such people repulsive.
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Ok, that makes a better degree of sense when you explain it that way
 
RotorDude said:
Your numbers seem high, possibly related to your specific region. In my area I could have sworn it was significantly lower than the CDC's numbers, at least in recent years. Anecdotally, in our 100+ member gliding club I can't think of a single smoker, while I know many there used to smoke in the past, some heavily (and died from it). I personally wouldn't join a club that included smokers, BTW.
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It depends on where you go.

In a self-selecting group of above average people (universities, tech industries, engineering firms, etc.) it is rare to see smokers nowadays. The peer pressure in these groups to not smoke is enormous.

In a hotel, in a tourist town known for the island lifestyle, we see a cross section of America. Our guests include everyone from the pilots who fly in on a whim, to the families who scrimp and save all year for this, their one vacation. And everyone in between.

This is real America, and my percentages are gleaned from 14 years of offering aviation themed lodging to guests in two different states.

Bottom line: People tell pollsters what they think they want to hear. There is also a smidge of wishful thinking in their repoerting. ("I don't REALLY smoke. Only on vacation! And at the bars. And when we go to concerts...blah blah blah".)
 
Jay Honeck said:
It depends on where you go.

In a self-selecting group of above average people (universities, tech industries, engineering firms, etc.) it is rare to see smokers nowadays. The peer pressure in these groups to not smoke is enormous.

In a hotel, in a tourist town known for the island lifestyle, we see a cross section of America. Our guests include everyone from the pilots who fly in on a whim, to the families who scrimp and save all year for this, their one vacation. And everyone in between.

This is real America, and my percentages are gleaned from 14 years of offering aviation themed lodging to guests in two different states.

Bottom line: People tell pollsters what they think they want to hear. There is also a smidge of wishful thinking in their repoerting. ("I don't REALLY smoke. Only on vacation! And at the bars. And when we go to concerts...blah blah blah".)
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You could well be right, in which case the CDC's statisticians are full of hot air (or smoke?). I have no way of knowing, and I suspect even you are not absolutely sure that your estimate is better than theirs.
 
No smokes behind the garage on the weekend. Keep this up, you're doing great.

I wouldn't know, but I'm thinking the most challenging part is behind you already.
 
Badger said:
No smokes behind the garage on the weekend. Keep this up, you're doing great.

I wouldn't know, but I'm thinking the most challenging part is behind you already.
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Not a smoker, but from what I've read here and heard elsewhere, it's probably a challenge for the remainder of his life. But hey, it's Friday right?
 
Great job Jim. I quit about 10 years ago. It was after my mother lost a lung and before they found my nodule (upper right lobe). Mom has passed after a lengthy battle that I hope to never fight and I still have some issues from the piece they carved out of me. When I look back at the enjoyment that we got from smoking relative to the eventual costs, I feel like an idiot to not have quit sooner. I haven't even dealt with a craving since I honestly decided that I was a "former smoker". I hope you have the same luck that I have had since I quit and I hope that you decide that you don't miss it as some do. Will be sending you good energy...
 
RotorDude said:
You could well be right, in which case the CDC's statisticians are full of hot air (or smoke?). I have no way of knowing, and I suspect even you are not absolutely sure that your estimate is better than theirs.
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Well, we know that 13.5 billion packs of cigarettes are sold in the US each year. Or, at least, that's what the government reports.

What we don't know is the cigarettes purchased on the huge and growing black market. With prices approaching $7/pack, there is enormous incentive to skate around the tax, which makes up the lions share of the price.

I know, for instance, that my sister (a lifelong smoker) is now getting her smokes under the table from an Indian reservation. And I've met a fair number of folks in Texas who load up on smokes whenever they go to Mexico, whether they smoke or not.

So, it's a hard number to pin down. Suffice it to say, however, that it's less than it used to be, and shrinking -- but it's not as small a number as the government thinks it is.
 
mscard88 said:
Not a smoker, but from what I've read here and heard elsewhere, it's probably a challenge for the remainder of his life. But hey, it's Friday right?
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I'm actually having a pretty easy time with it after the initial 5-7 days. It's finding somthing to do when I want to put a smoke in my mouth, that's what's tough. I chew sugar free peppermint gum.
 
Jim Case said:
I'm actually having a pretty easy time with it after the initial 5-7 days. It's finding somthing to do when I want to put a smoke in my mouth, that's what's tough. I chew sugar free peppermint gum.
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Keep going, Jim, we are all rooting for you!
 
Jay Honeck said:
Well, we know that 13.5 billion packs of cigarettes are sold in the US each year. Or, at least, that's what the government reports.

What we don't know is the cigarettes purchased on the huge and growing black market. With prices approaching $7/pack, there is enormous incentive to skate around the tax, which makes up the lions share of the price.

I know, for instance, that my sister (a lifelong smoker) is now getting her smokes under the table from an Indian reservation. And I've met a fair number of folks in Texas who load up on smokes whenever they go to Mexico, whether they smoke or not.

So, it's a hard number to pin down. Suffice it to say, however, that it's less than it used to be, and shrinking -- but it's not as small a number as the government thinks it is.
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Get Sis off that stuff, pronto!
 
Jim Case said:
I'm actually having a pretty easy time with it after the initial 5-7 days. It's finding somthing to do when I want to put a smoke in my mouth, that's what's tough. I chew sugar free peppermint gum.
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I always had a coffee cup near me - decaf or tea in the evening. It equaled something to hold, something warm, new taste in my mouth, etc.
 
Great job! Now that you know you can quit smoking, you can do anything you set your mind to.
 
Whiskey Romeo said:
Me, too. I became a chewing gum addict for many years. :D
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Earlier in this thread I posted my experience with quitting. I carried sugar free peppermint Breath Savers for almost five years.

I went through a roll or two almost every day for the first three years.

Tobacco dependence can be an incredibly strong hook for some people.
 
Congrats, I'm sure it's not easy.
Also, thanks for keeping us informed on your progress/success.
 
Badger said:
Congrats, I'm sure it's not easy.
Also, thanks for keeping us informed on your progress/success.
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If I just stopped posting, you'd all think I went and smoked again! ;) honestly it's the really the only reason I come on here anymore, every time I post somthing here I either get chasitised for my inexperience, which i at least respect. I'm still learning every time I fly. Or somone jumps up my ass about having an opinion they disagree with. I only got a profile here so I could start this thread, once I hit the 21 days I was challenged to, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna log off for the final time.
 
Jim Case said:
If I just stopped posting, you'd all think I went and smoked again! ;) honestly it's the really the only reason I come on here anymore, every time I post somthing here I either get chasitised for my inexperience, which i at least respect. I'm still learning every time I fly. Or somone jumps up my ass about having an opinion they disagree with. I only got a profile here so I could start this thread, once I hit the 21 days I was challenged to, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna log off for the final time.
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stick around.
We are all learning. I learn something on every flight.
If you ever make the trip to Oshkosh, PM me, I'll buy you a few beers. 95% of the members here are great people with a common passion. sure the other 5% are noisy, but in my opinion, the positive outweighs the negative significantly.
 
Badger said:
stick around.
We are all learning. I learn something on every flight.
If you ever make the trip to Oshkosh, PM me, I'll buy you a few beers. 95% of the members here are great people with a common passion. sure the other 5% are noisy, but in my opinion, the positive outweighs the negative significantly.
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I'd say my percentage is a little different than yours is. but yeah, it's a pretty good site. It's a chat board, going to have a lot of people with nothing better to Do than come on here and goad people. I was part of a form for classical musicians that was far, far worse.
 
Hate to see you leave. Just block the members that are offensive or annoying to you. When you sign in you won't see them ever again. Works great!
 
LT4247 said:
Hate to see you leave. Just block the members that are offensive or annoying to you. When you sign in you won't see them ever again. Works great!
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Yeah that what have done actually, just discovered that feature And it was only two guys that always showed up wherever i posted,with nothing constructive to say, ever.
 
You only have a couple? I been here 10 years,,,i have more than a couple and I don't post much. :D
Wish you continued good luck with quitting smoking. Done it cold turkey myself after 25 years. It is worth the effort.
 
LT4247 said:
You only have a couple? I been here 10 years,,,i have more than a couple and I don't post much. :D
Wish you continued good luck with quitting smoking. Done it cold turkey myself after 25 years. It is worth the effort.
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Good deal. I'm doing well.
 
Jim Case said:
If I just stopped posting, you'd all think I went and smoked again! ;) honestly it's the really the only reason I come on here anymore, every time I post somthing here I either get chasitised for my inexperience, which i at least respect. I'm still learning every time I fly. Or somone jumps up my ass about having an opinion they disagree with. I only got a profile here so I could start this thread, once I hit the 21 days I was challenged to, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna log off for the final time.
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I think every internet forum has elements that make it unpleasant. When I start feeling like I'll log off forever I just tell myself, "not today". :) I do think it's a shame that a lot of folks are seemingly too thin skinned to post. I see this a lot on facebook and I think it deprives us of a lot of interesting comments. I have friends who never, ever, post anything. I honestly think it's a dread of snarky responses that stops a lot of them.
 
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