Posted without comment:

[JayhawkSD]

63. I should add that my father died at age 72

from cancer that originated in his lungs, after a lifetime of smoking.

I didn't stop until several years later when I was diagnosed with "well advanced emphysema," but some of us are just plain stupid.

Quitting cold turkey is by far the best way to go. I have assisted quite a people in that process, both with smoking and drinking (I stopped drinking in 1982), and addiction is about not allowing urges to control you.

All on the chewing gums and patches and such are about "controlling" the urges, but it works far better if you simply decide not to let the urges to control you. Just "ride out this one urge." It will pass. Another will come and it too will pass. Ride them out one at a time, not thinking about the ones that are behind you or ones that will come. The only one that exists is this one and it will pass.

In time the urges will be farther apart and less compelling, and that process will begin sooner than you think. And the day will come that the urge doesn't happen at all.

You may get a group of people with experience to help ride it out. I did so on the drinking issue.