Then I got an office job and had to cut down more but still managed to get in a pack a day.
Finally decided to quit when my company said they would subsidize the cost of patches. At that time patches were more expensive than a carton of cigs but the subsidy made them about equal so I figured I'd give quitting another shot.
I decided I wouldn't change anything but put on the strongest patch they sold. I smoked when I felt like it but I soon found I was going longer and longer between smokes. I went for a couple weeks smoking only 2 a day - one for breakfast and one before bed.
One day I realized I had forgotten the morning smoke so decided to try just one a day.
A few weeks later I realized I didn't want a cig all day so I smoked one more for old time's sake and never bought another pack. That last cigarette was on April 20th, 2003. (The irony is not lost on me 
)
I continued with the patches every day but I started buying the smallest patch and went with that for a few more weeks. One day I realized I forgot to put my patch on that morning and I never put another patch on after that.
The whole thing from start to finish was nearly 3 months but it was WAY less stressful than the times I tried cold turkey.
I'll have 3~6 cigars a year but at least I'm not smoking cigs every day.
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