Yes, I quit smoking, under pressure from all & sundry. Now I am overweight, (and stop there all you who say well do something, I am currently down to 1400 calories + 30 mins exercise daily, just to maintain my current position), I have lost an edge I used to have, I cant define that any other way, those who have quit will understand. I am a miserable SOB whereas I was a fun person to be around, I have developed a cynicism that borders on total distrust to any & all around me. Nothing tastes good anymore, I cant even enjoy coffee! smells have become almost overpowering.

So quit if you must but don't believe the hype from the anti smoking brigade.

Oh and one more point, if you must quit, DO NOT use that non nicotine pill, you may end up killing yourself or another.

Knowing what we know, I can't believe anyone is still smoking. No one enjoys their first cigarette, so how smoking becomes habitual is a mystery to me. My solution would be to make cigarettes $300 per pack and channel the extra dollars into a general healthcare fund. I know there would still be people smoking, but at least they'd be paying for the additional healthcare costs they eventually require.

I quit smoking 9 months ago. I still miss it and crave it. I loved it. Having a cigarette gave me time to think, even if it was 2 or 3 minutes. I quit because while I was in the hospital recovering from surgery, the dr's created a scenario that was interpreted by me as having lung cancer. Now my medical insurance company charges smokers an extra $35/month for coverage. If your caught cheating, they will drop you. BTW, after two ct scans since January, I do not have cancer. Not looking for sympathy, I just resent the government intrusion in nearly every aspect of my life.

Why not just make it illegal? Name another legal product that is stigmatized like this.

Everybody knows the risks at this point. Let 'em smoke!

Remember prohibition?

LEAVE the smokers ALONE!

Taxing cigs only hurts the POOR

Cars kill many more people each year than anything else, maybe we should start taxing them excessively to the point where not many people can afford them. I live in Salt Lake City, Utah and here we have an indoor clean air act preventing me from smoking in bars and restaurants. I also live on the top floor of a taller than average building downtown and what should be breathtaking views to the south and west. Too bad there is this nasty brown haze in the air all the time that ruins the views. Unless it's winter time, and the "haze" is so thick I can't see the tall buildings downtown 5 blocks away. But hey, driving a car is not against any religion I know, and there is not much money to be made from helping people quit driving.

I used to be a heavily addicted smoker, to the point that I would wake up in the middle of the night just to have a cigarette. Almost all activities I did were associated with it, like driving, having a drink, or a coffee, lunch, dinner, movies, get together with friends you name it! It seemed I always had a cigarette in my lips. I just loved smoking and could not even imagine how my life would be without cigarettes.

I quit because I started having respiratory problems and a rapidly developing chronic bronchitis. I did not want to quit but realized what harm this substance was doing to my body. I had a hard time quitting, experienced most of the quitting side effects, crazy mood swings and gained a few pounds. I had to resist the incessant cravings and countless temptations from smoker friends and an environment where smoking is socially acceptable and welcome.

Where I'm trying to get at is that a year and a half passed since my last puff. The cravings are rare now, I lost most of the pounds I had gained, and no more mood swings or the other horrible side effects that I had experienced. It wasn't easy but it was easier than I thought it would be. The truth is that I feel so much healthier, so much calmer than before. I do not wake up at nights to have a cigarette or drive five miles to find a gas station open in the wee hours to buy a pack. I don't feel nervous when i have to attend a long meeting without having a puff or wish that my best friend's wedding ceremony would soon end so I could go out and have a cigarette. I am happier now that I don't cough all day and all night long.In general I am happier. In a couple of months I 'm even going to run my first marathon!!! Who me????? Me that I was buying cartons instead of packs! There are times that I miss lighting up that cigarette and taking that first puff and feeling that light dizziness....But honestly when I think all the things I gained by quitting, I don't want to go back to being a smoker. So if you are trying to quit and are having a hard time, the only thing I can tell you is to stick to it, all side effects will pass, and things will get better. Honestly, they will.

I Smoked for 34 years and had tried to quit many times. I finally decided to stop making excuses and just quit. I had grown tired of trying to cover up that nasty smell, paying almost $9.00 a Pack 5-6 times a week, feeling like there was a a brick on my chest when I woke up in the morning, getting out of breath when I would climb a flight of stairs, feeling like a Troll when I would stand outside in the dead of Winter because I refuse to have my Home smell like an Ashtray. I was just Sick & Tired of the whole Smoking thing. I wanted to be Healthy again. I dropped them Nasty Cigs 6 Months ago. The only regret I now have is that I should have done it a lot sooner. I feel GREAT!! I didn't gain a whole lot of Weight, and I allowed my self to Eat whatever I wanted in the Beginning. I also rewarded myself for every week I had made it without lighting up. Sometimes it was a Steak Dinner, or a New Blouse, or a long walk without losing my Breath. My Advice would be this, don't beat yourself up if you are tring to Quit for the 2nd, 3rd, or 12 Time. It took me 4 times before I finally said "I'm done". I will never again light up another Cigarette. Believe your worth the effort, because YOU are!! Best of Luck!!!

I do not understand the amount of ire that tobacco has gathered. Yes it is bad for you, DUH, but so are a lot of other things that cause just as many deaths and even more social burdens. Must just be that it was the first real industry of America, besides stealing land.