With one group of friends, everyone smokes and it's just a social thing, and it'saccepted. But with another group, no one smokes. I love hanging out with them so much, and when i do i feel dirty and disgusting. I feel like I don't belong because they'll be inside drinking and no one wants to go out with me to have a smoke. I feel disconnected from them all. But it's so hard cause whenever I drink i feel the need to smoke. I've actually cut down a lot, but still i'll need to go out and have one when I'm drinking. It makes me feel so out of touch with my friends, and i've been friends with them for at least 7 years with all of them. I absolutely hate it.

I smoked for many years and Australia Day 2009 I had a party and I was the only smoker so I dedicded that the last cig in the pack was going to be my last. I have nt had a cig since ... I feel better, I save money and most of all at work I can talk to people without worrying I smell like an ashtray....if you have kids give up for them...you will be around alot longer...just say no.

it been a year when i gave up and i feel lot more better.been smoking for 5 years

Hi there, I have quit smoking on 14 sep. 2011. I went cold turkey no more excuse. There were few reason I quit, first of all is my heartbeats. My heart was always beating more than usually. Doctor advise me its all because of smoking. One night I could't sleep and I smoke 6 ciggies in 30 min. I was feeling like I was dying. Following morning, I decided to flush my cigarettes in toilets and since then I quit. If I can do it and you can definitely do it. Good luck

I started smoking when i was 16yrs, I only started to be "cool" I don't even know why i kept it up it tasted nasty... At 17yrs i was pregnant with my 1st child, I smoked through the pregnancy, I felt so guilty but just felt like i couldn't handle quiting. It wasn't until i was pregnant with my second child at 22yrs that i gave up cold turkey for 18 months, I was so proud of that effort but gave in to the temptation. I am now 27yrs turning 28yrs and have decided that enough is enough I have 2 beautiful children and their father to live for, I want to be strong and healthy for myself and them... I have NOT had a disgusting smoke for 3 weeks now and going strong, I have also joined a gym and feel amazing .... not like before get up have a smoke and have no energy for the day... I feel so happy and full of energy it is great. Never again

I am a 25 year old male ex-smoker, i feel like i have i won the battle but not the war, i have been smoking since i was 14 year of age and recently just gave up smoking. I had made it my new years resolution to give up smoking this year just like every other year , but difference been this year that i wanted to join the air force. I had always said come new years i will give up smoking not only for my health but for my kids, i have a 3yr girl and a 8 yr old boy, my 8 yr old has been asking me for a while to give up smoking, he knows it's bad cause he sees the ads on t.v, i told him it's very hard to give up smoking once you have the habit and always told him not to ever pick up a cigarette or accept any from anyone. Having said that made me feel like a hypocrite because here i was telling him not to ever smoke, but there i was with one on my hand. This year i called up the ADF to join, so i really started to prepare my self by getting fitter, and thus give up smoking, so their where 2 important reasons to give up smoking, my kids been the most important of course. I went to do the apptitude testing that the ADF requires for people to enter but unfortunately did not pass. That was a downer but cause by this time it had been 1 week that i had gone without cigarettes and what was worse i quit cold turkey, i had a big saturday 1night and had a really bad hang over the next day, i still had half a pack of smokes left but didn't really want to smell or even see the smokes, i went all day without one and the next two days where RDO's so i felt like i really had a chance of giving by, so i decided at that moment without prior planning to give up. My biggest temptation would of been at work wich is where i usually smoke alot more than usual, at home i'm usually not a heavy smoker due to that no one smokes in the house and i kinda like the social part of smoking. So i went on 3 days without smoking and thought i can really do it, i did have the cravings but did not miss the habit of having the cigarette in my hands, when i got back to work i left the half a pack that i had at home and made sure to sit inside smoko room where their is no smells or temptation, i made it through thursday and friday and was glad that i had nearly gone a whole week, sunday been 1 week, on monday i had the test at the ADF and finding out that i did not pass the test i thought to my self, i have made it this far might aswell keep going. So i went off to the doctors to see if i could get some kind of patches or tablets, the doctor prescribed this tablets called champix, it was 4 week pack and he told me that one i was finished that i could go back and get the second 4 week pack, i started taking them emmidiatley, and i dont know if it was my will power or the tablets but i managed to stay of the cigarretes, the only side effect of this tablets called champix is that i would have nightmares nearly everynight, and i am one of those people who rarely dream or if i do, i dont remember them at all, but getting to the second week of taking this tablets i was getting a bit anxious when i was going to sleep cause i knew that during the night i would be having some kinda of nightmare, real scary vivid nightmares and what was worse i would remember every detail about them, but i am not here to bag out champix, they seemed to work pretty good i just didn't go back for the second 4 week pack just for that fact that i had nightmares for nearly 4 weeks. I am now on my 2 month and thats why i mentioned earlier that i had won the battle but not the war, i still get cravings every now and then but they dont last for long, i just think about something else or do something to keep me busy, the doctor said that eating carrots or drinking orange juice was a good way to get rid of cravings and to be honest it kinda works. So my reasons for giving up smoking are, my kids, ADF which unfortunately did not go to plan, but the biggest and main reason is for my HEALTH, without my health i cannot be around for my kids, will not be fit enough for any job sooner or later, and that i didn't want to get old or get sick and say that i never gave it a go because i thought it was impossible, i did think it was impossible but just thinking well enough why it is you want to do it, will open a little door in your mind and will kickstart the process, i was not stronged willed when i started but now have all the will in the world because i took that first step. i thank God for helping me, i am not a christian but i know he lend me a hand i now have my sense of smell back, my taste buds (food has never tasted so good) and i have extra cash to spend on my kids or my self, but best of all i have a different outlook on life and i know i have added extra years back to my life. I may not have won the war but i will keep on fighting and taking small steps like sharing my story is part of my plan to keep battling.

I was always against smoking... Both my parents smoked majority of my childhood and I was very disgusted and turned off by it as were my other siblings. Because it smelt, the ashtrays were all around the house and looked dirty, I could see it was affecting my parents health and this upset me. I swore I would never touch a cigarette... but this changed when I moved out of home for the first time with my boyfriend and he was a smoker. We would have friends come to our place for social drinks and he would always light up a smoke when he was drinking.. one night I thought I would give it a go... My thoughts at this time were: Oh if I have a couple, it wont do anything.. then my thoughts very quickly became: buying a 25 pkt of smokes isn't gonna do much harm. then eventually it was me smoking 100 smokes a week. This being X2 50pkts costing me a bit over $50 a week on smokes. This smoke money was coming out of my crappy waitressing pay of like $200 a week on average. So it affected me alot. Not to mention my health, I can't run like I used to without getting puffed out, I'm coughing alot, low imune system ( If someone is sick around me... I'll definitly catch it), I can't sit down through a whole movie with my current boyfriend... I feel the need to walk out for a smoke. When I drink I smoke alot more, when I'm stressed I smoke alot... But the worst of it all I think, was when I ran out of smokes and Had no money to get some for 2 days... I got the shakes and couldn't function... I was angry and emotional... I seriously felt like a junkie.. I went to the extremes of going through ashtrays at home and smoking the tiny bits left on the used butts.. this was disgusting and tasted 10X worse then smoking a fresh cigarette. After doing this I threw up and started crying because that's when I knew I was definitly addicted and smoking does control me. I am still a smoker today, I have cut back alot. It is very hard to give up and a very expensive habbit.. but I hope someday soon I can give it a go, as my dad has inspired me to try now that he is no longer a smoker. My dad is in his early 40's, he is now looking and feeling alot healthier, after he found out from tests that he actually stopped breathing for short amounts of time around 70 times in a night due to smoking causing breathing difficulties. My dad woke up one morning after finding this out and just decided on the spot... THATS IT! IM GIVING UP! And although the only thing my dad really struggled with was when he would crack open a can on a weekend he felt like a smoke.. HE DID IT! and he to this day still does not smoke.. and he is happy in his life. I hope my story inspires others looking to quit or going through the stages of quiting right now... because my dad's story has inspired me.

I am going to have my last ciggie now, then I am done for good, getting rid of all my lighters and throwing the rest of the 'coffin sticks' away. Its zapps my energy & its a big waste of hard earned money. I have a family now & have to think of their health to. Smoking is gross, so gross!

Hi everybody, I have been smoking since I was 16. A month ago my aunt was diagnosed with lung cancer, although I always have been affraid of cancer; it took for someone I deeply care about to be sick for me to make the big decision. Pretty stupid ! I had tried two or three times before and realised I resumed smoking because I was scared of a life time without cigarette, how stupid ! Anyway I ama non smoker since 3 weeks now, and I feel great. I encourage everybody to read A. Carr s book" The easy way to stop smoking", it has been a MASSIVE help in my journey !

I am 8wks "clean"!!!.This is my 3rd attempt and I am feeling good, not just physically but mentally. My skin looks good and the black circles under my eyes have just about gone. The first 7-10 days were the hardest and I do miss it...everyday; but I am determined, for me and my son.

Health was my motivation for quitting. I had no breath and now I can breathe through my nose. The money wasn?t important to me but I?ve noticed how much less I spend. I used Champix but even with the drug I had to make a commitment to myself to stop smoking. I had to be aware of times of vulnerability like after a meal, after some work was completed, times of relaxation and all of the other excuses for addiction. It?s good to know that nicotine addiction ceases after 5 days but don?t think that it ends there. I can?t believe how much time I wasted smoking.

Istoped smoking 15 years again , I just puit them in bin and i never ever want to smoke again.After a breast cancer scare. now i hate the smell of them it makes me sick .It is a verey dirty habbit , not to mention waste money.

One day I was standing at the bus stop having a cigarette. This woman starts yelling out at me throwing abuse because she could smell my cigarette. It was to the point where I thought she was going to rally a mob together and light some pitch forks. I then realised it's being antisocial more than social and I didn't pick myself to be an antisocial kind of person. Unless she is the one being antisocial I don't know. But that's how my smoking has affected me and someone else.

smoking is just a bad habbit for me, its just something that i can rely on when im in the heat spots that happening all around me, it makes me calm and forgets everything happening around me. its just a good feeling i recevied from the smoke. i need to quit to be comfortable in public because i dont like smoking out infront of people as i think its digusting habbit and im in the closert about it, girls jsust dont look pretty when their doing it. & i try my best to not have one in public just everywhere i go their is a smoking area and people blowing smoke and i guess its just temperation but i need to quit. so if you could give me any advise i would really appearcatied it thank you

My son just hugged me and asked 'why are you doing this Mum, you don;t smoke, and I replied ...... yes I did, before you were around to see me !!! My children were my motivation to STOP ...... and my reward today is having them see me as a Non-Smoker !!! Thankyou, ...No, actually thank Me. One of them has never started and the other one just stopped ... Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.

ive been smoking since i was a young teenager had allways thought it was a cool thing to do since most adults then smoked i thought that i should to,over the years gone by my health has been very poor and in 2007 was told by my doctor that i was a type2 diabetec i became an asthmatic my smoking i thought i had control over but who am i to kid smokes control me and my life all i want to do now is quit but its been the hardest thing for me to do,dont think that smoking dont do damage to your health as it will do a lot of damage my father died from amphasemia as so did hes father i dont want to die from that i will succeed in giving up to much improve my health and well being.

Had been smoking 45 yrs. Constantly coughing. Went to see my Doctor who had been telling me for twenty yrs to give up. Sent me for x-rays. When I went back to him he was very angry because I had early signs of Emphysema. He was very blunt "GIVE UP THE BLOODY FAGS OR DIE IT'S YOUR CHOICE". It was unbelieveably hard. Finally he prescribed tablets that require Government approval. They were really rugged but I beat the fags. So glad I stuck with them. To people who are smoking give up because they will KILL YOU.

When my age is 13 i was starting lotof smoking my famil member teel me alots of time bu i dont agree,When i reachhed 18 i have a contact of my 2 best friend and the ispire me to stop smoking , i have stop smoking last month.I Realy Watn to teel this person plieas stop smoking. i know its very difficult to stop it, but if you stop it before one month you feel goods. Smoking is very Dangerus for Heath.At last I am Thanksfuly to My freind and God Because god gives me a good freinds.

Hey i have smoked since i was 15 way back in N.Z. and i got a bit of a scare when i went for a sore rib, the x ray according to the doctor said that i had early signs of emphasemia ....wow that hit the nail on the head, I am on Champix tho and this is excellent, i have had 1 or 2 smokes last week and half a smoke early tonight when i got home from work, but put it out and have decided that is it. My daughter is trying to give up with me ..but if i have support on this site it would be awesome. so hey good luck all you guys ...i want to live too ...thanks heaps. Rae

I had my 1st smoke when i was 11. @ 1st it was just a social thing but then i found myself finishing the pack from the weekend. Soon it was a pack a day, during school, at night, all the time. My dad was a smoker too but he had a heart attack and quit. That just made me smoke more. I had my daughter when i was 19 and continued tosmoke a pack a day. it wasn't untill a week ago that i was admitted to hospital for an athsma attack that i took a look at my health. It scared me that another attack could take me away from my beautiful baby forever. I was being selfish. So, i quit. I decided right there and then that that was it. My husband has been so supportive by quitting with me. It's a shame it took a life threat to soo the seriousness in smoking. But best of all, i feel great! I can breath better than i have in years and i know it's benifitting my little girl.

I have smoked since i was 10. I am 46 now. I stopped smoking just over 2 weeks ago and i did it cold turkey. I am from the U.k. but fell in love with an aussie woman who doesnt smoke. Didnt think it was fair to her so i stopped. But whats great is that for the first time it doesnt bother me that i have stopped..I guess before i never had a good enough reason.

Hi, I'm Jasmin. I'm a 34 year mother of two kids. I first started smoking when I was 17 and up until three months ago smoked a pack a day! I like most parents don't have alot of time to ourselves and felt like smoking was the one thing I had for myself. And I really enjoyed it. I had tried many times to give up, I even gave up for my pregnancy of my girls and stayed off it for 12 mths. Then got hooked after ONE DRAG! Once I saw my children imitate me smoking I knew this was the last straw. Because I enjoyed smoking so much I decided on a date (1 mth down the track) and just prepared myself for this day. Finally I gave up on World No Tobbaco Day. Myself and my younger cousin who works with me were presented with these dog tags at our Full staff meeting at work! It was great. I have whole new outlook on life now and have some much more energy when it comes to running around with my kids! I can't beleive how far my lungs can expand!

Today i ordered a quit pack, for the last couple of months i have been telling myself its time to quit. I did quit a year ago, but i took it up again when my relatives from overseas came to visit who are all smokers. My partner smokes which makes me want to give up more so that he will one day to. I have gotten to a point where smoking is more habit then enjoyment, so hopefully i will stay strong in the challenging times ahead. I love my partner so much and hate to think that one day down the track i might be comforting him on his deathbed due to cigarette smoking or him watching me die from smoking. (The thought of this tragic ending sometimes makes me cry). There is way too much adventure and excitement to look forward to in life to let smoking take mine or my partners lives away earlier than expected. Stay strong and remember why this is so important!

I'm 21 and started smoking when I was 11 years of age. I guess I started smoking to impress my older friends at the beginning of high school. I even forced myself to smoke after being physically sick the first couple of times. During the 10 years I smoked I tried a number of times to quit. Some were more successful than others with the longest being just under 3 months. The 5th of June this year marked the 3rd month I have been without cigarettes and I'm here to say that anyone can do it. I bought patches to help relieve the cravings and I stayed on patches for about 2 weeks. From then on, I always carried patches with me and only put one on when I felt the urge to smoke or when I went out with my friends where I knew I would be tempted. I've worked out that in the time I've quit, I would've smoked over 2,000 cigarattes and spent over $700. I found that for me, there's a moment in which you say 'yes' or 'no' to having a cigarette (or just a puff) when you are trying to stop. This time I chose to say 'no'. I can now honestly say that I will never go back to smoking. Life is much better for me now and I truly feel that I have made a life or death decision and I have chosen life.

Stopping smoking has been one of the best things that I've done! It's truly amazing how free I continue to feel knowing that I don't need to smoke. I'm no longer worried about devloping some smoking related illness, not seeing my young daughter grow up, developing those craggy lines around my mouth and eyes or the leathery skin, nor trying to work out where I can and can't smoke..I'm free, I've made my choice! Today is my 12 month anniversary for quitting, and I know that I never want to go back! I thiknk that the hardest part of quitting is getting your head right about it. Once you've got you head right, the rest really is not that bad. (And by the way, the weight gain stuff is a myth!! You don't have to gainhuge amounts of weight! I gained 2 kgs, my friends 1 and 2.5 kgs. All of us have lost this and some now)

I gave up smoking in October, 1999, for two reasons. Firstly, my husband and I had moved to a new town and I did not have a job to pay for the cigarettes. Secondly, I had a beautiful 3 year old daughter that I did not want to endanger with second hand smoke and set a bad example to. My first day cold turkey was almost hell on earth, so my husband went a bought some patches for me. Thank god for these. By the time I got to week 6, my cravings had gone, but I still stuck it out until the recommended 10 weeks. By week 10, I was able to be around other people smoking without any cravings coming back. It has now been 7 years, 5 months since I have had a cigarette and I am so proud of myself. Not only that, but the best thing is that my daughter, who is now 10, is always telling me that she is so glad that I don't smoke anymore. My husband says that he doesn't have to kiss an ash tray anymore and my hair and clothes no longer smell. I also do not have that awful cough that comes with smoking. There are so many reasons for giving up, you just have to find which one is more important to you. It is definitely worth it. Keep trying everyone, it just takes a bit of willpower, strength and determination. Tracey

well, where to start.. i started smoking when i was 14 that was 12 years ago.what has pushed me to stop now is that i am pregnant with my 3rd child..i smoked while pregnant with my first two.and yes it does affect them ..one is asthmatic and the other has had problems with his middle ear and you know i looked at that blindly and made excuses for it..but it isn't until now that Iam 4days into quitting that i understand that it is my fault and that this isn't going to happen anymore..on a brighter note my partner has taken a leaf out of my book and is quitting with me ..it's a testing time ..haha a 3yr old rat bag, a 5yr old no it all, a crabby daddy and a pregnant and extremely emotional mummy, but we can do this and there is no going back bcoz we don't want to go through this again...haha and i think my little boys are loveing it to so much more attention (that i didn't know they were missing)and when i get frustrated with a craving we go for a walk (you just don't realise how much smoking affects the lives of everyone around you)....the only cravings i should be having during this time are pregnant ones and that's the way it will stay...xxxxx

I have been off the smokes for 5 weeks its tough but im proud of myself. my husband developed emphsyema pockets on his lungs so we decided to quit together to give his health a chance. Ive smoked for 30 years since the age of 12..we now go for long walks together at night and have bought a house because all of a sudden we realise we can afford it after spending $170 a week on smokes.I hope I can keep it up .

Im 22 years old and have been smoking since I was 13. I could smoke anywhere up to 40 cigarettes per day, sometimes more if Im out drinking. Im missing my front tooth and when I smoke thats where I out the cigarette, it fits in there nice and snug. Sometimes I wish that I had a new tooth, then maybe I wouldnt smoke anymore. But I realise nicotine is an addictive drug so I bought patches yesterday and Im wearing one now on my shoulder, right next to my heart. I feel the Lord Jesus Christ is with me through this though time. I feel his hand on my shoulder, holding my patch on tightly, as sometimes it falls off. May the Lord be with you all in your quitting journey. I havent had a smoke for 12 hours and I feel like I could take over the world

I started smoking at schoolies ... that was about two and a half years ago now, and only now am i over smoking enough to try and let it go. I headed off to the doctors for some tips and i found out some interesting stuff. I am what is called a binge smoker Someone who is like me can go for about 5 days without a smoke and then when they are in certain situations drinking etc, can smoke a pack easily Apparently, my problem isnt really the nicotine its my brain I have a behavioral problem when it comes to habits somking, nail biting ... and that means no NRT Nicotine Replacement Therapy aids. Quitting hasnt been easy my partner somkes, but i get high fives and encoragement ... im inspiring him by trying i guess We have cut back as a first step, now i just have to stay away from the cancer sticks on the weekends and westle with my brain and i will be ok i think ... Any one else in the same boat ... I feel ya, it hurts and only someone who is doing it knows how much. Write down your reasons and start excersising ... it helps ... Anyway, Happy travels Alicia

I tried to quit a few times over the years but to no avail, and probably no will power or support either.I started smoking when i was 14 or so at high school because it was the social thing to do back then. It was so much easier to stay smoking than to put in the effort or see that there were any benefits to giving up smoking. I started feeling sick all the time, headaches, tired,just a general feeling of unwell. I knew it was because of the years of smoking, it wasn't because of the flu or a cold. It was starting to cost my husband and I $100 to $150 a week to smoke.I was struggling on a low wage to keep that sort of money aside as well as pay bills, rent etc, it was getting ridiculous. My kids were missing out on so much, and more so on well parents. We decided to go to the doctors and go on Zyban. I don't know at the time weather doing it together was going to be the right move, how grumpy was our house going to be. Our boys had said though they would understand our grumpier moments and support us still. We started our quit program on our youngest child's b'day 3 march 05. There was no grumpiness or stress at all.It was the best thing we could have done.We are still non smokers, and loving it.My personal advise though for anyone quitting, is to prepare. We made up no smoking signs, put ash trays right out of the house, washed curtains, covers almost everything, made a clean start, we scrubbed walls and allsorts. I personally would have never thought i would have given up smoking as i was a heavy smoker.I have shocked a few people by the fact i'm a non smoker, but i think my husand and i have been an inspiration to alot of people to do the same. BE PROUD TO BE A NON SMOKER. It will be one of your life's biggest achievements. It will save your life. Good luck all.

I started smoking after my mother sat me down with my sisters at the age of 13 and handed us our first cigarette. She told us to try it and see if we liked it or not. She said she would rather us smoke in front of her if we had to smoke and not go sneaking around behind her back. This was the start of my addiction. I then started buying her smokes for her and mine at the same time. I was still a child and shopkeepers did not seem to mind for the most part. One shopkeeper did ask for my age and I said I was buying them for my mother. He said to go and get a note from her stating this, so I rode home on my bike, asked for the note (which she gave no probs) and then rode back to the shop. My addiction has held me hostage for many years (I am 36 now)...and have attempted to quit many times. Each time I would give in and have a smoke when it got just that little bit too hard. This time I realise I have run out of excuses for myself. Yes it will be hard - it has been hard every time I tried to quit. Yes I like smoking, the taste, the sensation, even the smell. But I also like the taste, the sensation and smell of healthy things. This time I am making the choice for myself. I have taken the smoke out of my hand and am not putting it back. I have been smoke free for 2 days and now think of myself as a non-smoker.

After 16 yrs of smoking on & off i new it was time to give up for good this time. Being a mum of 5 life has never seemed so important as now I want to see my kids grow old. My youngest child is 3 wks & after trying to quit while i was pregnant & failing the guilt drove me to smoke more than ever. So with a strong will i decided to quit. I went cold turkey as breast feeding mums cant use patches or anything that contains nicotine. I gave up 2 weeks,2 days & 3& half hours ago & I will never smoke again. Im so proud of myself :) & im so happy that there is so much help & support for people who want to quit now

I started smoking just to make my mum mad and to show my independence. I learnt the hard way that my show of independence was the ultimate dependence. I found out that I was pregnant a few months ago and I knew that my habit would have to be broken. I thought that it would be easy because I was putting my baby at risk, but it was still hard. So far things have been looking good and every time I think about a cigarette I think about my baby and I know that my child is worth every struggle.

I wasn't ready at that stage to let go off my love affair as it still had control over me. I remember my doctor asking me 2 years after this 'When are you going to quit smoking Becky?' I replied 'When you can tell me how to not like it so much'. He had no answer to that and didn't I feel smug. My daily intake had increased within the next 5 years from 20 to 30 8mg cigarettes. It was also getting very expensive. I remember saying 'I'll quit when they hit $10 per packet', Yep that was $3.85 ago but I'm still puffing and going through more of them too! The husband is still smoking too but hey, it's ok if $100 of our weekly earnings goes into our lungs. And besides, who needs health cover - I'm paying the tax for it now before I ever get there!!! And still the love affair knows no bounds and continues on, getting more abusive on a daily basis. My marriage then split so I couldn't afford to continue to spend $60 per week keeping the monkey on my back happy so I learnt how to smoke roll your own. Geez - these things are harsh on my throat but it's ok, it doesn't matter how much more damage they are doing - they are cheaper. What makes us continue to abuse ourselves in this way? Louise Hay says that it's because we are creating a smoke screen in our lives so obviously there is something we either don't want to see or we don't want others to see. Also rollies were good because they don't put all those warning labels on the packet like they do with the 'tailor mades' so at least I don't have to look at all the information on what I already know is happening to me. I am now coughing in the morning, wheezing at night sometimes and can now no longer start my day without a cigarette, my day was just not happening if I couldn' t have a fix before it got underway. Then of course I started singing karaoke every second weekend, screaming out these throat tearing songs, walking off the stage and sucking back a smoke as hard as I could especially because of the nerves factor. Don't ring me after a night at karaoke, I won't be able to talk much. Throat cancer has entered my mind alot in the last 3 years. Now we have pictures on our packets of the damage this stupid habit creates. And because of this, the continual loss of voice and now unable to sing my fav songs, my daughter and her concerns at her mother's smoking and watching my mother quit, I have deceided to take a leaf out of my own book, I know I love it but it's time to set this habit free and I don't think it will return. I release my need for cigarettes. I also release my need of the continual self abuse. In the last 3 weeks I have noticied my nasal passages clearing, my lungs taking in more air and not only more air - it's good air now! I feel so awake and alive and every time I pass a 'trigger' moment and don't succumb I feel empowered! NO BECKY NO! NO BECKY NO! My skin has cleared up and my eyes have lost that yellow tinge in them. And I can sing again!!! The first day I quit I deceide to go out to karaoke and sit with a table of smokers. Talk about throwing yourself into the thick of it! I was watching all these people, dragging on their cigarettes and visibly enjoying it and thinking 'that's not for me anymore, I don't want to be a fool'. Because I guess you are a fool (as I was) to think that this is good/cool/doing you any good. I do not wish to die slowly by my own hand any more. I am not going to become one of those reformed smokers that hassels everyone because I believe we all have to do this for ourselves and wait for the moment the penny drops. To all my friends and family who are still smoking - I wish upon you a moment. I hope it comes to you sooner rather than later. I want to see my grandkids, I want to taste my food, I want to kiss without being worried about my breath and I don't want to hurt my child or my pets anymore with my poisonious self abusing habit. I'm 3 weeks in!!! Goodbye my love - you were addicitive and abusive but I no longer need nor want you in my life. I respect myself and I'm feeling good and so much better because of your absence. I am so excited to be free!!!!

Hi. I have been smoking since age 12. I am now a 32 year old Mum of 2 beautiful children. I have always known smoking was bad for me but never had the will power to give up for very long. Not until my 3 year old daughter told me when she's a big girl she would like to smoke. When I told her I didn't want her to smoke she started to cry because she wanted to be just like me. I realise I want to grow old and see my children grow and see my grandchildren. I haven't had a smoke for about 3 weeks and I have to say this has been alot easier than my previous attempts. I want to be healthy for myself, my children and the rest of my family. I believe I can and am doing this for good. If you are thinking about quitting give it your best and good luck. Also this is a great campaign, I could totally relate to the women in the ad's. What a positive way to look at this issue. Congrats.

I know this is long winded but it is actually one of my blog entries and I wanted to share..I think alot of us have personal mottos that tend to guide us through this lifetime. I have a few that I say to get me through my day, Life's good (keep affirming this and it does happen), God bless you (you say it because you truly mean it, God bless us all, Don't catch anything you can't throw back :P I really kinda like the thought behind if you love something set it free because if it does return to you, it is meant to be in your life and if it doesn't - there is a reason it doesn't. I have set free to a few things in my life recently and although I may be jumping the gun (I truly hope I'm not) I have in the last 3 weeks cut a relationship that has been ongoing and with me for half my life. This relationship has controlled me, robbed me of my self esteem as it was completely abusive but after 16 years - I knew no better. I let this relationship dictate my life and put me into danger on numerous occasions and yet I was powerless to stand up to it and tell it to 'BE GONE!'. This love affair started at the tender age of 15 and just like all teenage romances, it was something you did because everyone else was. And besides, it was cool! Other kids respected you for it and the younger kids looked up to you because of it. Then of course at 16 years of age, my reasoning was that if the Government thought it was ok for me to do it because they obviously thought I was old enough and had enough wisdom at that age to do it well then it was ok! Besides - everyone who was anyone did it and being young and wanting to fit it, you train yourself to like it too. Only problem is you start liking it too much, you always want to do it and if you don't get it, life can become really frantic. It's the only thing that goes through your mind until your need is satisfied. It's hugely social too - you can all do it together Around this time I started clubbing and drinking and of course when you are doing this, your love affair goes into overdrive. Boy don't you pay for it the next morning but of course that doesn't stop you, you reach for another one as soon as you wake up. You know you have to, this abusive relationship demands it whether you like it or not. I had become it's slave and was doing as I was told, still powerless to say no. Why? Because some part of me was not ready to release the need for it, I needed it! I wanted it!! Because by now I had resigned myself to being it's prisoner - I WAS NOW A SMOKER. I saw the ads on tv of people dying of lung cancer,sitting there on their ventilaters gasping for air. I remember the ads of the 'lung sponge' with the amount of tar that you make your lungs endure being squeezed out of it. Still the thought in your head is either 'don't look at it and you won't see it' or 'ah, won't happen to me'. So I continued smoking, enjoying every chemical breath and not giving a toss about my lungs. Again, I'm young, won't happen to me, I can quit whenever I want. I'm too busy partying and having fun and besides, I'm still cool. Ah those were the days when my packet of Longbeach 40s cost $5.75. Still the love affair continued and was still in the honeymoon stage nearly a decade later when I got pregnant. I couldn't stand the smell of them anyway so it was pretty easy to give up for the first 3 months but my husband was still smoking, so were all my friends and co-workers who would kindly hand me their cigarrette packets and say 'Do you want one?' Of course I bloody want one, I know I shouldn' t have one but I am moving, working 50 hours a week, dealing with the stress of my mother in law and my husband is flipping out - GIVE ME THE BLOODY CIGARETTE!!!!Ahhhhhh, see isn't that better? I can deal with my stress now. Only problem was I dealt with the stress that I was putting on my unborn child alot easier that I dealt with stuff on the outside world.

I was in fifth grade when i was pressured decided to take up smoking. My actions back then were the most regrettable i have had. My mum died a year later of cancer and i knew i would have to stop. Ciggarettes were the only thing keeping me sane through that whole ordeal. So i kept smoking. finally when i reached year 10 i had realised that my friends were going to be my morale officers if i did not quit. There support has been enormous and occasionally i will have a smoke but i know i will never get addicted again. Being pregnant know and loving life due to the extra cash i have in my pocket each week has made me look for the brighter things in life and not the dull existence of smokers. I know my mum would be proud of my decisions and i hope my smoking buddyies are to...rest in peace friends and strangers who did not have the courage to quit smoking.... I haven't smoked in 12 weeks and 5 hours

Smoking was the coolest thing to do at school! The younger you were the cooler it was. I started at 14. Pretty cool then but not by todays standards. I'm 24 now. It's been two weeks of "not being cool". I found what helped the most was threatening myself with excersise. I put on a patch and said that everytime i want a smoke i will go outside and skip. (i bought a skipping rope for $6 from priceline) Pretty embarrasing in a small apartment complex. It got me through the toughest few days at the start. I never actually used the skipping rope but it did it's job perfectly. I hate excersice but after 2 weeks of not smoking I'm warming to the idea of it because I have so much extra energy! Good luck! Pretend your pregnant too. That thought helped me as well... xx oo

When i was in school i used to have my little gang of friends we used to sit near the ladies loos. We could always smell the smoke coming from the girls barthroom. us girls were like how could you smoke like yuck when i left school i left all my friends and stared hanging out with people that were over 18 they all smoked drank, did drugs and all that stuff when i turned 16 my friends wewre like you cant hang around us if you dont smoke they were a very bad infulance on me i started drinking smoking and all that stuff. then b 4 you knew it i was very into it but my mum and dad never knew . they would kill me this went on for 3yrs after that time i came very unfit i couldnt do the things that i used to do like run around play with my friends. my Grandma was due to come over from England so i had to go to my dads and because my dad was very stricked i could not go out of the house without my grandma i had no smokes and because i was underage i couldnt buy them. it was driving me nuts i was craving and having really bad withdrawls that went on for about 1 week and now i only smoke when i drink and that is hardly ever. quitting cold turky is so hard but i did it quitting smoking was the best thing that ever happened to me. and plus i can run around without getting tired and my teeth are clean no nicotene on them yeh p.s sorry about the spelling mixtakes xoxox

I have been smoke-free nearly 10 months. I started smoking at 13 and by the age of 32 was smoking over 60 cigarettes a day. I tried several times to quit and found it very difficult. I set my self a date and planned 2005 as the year to do it. When my mother was diagnosed with breast-cancer in mid 2005, I decided that it was time to quit. No-one can tell you when to quit. You have to be ready to do it. The only thing that is vital is support and understanding from family and friends. Even though all my friends and most of my family smoke, I have not had a smoke in 10 months. The aim is to make it a life choice.

It will be one year tomorrow. I started smoking when i was 17 and i promised myself i would not be 30 and still smoking. It hit home when my nephew was born. I didnt want to be an Aunty that ran out of breath all the time and could not play or pick him up straight away without cleaning my hands or finishing the last puff, i didnt want to smell like smoke around him. When i first quit i tried patches but i had an outburst on the second day, so i went cold turkey from then on. I found that having the count down of benefits on the wall really helpful e.g. after two days you will be.. . In the first 6 months i let myself drink, socialise and eat whatever i wanted, but that was my deadline, i gained 6 kilos. Since new years though i have lost 10kilos the healthy way for the first time since i was 17 and i run/jog every day and feel so positive about my life. I have saved so much money that I am going oversea for a working holiday this new years.

Well i started smoking at the age of 13, I am now 22years old and decided it was time to quit my bad habit of smoking because it was affecting me, physically and mentally, I noticed when i would go on family bush walks i would end up having to stop half way through as i was coughing. I also couldn't afford it, i would spend over 100 a week on smokes, I smoked around a 40 pack a day, I have now stopped smoking for a month and im already starting to feel healthy becuase of it.

I have, no sorry, had been smoking for eight years now, ever since I left home. I always said I smoked because everyone had to have a bad habit and that was mine. For the last two years I have hidden my smoking from the majority of my friends and family telling them that I had already given up. About two weeks ago I decided enough was enough. It was costing too much money and affecting my social life, I would rather sit home alone and smoke than be with my nonsmoking friends and family. I purchased my nicorette gum, brought bulk bottles of water, regular chewing gum and lolly pops and set a day. So far its been eight days and Im feeling good I have barely had any cravings although it has been hard to get to sleep without that last cigarette and my friends keep commenting on how outgoing Ive been in the past week. Ive started going to the gym which helps fill in the spare time I feel like I have so much of at the moment. I havent tested myself by drinking yet but Im feeling confident

I started smoking when I about 15. It was cool to be a smoker around that time. I started smoking more and more at parties and drinking and laughed the idea off that I would ever get addicted. I started dating a guy that was a smoker, suddenly I was doing it all the time. My addiction had hit me. I used it for stress, I used it for social events, majority of the times I am smoking. I have tried to stop via patches and gum about 4 times now. The longest I ever lasted was 4 weeks. I started having one or two in between taking the patches thinking that would be okay. Suddenly things got stressful I went out drinking and went through an entire packet. It all began over again. I hate seeing myself with a smoke in my hand, it's scary to think of stressful situations and not being able to have a ciagrette to assist me. I can chain smoke a whole pack in one conversation on the telephone, it almost brings me to tears when I realise how easy I can do that. I am ready to quit, I am ready for help. I fear to tell anyone as they have all hear me say the same things before. My current boyfriend is a non smoker and hates smoking. He knows that when I am stressed I smoke. I can't keep doing this moneywise and for my health, I am killing my body and my cash and hurting my loved ones. I am ready to stop but I fear my will power, I fear I don't have enough strenght to do this but I want to so badly.

Hi my name is Desley i have been smoking since i was 17 and now i am 58 i am trying very hard to stop smoking as my g/kids all of 3 are saying to me (no smoking Granma) so i though i would give it a try i have been on the patches for 2wks now but i find myself taking it off when i am stressed out and have a smoke which i know i should not do but if there is anyone out there that could help me i would love to hear from u. Desley

I have smoked since I was 17 and always said I would quit by the time I was 30 or had kids, whichever came first. I am now 30 and quit smoking when I was pregnant with my second child. The real turning point though was finding out my brother had a suspect cyst in his bowel. Since my father died of bowel cancer when he was 53 (and he wasn't a smoker) I thought why am I and my brothers doubling our chances??? We are already at risk genetically and I want to do all I can to ensure that I am around for my children's 21sts, weddings and the birth of their children etc, as I was only 19 when my father died. I quit a month ago and I did it for myself and my little boys and I am so proud of that!

I started smoking when I was 14 and smoked until I fell pregnant with my first child. I gave up for 6 years and then thought I could smoke socially. Gradually I smoked more and more and ended up somking 20 in 24hr even though I didnt smoke in front of my family (I was a secret smoker!!!!) I have wanted to give up for a while and at night I was so determined, lying in bed thinking that I would never smoke again, but by morning I found myself stopping at the shop buying just one more packet. With three children, working and a husband that smoking time was the only time that was just me. I gave up on Friday night (3 days) and have called Quitline 3 times when I have been on my own and wanted to buy a packet. So good so far!

I'm 22 and was smoking regularly until I was going to have an operation and was told that if I didn't quit right now, I would have a high risk of having complications with anesthetic. I quit smoking cold turkey and it was very difficult as it felt like I didn't quit on my own free will, plus I wasn't ready or wasn't even considering giving up smoking. I had my operation and ending up having no side effect what so ever from the anesthetic. I've nearly fully recovered now and have no intention of ever going back on the smokes but now its harder than usual because I don't have an operation to think about now. But I'm much healthier and more energetic and have saved hundreds in smokes and that's what's keeping me off ciggarettes, for 3 months and counting.

I had been smoking for about 7 years then last year I decided that I had had enough of smelling bad, waking up with a sore throat and looking unappealing in public with a cigarette hanging out of my mouth. It has been about 8 months and i do get tempted a lot, especially since a lot of my friends smoke, the thing that stops me is that i sit back for a minute when I am tempted and think do I want to hurt my insides with dirty smoke? Do I want to have to wash all my clothes again tomorrow because they stink? Do I want that cute guy over there to go off the thought of coming over to say hi because the sight of me smoking is unsexy and unapppealing and I realise that I don't want that cigarette at all, I could save up for a cute dress and save my health instead.

I think if you give up or are giving up smoking, you’ve got to want to give up smoking. So even if people around you are saying. ‘Give up smoking’, you personally have to want to do it. Because if you don’t want to do it, you’re not going to do it, are you? You’ll be saying to everyone you’ve given up, but hiding behind the bus shelter having one.