Blowing Away a Bad Habit in 1999

Quitting smoking tops many a New Year’s list of resolutions. But while the desire to kick the cigarette habit may resound with scores of smokers, a recent poll conducted by the Hazelden Foundation, a Minneapolis drug treatment center, shows that giving up nicotine is an uphill battle. According to the center, it takes an average of 10.8 tries to abstain from tobacco altogether. Several area smokers spoke with RACHEL FISCHER about how they plan to beat the odds.

ALISON GEYER

18, Calabasas, a creative writing student at Cal State Northridge

I’ve been smoking on and off for three years. I’m an athlete and shouldn’t be smoking in the first place. I’m quitting because I have big tournaments coming up and I want to make nationals for tae kwon do.

I started smoking because of peer pressure from my brother and his friends and also from my friends. It was the whole thing of, “Smoke a cigarette; you’ll be cool if you do.” I wish I’d never done it. I’ve made a pact with three of my best friends to quit together.

My parents nag me about it; we have a little deal now where, if they ever find a lighter or cigarettes again, I have to give them $10.

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DEBORAH BOWERBANK

26, chiropractic assistant, West Los Angeles.

I’ve smoked since I was 10. Last year, I was with my family in England when a friend my age died. My mum was upset, thinking about what the parents must be going through, and she started yelling that I was going to end up just like that friend, that I’m killing myself right in front of her every day by smoking. But it stressed me out so much that I went and smoked!

I’ve tried to quit before, but the withdrawals are too hard. Once I tried cold turkey; another time, I got those patches. I started back up while I still had the patch on. I quit another time for a week, together with the whole office. I’ve also been in a stop-smoking course; everybody smoked on the breaks.

Recently, though, I got sick. It was only for two days, but then I could not get rid of the congestion in my chest. I coughed like an old woman. It scared me. I thought, if I’m this bad at 26, if I get this at 36, I’m dead.

Now I’m smoking about three or four cigarettes a day, as opposed to 30 or 40. Growing up in northern England, everyone at school smoked. My parents smoked, my grandparents smoked. I smoked in front of my mother at 14. She wasn’t happy about it, but she knew she couldn’t stop me. My grandparents have since died of lung cancer, and my dad has emphysema. He and my mother have quit.

I saw the consequences years ago, but I’ve been in denial. I’ve often said I would stop when I got pregnant. The rising cost of cigarettes isn’t an issue for me; when you’re addicted to something, it doesn’t matter. All my spending money will go to cigarettes. I’ll go without food or a new dress for them.

You can’t just cut down like I’m doing now. If I don’t just stop, I’ll be back up to 30 cigarettes a day within two weeks. This thing has got me.

I want cigarettes all the time. Thinking about never having another cigarette for the rest of my life, it’s like life would not be worth living. But the other half of my mind knows that once those chemicals leave my system, I’ll be all right.

People have told me that quitting smoking is even harder than, say, kicking heroin. I can’t believe they keep cigarettes legal. If I succeed in quitting, I’m going to be the worst anti-smoking activist you’ve seen.

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KAIA NESS

21, Loyola Marymount University theology student, Westchester

I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions, but this time of year is just a good excuse to quit. It’s easier to set a date and say, “This is it.”

I’ve smoked for two years. I’m starting to cough now, and it’s affecting my voice. I’m afraid to sing with my church choir. It’s also affected my health; I can’t lift weights and exercise any more because it’s so hard to breathe.

Smoking is based so much on who you’re around. When you’re at a party and someone lights up, all of sudden everyone else does. I intended to quit last February and then my cousin died; that was not the right time. But then there were finals; then I moved. There’s always an excuse.

Every day there’s a new study about smoking’s effects and I don’t want to take the risk anymore. My boyfriend is quitting with me; I made him. I couldn’t do it if he was still smoking around me. The smell is also an issue: The smoke is always on your clothes, and when I’m around kids, they pick it up.

I’m excited about quitting and looking forward to getting all this stuff out of my lungs. I am concerned about possible weight gain. But if that’s the only drawback to quitting, so be it. My parents are also quitting. I have a younger sister who’s 16, and she said that now that I’ll be a better example for her she’ll listen to me!

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SONIA BRASWELL

41, store employee, Robinsons-May, Venice

Why am I quitting? Because it’s too expensive now. It’s practically $5 a pack. I’ve smoked since I was 16. I stopped once for 90 days. My whole family criticizes me for smoking, so I hardly ever smoke around them or in the house. It’s just a hassle now.

I’m getting sick of smoking. I get tired a lot. And I’m getting older. I’m going to try to go cold turkey. As for incentive, I am going to put up a chart showing how much money I’ll be saving. I don’t know what I’m going to do about the possibility of eating more instead of smoking; I already have a weight problem. I need to cut back on food, too, but smoking is first.

Hopefully, I’ll start exercising to take up more of my time. I’ll miss the flavor, but it’s time to quit. My daughter is 16 and my son is 22, and neither of them smokes. They fan their hands when I’m around and call smoking “stinky.” It was cool to smoke when I was their age; that’s probably why I picked up the habit.