Never on Saturday

Allow me to share with you a success story of sorts. After 43 years of rather serious and continual smoking, I recently quit. During those more than four decades I was quite a smoking triple threat: cigars, pipes, cigarettes. Anything that burned tobacco. As my old high school teacher so graphically described it: "A fool at one end and evaporating wealth at the other."

There are burn holes, to memorialize my affliction, in the hole and gave weight to my almost every article of clothing I ever wore. That's only the conspicuous marks on the outside. I hate to think of the less visible, more invidious, inner body scars. Hopefully it's now done with and both clothes and body will no longer be mutilated.

In all the 43 years of my addiction I had the blithe feeling I could quit at any time. It was premised primarily on the fact that I never, never smoked on the Sabbath, commencing Friday evening and ending Saturday night. I not only didn't smoke on Saturday but I had absolutely no desire to — no matter what the circumstances or provocations. It was my ace in the hole and gave weight to my belief that, if I could stop so easily on Saturday, it couldn't be so hard to quit any time I wished.

Could stop for the spiritual, the divine; for the sake of others; but, not for self

Little did I realize how I was deluding myself and discounting the fact that I could hardly wait for the first star to appear Saturday night so I could pop a cigarette in my mouth. In fact, beseeched me to quit. The cost of tobacco kept going up. There was no valid reason for not taking the pledge, and yet I kept putting it off for reasons best known to psychologists and behavioral experts.

Did the hypnotist help?

No cataclysmic event triggered my quitting. On a whim, and spurred by a friend's successful experience, I made an appointment to see a hypnotist. It was a most felicitous decision. Not that the hypnotist mesmerized me or worked his magic spell. On the contrary, during the short, ineffectual session I listened to his canned spiel with mounting annoyance and pique.

Nevertheless, it brought into sharp focus the fact that no commercial program could accomplish what I, and I alone, had to do. For the first time in my life I vowed that I was going to quit, and not just think or talk about it. So, perhaps that hypnotist did more for me than I realized.

An estimated 30 million smokers have quit in the last 20 years, but 30% of women and 40% of men still smoke. About two-thirds of those now smoking have tried to quit at least once. A profusion of commercial programs have been designed in recent years to help smokers quit. Each method initially induces approximately 50% of smokers to quit, but only a small percentage of those remain abstinent for one year.

The continued prosperity of the tobacco companies attests most eloquently to the difficulty of wiping out the smoking scourge. Simple nicotine addiction does not completely explain smoking habituation. Most smokers, while complaining that the cigarettes are less satisfying, will nevertheless continue to smoke lower-tar or even nicotine-free cigarettes. It is likely that social, environmental, peer and work pressure factors are instrumental for inducing and sustaining smoking. Some personal observations and reflections might be helpful to others in similar situations.

It ain't easy! As with any long-standing addiction, I have encountered a variety of withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, increased appetite gain, and a craving for cigarettes. Two months down the road and the withdrawal symptoms still persist. Hopefully, they are transient.

— Eschew all thoughts of smoking. Remove from sight all tobacco products and paraphernalia, and avoid being around smokers whenever possible. As often is the case, discretion is the better part of valor.

— Set a firm date to quit; then quit, 'cold turkey.' It's not any easier to taper off by reducing consumption as the ultimate and only goal is total abstinence.

— Modify behavior patterns where they are associated with smoking. For example, if you are accustomed to having a cigarette with your coffee, switch to tea, milk or even water. If you reach for a cigarette when making a telephone call, then keep all tobacco products away from the telephone area and force yourself to pick up the telephone without lighting up.

About three weeks later, on January 19, 1983, at 3:00 p.m., I smoked my last cigarette.

I smiled to myself at Lisa's simple request for the less than 30 minutes it would take me to drive home. But 10 minutes from home I succumbed and lit the darned cigarette. My conscience gave a tug at every puff. I never enjoyed a smoke less. I was filled with remorse, chagrin, self-reproach and anger.

Then and there I made my vow. My failure to heed a simple 30-minute made out of love and solicitude by a caring daughter revealed a conspicuous lack of self-control. It was time I took charge of my own life again.

She refused to allow me to light up in the car. To humor her, because of my great love for her, I made no issue of it and anticipated the pleasure of grabbing a cigarette as soon as I dropped her off at Lisa's. I returned to the car after her departure. I noticed a slip of paper on her vacated seat. It read as follows: "DON'T SMOKE A CIGARETTE ON THE WAY BACK."