Behavior, Sensation and Cigarette Smoking Reduction

I will be straight up and state that I am still a smoker, but I have reduced my smoking significantly from 2 packs per day (40 cigarettes) down to 5 cigarettes per day. Quitting smoking was not the goal I had in mind when I designed this approach to the problem but the reduction of smoking behaviors was the goal. It was not hard to do as it was based on the very behavior that was conducted in the act of smoking the cigarettes. This worked while driving, studying, typing on the computer, watching television, and so on.

I had tried other smoking reduction or 'quit smoking' products and schemes and found them all wanting. Gums, pills, lozenges, patches, hard slaps in the face all did not seem to hamper my smoking behavior at all. Getting teeth pulled didn't do it either. I was still a serious smoke stack. I was one of those who should invest in the cigarette industry just to get paybacks for all the funding I was freely offering to these tobacco companies. I had even taken to 'rolling my own' as a way to slow the process of the consumption of tobacco products. I figured that if I had to roll the darn thing before I smoked it that this added condition would slow me down at least by the time it took to roll the things. It worked a little until I found that I could roll them and smoke them all at the same time, leaving time for little else.

Something had to change.

So, while as an undergraduate studying behavior analysis, social stratification issues and professional and applied ethics, I tried to reduce my smoking. I tried to do this by using some of what I had learned from my studies, as well as the subsequent augmentation of that which I had already known about behavior having been raised on a farm, hunting, fishing, tracking, and the like to assist me in this task.

The first step was analysis and identification of what all that was involved in the act of smoking a cigarette. I figured that the act of smoking was one which was in itself composed of several smaller actions, as well as a major behavioral component. I figured if the major behavior was still conducted, then the lesser ones would not be as necessary to the process.

When we look at the behavior directly associated with the act of smoking a cigarette, we can isolate the act into separate actions: 1) Taking the cigarette out of the pack, 2) lighting the cigarette, 3) smoking the cigarette (taking a drag), 4) holding the cigarette, 5) dumping the ash from the cigarette and 6) putting out the cigarette.

The percentages of when these acts occur seems to follow the following rates:
1) Taking the cigarette out of the pack = 1%, 2) lighting the cigarette = 1%, 3) smoking the cigarette (taking a drag) = 20%, 4) holding the cigarette = 67%, 5) dumping the ash from the cigarette = 10% and 6) putting out the cigarette = 1%.

The major component wasn't dragging or actually smoking the cigarette at all. The major behavioral component was actually the simple act of holding the cigarette.

We can seriously consider the variations of the timing involved with any of the percentages involved, such as windy situations making lighting the cigarette longer in duration, dropping the cigarette that we got out of our pack, putting out the fire that started because we dropped the cigarette after burning ourselves, and so on. But the point here is that the major behavior is so much more prevalent than the others regardless of the other little changes made to the different minor actions involved to make these differences somewhat moot.

So how do we copy or mimic the major behavior close enough to make the other behaviors associated with our smoking not as necessary? My answer was really simple, did not require a lot of preparation or materials to accomplish or implement, had made me look goofy all day, had made me answer a lot of questions about what and why I was doing what I was doing, but all in all it worked.

The solution as to how to mimic that major behavior? I taped a cigarette butt between the fingers I always held the cigarette between. That was all I did.

The presence of the cigarette butt between my fingers had me not lighting those cigarettes as much. Sure I was passing a unlit cigarette butt before my face quite often, often to the distraction of others, as well as drawing a lot of weird looks from the people around me, but the effect was as desired: An immediate behavioral reduction of the actual smoking process and subsequent immediate savings of the funds I was spending on the cigarettes that I did not smoke. That was something to celebrate.

You may want to augment this procedure with others that I have also added in there since I began this type of self-treatment or self-modified behavioral intervention. I also include the rule that there is either an isolated spot in the house where I smoke or there is a rule that I must do so outside. This adds environmental considerations which also get drilled into the subconscious with regard to the smoking impulse and behavioral actions involved. One is not so likely to want to go out to 'enjoy' a smoke by taking oneself outside in the cold night or morning air to do so. If you use an isolated area make sure you cannot do much of anything else in that area, or you will hang out there until dooms day. Do not select your favorite or most likely hangout spot either. Pick somewhere you do not want to be in and you will not want to be in there for long.

All I can say for the effectiveness per person is that they should try it and see if it works. After all, you have nothing to lose and the money from the cigarettes you do not smoke trying this as a reward for the attempt.

As for the effectiveness of the technique with cigar smoking. Well, I personally could not countenance the action of taping a cigar to my fingers all day long, but maybe you have more sand than I do and can swing that action, as well as the comments and the looks it will draw better than I.

Try it. It may help you reduce your smoking like it has mine!