Quitting Smoking: A Personal Story About Kicking the Habit

COMMENTARY | I had been meaning to quit smoking for a long time when I finally got around to it. Sure, I had tried a few times, but it never stuck. When you've smoked half a pack a day for 15 years, as I had, it goes without saying it can be a huge challenge to stop.

Years ago, when I was pregnant with my son, I managed to quit right up until the week after his birth. I was willing to quit for my child when he was in my womb, but not for myself. Why? Well, it's simple: Even after months of not smoking, I still wanted to smoke. I still craved the entire process. Lighting up, taking that first pull and holding it for a few seconds. Feeling the smoke fill my lungs and watching as I exhaled had become a comfortable, normal part of my daily life. I wasn't ready to give that up.

Fast forward eight years and countless packs of cigarettes, and I was still smoking. When I picked up my first cigarette as a teen, I never imagined myself as a smoker at the age of 28. A few months ago, I looked in the mirror and realized that was exactly what I had become. It was time to make a change.

With the introduction of electronic cigarettes to the marketplace, I saw an alternative to traditional cigarettes. Though e-cigarettes cannot legally be sold as a smoking cessation device, I decided to attempt to use them as such. I knew I wasn't ready to give up the feeling of holding a cigarette, seeing the smoke swirl in the air and, of course, the nicotine. With the e-cig, I wouldn't really have to.

I purchased my electronic cigarette online, and began using it as soon as it arrived. I cut down on regular cigarettes until I was only using the electronic one. After a few setbacks, I am finally on track to stay quit for the long haul. I still use my e-cigarette, but it isn't really a "cigarette" at all. An e-cigarette provides nicotine in the form of water vapor, without the nearly 4,000 other chemical compounds created when traditional cigarettes are burned and inhaled. Click here to check out an article that lists the chemicals and additives in cigarettes on About.com.

I still worry about giving in to the urge to smoke a real cigarette, and for good reason. My husband continues to smoke cigarettes around me, even asking me to join him, and I have given in to his peer pressure more than once. However, I am more determined than ever to stay quit, regardless of what he chooses to do. I like the fact that I'm not putting tar in my lungs, a smell in my hair and clothes, yellowing my teeth and dealing with nasty ashtrays. I like not having to worry about burning the house down. Even more, I like to look forward to the day when I can say, "I haven't smoked in years!"