Any one who has smoked and caught on with the habit knows how difficult it is to let go the addiction. But don’t let the naysayers fool you into thinking that quitting smoking is an impossible mission. Here are examples of people who have not only stopped lighting up but also managed to stay smoke-free.
Prasenjit Chanda , 24 years, software executive
Cause: Love can change anyone. I was a chain smoker and had absolutely no intention of stubbing out my cigarette. One day, however, my girlfriend came up to me crying, asking me to quit. I could not bear to see her tears, especially as I was the cause for them. I realised how much she cared for me. At that moment, I decided I would never smoke again.
Effect: The first few days were very difficult. I would perpetually crave for a cigarette, but was determined not to smoke. Now, it’s been nine months since I have touched a cigarette. I have gotten habituated to not smoking. Even when my friends smoke in front of me, I am unaffected. The biggest reward is my girlfriend’s smile, when she proudly tells everyone I am no longer a smoker.
Akshay Kapoor, 20 years Student, IHM Bangalore
Cause: I started smoking in class 11 with a friend. Back then, I wouldn’t say I was addicted, although we used to smoke half a pack everyday after school. It was during my internship at a hotel, when I actually started needing cigarettes. I had an erratic schedule and was stressed out most of the time. I used to smoke close to two packs a day. By the time I finished my internship, I had respiratory problems and a poor stamina. I couldn’t run or even walk for a long time. That was when I realised it was high time I quit smoking for good.
Effect: It’s been over a year, and there’s no looking back. I am very proud of myself. My health has noticeably improved. It feels amazing not to be dependent on cigarettes.
Vasu Agarwal , 26 years, Freelancing product designer
Cause: I was a chain smoker for eight years, consuming 20-25 cigarettes every day. This one time, I was representing my college in a swimming competition and couldn’t even complete a single lap. I think that was the moment I realised how much smoking had taken a toll on my stamina. It was really alarming to know that I was incapable of doing something I love. I decided to get back in shape and not let smoking dictate my life. Although I have been smoking on and off since then, I am happy to say I have been completely clean the past three months.
Effect: I don’t want to be dramatic - life really has not changed much, apart from the fact that I am much healthier.
I haven’t craved a cigarette until now, but if I ever feel like smoking I probably will go ahead and have a drag. As long as I do not smoke out of habit, I’m happy. I personally believe that smoking is the easiest habit to quit. It all comes down to will power.
Anita Sarangi, 21 years, Film student
Cause: I started smoking in college. It wasn’t peer pressure or anything, just curiosity. Over time, I was smoking a lot more a day than I had intended, and I didn’t want it to come to a point of no return. So I began reducing. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t as much the craving, as it was the fact that I was habituated to having a cigarette in my hand. When I was free, I was smoking. When I was reading, I was smoking. What suffered, then, was my basketball playing sessions in the morning and my nighttime jogs. Even, climbing up more than two flights of stairs. I didn’t want it to get any worse. All that made quitting smoking worth it. I reduced from 20 a day to ten, and then to two. Eventually, I only began smoking one or two a week, when I felt like it. With that kind of decline, it wasn’t hard to phase it out eventually.
Effect: All I have to say is that it was worth it. I can run long distances again, and my skin doesn’t look tired anymore.
Kshitij Arora, 28 years, Freelancing web designer
Cause: I started smoking after school, because it was such a rebellious, so called “badass” thing to do.
It really seems silly in hindsight, but all the cool kids did things like these, and that’s how I found myself smoking after high school, and then through college. By then, it had become a well-ingrained habit, and all my friends referred to me as the smoker. It had become part of my identity. And then, one of my family members suffered a cardiac arrest. While it wasn’t relevant to my vice, I realised the importance of good health. I realised I didn’t want to die early, and that I valued my life over a useless habit.
Effect: Quitting smoking was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I tried quitting almost five years ago, but I struggled with it and often relapsed. But with the help of my wife, and family, I’ve finally quit smoking for good, and have stayed clean for over two years now.
My appetite is so much healthier, and I feel more alive, and cleaner, somehow. I will never go back to smoking again, and would never want anybody to start smoking. It’s the worst possible habit anyone can inculcate.