Know that it will take commitment and effort to quit smoking.

Sam does that mean you're contemplating such crucial cutoff

I quit 53 years ago after smoking some 12; so it can be done

OK, here's my story on how I accomplished it. First up, decided to stop after an operation on my nose to rebuild it after injuring it at gymnastics.....I lasted 12 weeks. After other attempts at one year without one cigarette, falling off the wagon again, and then a two year stint, falling off the wagon again, I nearly just kept on smoking. Here is one thing that you can watch out for, (or several actually). There's a 'hump' at 3 months; a hump at 1 year and a hump at 2 years. If you can get beyond two years, you should be able to continue, which I have done. It's nearly 22 years since I stopped smoking. I don't believe in nicotine patches, or any other aid, even hypnosis. But the kicker is you need to want to do it and realise you never will have another one again. Avoid habits where you automatically reach for a cigarette i.e. having a drink, on telephone, after dinner. Find something to replace this - one of your favourite foods for dessert, drink lots of water, eat celery and even use a pencil or pen and draw in on the end of it as if you are inhaling a cigarette. There are three components to the addiction. Nicotine, one of the strongest drugs in the world; habit, i.e. something to do with your hands and socialising. You have to be really strong for two years if you are heavily addicted. And I was a two packet a day person, along with my husband. I'm not a wowser and don't mind someone smoking outside at a table near me after all I was one once. But it is very freeing to know that the cost you are saving is enormous and food tastes much, much better. You also become much fitter and can breathe way better which energises you amazingly. Exercise, i.e. swimming or going to the gym to deal with any stress the withdrawal is causing. There is however, one pitfall - and probably the worst one - after (say) two years, don't think for one minute you can go to a party and have one puff of another person's cigarette, or just have one whole one yourself. Within a week you'll be back up to a pack a day again. Hope this helps.