Awesome thread earlier SamTZGonzalez, BTW...the 1st slave....
Anyways, back to the OP...
I have smoked on/off for about 15 years and I'm only 30.
When I was younger, it wasn't as much, but I still did it.
As I grew older, I realized the harsh effects of it and quit at age 22.
Took me about 30 days to get over the fact that I wasn't buying smokes anymore.
The 1st two weeks were hell on Earth for everyone around me.
I remember clear as day how hard it was to quit.
But, after those initial days, it was a matter of just breaking the habit.
Because to me, back then, it was a habit.
DO yourself a favor and quit altogether.
NO NICOTINE gum, lozenges, anything.
That just keeps it in your system and you still crave it.
The point is to completely get the nicotine out.
Takes about 24 hours to rid your body of nicotine.
After that, it's all in your mind.
Here's my hypocrisy though.
Okay. So I recently started back up again. About 2 years ago.
I stopped smoking for about 4-5 years.
Can't tell you why I started back up. Women, stress? I don't know.
Because when I didn't smoke, I hated it. A true reformed smoker.
The smell, the taste, the clothes stunk. Everything.
Now, I just smoke maybe 4-5 cigs a day.
More if I drink.
NOT THAT THIS IS ANY BETTER, but I smoke American Spirit brand now.
They say there's no additives.
I can tell the difference between these and the Marlboro/Camel I used to smoke.
HUGE difference.
Almost as if I'm not actually addicted to smoking, I just do it occasionally now.
The major brands were smoother, and easier to chain smoke.
Seems that with these ones, albeit still carcinogenic, I don't smoke as much.
I don't know, but maybe its the Major brands that do more addiction.
Of course, I am working on growing tobacco this year and getting completely off store bought smokes.
But that's a different story.
Good luck.