I'm happy to say I was able to quit a rather significant smoking habit a half a dozen years ago. I rarely have any urge to light up...but the recent increase in quit-smoking ads on TV has me on edge. The more the doctor or the concerned family-member or the hired voice-over announcer sell their product, the more I start remembering why I smoked all those years! Like most drugs, people use 'em cause they make you feel good...even if you have to inhale smoke into your lungs for it to work.
I know all it would take is a single cigarette and I would be buying a carton that afternoon. I'm not too worried about falling off the wagon, but it sure would be easier if we could stop all those QUIT! reminders.
[You'll have to take my word for this...I wrote the above early this week and was holding it to release this weekend when I'll be crazy doing Christmas stuff. Then, a moment ago, I saw this story in the NY Times. Coincidence? Must be..or great minds think alike. You decide. (-: ]
The drug Chantix has some very frightening side effects. I know a lot of people who said it was the worst thing they had ever taken. What's really funny is that while they were taking Chantix they became agitated and some even reported homicidal feelings. I'm like, "Hell, that's the way I felt every time I ever tried to quit." So I guess Chantix doesn't work for anything more than very vivid nightmares.
ReplyDeleteThe anti-smoking ads annoy me to some extent too...but they are better than the anti-drug ads, one of which appears to show three young boys with nefarious ideas involving a pony. And at least if you ignore the anti-smoking ads and keep smoking anyway you won't be sentenced to same sex rape in a government cage for 20 years. The anti-smoking ads have reduced smoking and they didn't have to arrest 20 million people to do it. Oh that they could be as smart about other drugs.