Ideas on how to stay smoke free?

**MomToTwoBoys** · 01-02-2010, 05:23 PM

DH decided to tell me this morning that he was quitting smoking. Huzzah! I've wanted him to quit for a while (I haven't smoked in seven years this coming February) because my dad passed away a few years back from lung cancer.

He asked me to pick him up some supplies...

ugh.

This is going to take a toll on our food budget. I made a joke about revoking his ATM card, and he didn't care for that.

I bought him trail mix, lollipops, red licorice, juice, etc today. Oh and I also bought him some chips.

Now, I'm really in need of some better ways to help purge his oral fixation and keep him from going nuts. I quit because I was pregnant and never had the craving to go back to it, so I was done. I don't think my method of quitting will work for him.

Any ideas out there? He tried medication and it gave him nightmares. He tried the patch but it didn't work well. He's not good with hypnosis either. We were spending $67 every week on smokes for him, so it's past time for him to quit.

**Luckybustert** · 01-02-2010, 05:51 PM

How about substituting a different habit, such as getting up and going for a walk around the block everytime he has a craving?

I quit a little over 9 years ago...cold turkey. It's the only method that ever worked for me, and when I decided I was ready I really didn't have a lot of cravings for them. When I did crave it, I would either chew gum or chew on a straw until the urge passed.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 01-02-2010, 06:22 PM

Originally Posted by Luckybustert

How about substituting a different habit, such as getting up and going for a walk around the block everytime he has a craving?

I quit a little over 9 years ago...cold turkey. It's the only method that ever worked for me, and when I decided I was ready I really didn't have a lot of cravings for them. When I did crave it, I would either chew gum or chew on a straw until the urge passed.

I'm gonna get him to brush his teeth too to get rid of it. I tried that a few times and found that it works. I'd rather have him chew on a toothbrush than a pen.

I'll pass that along to him.

**craftypam** · 01-02-2010, 06:28 PM

I'm not sure what kind of medication that he tried and had problems with, but my ds was so addicted I thought he'd never quit. He used Wellbutrin and hasn't smoked in several months. There is another name for it, but I'm not sure what it is right now. If you need the other name let me know.

My dh quit smoking several years ago and he used pretzel rods and jolly ranchers.

**Russ** · 01-02-2010, 06:31 PM

Jolly Ranchers. I could never get used to lollipops and would always take em out of my mouth.

He needs to keep busy!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 01-02-2010, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by craftypam

I'm not sure what kind of medication that he tried and had problems with, but my ds was so addicted I thought he'd never quit. He used Wellbutrin and hasn't smoked in several months. There is another name for it, but I'm not sure what it is right now. If you need the other name let me know.

My dh quit smoking several years ago and he used pretzel rods and jolly ranchers.

Wellbutrin is also Zyban, which is what he was on before. He said it was worse than when he quit smoking pot. I know the side effects differ from person to person and I think he got the raw end of the worse effects.

I'm gonna stock more snacks in the house, probably gonna get him to eat carrot sticks and apple slices and other items that are better for him than twizzlers and suckers and the sort.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 01-02-2010, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by rcannon

Jolly Ranchers. I could never get used to lollipops and would always take em out of my mouth.

He needs to keep busy!

It's so cold out too, or I'd have him outside redoing the entire yard for the house sale in the summer.

I could get him to fix the hole in the wall behind the bathroom door to start out with... that might do for the next few days.

**mombottoo** · 01-02-2010, 06:44 PM

For me it's all about the hands, along with watching the smoke. I smoke now, but I did quit a few years back and was able to kick the habit for over 2 years.

What worked for me was keeping my hands busy and sucking on peppermints. Substituting a lot of junk food in place of cigarettes is just asking for a different set of health problems. If he gets the urge to smoke, he should find something to do to take his mind off the urge until it passes. A friend of ours chewed on straws, not good for the teeth over the long haul but it might work for the short term until he's been smoke free for a few months. Chewing gum also worked well for me, but I have dentures so I had to buy the non-stick kind LOL.

Best of luck to your dh...I'm going to give quitting a try again some day.

**Brat** · 01-02-2010, 06:58 PM

Chewed on straws, coffee stir sticks, Jolly Ranchers was and still is my best friend and I have been quit for over 3 years.

I took the new one Chantix..don't know that that is what caused the stomach trouble but spending as much in Dr bills now that I use to spend on smokes...lol

**justpeachy92** · 01-02-2010, 07:59 PM

For me I needed something to do with my hands. So I took up crocheting. IT relaxed me and kept both of my hands busy, I got so inot the project that cigarette cravings were minimal. So I would suggest a hobby of some sore, perhaps putting a model car together.

**justpeachy92** · 01-02-2010, 08:04 PM

Another thing that was a big motivator for me was my money jar. Every week I put in the amount of money that I used to spend on smokes. Visually seeing how much I was saving by not smoking, and being allowed to treat myself with that money after being smoke free for 6 months was nice. I felt the need to control where that money went for a little while just cause it was the money that was budgeted for my bad habit.

**Tnmom** · 01-02-2010, 08:11 PM

Sunflower seeds..and glass candy. I quit 2 years ago yesterday and those two things got me over the worst part of it.

What keeps me off of them is remembering the Heck I went thru trying to quit and reminding myself that I don't want to go thru that again and 1 will be all that it takes.

Tell him GOOD LUCK and HE CAN DO IT!!!

**gratitude** · 01-02-2010, 09:22 PM

DH and I just got our scripts for Chantix we are getting them filled tom. I tried Chantix like a year ago, and had really odd dreams so I stopped because it freaked me out. I will say though that it really did reduce my urge to smoke, and it is the only thing that ever has and I have tried a lot! so I am giving it another shot. I have decided the odd (not scary) dreams are better than dying of lung cancer!

**Lindsay E** · 01-02-2010, 10:26 PM

My sister is reading a book right now she's just raving about, Allen Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking. Maybe you could take it out of the library. She hasn't gotten to the part of the book where you actually stop yet, so I can't tell you if it works. You are supposed to continue to smoke as you normally do til you finish the book.

That said, my bf just quit and wasn't such a fan of the book, he didn't even read the whole thing. He used nicotine patches instead. When I quit three years ago I took up knitting to have something to do with my hands.. I think it helped a lot. My Dad once told me he quit by drinking orange juice when he had a craving. The idea was the aftertaste of orange juice mixed with cigarette was unappealing enough you wouldn't want one any more.

**pat in east texas** · 01-03-2010, 07:41 AM

Throw out all the smoking stuff - ashtrays, lighters, cigarette cases, tobacco-oriented t-shirts. ALL of it.
Clean everything in the house. See all the gunky stuff that gets on windows, walls, knickknacks, on your cleaning cloths.
Know that the first week will be very hard physically, but after that the nicotine will be out of your system; the rest is psychological.
When the urge hits, drink a glass or two of water, and take 3 or 4 really deep breaths.
Keep telling yourself "I don't have to do that anymore".
Don't run out of Jolly Ranchers!
Put the cigarette money in the change jar, and look forward to what it will buy.
Good luck. Keep us posted.