With the current stop smoking campaign in full swing Rachel Boraston gives us a fly on the wall account of her housemates attempt to quit cigarettes.
For those of you who donÔÇÖt know, Stoptober is a new Department of Health initiative to get smokers to give up for 28 days in october. Just like that. The hope is, if they can quit for a month, they can then quit for life. Easy right? Wrong.
My housemate totally got on board with this initiative, being the only smoker in our house, quitting seemed like a logical, and beneficial thing to do. Electronic cigarette in hand, she sat down on the sofa on day one and committed to the cause. 20 minutes later.she was jonesing for her nicotine. Credit where credit is due, she stayed strong that day, sucking desperately on the E-cig, probably simulating more cigarettes then she would ordinarily smoke.
Things only got worse
Day 2 and after a stressful day of lectures (a whole two hours) She raced home for some supportÔǪall she wanted was a cigarette. The E cigarette came out and she sat on the sofa, eyes glazed, thinking of ÔÇÿthe old daysÔÇÖ when real rolies were smoked and life was good.
We had a party on Saturday. As booze and social smokers flooded our home, Stoptober became a distant memory and the promise of a smoke free 28 days was discarded. In all fairness though, how realistic is it, to give up smoking just.like.that? Intentions can be good, and will power strong, yet with numerous opportunities to smoke, and the stress of impending deadlines, joint bank accounts and dear friends throwing up in your bedroom, (blame the party), is it realistic to be expected to go cold turkey just because itÔÇÖs October? Plus, Stoptober is so demanding, so finite. IÔÇÖm not making excuses because sheÔÇÖs my friend, or maybe I am, but shouldnÔÇÖt it maybe follow the pattern of ÔÇÿCut-back-toberÔÇÖ and ÔÇÿNo-smoke -vemberÔÇÖ (ok so maybe they need a little work), but if that was the case, I think my friend might have it in the bag. LetÔÇÖs see if the next two weeks are any more successfulÔǪ
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