Lilly

So I had dinner with someone I hadn't seen for 5 years tonight and they still smoke. It was really pissing me off that they kept just "popping outside for a cigarette.". Our catch up conversation kept getting interrupted so they could go and get their fix. Each time I sat there on my own just waiting the 5 minutes for them to get back. I still can't decide if I was being selfish or they were. After five years of not seeing me couldn't they have waited 90 minutes to smoke.

But they will still sell traditional cigarettes;that also cause deaths. The irony

A I do think it's odd that after all these years of people vaping suddenly this is happening. Maybe it is the THC. Maybe it's the nicotine salts that are used. Maybe it's since Juul came along. In the States you are allowed 59mg of nicotine in one pod. They only allow 20mg here in the Juul pods. What I find strange is why they haven't found an actual cause. Based on the media it seems all that is being done is questioning the people affected looking for a link. Why aren't they testing the e-liquids these people have used? There doesn't seem to be much effort going into finding out the cause. If this was NCIS then Abbey would have known exactly what the killer ingredients were by now. I'm not sure a conspiracy caused this, but I do think there might be a bit of a conspiracy in not revealing the cause. I do have a feeling that they aren't confirming anything to damage the vaping industry. When people are dying it's not about whether you agree or disagree with vaping - it should only be about why those lives have been lost. It's very weird it's all in America though.

Abby I hope you're feeling better. Thinking of you x x x

They are beautiful @catlover

I would never have linked smoking and cholesterol so thanks for posting about it.

I've not had a smoking dream. Is it just the act itself or do you get the taste and smell too.

Are you not a month quit today?

Oh my frigging god lol

You are so right @Sazerac I romanced the cigarette for nearly 40 years. The power of addiction is really frightening. The biggest obstacle with quitting in the early days is getting far enough away from the addiction to see it for what it really is. I do struggle from time to time but I know for a fact that is just the addiction trying to get it's hooks into me again. I learnt three really important lessons here. 1 - take smoking of the table. Do anything else but don't make smoking an option 2 - giving smoking any positive thoughts is nothing more than junkie thinking 3 - keeping the quit you have can sometimes feel like hard work but it's easier to keep the quit you have than start another one

Being here and interacting is a good start. I was welcomed here when I was still smoking and it made me desperate to be a quitter like everyone else. Stick around and post lots. I did jillars thing of not smoking in my regular places. It meant I was breaking a lot of associations before my quit even started which helped ease the bigger triggers. I also found my own thinking affected my quit. If I went around like a miserable I miss smoking mess my quit was hard. If I oozed happiness at being quit it was just so much easier. Planning is the easiest part. It's simple to say I'm going to quit while you're still smoking. As your quit gets nearer you start thinking up reasons why you should put off the date. The deadline you'll never meet if you're not smoking, the party you've agreed to go to etc etc etc. Quit and stick with it. You'll find lots of support here so use it. Good Luck

Try not to look at the cigarettes around you - focus on the people dying from smoking around you.

This is the danger of quit buddies ie they broke their quit and you then broke yours. Good to see you back to quitting

I pop in from time to time but my life has literally taken off since I quit. I'm almost 7 months now x

So happy for you Abby x x

Good going bakon

Congratulations MQ

I prefer this. People who never come to the forum get celebration posts and those that do often got forgotten. People should just post their own celebrations, or on your new thread.

weirdly a lot of what you say is how a lot of people speak like here but without the accent. I understand 98% of what you say. sorry but I can't uncluck the underline button.

Congratulations Jillar. You've got all the makings of an amazing moderator. You're kind but firm, you take time to support everyone, you always encourage those of us who repeatedly fail and you're not part of a group, you're everyone's friend. So happy for you x x

I live with two smokers. I have never asked them to change their habits as I know if they had ever asked me I would have said no.

Thank you everyone. You've put my mind at rest boo so thank you for that. QueenB you are doing so well. We are very close in our quits and it's so good to see us both getting closer to that one year mark x Update - I can't seem to get the thought of smoking out my head. I keep telling myself I've proved I can do it and feel I've achieved my goal. Hope this thought doesn't keep growing.

The side effects of a chest infection lasts quite a while so it might be that. Just think how bad you would feel if you were still pumping smoke into your lungs every day. No harm in getting your doctor to check you out to be on the safe side.

I really can't believe I am saying that. One of the best things I ever did. I still don't feel confident enough to say I'll never smoke again. That scares me a little because I feel I'm leaving the door open still. I over think everything though so could be I'm just doing that with my quit. I appreciate the smallest things the most like my clothes still smelling freshly washed at the end of the day. My perfume lasts ages now that I'm not pouring half the bottle over me to cover up the smell of cigarettes x

I used the patch. Just be careful as if it was working you still have nicotine in your system which might be why you haven't noticed anything yet. Not trying to pee on your parade.