Today, Tuesday, is a big day for me! 10 a.m. marks a full week without a cigarette, and if all continues to go well, I'm done for life. I've been a tobacco user for nearly a decade nonstop, beginning with chew in high school and transitioning to cigarettes for college onward. My loved ones have been pushing me to give up the habit and fight the addiction for years now, and I'm finally ready to put in the work. I've always said that if I was going to quit, it would happen during the cold months here in Ohio since I didn't smoke inside anywhere and going outside was a drag... (no pun intended!) 

I can't say exactly what the catalyst was for me to do this. Why now instead of any of those other times I've considered quitting? 

I will say I have some strong motivations to ditch this vice, from smelling badly to having to break away from others or fun activities to go outside and light one up. I especially do not want to give second hand smoke to my fiancée and our future family. The last thing I'd want is our kids to go to school with their clothes smelling like an ashtray. Additionally, I want to make everyone proud of me for bettering myself and get them to lay off! Ha! But seriously, from my health to my finances, this is probably one of the most significant decisions I have made in my life and I'm serious about moving on to a new, more free chapter in my life. Although I enjoyed certain aspects of being a tobacco user, I always felt burdened by my addiction. 

I so wish that I could casually smoke a cigarette or two on a given day, but I'm just not like that. It's got to be a full stop for me. I've been using nicotine gum to combat my cravings, and I admit that I am quite nervous to ween myself off of it. I know that former smokers always have that urge to some extent, and I'm so afraid that I will slip back into the temptation somewhere down the line. This could be triggered by an emotionally stressful time, drinking alcohol, seeing/smelling someone smoke, or something else unexpected. It's a test for my willpower, but thankfully cigarettes are culturally on their way out. If it were the 80's with cheap tobacco and smoking permitted nearly everywhere, I'd have no chance. I'm just out here taking it one day at a time, and it has been tough regardless. I want to thank my coworkers here at the radio station and everybody else who has been so supportive in pushing me through this difficult period. I hope I'm past the worst of it.  

Anyhow, here's a link to the American Lung Association's website if you're feeling inspired to ditch those cowboy killers and take care of yourself: https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/i-want-to-quit

Thank you for reading this blog and for tuning in to 94.9 WQMX!