Ten Years Ago Today
I started smoking when I was in my early teens. My parents smoked, my older siblings smoked. My High School had a student smoking area on campus! The metalshop class even made ash trays for us. It was a different time.
Despite efforts to quit, I continued, for 35 years. I tried several methods, including prescription medicine, to no avail. I lost my brother to a rare blood cancer in 1979, Dad to lung cancer in 1986. Still couldn't quit. My older sister passed just a few years ago - lung cancer.
One day something changed.
At work, a colleague on break appeared to be smoking a cigarette. Until he turned around. It was black, and the end lit up blue as he "smoked" it. Long story short - it was an electronic cigarette, one of the early ones (orig 510). He enthusiastically told me all about it.
Interested, I researched. It appeared safer according to scientific data I reviewed. I wasn't convinced of it's ability to make me a non smoker, but it was much cheaper - worth trying.
To my incredible surprise, I lost interest in cigarettes in three days. It was a little different, but a huge help was that there were several flavors to try. Finally, an alternative to smoking that worked. It was almost fun to quit! I never looked back.
I have incrementally lowered my nicotine content over the years (not something you see tobacco users do) until I recently became nicotine free. My doctor has noticed several improved functions of my health that continue today.
Today makes 10 years ago I accidentally quit smoking!