rod03801: Nicotine patches or an electronic cigarette that delivers only nictotine (no tars and no carcinogens) in water vapor is something I might try. I've heard either of those can work if I stick with them. Do I need to see a doctor to get the patches, or are they sold over the counter?

I like the idea of an electronic cigarette. It's supposed to be half as expensive as buying regular cigarettes, but I stopped buying cartons of smokes years ago when they only cost a fraction of what they do now, so to me it would be much more expensive than continuing to smoke. The cost of a product like patches or a fake cigarette is something I have to consider, especially if I'm not sure it will without question lead to becoming smoke free.

I've tried quiting before, in fact so many times that I gave up quiting because it was becoming a ridiculous exercise in good intentions... they were 'feel good' efforts with no results. LOL That sounds familiar, kind of like how politics is practiced today in contrast to 30 or 40 years ago.

I know this is the politics board, but most of time I can't stand politics, and if I play politics with myself when trying to give up smoking I'll lose everytime. The real battle will be mental. I have to want something enough to put up with any discomfort that may discourage me... so a lot my focus will have to be less on the mechanics of stopping and more on what my mind is doing. I know that if I continue to "hold out" between smokes, and immediately stop puffiing on each one when the discomfort abaits, I'll become less addicted as time goes by. This can work, but it means practicing self discipline and not giving up on it for a long time... it could several months or even years to get to the same point you were able to get to when you got to the smallest patch.