Progress...?

I've been about changing my nicotine addiction for six months or so now, time to take stock.

Around Christmas / New Year I couldn't much be bothered with the fight, having the whole world taste like mint, the constant jaw-aching chewing. I was smoking more, but still less than before.

Around January I took a new tact, and started buying lighter cigarettes, half strength 8mg, although I was still using the gum too. This turned out to be a little pointless as more often than not I just cut the filter off so I could take a decent drag without doing myself an internal injury.

Now I use three-quarter strength, 12mg, which is just acceptable but the taste is lacking on a real cigarette. A packet will last two days so I suppose we can calculate the outcome as a reduction of 1/2 * 3/4 = 3/8 of what I used to smoke before all this began.

The 3/4 is a bit misleading, I stand by what I've said earlier that lighter cigarettes aren't less bad for you (please do not misconstrue anything I say as medical advice!). It's the smoldering plant matter that's carcinogenic, whether the cigarette is 1mg or a yummy 16mg.

The last couple of weeks I've been having a couple of smokes at work again, still not so many as before but it's a backward trend. This week I've been sure to be well stocked with gum, but I dislike walking around the place all night 'chewing my cud'.

The best motivation for smoking cessation (again, this is not a medical opinion...) is concern for one's own health, and cold turkey is the most effective method. I have noticed some minor detremental effects of smoking and felt improved health within a week of constant chewing - but it is not to the point of 'concern'.

Physically, it seems I've succeeded in restabilised the addiction at a somewhat lower level. Psychologically, if I were trying to "quit", I failed some months ago and would have simply returned to my old habits. I ain't no quitter. The Kampf continues...