Share your success

If you would like to share your success story, please email us at QuittinTime@gov.bc.ca. Please note that your story may be posted here.

The BC Public Service Agency does not endorse or recommend any commercial products, processes or services. The views and opinions of the authors of the Success Stories do not necessarily state or reflect those of the BC Public Service Agency, and they may not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

From: Maxine Kemball

I quit smoking on April 29, 2009 due in large part to the Quittin Time Program and Champix. I have been told by people who have quit for seven years that they still like the smell of cigarette smoke but the urge to have one has passed. Some days go by and I don’t even think about it and other days come and all I can think about is having a cigarette and how relaxing it would be.

I had tried once before and made it to six days smoke free. This is my main motivator as I keep telling myself that I have never quit for this long before, don’t start now. I think if I started again I would never quit. My fellow staff members have been very supportive and even presented me with our office STAR – Small Token of Appreciation and Recognition trophy to display proudly on my desk. My brother has never been a smoker and reminds me constantly about “quitting”. He phones me on a regular basis just to see how I am doing and if I am still smoke free.

I was the biggest sceptic you have ever seen when it comes to being successful in the clean air program. I knew I needed something to make me quit because Zyban did not work last time I made an attempt. When you had to rate yourself during one of the counsellor phone calls I rated myself as extremely doubtful to succeed. Even the pharmacist found it hard to believe that I was so sure I would never succeed because she even told another customer buying Champix how positive and committed I was.

From: Julia Knopp

I started smoking in high school when I was about 15 years old, and by the time I was 18, I was a pack a day smoker – sometimes more on weekends. I never thought about quitting – I really liked smoking! However, when I was pregnant with my first son I did try – and couldn’t do it. (I did cut back however). With my second pregnancy, I didn’t even try to quit; that was before we knew what smoking could do to our babies. Everybody I knew smoked, including parents, aunts, uncles, etc. Over the years, with more and more evidence of what smoking can do to you, I tried to quit a few times – to no avail, and I was unhappy with the weight I gained every time I tried to quit which also sabotaged my resolve. Until last fall that is. Then, I began a live-in relationship with a non-smoker and began to feel like a leper or drug addict, every time I went outside for a smoke. Also, it gets quite cold where we live. For those reasons, I decided I needed to quit. So, after smoking for 40 years, I joined the Quittin’ Time program, went to the doctor and got a prescription for Champix. This really worked! By the time I had been taking the medication for 4 weeks, I didn’t want to smoke anymore. I continued to take it for a couple of weeks more, and then stopped. I have been a non-smoker for over a year now. Now, if I get the urge to smoke, which isn’t often, nicorette gum helps. Interestingly enough, I didn’t gain that much weight – only about 10-15 lbs. (depending on the day) and it doesn’t really bother me. I also didn’t change my lifestyle because I felt that if I was going to deny myself cigarettes, I was still going to enjoy everything else. I think that helped too.

My success inspired family members to quit too – they felt that if I could do it – so could they!

From: Joan Parkin

Quitting was not the problem for me. It was staying a non smoker that I struggled with. I had quit many times and just could not seem to make it stick regardless of the methods I tried. I was determined to get this monkey off my back. I really hated the feeling that I was being controlled by the cigarettes. I tried every known method but I always started up again.

Finally I decided to try and quit again while I was visiting my mother at the hospital where she was having surgery to expand the arteries in her neck. The problem was caused by the arteries being narrowed due to her cigarette habit. I also watched a group of cancer patients repeatedly hang outside the hospital doors at the cancer clinic and smoke. From seeing this it finally dawned on me that my own dirty habit was going to kill me.

I have now been clean of cigarettes for 13 years thanks in part to gradually weaning myself off Nicorette gum and calling on a good friend (an ex smoker) who agreed to mentor me. If I felt like smoking I called Wendy up and she would blow holes in my reasons for wanting a cigarette. After that it's very difficult ot rationalize or justify why you want to put a known cancer & stroke causing agent in your mouth.

The real secret though was never giving myself permission to smoke again. It worked for Wendy and it worked for me even though my husband continued to be a smoker for about 10 years after I quit. Incidentlally. he finally quit too about 3 yers ago and was surprised by how easy it was to quit.

Make yourself ready and go for it. Life is a lot more pleasant without clouds of stinking smoke fogging your brain.

From: Doug Lewis

Hi there. I had an anti-smoking laser treatment on May 31st of 2008 and have not had a cigarette since. The laser device looks like a fat pen and is put on, presumably, accupressure/puncture points for a few seconds each. The treatment lasted a few minutes, certainly not a long time. After smoking for 40 years, ending with a 30 smoke a day addiction, the ending was quite casual. I gave what cigs I had to someone else and have not looked back. There are occasional cravings, a fact acknowledged by just about everyone with whom I spoke about quitting, but they are not strong or frequent and reducing on both fronts. (Speaking of reducing, but that is another story…………….)
This treatment works for some but not all. Give it a try if other methods have not been helpful. I tried some…..cold turkey, Welbutrin, Patches and other drugs as prescribed by a Doctor who ran a quit smoking group.
So far, so good.

From: Judie Connell

My husband was a 2 1/2 pack a day for over 40 years and I was a 1/2 - 1 pack a day smoker for the past 30 years. In January, 2008, we picked up our prescription for our "Miracle Drug", Champix. We chose our quitting day to be January 18, 2008. My husband thought I was crazy; there was no way he would be able to stop smoking 2 weeks into the program. Well, maybe I was a little more determined, but here we are October 20, 2008. and have not had a cigarette since January 18. Nor do we have a desire to even want one. We have been each others strength and support and at least once a week we reinforce our non-smoking commitment to each other (a hug and a kiss and an "aren't you glad that we don't smoke any more) is all it takes for us.

We may have gained a bit of weight, but now I am ready to get rid of that too.

It feels so good to not be a slave to this terrible addiction.

From: Michael Carpenter

I was really pleased to see that our employer wanted to support and help us to quit smoking-it is something that I really wanted to do and I know that the support (both financial and peer/counselling) is very important.

I also wanted to try Champix so I really appreciated the fact that this very expensive drug was covered through my extended health benefits as a Quittin' Time program registrant. I registered and spent time talking with counsellors from Quitnet in preparation to let go of the weed. I found them to be very helpful, although I had to put aside my tendency to think that I had heard it all before. After all, if I’d been listening I'd have been successful in quitting now, wouldn't I?

I took Champix for 6 weeks and tapered off before I quit...to only one or two cigarettes per day. I quit on July 10th while I was on holidays, and I have never looked back. It is now almost 4 months and I really feel like I've got it this time. I just have to remember that this is a deadly addiction and I can't flirt with it at all.

I would highly recommend Champix (although you really need to consult with your doctor). It made the whole early withdrawal process so much easier for me. I had been so frightened of the withdrawal and the relentless, potent early cravings, and Champix made it SO much easier for me.

Quitting smoking is the biggest gift I've given myself in years, and I am deeply grateful for the support from Quittin' Time.

Thank you!

From: Jeff Oulton

I was one of the early registrants for this program. I placed the call within five minutes of what was likely a ministry-wide email. It may sound like a broken record to a non-smoker, but I tried to quit several times over the years. I won't say how many years or how many times. I had a pattern of falling back into smoking because stress was one of my cigarette triggers - and who among us is stress free? And of course, there were other triggers. These triggers exist to ensure that nicotine continues to be ingested.

Smoking is both a habit and a nicotine addiction. My earlier attempts to quit were recognition that smoking is unhealthy but I had no tools or tips on how to be successful. Successful quitters would tell me "You've got to want to quit" and each time I thought I was ready. In hindsight I was never mentally prepared. This program gave me some tips on how to disrupt the habit and ideas for coping with "withdrawal".

…This is mid-April and my quit date was back in November. I've been nicotine free since then. From past experience, I know that one cigarette leads to another so I'm avoiding that first one. It has not been a walk in the park. My body had 35 years to establish the habit and addiction. Many times a day I still experience strong cravings but I handle them one at a time. The Quittin’ Time program gave me enough information and support to get me thinking and acting differently about quitting. Maybe that is what they meant by "wanting to quit" - who knows?

…June 4, 2008 Update
I built a simple spreadsheet that recalculates the number of non-smoking days - all you do is open it. I just checked and today is DAY 186. This is slightly more than six months. The "demand" for nicotine is easing up although there still are times when I almost vomit because the cravings are so strong. I smoked for 35 years so I can't expect to break free in six months. One craving at a time is all I need to handle. The more times I handle one craving the more time elapses since my quit day.

Notes from the editor:
To create the spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel
1> insert the function for today’s date- TODAY()
2> in another cell, enter your quit date in the numerical YYYY-MM-DD
3> in another cell, enter the subtraction formula SUM=(corresponding cell with today’s date – corresponding cell with quit date). Format this cell as a number (select Format…Cells…Number…Number)

From: Debbie Robinson

I really enjoy smoking. I have smoked for over 40 years and I didn't want to quit smoking but my doctor, my family, my friends and society, as a whole, thought otherwise. So, when the Quittin' Time initiative came about, I thought that it might be a good time to 'try' to quit smoking in order to keep the individuals, who were more concerned about my health than I was, happy. I had also heard about a newer medication, Champix, from personal acquaintances and the success that they were having/had with it. So, with the Quittin' Time initiative, a prescription for Champix and an agreement with my best friend, I decided to "give it a go".

Well, to my amazement and the amazement of many others, I am in my ninth week as a non-smoker and still waiting for something to happen to convince me otherwise. I credit my achievement to the Champix medication, the Quittin' Time initiative and my personal resistance to the periodic 'urges' (not cravings) that I experienced and still experience, although these urges have subsided quite a bit.

The 'habit' of smoking was the most difficult for me to get past. The Champix took away the actual nicotine 'craving'. When I did smoke during the first two weeks of taking the Champix, there was little and then no satisfaction from the cigarettes that I was smoking and thought I needed. The Quittin' Time support staff seemed to call me at the 'right' moments. I was told by my ex-smoker friends that the 'urges' would pass quickly and not to 'give into' them (this was very helpful advice and proved to be true).

I have promoted Champix to a number of other 'smokers' and have heard lots of amazing, success stories associated with the Champix from a number of individuals. Of course, anything and everything we do takes some personal effort - mine was not giving into the 'urges'. I have amazed myself with my efforts and achievement. I totally recommend Champix, along with the advice from support groups such as Quittin' Time and/or the advice from ex-smokers to any long-time smokers who feel that it's time to quit smoking and/or have been advised by their doctor to do so. I wish anyone and everyone who attempts to quit smoking much success.

Still in amazement, still not smoking……Debbie Robinson

P.S. My best friend has also quit smoking with the use of Champix.

From: Sylvia Gibbons

I am 48 years old and I confess I have been smoking for over 30 years!

I have never been what people call a heavy smoker, at worst a pack every two days and at best one pack every four days - quitting during my pregnant years - more of an evening smoker in the past six years.

I have many single girlfriends and one by one, they have become proud non-smokers. I was the last. I tried to tell myself that I could be a "social" smoker and did well with that until I received a phone call that Charlene, a friend of 35 years had been diagnosed with lung cancer. This was February 2008. Two days later I was at the doctor’s office and asked for Champix, it’s a prescription pill designed to help smokers stop smoking. Yes, I did my research first. In March, I began my program.

On April 10th we attended the service of this much loved friend. She left behind a 17 year old son - it broke my heart watching this boy. Charlene was a single mom and Justin has never known his father. I lit my last cigarette that day and I hope to never light up again.

I keep a picture of Charlene at my desk and at home on my fridge as a reminder. I am a mom of three grown sons (who don’t smoke) and two beautiful grandchildren - what was I thinking? I have not had the urge to light up, and I'm happy to have my money back in my wallet. I feel better, I accomplish more, and I know I must smell a whole lot better!

I will continue on my "program" for as long as it takes. I have worked for the provincial government for 21 years and I want to retire in good health in nine years. There is no reason for smoking, so if you have a spouse or a friend that is experiencing difficulty let them know there is help out there. For me, I needed the extra help of prescription medicine. I encourage those to do whatever it takes to be smoke free. I'm so proud of myself and I know Charlene would be for me too.

From: Thelma Haines

In February I came down with a very bad cold (flu) and was in bed for a week. When I was finally well enough to get up and at it again first thing I did was go outside for a smoke. Every cigarette I have lit in the past three years I have beat myself up over. I lost my mother to lung cancer - she was a heavy smoker. I just decided in that moment that if I have not had a cigarette for a week why would I have one now?

It's now been two months and I have not had a cigarette. I have not used anything but my own will power. I had never tried quitting before - thought about it a lot but never thought I could do it. If I can do it, anybody can.

By this July I would have been smoking for 40 years. I started the night they walked on the moon.

Also my husband quit as well about three weeks after I did and he is also still not smoking.

Kelly Glenn

In early February Kelly Glenn from the Ministry of Forests and Range in Fort St. James celebrated 100 days of being smoke-free with the help of her supportive colleagues.

Way to go Kelly!

Kelly with her cake (a broken cigarette)

From: Wayne Richardson

I am 47 years old and have been a smoker since I was 14. During those 33 years I did quit for a 5 year period. Most of the time I spent as a smoker I used about one pack a day. I went through a 4 year period (up until one year ago) where I was a two pack a day user. At that time I was a Class One truck driver.

I had been wanting to quit for a very long time. When I found out about the Quittin' Time program I made the decision to actually do it. It is not an easy thing to do but I believe anyone can quit. You absolutely have to pound it into your mind that you can quit and once you do keep telling yourself, that you are a non smoker.

I smoked my last one Febuary 18, 2008 and haven't had one since. It took only three days before I noticed my sense of taste and smell returning. I stopped coughing completely after five days.
I used the patch for three weeks and when I stopped using it I had no cravings or any withdrawal symptoms. I am amazed.

It was pretty strange considering that when I was still smoking and felt like stepping out for one; my craving for one was so intense I almost felt sick to my stomach.

I signed up near the end of the Quittin Time program so I didn't get all the benefits of the program, but the couple of phone calls I did get from the counsellors did help.

Thanks to everyone involved with the program and I recommend all smokers sign up and take advantage of it. Remember, anyone can quit.

From: Melanie Hope

In December of 2007, after 20 years as a smoker, I made the decision to try to give it up. Like most smokers, I had considered quitting numerous times and in fact had stopped for just over a year back in 2000. In December, one of my co-workers (herself a recent ex-smoker) put a "Quittin' Time" pamphlet on my desk. I was quite nervous to try, but given the confidential nature of the program (if I did not succeed, no one would ever know!), I decided to give it a try. At first, I even kept my decision to try and quit from my partner, friends and family. I contacted the folks at Quittin' Time and we made our initial appointment for early January when I returned from holidays.

In the second week of January, prior to my first appointment with the Quittin' Time counsellor, I had a surprise - I learned that I was pregnant! Needless to say, I now had another huge reason to quit. My first appointment with the counsellor set the tone for the next month. She was incredibly supportive, gave me a number of tips, was totally non-judgemental (unlike me!) about the fact that I was still smoking while pregnant, and helped me develop a plan to quit. When I found out I was pregnant, I had managed to cut down to two/day, but I was struggling with this. The counsellor's tips, even those I thought would never help, did help ease my struggle as I moved along in my plan. We decided that after two weeks, I would go down to one/day. I marked my calendar and booked another appointment with a counsellor for the day I went down to one. My second phone appointment was with a different counsellor who offered me all sorts of additional tips and really made me feel great about how well I was doing. He supported me to continue with one/day for another week and to stick with my plan to quit on January 31. We booked another appointment for quitting day and I felt confident I could achieve the goal.

On my quitting day, I looked forward to my appointment with the counsellor. Along the way, each counsellor I spoke with understood my challenge and ensured I was proud of my accomplishments thus far. When I spoke with the counsellor that night, I had not had a cigarette all day and really felt ok with it. It still amazes me every day that I am ok with not being a smoker! I have not had a cigarette in 2 1/2 months and rarely even have strong cravings. While I know my pregnancy played a role in my commitment to quit, I am glad I made the decision before learning I was pregnant. I'm convinced that pregnant or not, I would still have been successful.

So thanks to the Quittin' Time program and to the counsellors who helped keep me on track. I'd encourage anyone who is feeling ready to give it a try. It worked for me!

From: K.P.

Quitters Unite.
I have smoked cigarettes on and off since I was in my 20's. I am 33 years old and have quit many times in the past and will never quit quitting.

Over 3 years ago I watched my friend who was riddled with cancer in his lungs die in the hospital in Fort St. James. I will never forget the fear in his eyes in his last days hooked to life support. This seers my heart and continues to motivate me in my daily quittin' efforts.

Although I quit the first week in January 2008 cold turkey, AGAIN, it feels like a million years ago. I still crave the lung darts, but, I refuse to succumb to the devilish temptations. I can honestly say, water and chewing gum have become my partners in my pursuit to eliminate the smoke monsters in my head.

My husband and I bought a dog before Christmas. We walk with the dog every morning religiously for 20-30 minutes. This daily exercise not only helps us both physically and spiritually, it continues to mentally remind myself of why I quit smoking and how much better I feel when I walk in the mornings and work with my 5 horses in my time away from work.

Words to Consider next time you think you need to Light Up: Smoking is the most disgusting habit on the face of the earth. It pollutes our environment and people. It pollutes our own spirit and mind to the point that we can't even taste, smell or eat. Did you gag or cough the last time you inhaled? Our body will tell us what is good or bad. Go ahead, pay the big bucks to kill yourself slowly. Smoking is the most ironic concept, isn't it?

Don't let the imaginary voices in your head or peer pressure ever prompt you to start up again. Hope this helps. It helped me.

From: B.S.

I have been smoking since I was 15. Over the past 20 years(ish) I have quit about 12 times but only two being of any significant length of time (seven years and four years). I recently stopped cold turkey while my family was away from the home, in another province (thinking it would be safer for all involved parties to have a bit of distance between us). This attempt lasted for three months until the stress at work got to me and I started again, that was two and a half months ago. Now, I have started a new "miracle" pill called Champix. Wow, I cannot believe that I simply go through my days without even a hint of a craving. I was terrified that on quitting day it would be as painful as all my attempts in the past, but it wasn't. Using this medication not only gives a person a sense of aversion to smoke itself, but also eliminates any cravings, honestly, and I have been a smoker (one pack a day) for many, many years. Also, an important factor, since there are no cravings, weight gain is not as much of an issue. Don't get me wrong, you still have to have the will to quit, but what a way to do it.

From: Dannielle Kit

As part of my homework during the Investment in Excellence (IIE) program, I wrote a series of affirmations to help me quit smoking and faithfully read them at least once, often twice a day. I did that from November until February, when I finally removed the non-smoking affirmations from my daily readings because at some level, I still enjoyed every single cigarette I smoked and consequently, the affirmations were starting to irritate me. I remember thinking "Even though I don't feel like quitting right now, I just have to have faith the affirmations did the trick and I will quit." Then I let it go.

I turned 50 on March 20th and in celebration of that event I had scheduled my first ever 'real' vacation - a Caribbean cruise with a day at DisneyWorld before and after. I left on March 21st to begin my two week fun-filled adventure. I had one cigarette at 5:45 on the way to the airport that morning, and amazingly - although completely unplanned, that was my last cigarette! After 21 hours in transit getting from Victoria to Orlando, followed by a few hours of sleep, a full day at Disney World, a full night's sleep and then boarding a cruise ship destined for the Caribbean - smoking was just not convenient. Seriously! I was too busy! I thought about it a few times, but it was unbelievably easy to distract myself. I never did experience any significant withdrawal symptoms. On about the third day of the cruise (Who knows for sure? With all that sunbathing, hot-tubbing and tasting of exotic new foods such as Chocolate Martini's custom made for me by Dmitri - I had lost all track of time!) I was digging in my backpack for something and found my now stale package of cigarettes. I laughed out loud as I tossed them into the garbage and claimed my victory over a 35 year addiction: The affirmations and my mustard seed sized faith had worked after all!

For the record: Despite a rumoured average of a 10 - 12 pound weight gain on a seven day cruise, not only did I not gain any weight, one month later I have actually lost weight and I feel great!

Many thanks to the Ministry of Forests & Range for providing IIE, (which was a life altering program) and to Donna Horne and Lauri Gwilt for sharing the IIE philosophy with such inspiring enthusiasm, and to Unity Victoria for inspiring and helping me sustain my Faith. Yippppeeee I did it - I am a non-smoker!

From: Sigrid Lindstrom

I quit smoking successfully three years ago - I used Nicorette gum to curb the cravings for only two weeks after smoking for 20 years and have not touched a smoke since. I'm very proud and know I'm able to overcome my vices and turn them into a healthier way of life.

From: Eamon O’Donoghue

It was a few years ago now but quitting WAS THE HARDEST THING I EVER DID. For the first three weeks it felt like my body was being deprived of an essential element. I could think of nothing else. I felt jittery and twichy and anxious. After the first three weeks I felt like the feelings started to subside. After four weeks I knew I had beat the physical addition, but I knew the social dimension would be a bit longer though for me not as tough.

The tools that allowed me to quit were:

• I would go for a run or do some exercise if I got a really bad craving,
• I kept a pack of cigarettes on me at all times. It was important for me to know that I was in control and that it simply wasn't because I did not have them available. By having them with me at all times it made my willpower front and center. It didn't allow me to defer to some other reason why I wasn't smoking. I know this might not make a lot of sense to others but it was key to me.
• I started to hang around people who didn't smoke.
• I regularly thought about the cost physically and financially.

One last note. Five years after I quit I casually had a couple of cigarettes and thought "this is great I can smoke every now and then and not be addicted again". I did that for three months and then found a full pack of cigarettes while hiking one day. I brought them home. I remember the day I starting thinking about having that cigarette when I got home. I realized I was on the path to addiction again. I threw the pack out and have never smoked again. That's been 15 years.