Can you kick it?

It's hoped the smoking ban will get people to give up

An estimated 600,000 people in England are poised to quit smoking when the smoking ban comes into force in July. Follow our panel of readers as they attempt to kick the habit.

Smoking can damage your health and your wealth, but with smoking in enclosed public places now banned in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England from 1 July, it can also damage your social life.

If ever there was a good time to give up, this is it and 600,000 others hope to do the same, according to the Department of Health.

But how hard will it be and will they achieve it? As part of our smoking series, the Magazine is going to follow four readers as they try to ditch the fags for good.

To kick off, they set out their smoking history and why they want to give up. Meet our quitters, who are all out of puff - hopefully.

Dave Chapman is 22, works for a logistics company and lives in Rickling Green, Essex. His story

Sandra Green is 48 and an admin assistant from Dronfield, Derbyshire. Her story

Reetu Kabra is 24 and a publicist who lives and works in London. Her story

Russel Hopps is 64 and a funeral director from Manchester. His story

DAVE CHAPMAN

I've been smoking for about six years on and off, but mainly on. I used to smoke "real" cigarettes and would get through about 20 a day. Now I smoke roll-ups and probably average about 10 a day. If I'm out on the town that can go up to 30, depending on beer intake.

I've tried quitting numerous times before. The times I've not smoked have varied from a day to three months. The majority of my friends smoke, so even if I have no tobacco on me I can usually get a ciggie.

I'm not really sure why I smoke or why I keep picking it up after quitting, but I guess that's the nature of the habit.

Although I'm hoping to quit when the ban comes in, I'm uncertain if I will manage it due to previous failures. Basically, I want to be a non-smoker but don't want to have to go through quitting.

SANDRA GREEN

I have smoked for about 35 years and tried to give up countless times. The longest I have managed so far is 15 months.

I don't know why I haven't managed it yet. I think part of it is the fact that I'm on my own a lot and smoking is some company for me.

I smoke up to 25 cigarettes a day and hate myself for it. I am asthmatic but even that hasn't been enough to get me to quit. This time I am giving myself a financial incentive, I have bought a car and need to give up smoking to pay for it.

I've got an appointment with my doctor to get patches, I'm going to take all the help I can get this time. I know it will be hard because smoking has been part of my life for so long.

RUSSEL HOPPS

I have been smoking for 51 years. I worked abroad when I was younger and cigarettes were so cheap, I just carried on and on smoking.

The looming ban gave me the incentive to give up, which I did recently. I have tried to give up so many times and these last few weeks is the longest I have gone without caving in. What made me decide to try and quit again was finding out all the rubbish they put in fags.

It is an hour-to-hour struggle for me and I want a cigarette all the time.

I find it hard to be around people who do smoke, so my social life has suffered a bit. Hopefully that will change when the ban comes in.

REETU KABRA

I smoke for several reasons. It seems to take the edge off stress, alleviates momentary boredom and is a social thing when drinking.

I think now is a good time to give up as smoking is only going to become more and more socially outlawed. People are going to feel far more conspicuous leaving their seat in the pub to go outside and smoke.

As any health conscious person will tell you, it is also the single best thing you can do for your health. Given that I don't really do much exercise, I feel this is a step towards improving my health.

I did try quitting once before and managed four months, before I met my partner who encouraged me to smoke again. The two of us are now quitting together. The first time it was very hard, but now I know that I was able to go four months I'm feeling much more confident about it this time around.

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Add your comments on this story, using the form below.

Why don't you also do an equivalent series about people who enjoy smoking and have no intention of quitting, especially as a result of government bullying, intimidation, persecution, harassment, and demonisation?
Mark Behrens, San Francisco, California, USA

I finally decided to quit in January 2006 and smoked all my cigarettes the night before I was due to give up - this helped with the first day as I really didnt want to smoke any more cigarettes! I used nicotine patches which I got on prescription from the Doctors. This reduced all physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal which I had found so hard to cope with on previous attempts which just left the mental cravings. My way of getting round these was to do a sudoku every time I fancied a cigarette. By the time I had completed a sudoku, the craving had passed! Nearly 18 months later, I am still going strong, and would definitely not start up again
Sarah Reynolds, Norwich

I quit 10 days ago after i read Allen Carr's book, 'Easyway to quit smoking'. I would really recommend this book to anyone who's trying to stop smoking. It comes down to this: 1) when you put out that last cigarette, you must be positive that you'll never smoke again; 2) don't mope about it....celebrate your freedom from the poison!

I can't believe how easy it's been. The 'terrible cravings' are psychological not physical. Don't bother with nicotine gum or patches. Don't think of it as 'I'm trying to quit'. Once you put that last cigarette out, that's it, you're a non-smoker. Don't doubt it. I know i'll never smoke again. You don't need willpower because you aren't sacrificing anything. If you believe this, you'll find it easy. If you believe you're making a real sacrifice, it'll be hell. If you want to stop, read the book
Pete Rawsthorn, Warrington, England

I wanted to add a long comment but I ran out of puff. Needless to say having to quit is a drag, however, we should ignore any butts or smokescreens and roll-up all these old habits.
Jon, Portsmouth

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