Enough was enough and this time I decided to turn to a more regimental approach to stop smoking.

The TV adverts had caught my eye. NHS quit smoking packs were available free via calling a phone number of entering a form online. I filled out the form and within a week the pack arrived. My initail thoughts were far from complimentary. A calendar, stickers and a toy to keep my hands occupied. However the month chart intrigued me as it let me know how I would feel at certain stages of the giving up cycle.

I rang the quit help line and arranged an appointment to see my local stop smoking consultant. My first visit invoived blowing into a carbon monoxide recording device. The result was 21. From that the consultant was able to ascertain that I was a borderline heavy smoker. This did not coma as a surprise to me as I had been smoking for twenty years. I had previously given up for about siz months nut made that fatal mistake of having just one. Then I was back to the habit straight away.

The consultant prescribed a course of Champix tablets. Champix was available on prescription if I was taking the NHS stop smoking meetings. I starte doff on a low dose just to ensure that there were no side effects, then after about a week I increased the dose. It was one tablet a day and I was still allowed to smoke whilst taking them. The consultant had laid out a plan which included a stop smoking day, so whilst I was able to smoke and take the Champix ther was a deadline that I knew I had to quit.

And so it came! February 24th was my quit day. I now had to visit the consultant every week and every week I blew into the carbon monoxide testing equipment to prove I had not smoked. This was my greatest deterrent from smoking. The fact I had to see the consultant who I had looked in the eye and said, "yes, I'll do it".

It was tough, but I knew it would be. It is a mind game and your mind is fighting your body and your will power to try and beat you. The toy I had scoffed at came in very handy. The tough challenge was socialising and not smoking. I had purchased a non-nicotene electronic cigarette and whilst the taste was quite different to a normal cigarette the feeling of inhaling and exhaling got me by. It worked and I had been out for the first time in years without smoking a cigarette.

It is now December as I right this article and I am officially a non-smoker and proud of it. I did put on some weight, which I expected, but since I feel a lot fitter now I joined the gym and my new found will power is pushing me down there a couple of times a week. Yes, I still get cravings, but my will power is now stronger than my minds cravings and I can easily say no.