Red Dog, it is time to quit smoking cigs now. I was up to three packs a day at one point. You need to find a reason that is more important than smoking is to you. For me, it was not being able to snuggle with my 3 year old that made me throw the rest of the carton in the garbage and turn my back on them.

People try to quit all the time. The one thing I've found about the truly successful is that they discover smoking interferes with something else in their life that they value more. If you can find a thing that smoking takes away from, like spending time with your kids without risking their health, or something like that, you will be successful. Without such motivation, I know of no one who's been able to give it up.

I quit in one day. It wasn't pleasant, but in my mind I had no choice. Once you take away the choice, the decision is pretty much made. It was like deciding to cut off my left hand for the life of my daughter, but isn't that something you would do? After 14 years of not smoking cigarettes, I have to say I miss it about as much today as I did when I first quit, but I learned to do without it, just like I could learn to do without a hand I suppose.

I've recently taken to puffing on a pipe or a good cigar once a month or so, but I can't inhale those things, and I know this isn't a habit, just an indulgence. I wouldn't recommend a cigarette smoker try to switch to pipe or cigar for at least 5 years or more after giving up cigs. The temptation is too great before that.

Find your reason, as I did, and get over your addiction. Then once you have that beast under control, you can focus on other things, one at a time. Discipline evokes maturity, but must be taken in small doses to be effective.