@ethanmcconke - Hello again- Ethan it's been 22 years since my last puff. Believe me when I say that I NEVER thought that I would ever be able to quit. But I did. When you have to do something- I mean that there is no way around it- you find the means.
It's like having a baby- when you feel as if you can't push one more inch or deliver the head (big big ouchies) you do it because you can't stay like that and the baby can't go back into your womb. You find whatever it takes to do it. Preferably with help. There are stop smoking groups, your family, helplines, pills, patches and good ole cold turkey. I suggest that you do this with lots of support.
My mantra was life saving- "if you smoke you die". Bang, every time I wanted a cigarette. And yes cigarette smoke smelled good. But seeing someone smoke did NOT kick off a craving. My body had it's own rhythm for that. I could go have a drink, have coffee, watch someone smoke and the only thing that bothered me was my wish that I could smoke without harming myself. It looked so damn cool.
But that's impossible for me. First of all I would never be able to inhale because even the thought has elicits a coughing response. Nd If I did start it would be the stop agent for me.
Everyone who smokes will have emphysema or/and COPD. Everyone who smokes puts other organs at risk.
https://www.unitypoint.org/livewell/article.aspx?id=17ace3fc-fb01-45c3-8617-1beb81404fc4
When I began smoking it was back in the 1961 and Life magazine was still giving lessons on the proper way to hold a cigarette. The best way to purse your lips to look sexy, different types of cigarette holders. They were like what cell phone cases are now- one for every outfit. As time went on and doctors began realizing that smoking caused cancer it was way too late for many of us to just quit. The tobacco company had us addicted it was much like like cocaine, in a very short period of time. It was about image, mouth feel, taste, how cool it was, until it wasn't. Smoking was about image and money and the tobacco company had a deadlock on us with nicotine. What a horrible thing to do to people.

My first lung cancer was in 1997. That's 22 years ago in October. That's 22 years of 2 lobectomies and recoveries, chemotherapy, different elements of radiation piercing my chest and all possible side effects. After my second operation I needed a bag of red blood cells because someone nicked one of my pulmonary arteries. Eleven years later I had to have a special operation designed to fix it.

Lung cancer also led to PTSD- more pills, and deep deep depression. All because someone came up with the idea that they could make a lot of money when you entice them to inhale a carcinogenic and charge them big bucks for it, and because they would become addicted they would keep buying your product. I could have been the Marlboro Woman. Oh, by the way, every single Marlboro man died of lung cancer.

I'm sure that all of you have stories too. I'd be interested in knowing what was good about smoking? What did it make you feel? I felt cool. And after a while, forgetting the addiction part, nicotine was also calming for me. Did anyone else feel this way?