aaron

Go for it, man. You can totally do it. If I can do it, you can. I quit on August 31st. The nic gum is a fucking lifesaver.

Some advice, based on my experience and advice I got from others that helped me: Like I said, the gum is a fucking life saver, just keep in mind it only reduces the physical cravings, making it easier for you to control the psychological habit. If you ever think "I really want a smoke" chew some gum, even if the gum doesn't sound good. Make sure you follow the instructions on the gum and stick it in the side of your mouth when it starts getting tingly or whatever...if you start getting the hiccups, it means you're getting the nicotine too quickly. Make sure you always have the gum on you. Always. You might want to carry around some normal gum to make it chewier and tastier.

Don't let yourself make excuses for situations it's okay to have a smoke. Once you start making exceptions, you're done for. That said, having one smoke does not constitute failure to quit. Buying a new pack does. Constantly bumming them off of people around you does. None of that means you can't start over, but it is starting over. It took 3 weeks for the cravings to really start to die down for me. Your mileage may vary. But if you start up again, that resets.

Anyhow. Good luck. You can do it.