If you have quit smoking or are trying to quit, what is your biggest challenge?

I quit smoking in 1971. Except for a few cigars I haven’t smoked since and my last cigar was in 1977. Have you quit or are you trying to kick the habit? I quit cold turkey without a support group or any kind of medicine or other aid. Once I firmly decided to quit I had no trouble staying quit, but I did backslide several times on the way to successfully quitting. I never doubted I could kick the habit, though it was not easy to quit after years as a smoker.
Between my first serious attempt to quit smoking and my final successful attempt there was a span of six years and probably four or five tries to quit. It was not easy, and the hardest part was being around other people who smoked. In one of those tries I was smoke-free for nearly three years before I backslid into the habit. So I respect anyone who has tried–failed or succeeded–and I fully sympathize with those who have the habit and want to quit.

Great answers, everyone. Thanks for participating. If you’ve quit, congratulations. If you’ve tried and failed, I respect your efforts and wish you the best.

The cost is one factor that helps me stay quit. When I last smoked cigarettes cost about 40 cents a pack.