“Quitting smoking is life”

Ask ninety-nine percent of ex-smokers, they will all give a similar answer.

You will be hungry for the rest of your life.
For life, you have it.
It never ends.
In your mind, you will always be a smoker.
It still smells so good.

Of course, there are fundamentalists, who present themselves as consummate traitors to their former allies. Please don’t take these people seriously, as they take the frustration out of missing the main stimulant of their life on smokers, also with both uninnovative and bloody irritating arguments.

As I write this article, I am about a month away from my fourth serious attempt to quit smoking. It’s going pretty well, even to the point that I refuse to talk about an unsuccessful attempt. Even though number four brought me little luck. The first time, in 2010, I stopped for four years. The second attempt lasted four months, the third another four weeks. In that regard, it’s a small miracle that I made it through all four days. Three things ensure that this time I cherish the illusion that it will work.

1. Friend and colleague M. stopped at the same time. Daily contact with the application replaces the many trips outside.
2. Nasty nicotine-filled lozenges that feel like an unemptied ashtray has lodged in my esophagus. Oh yes, and they take away the urge to smoke.
3. Participation in certain competitions of the Zeeland ATB Cup. It also seems that it is not very healthy for athletes to smoke. Which I just discovered now.

Why am I laughing at myself too? M. will start again (sorry M.), I still have to stop these pellets and these mountain bike races are only an hour long. If I really want to quit, there’s only one thing to do. Be good for the rest of my life.