The Tobacco Industry is one of the oldest and most successful Industry when it comes to Business up to the present time. It is believed to exist in market around 6000 to 5000 BC. Basing on its long history, it is also the most documented Industry scientifically when it comes to its effects in our precious bodies. As of present time, Smoker and Non-smoker already knows what to get when indulge in this product and substances. The World Health Organization never stopped reminding us everytime they have a chance to talk about it in public, but still many are embracing and loving it because of its addictive substance.

In this matter, I will share my own smoking experience and how I divulge my self out from my Nicotine addiction.

Smoking Exposure

Growing up on a small urban and coastal barangay, with congested neighbors that relies only on fishing as the only source of income, seeing someone smoking a cigarette or tobacco is just a regular sight to see. Most Fishermen are smokers, because for them it helps them fight the frigid air breeze of the mighty sea. Infact at home, my grandmother is also a pure tobacco user and lover, because they have a tobacco business with my great grandmother before. In my younger years, Lola (Grandmother) used to order me; to buy tobacco in our neighbor that sells some good newly dried tobacco leaves. To make it short, smoking is already in the family before I came in to the world.

Innocent Smoker

It all started as early as a Third (3) Grader. It may sound unreal to some but it's the brutal truth. Back in the good old days, me and few of my close classmates used to smoke just a rolled plain white paper out of curiosity and innocence just to look cool. Until one day later that week we came up to an agreement to try the real cigarettes. This is when the whole dilemma started. On the next day, we decided to buy one (1) pack 20(sticks) of cigarettes. Three of us finish it all in just three days. From there, I was already an Innocent Smoker.

• Innocent Smoker - my own term used to call smokers that indulge to cigarette just to look cool and out of curiosity.

Just as fast as the time could fly and as short as single cigarette stick could burn it did lasted for years up to Eight (8) Grade.

In 2006, this is when I entered Ninth (9) Grade , the smoking addiction begins. At 14 years old I turn into a casual/party smoker. As most teenager does at this age, they thrive to look cool(badboy look) to impress their crushes, I turned into one also and threat smoking as a plus+ to girls. My smoking intake as of this moment is around three(3) to five(5) sticks per day. It was all fun and enjoyment, with most of my boys classmates has Our own "Gang"or sorority aspirations(misconception). As days goes by soo fast, smoking cigarette was a habit. But, up until this moment my parent doesn't know anything about it. The following year as I entered Tenth (10) grade. This is the year My parents discover the secret I hid to them for a long time. Parenting follows after they uncovered the truth, but growing with a rebellious mind push me even more to fall into the cliff of addiction. And so the smoking habit continued.

Entering college at 15 years old, year 2008. I turned into a chain smoker, but a broke one. Every time I got enough money, I'll buy a single stick. This is also the year I can afford to buy One (1 )pack Ten (10)sticks cigarettes from my daily allowance. That's why during this time I already classified myself as a chain-smoker. With a new school and meeting new classmates that turned into friends, my smoking addiction continues until I graduated college at the age of 19 years old.

I did finish my studies with a smoking addiction and bringing it with me while transitioning to finding a job that would fit my qualifications as I continued my endeavor to LIFE.

First Attempt

As I embrace and adopt being a professional one, I moved to a bigger City to look for a job. After three weeks of submitting resumes to different institutions, I was lucky enough and got employed, my first job was at a Mall. During this time, I struggled with my smoking habits. Malls are strict when it comes to smoking area and as an employee you only have time to smoke during your breaktime, in the morning and of course at night. Because of this, I decided to cut and get rid of my smoking addiction. At the beginning, I'll bring chewing gums and candies to ease the longing to lit a cigar while on duty. Everyday feels like a hard battle between my tastebuds and my addiction. I was successful at first, it lasted six (6) months. During this span of time from 1 pack (10 sticks) per day, got it lowered to 3 sticks per day. But i wasn't lucky to pass my regularization processes and ended up jobless again. Right after My six months contract ended, my smoking habit was back again to its highest status as a chain-smoker.

Second Attempt

This time around, it was still the same with the first attempt I did, got myself employed again on a Mall, decided to quit smoking for the second try, but with a different approach.

What I did was to get rid of it right away 100 percent, starting on the first day of my duty. The first three days was fine and then on the fourth day I was caught with a regular cough or usually named by smokers as "smokers cough", without a phlegm. Day after day, the cough getting heavier for almost a week. Coughing regularly almost every minute and sometimes the phlegm has blood into it. I struggled to breath naturally, always catching my breath for air. Then one of my colleague approach me and asked me, "Carewind, did you stop smoking?" My reply was "yes" and the he added "If your trying to get rid of it, don't stop right away, lower the nicotine dosage/level, same as counting down numbers from ten (10) to one(1). My colleague then ended it saying "Lit a single stick during your breaktime, it well all fade away" and so I did. I smoke one and got feel a little better.

Later that day, I run to the Company Nurse Office, ask for advice and finally got some good ideas. Quiting smoking and dealing with nicotine in one's lungs is a long process. You can't stop smoking right away, so my colleague was right with his advice to me earlier that day. After knowing this, I thought to myself maybe I can't get out from this anymore, I was hopeless this time. But I never give up with little faith that somehow I'll get rid from this. I did start all over again attempting to be nicotine free.

My priority was to get rid of the cough first. I only smoke a single stick of cigar after every meal, so it's three sticks per day. It lasted for five months and after that span of time also my job contract ended. Found myself jobless again and still a cigarette smoker.

Third and Final Attempt

It the year 2017, I was employed again in the Pawning Industry and still a heavy smoker. This time around I was assign in the Area Office. Still wanting to quit smoking, I was blessed to have a supervisor who has a good nose in recognizing cigarettes scent. Afraid of getting terminated if being caught snipping, I decided to switch to Electric-cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or usually called Vape. Liking how everything's going, out of boredom while scrolling facebook, I bump into a story(vlog) about how he quit smoking. The person in the video share his strategy, instead of buying a single stick of cigar, he puts it into his piggy-bank. I was inspired by him.

What I did was copy his idea of saving while getting rid of smoking. From three sticks per day, to vaping and back to three sticks per day again, I successfully lowered it and survived with a single stick of cigar per day. I only smoke this time after every dinner, it lasted for a month and after that I totally stop buying cigarettes.

Started on New Year of 2018, I stopped my smoking habit totally, as in going for zero nicotine. To ease the longing of cigar from time to time, everytime I want to smoke, instead of buying a cigarette, I'll buy a chewing gum or a candy and the allotted money for cigarette is directly put into my piggy-bank. It also lasted a year, and after realizing what I achieved, I'am proud to say I'm now 💯% "Nicotine Free" for a whole year. I broke the Piggy-bank which I made just for Ithe sole purpose of saving the money that was supposed to buy cigarettes everytime I like to lit one, and was shocked, it did reach two thousand two hundred pesos (P 2,200.00), in a span of a year.

As of now, I proud of myself conquering my long term goal of getting rid of my smoking addiction. I am now two years and two months 💯% nicotine free.

Lessons Learned

The only thing I learned from this experiences was, if we are focus on changing something and commit ourselves to it, well see the result at the end. We may lost a lot in the process of changing or wanting something, but the key is to act and never give up.

Advice

Stay away from vices no matter what.

We have this saying that goes, "once a cheater always a cheater", same goes to smokers "once a smoker, always a smoker". To all the smokers who can read this, let me tell you this, we are the only one who knows who we really are, people may use to call you names they want too,but don't buy to it. If you want to change your life right now, act now not later. Better yourself now than later is an advantage to us before it gets late.

To end this personal story of mine, i'm gonna leave this quote here from yours truly. "If you don't know what's missing and wrong in you, close your eyes and dig it deeper inside you; it may not be written but i'm sure you can deliver it trough prayer."

Whatever we are about to do with our precious lives, make sure we don't forget to let GOD knows about it, and asked for guidance.

I'm glad you made it here dear, thank you for reading.