'Unrealised benefits of quitting or how to save a grand without realising'
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I never smoked in front of the family. I would always go outside, out of view, and smoke. I had my own little smokers bench. I'd be out there at 5:30am smoking as many as possible before the rest of the family got up. No matter the weather. If my mum popped out to hang out the washing, I would put out a just-lit cigarette until she went in and then I would start another one. When I eventually went back inside, I was normally given a lecture as to how bad smoking was. Normally followed by silence and then tears. It was safe to say I was ashamed about my smoking and so closet smoked as much as possible.
When at work, I could smoke as much as possible, so that wasn't a problem. But what to do at the evening and weekends? In steps the pub plan. A pub is a smokers paradise, or at least was, until the smoking ban came in. You could smoke as much as you liked, without getting any lectures. The only thing you had to do was buy a drink as well. After years of testing what I liked the most (or didn't like the least) I ended up on whiskey and cola. The balance of drink in one hand and smoke in the other was established.
There was however a problem, a short is well, a short drink. It doesn't last long. So before I knew it, I would blink and there was another whiskey and coke in front of me! So it turned out this was going to be an expensive retreat.
Even with whiskey in one hand and cigarette in the other I still got bored. To break the monotony, I had to find something else that you could smoke and do at the same time. Enter jukeboxes, fruit machines and pinballs. Oh man, now I could do a 12 hour stint without getting bored. My junkie was one happy bunny, my bank account not so pleased about it.
But then I came across the SSC, and after quite a few failed attempts at beating my 5 day smokefree record. I got inspired enough to keep trying different methods. These people were the most enthusiastic bunch of people I have ever met. They believed that although the odds were against me, I could do it.
The timing was right, the smoking ban had just come in. Which meant that smoking was no longer allowed inside pubs. We were relegated to the garden on wet windy days. I was also lucky in the fact that my barlady had given up smoking cold turkey.
The first two weeks of not smoking were pure hell. I did not go to the pub. How could I? It was the place I ended so many of my quits. Especially leaving do's. Well I got dropped at the pub to test it out and managed to go the whole time without smoking. It was very hard but I did it. However, something had changed. The main reason for escaping to the pub was to smoke without being ashamed and as I didn't smoke I didn't need that any more. So I stopped going to the pub as often.
The result? One healthier bank balance, one healthier liver, one healthier everything! In less than two months I regained all the money I spent on my laptop plus a load more! And have the realisation that i engaged in not one but two expensive practices for a very long time.
Do I miss it? Sometimes. I have very very very strong associations with dark dingy pubs, earsplitting metal music, busty gothic girls dancing White Zombie, and of course smoking and drinking myself senseless. Those thoughts last only for a while. But now I get chance to fill my life with healthier things and am getting a lot more sunshine than I used to.
So what about pubs? Well the smoking ban just means a lot of people now huddle outside, leaving the inside quite empty. Some tried all sorts of things to get out the smoking ban but all have failed. Shisha bars claiming it is an act against their religion, some pubs claiming they were part of a deserted island out of juristiction. Some just flout the smoking ban, especially pubs with old smokers who have smoked most of their life. My local nightclub announced it would flout the ban live on radio! Not a good idea if you don't want to catch the attention of the local council :)
But for me, smokefree pubs can survive. You just have to cater for non-smokers too now. Good food, live entertainment. All these things will help.
For me, well I just gained more time to talk to my family and the chance to understand what normal single people do at a weekend. I gained a whole bunch of new friends right here.
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B]7/12/2007
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 54
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,350
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] �226.80
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 6 [B]Hrs:[/B] 18 [B]Mins:[/B] 33 [B]Seconds:[/B] 42
