John B.’s Story
John, age 61, smoked his first cigarette at the age of 8. By the time he was 16, he was buying his own cigarettes and smoking daily.
John smoked two to three packs of cigarettes a day. In his late 20s, John promised his father that he would quit smoking. John tried different strategies to end his nicotine addiction, such as acupuncture, hypnosis, and going cold turkey. He also tried nicotine patches. Nothing John tried worked for him. John could never go a full day without smoking a cigarette.
After his father died, John was even more motivated to quit, but he still struggled. Then he found a doctor who had quit smoking. She understood nicotine addiction and the difficulty of quitting. She prescribed two quit-smoking medicines, including a nicotine oral inhaler, and recommended that John get counseling to help him through the process. She also suggested that he set a quit date. At age 38, after more than 20 years of smoking, John fulfilled his promise to his father and smoked his last cigarette on his quit date, May 5th.
Quitting smoking has given John an immense feeling of freedom. His advice to others is simple: “If I can quit smoking, you can too. You just need to find the approach that works for you.”
Persons with disabilities experiencing problems accessing these videos should contact CDC-INFO at CDC-INFO email form: https://www.cdc.gov/info, 800-232-4636 or the TTY number at (888) 232-6348 and ask for a 508 Accommodation PR#9342. If emailing please type “508 Accommodation PR#9342” without quotes in the subject line of the email. Please include the URL of the site in the Subject line of your email request that you would like to access.
View more Tips videos sorted by name, disease and specific groups
John B.’s Biography
John, 61, grew up in a family that smoked. At only 8 years old, he would smoke cigarette butts left behind in ashtrays. “I was that kid,” he said. “If someone put a cigarette out, I’d pick it up and smoke it.” By the age of 16, John was buying his own cigarettes and smoking daily.
John was 20 years old when he met his future wife, Sharon, and her two young sons. By then, he was smoking two to three packs of cigarettes a day. Sharon made it clear that she didn’t like when John smoked. “She used to tell me that I stunk so bad that I would have to shower before I could give her a hug and a kiss,” he said. When they got married and moved in together, John decided it was the perfect time to quit smoking.
“I tried acupuncture, hypnosis, nicotine patches, and going cold turkey,” John said. “I even asked a co-worker to put my pack of cigarettes in his locker. Nothing I tried worked for me. I could never go a full day without smoking a cigarette.”
When John was in his late 20s, his father became ill and was hospitalized. Each time John visited, he promised his father he would quit smoking. But despite his efforts, John continued to struggle with nicotine addiction. His father knew the truth as soon as they hugged. “The evidence was there,” John said. “He could smell it on me.”
After his father died, John was even more motivated to quit. Still, he struggled. Then John found a doctor who had quit smoking. She understood nicotine addiction and the difficulty of quitting first-hand. She prescribed two quit-smoking medications, including a nicotine oral inhaler, and recommended that John get counseling to help him through the process. She also suggested that he set a quit date. This time it worked. At age 38, after more than 20 years of smoking, John fulfilled his promise to his father and smoked his last cigarette on his quit date, May 5th.
Quitting smoking has given John an immense feeling of freedom. Though he has had some health issues, John focuses on the positive and knows his life has improved greatly because he quit smoking. When others ask him about it, he tells them, “If I can quit smoking, you can too. You just need to find the approach that works for you.”
