This is another bizarre technique for stopping smoking that you won’t find much discussion on outside of here.
This is a real-world solution though because it actually worked for me in the short term.
Here’s what I did:
I replaced cigarettes with cigars.
Now most people through up their hands at this idea and exclaim: “Cigars are worse for you than cigarettes!”
People really get upset and exasperated when you tell them you successfully quit cigarettes and have now switched to cigars.
This reaction is very predictable and understandable. It’s also wrong.
Switching to cigars is a potential strategy for quitting altogether. Why? Because the nicotine content and the chemicals in cigars are much less than in cigarettes.
The idea is to switch to cigars and get off of cigarettes completely. Once you’ve done that successfully, the next step is to start slowly changing the way you smoke the cigars. What do I mean by this?
Cigars are traditionally not inhaled, but are instead enjoyed for their taste. So at first, when you switch to cigars, you will probably be inhaling them in order to get your Nicotine fix. But as time goes on, you can slowly start smoking the cigar as it was intended, and not inhale as frequently, or as deeply. This will have the effect of weening you off of the Nicotine, while still giving you the oral fixation “fix” of being able to smoke. You also get the social benefits of smoking (yes, there are some!) and you continue the “ritual” of the smoking habit.
All of this makes it fairly easy to switch to cigars and eventually get to where you are no longer inhaling deeply when you smoke them. Once you get to this point (should only take a week or two), then you are in a prime position to make the decision if you want to quit smoking altogether. You will essentially be “off” the Nicotine at this point, and will no longer be facing a nasty withdrawal.
Really, what have you got to lose? If you get hooked on cigars instead of cigarettes, remember that cigars are actually healthier and probably cheaper at this point than cigarettes, so you really can’t lose. I know this technique works because I once switched over to cigars and continued to smoke them for a period of several months before eventually returning to cigarettes (just wasn’t ready to quit at the time!).
If you’ve never even tried to quit smoking before then the cigar switch method can be a great way to ease into the idea.
You might also be interested in more about what to expect when quitting smoking.
Thanks for the good laugh! Smoking cigars never works as a way to quit smoking cigaettes and your post proves it. You never quit smoking because you went back to cigarettes. Quitting is stopping smoking and staying stopped. You only stopped temporarily and were doomed from the start because you were still smoking cigars.
Kind of like a an alcholic who drank whisky saying he quit drinking while he was still drinking beer. Alchohol is alcohol and tobacco is tobacco.
I quit smoking 14 years ago. I did it by quitting tobacco…period. No cigars, no chew, no pipes. I quit tobacco. Was it easy? No way, it was very difficult but I told myself that I was stronger than tobacco.
Next time you really want to quit. Just quit and don’t play around with cigars or any other form of tobacco. Good luck!
Bob
I have quit cigarettes with cigars. I went from 2+ packs a day to 2 to 3 cigars a day. I do not inhale, which means i get the nicotine through my lips. I can now breathe. I don’t freak out for a cigarette. Now lets be clear. I went from cigarettes to real hand rolled cigars. The nicotine withdrawl was horrible, because your lungs are by far the best delivery method for nicotine… but the oral and hand fixation are taken care of by the cigar. It is a fixation urge not a “nic” fit! Again, we are not talking swisher sweets or blunts here… I am talking about nice hand rolled long filler cigars. I can attest to my habits changing. I dont smoke every hour cause I have too… I smoke after a meal usually. It is that nice break that a smoker gets after a meal that most people claim is the hardest thing to give up. So for all of you polluting your lungs out there… Smoke a cigar instead. You will thank me.
Thank you for the information. My New Yyears resolution was to quit smoking,i’ve tried several times but with no luck.I desided on this try to use cigars and the first few days it seems to be working.But thank to everyone again
When I chose to quit cigarets,I tried Nicoret gum.It helped,but I needed to perform the ritual of smoking more than the actual satisfaction of the Parlaiment Light cigaret.I have not smoked a cigaret in 4 mos.I enjoy cigars much more,smoke zero to three per day.I smoke the small vanillas that come in tins.They’re hand rolled Dominicans and do not need to be inhaled to enjoy,don’t even miss the cigarets,and the cigars taste much better.I find I can breath much more easily.
Hi there Karen
Stick with your strategy and make sure you do not ever go back to cigarettes. You will inhale them and then you’ll be hooked all over again. At least with the cigars you are avoiding the chemical dependency. Later on you can quit those too and it will be much easier than quitting cigarettes. Good job!
better solution, as a heavy smoker of 20 year and never ever thinking of quitting because i just loooooove smoking. after trying electronic cigarettes i had no cravings, no weight gain, no nothing…. couldnt be happier!
Okay people.. HERE’s the drill.
You wanna QUIT smoking FOREVER?? Can’t do it? Keep failing? With in Hours even?? HA.. Welcome to MY world.
Read Allen Carr’s “The easy way” ..
Just a book.. OR, if you like get the audio version. Sounds too good to be true? Check out his reviews and youtubes and anything to do with his name. I read it just 2 weeks ago, and have had ZERO desire to smoke. It works.
I have just started quitting cigarettes with cigars. Surprisingly I enjoy cigars way more, I have told myself over and over that cigarettes are nasty, and oh boy does a good cigar back that up.
I also just wanted the a fix to the smoking ritual because I just quit smoking marijuana as well. I stopped smoking cigarettes three days ago and have smoked 1 cigar each day while relaxing. My next step is going to be just buying some of the most expensive cigars that I can so i feel like i shouldn’t spend my money on cigarettes during the week, I just bought a $20.00 Cohiba and can’t wait to smoke it on my fishing trip next weekend.
If you plan on stop smoking cigarettes with cigars, just buy the good cigars starting at around $5.50, this will help you out because you feel like you are wasting money if you buy more than one. After smoking a couple the first few days and weening yourself off that nasty cigarette habit just go into more enjoyable cigars and save them for special occasions i.e. Fishing, camping, playing poker with buddies on weekends, or just simply sitting out by the lake and watching the sun set while you relax.
Honestly though, It isn’t good to smoke at all, BUT you know something in this world if going to kill you in the end anyways so why torture yourself with cravings over the years that you have already developed.
I personally think if you enjoy smoking and find it relaxing it is your decision, don’t let people tell you what you can and can’t do and don’t care if they look down on your for doing some thing that helps you enjoy life a little more.
Enjoy life while you can but don’t feed the government your money, that’s all you’re doing when you smoke cigarettes.
All,
I went to http://www.whyquit.com, read the site for a couple of days, then on the 3rd day, I quit smoking, and am now 8 years free! I never had major withdrawls! Check it out!
I started smoking cigs when i was 14 .At age 30 i was forced to quit do to heart a small heart condition…I always wanted to quit but on my own terms and pace so that made it harder to deal with but I eventually got over it..A year later a co worker of mine had some cigars and wanted me to join in on a smoke.I never really cared for them and wasn’t to interested in having one,Well after some coning and convincing me Its safer than cigs and not habit forming I gave in.I’m now 41 and i cant stop smoking them,In fact in the last 3 years Ive been inhaling every other puff,Its the same shit as cigarettes ,and is probably more expensive at 2 per day costing $10 a stick…I am just starting my first few steps of getting off these things.hopefully by next year I will be smoke free .My advise to any smoker is that if you can quit smoking any tobacco product than stay far away from it as possible. The only alternative to Cigars and Cigarettes is AIR…. Good luck
Interesting posts. Im not a cigarette smoker but do enjoy the occasional cigar and have become somewhat of an afficionado and collector over the years. Let me start off by saying cigars are not to be inhaled PERIOD. Any true cigar fan will tell you the same. The amount of nicotine you get from inhaling a cigar vs a regular cigarette is huge. Many times I’ve heard newbies get sick and stop smoking cigars because they didn’t like how sick they felt after one. Well, you don’t inhale…
That said, I smoke on average two cigars a day every day and can confirm tat there is no addiction. I have left my stash alone for a good few weeks since I was abroad on vacation and not once did I have an uncontrollable urge to smoke. I did miss smoking one of my good cigars but the feeling was no different from wanting to eat a very tasty dish.
In my opinion, substituting one or two cigars a dayday to be enjoyed and not inhaled is vastly superior to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day and putting all those chemicals in your lungs.
I’m glad there’s a post for this somewhere! I’m doing this right now. I’m on day 5 of the “weaning” technic. Started at 5 cigs a day, then 4, then 3, then 2, and hopefully today will be 0. I do have a pack of swisher sweets (I’m broke) with me, since it’s my first day back at the office I figured I’d still need the break and “fresh air” (lol).
I don’t inhale them, but the general just having them makes me not crave anywhere near as much. I only smoke about 1 a day, but if that’s making me not want cigerettes more and more everyday then I don’t see why anyone can complain about it!
I think that is an interesting technique to say the least. I find that I enjoy a cigar much more than I enjoy a cigarette. Nothing wrong with an occasional cigarette, just learn to use them in moderation. I am a habitual cigarette smoker who has decided to quit. I decided that I just wanted to quit smoking cigarettes, not tobacco pipes or cigars. I may use this technique to wean my way off of cigarettes because I have done it before, and I know I can do it again. My only quip with you is that you did it, but then said you were not ready to quit cigarettes? That makes no sense to me, but then again it is only my opinion. I think if you made it that far, cigarettes should not be on your mind. It is all about the success and glory of quitting that should make you happy. I hope you will give this another go whenever you decide finally to quit the habit. I know I am ready to give up the habit.