Young man, this is probably the best piece I've ever read about smoking. I'm an old lady. I grew up in the 70s and 80s and everyone around me smoked. I, in turn, started smoking at about the age of 9. I'm 55 now and quit smoking this past November due to health issues. It's hard. And anyone who says "if you can get past the first 5 days, you've got it whipped" is full of crap.

This isn't even the first time I've ever quit smoking. I quit for 3 years once, only to start again out of anger. And something else, women who smoke then quit, tend to gain a lot of weight. And when you ask a woman if she'd rather smoke or gain a few pounds, most will smoke to stay skinny. It's a horrible cycle.

This was a wonderful post. Thank you.