Proud to have quit smoking

Proud to have quit smoking

On Feb. 18, I celebrated 25 years of freedom from cigarette smoking, after burning up as much as two packs of cigarettes a day for 35 years. I spent the evening of Feb. 21 celebrating the occasion, receiving a cake and a chip at a Nicotine Anonymous meeting in Newbury Park.

While sharing my experiences with other nonsmokers and those attempting to quit, it occurred to me what had happened during my 25 years of "smobriety" since Feb. 18, 1980:

I did not smoke for 1,300 weeks (9,106 days and six leap years).

I did not smoke 18,200 packs of cigarettes.

I did not smoke 364,120 cigarettes.

I did not spend about $36,420 at an average of $2 per pack,($4 per day) on cigarettes alone—this does not take into account health costs and any other related expenses like furniture, clothing, painting, drapes, life insurance, etc.

I did not waste a total of almost four years, (actual time) just smoking those 364,120 cigarettes from start to finish, at an average time of seven minutes per cigarette. I did not place my hand to my mouth almost 2 million times with only a cigarette in it.

The above figures represent what current smokers, who have been smoking for the entire 25 years since I stopped smoking, have actually done during that period.

An excellent free quit smoking clinic is at the Veterans Administration in the San Fernando valley every Friday for military veterans only. For details, veterans can call Paul West at (818) 895-9569.

Smoking an average of one pack per day at an average cost over the next 25 years of an estimated $ 8 per pack, will leave a smoker short more than $65,000 in his or her pockets.

I would urge all smokers to take this under serious consideration the next time they lay out $5 or more for a pack of their favorite "pleasure."

Dave Wallace

Westlake Village