But she has now thrown away the habit.
"I wanted to for my health and so I could save a little bit. I was on a student loan and couldn't afford to smoke."
Living with people who didn't smoke helped, and to deal with the cravings, Ms Laubli said she "ate a bit of chewing gum".
"I was going through regular chewing gum. Patches didn't work for me. They made me itchy ... it's easy if you have people around you who don't smoke."
Being smokefree has its advantages too.
"Everything smells better. I have lots more energy for exercise and don't get breathless now ... food tastes so much better now too."
While she found it difficult to be around smokers when she first gave up, she said these days there's no temptation when she's around smokers.
"At first I'd go inside but now it doesn't bother me. People need to be aware when others are trying to give up. It's not easy for them. It is an addiction."
She does admit she had to keep herself busy in the early days.
She started a blog with Quitline on the website and gained support and encouragement from others.
"I cleaned the house a million times. I got rid of all the ashtrays and kept myself busy ... the blog really helped. Other people gave you ideas on what worked for them and encourage you to keep going and stay strong."
Her advice to those wanting to give up is "keep yourself busy" and don't be afraid to ask for help.
"You can do this if you really want to be smokefree."
Quitline director Bruce Basset said New Year was often the time people decided to quit smoking but to be successful, many needed support as nicotine was a "strong powerful addiction".
"It's a tough thing to achieve but it's one of the most important things you can do to improve your life.
"People have to do quite a lot to quit. It takes a real concerted effort. It's not easy to do."
To help, Quitline offers a 12-hour 9am to 9pm, seven-day telephone service as well as a 24-hour online service through the Quitline website at www.quit.org.nz. He encourages quitters to sign up for free text messages of support.
Many people who quit gain support from other users through a blog on the website, Mr Basset said.
For more information, phone Quitline on (freephone) 0800 778 778.