Matthew Backhouse smokes his last cigarette before starting Stoptober. Photo / Nick Reed
Journalist Matthew Backhouse chronicles his efforts to quit smoking for Stoptober in a daily diary.
You know what? I'm going to come right out and say it - this is actually pretty easy.
I know I've moaned in the past about how hard quitting is. And yes, some of the side effects of nicotine withdrawal have been pretty cruddy. But all in all, when I
take honest stock of the situation, it hasn't been too hard not to smoke.
The trick? The trick is to not smoke.
That may sound pretty stupid, but it's true. As soon as you smoke, you're back to square one. You've given in to the cravings. You've given your body the hit of nicotine it wants. And then you have to go through it all over again.
