My name is Steven P. Moore and I haven’t smoked in 5 years.

By: Steven Moore, CIS Director of Business Development
stevenmoore@cis-partners.com

Given the industry we work in, I thought that this topic was pertinent. I thank you in advance for reading my story.

I was recently at a gas station in my hometown of Belford, NJ and saw a sign for Newport cigarettes. They were selling for $6.66. I snapped a picture with my cell phone and had planned on using it for this blog article, but my phone zonked out recently and I lost the photo. So I’ll allow you to imagine the fun irony of putting that price tag on a pack of cigarettes…

On August 22, 2004, my wife-to-be and girlfriend at the time, brought over a bag full of goodies. But these weren’t just any goodies --- the bag contained just about every possible quit smoking aid that she could research: Twizzlers, lollipops, toothpicks, etc. The bag was overflowing. She had never asked me to quit but let’s be honest, who wants to kiss a smoker and who wants someone that you care about to smoke?

I had set my quit date for August 23, 2004 a couple months earlier. I think if there is one event that prompted me to say enough is enough (besides wanting to do it for my health and for my wife-to-be) it was a ‘date’ that we had a couple months prior. We had been going out for a month or two and went for a LONG run at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. I had smoked since I was about 18 and at that time, at 25, this was no joy run for me! But, being the man that I am, I ran with a smile and as soon as I could find a quiet place to cough up a lung…I did so! The saddest part was that I was somewhat of an athlete through high school and college --- but it was clear now that 7 years of coffin nails were starting to take their toll.

So the morning of August 23rd came and I drove into work with my coffee and, for the first time in 5 years, did not have a cigarette. Now here’s one of the more ironic and twisted stories I’ve ever been able to re-tell. As I was driving in that morning, there was a road crew on a local road near my work that was ‘re-tarring’ the road. The crew waived me through and I thought I’d be fine. Well, the tar was still wet and splashed all over my car. So the two pieces of irony are, on the day I intended to quit smoking: 1) My car was covered in TAR. 2) I had an event happen that would usually make me reach for a pack of cigarettes --- not just one. I didn’t smoke then and haven’t smoked since.

My wife recently asked me, “What’s the best part about not smoking?” I didn’t hesitate when I answered, “You know, it’s when we go for our daily runs together and I pass someone on a bench who is smoking.” That may sound strange, but I think when you’re doing something so fundamentally opposite to something harmful, it’s an invigorating feeling. Of course I feel for those who still smoke as I breeze past, but I’m thankful for getting the strength from God, family and friends to get through it.

Quitting smoking was the best decision I’ve ever made, next to asking my wife for her hand in marriage and joining CIS (what a kiss up!). For those of you who are smoking and want to quit, know that you CAN do it. It is possible, and when you do quit, you will feel amazing. Your fingers go from yellow to normal. Your teeth get whiter. You can run. You can keep up with your kids. You can dance. You can hike. You can imagine a future without coughing every morning and every time you run up stairs. You can be proud of it. You can (and should) tell everyone. You can write an article like this one day. You can say that you’re stronger than a tobacco-filled piece of paper.

You can use the gum, the patch, medicine, etc. But I can guarantee you this: The strongest quit smoking aid is your own will power. Remember back to a time when there was something you wanted so badly and you achieved it. Remember how you felt. Find that power and voice and I’m certain you can quit! I registered on www.njquitnet.com, a fantastic site for assistance, and they keep a running tab of certain key stats. As of me typing this article, these were my stats:

My Stats:
Your Quit Date is: 8/23/2004 1:30:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free: 1,805 days, 21 hours, 52 minutes and 32 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 36,118
Lifetime Saved: 9 months, 5 days, 21 hours
Money Saved: $7,314.30

More than 36,000 cigarettes! Wow! My efforts have allowed me 9 more months of life to breathe, to be with my wife and, God-willing, children and grandchildren. The amount of MONEY that I saved has paid for 3 vacations --- including our honeymoon! What can you do with $7,314.30 over the course of 5 years?

My lone wish in writing this article is that it may just inspire one person to put the cigarettes down and go for it. This isn’t about me bragging about what I’ve been able to do --- it’s about trying to help through words and, for the first time in my life, I have a public forum to do so! I went through it and understand the strength it takes and the feelings you’ll experience. Heck, if this makes you want to quit, call or email me when you’re struggling and I’ll have your back. Do it with a loved one or a friend who wants to quit with you or cares for you. They’ll help. They’ll take walks with you. They’ll stay on the phone with you. They’ll give you a hug when it hurts. They’ll break a cigarette in half and flush it.

And, if you’re lucky enough, they might even bring you a bag overflowing with quit-smoking aids to help you quit.

No wonder my username on NJ Quitnet is:

Quit4Her.

I thank you and love you Noreen.

For your space,
Steven.