The habit of smoking is very strong: you puff on a cigarette
hundreds of times each and every day. When people who have smoked for a long
time stop, they find it strange to have nothing in their hands or mouths. They
have become so accustomed to handling cigarettes that their hands seek
cigarettes from habit, even when they aren't strongly craving them.
Signs of a strong habit include:
- Smoking automatically without thinking about it
or realizing it. You find a cigarette in your mouth and don't remember putting
it there.
- Lighting a cigarette without realizing there is one
burning in the ashtray.
- Feeling that handling a cigarette, the
process of lighting it, or watching the smoke as you exhale is part of the
enjoyment of smoking.
- Smoking automatically as a part of other
things you do, such as drinking coffee or alcohol or talking on the
telephone.
But these signs do not mean that you cannot quit smoking.
| By | Healthwise Staff |
|---|
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
|---|
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | John Hughes, MD - Psychiatry |
|---|
| Last Revised | July 6, 2011 |
|---|