Some people can, it's just a matter if they are willing to give it up... The first step though is to admit they have a problem, if they don't see it as a problem then they can't or won't give it up..

I don't know but I've been smoking for 26 years. PLEASE tell me your secret to quitting

Congrats on quitting smoking after so long! I'm an ex-smoker, too. although, I didn't smoke for that many years. I really didn't think much about quitting until I developed a chronic migraine problem in college. Then, it took only 1 or 2 cigarettes to set off an excrutiating headache. Sure, there have been a few times when I had 1 too many beers and bummed a smoke off of someone, but sure felt like crap and regretted it the next day. But it's been several years since I did that. If it hadn't been for those horrible headaches, I'm not sure how much sooner I would have quit.

Everyone is different. Maybe you are just strong or maybe nicotine is just different. http://www.myaddiction.com/tobacco_smoking.html

I think it's because most alcoholics usually are alcoholics to get away from their problems, and quitting often means facing them. Though that's not to say some don't have huge revelations and quit immediately or something...

alcohol can be hardwired into a persons system, alcoholics also are geneticaly pre empt to be addicted

My grandfather once told me, "Son, I haven't had a single drop of alcohol in 30 years, but I still sometimes get a terrible urge to jump in the car and drive to the liquor store for a bottle of whiskey." Unfortunately he died of emphysema since he had chain smoked since the age of 6. Addiction can be hard-wired into some people. Pop was the reason I never started smoking or drinking, but even though I've never been drunk in my life, and only tasted it 20 years ago to see what the fuss was all about, I occasionally walk by the booze in the grocery stores and get an unexplainable urge.

I was on drugs for 10 years and I smoked cigarettes for 20 years. I have now been sober off drugs for 2 years. I quit smoking a little over a year ago. The answer to your question is that when a person is on drugs the drugs become the only thing that matters to them. It became my FOOD. I could not survive without it. Cigarettes do not make you antisocial, and want to hide in your closet smoking all day. Cigarettes do not make you steal money or hurt others to get them. Cigarettes do not destroy everything in your life that is worthwhile. You cannot compare the two. You are comparing apples to oranges. Go to an AA meeting. You will learn a lot.

Because alcoholics are not suffering from mere addiction per say. They are suffering from a two fold malady - mental AND physical - characterized by (i) an obsession of the mind coupled with (ii) an abnormal reaction of the body. (Which some people - like Dr. Silkworth, like to term as an “allergy” - others simply use the words abnormal reaction.) So a real alcoholic must have these two conditions present simultaneously: 1) Obsession of the mind - Cannot resist taking a drink even though he/she knows once they start they will experience the abnormal reaction. This must be combined with: 2) Abnormal reaction of the body - Once any alcohol whatever is taken into his/her system, something happens in a physical sense that is without comparable effect on the average individual - a physical phenomenon of "Craving" develops - which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop, even if he/she wants and/or needs to stop. This is an abnormal reaction and hence may be defined as an "allergic" reaction. The word used is not important - only that the abnormal reaction of craving is acknowledged. Call it what you will. This craving is an abnormal reaction and hence may be defined as an "allergic" reaction. The word used is not important - only that the abnormal reaction of craving is acknowledged. Only alcoholics experience this reaction and it does not occur until alcohol is actually introduced into the system of the person afflicted. The existence on neither or only ONE of the above may result in problem drinking (Drinking too much - too often - even to the point of damage to ones health and livelihood) BUT does not qualify as a real alcoholic. Both conditions must be present – and only ten percent of the world’s population has both of these conditions simultaneously "If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably alcoholic." (Alcoholics Anonymous”, 44:1) Since whether or not someone is a real alcoholic depends upon the existence of these two conditions simultaneously – then it is something only THEY can answer - because THEY are the only ones with the intimate details of their drinking history - even details which will NOT BE KNOWN to their closest friends and relatives. It is a two-fold malady mental AND physical - characterized by (i) an obsession of the mind coupled with (ii) an allergy of the body. The obsession - a strange insanity that occurs as a “mental blank spot” immediately preceding the taking of a drink, guarantees that the person afflicted will take the drink even with the full knowledge that it will result in a craving for more (allergy) or even though he may not have intended to drink. This is strangely supplanted for the idea that it is safe to drink despite experience that it may not be safe to drink without experiencing the phenomenon of craving (or “Allergy“) "However intelligent, responsible and reasonable an alcoholic may have been in other areas of his life respects, introduce alcohol and they seem to be strangely insane. “These “Allergic” types can never safely use alcohol in any form at all; and once having formed the habit and found they cannot break it, once having lost their self-confidence, their reliance upon things human, their problems pile up on them and become astonishingly difficult to solve.” Alcoholism is distinct from "hard", "heavy" or "problem" drinking or other "addictions" including "drug addiction" in that the two components of mental, alcoholic obsession and physical allergy to ETOH (ethyl alcohol) in some form must be simultaneously present in the individual. Recovery from the obsession (mental) component is possible but there is no known cure for the physical allergy portion. However breaking that one aspect is enough to sever the vicious cycle and allow us to live normal lives – as long as we never put alcohol into out bodies thereby setting off the physical allergy (craving). Alcoholism is distinct from "hard", "heavy" or "problem" drinking or other "addictions" including "drug addiction" in that the two components of mental, alcoholic obsession and physical allergy to ETOH (ethyl alcohol) in some form must be simultaneously present in the individual. Many people who abuse alcohol for entire lifetimes NEVER even become alcoholic by AA's description – just heavy alcohol abusers - although both lifestyles are undesirable - even deadly. Some with a genetic predisposition start off slowly and eventually DO “cross the line”. Until they do, they are what is known as “potential alcoholics” and if they continue will eventually “cross the line” and develop the physical allergy due to the overtaxing of their pancreas and livers. Once that occurs, and we know not when it does, there is no going back. It is thought to be a bad idea to proclaim any individual as alcoholic since only the individual knows their personal history well enough and so completely as to make that decision - qualify as "Alcoholic" and WHOSE DESCRIPTION they wish to use. Only they know the intimate details of their drinking escapades - down to the minute thoughts and actions which can confirm in their minds YOUR explanation of alcoholism to them -which clearly described both the mental obsession and the physical craving phenomenon. Most people who use this description - AAs description - do so only after realizing that no other descriptions have been adequate. I just quit smoking four months ago. I smoked for thirty eight years - a pack a day. I can tell you that quiting smoking is a walk in the park compared to recovering from true alcoholism. I didn't have to recover from smoking. I just had to stop. I hope that helps. Danny S - RLRA Real Live Recovered Alcoholic http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com

Most people have an easie time giving up alcohol than tobbaco have you ever been to an AA meeting you need a ventilator, and those meetings are usually in churches!

it depends on the person and their mentality i guess... a lot of smokers cant just walk away either... i smoked for almost 2 years and just gave it up and never looked back. Yea every once and awhile i have a cigarette from someone when im drunk or smoke hookah every now and then. I rarely drink too but yea i think it was easy to give it up. I think its just the mindset and your will power.