For Sam, quitting smoking wasn’t about complex strategies or external pressure.
It was a controlled decision, and one that he chose to stick with. A civil engineer born in mainland China in 1972, Sam first began smoking in 1990 at university to fit in with friends. What started as the occasional social cigarette soon became a daily activity woven into his work and routine.
Back then, in the 90s, everyone smoked at work, even in the office. It was part of the culture in China. You’d smoke during breaks and socialise with your colleagues. It was normal. I ended up smoking 20 cigarettes a day, sometimes even more.
I always knew smoking wasn’t good for my health, but it became something tied to thinking and working. It helped keep me focus – or, at least, that’s what I thought.
Everything shifted when I moved to Australia with my wife and daughter in 2018. The change of environment made a huge difference. Smoking wasn’t as common, my family didn’t want it in the house, and the high price of cigarettes here made it less appealing.
I never even bought cigarettes in Australia. When the ones I had ran out, I just didn’t buy any more. That was it for me. I quit cold turkey. I made the choice to stop, there and then.
“The first few days were tough. I still wanted to smoke. But I just kept going and not smoking.
To keep my mind off smoking, I focused on whatever I needed to do at the time. After about 10 to 20 days, I stopped thinking about smoking altogether.”
Then I started to notice small but important changes. My breath felt fresher, my mouth cleaner, and my teeth were whiter. When your teeth aren’t white, they look dirty. It just feels better when they’re clean.
I also felt less worried about my health. Some of my relatives, like my father and grandfather, had died of oesophageal cancer. I didn’t want to take any chances.
I slipped up and smoked again while visiting friends in China one year. But as soon as I returned to Melbourne, I got back on track and stopped smoking again.
Overall, not smoking has been easier than I expected. Fewer people smoke here in Australia and there aren’t many places that you’re allowed to smoke. That helps a lot.
“If you want to quit, believe that you have the strength and the control”.
