My husband was a heavy smoker and stopped after 40 years of smoking using the NYC quits program. He started phase one of the patches and did it beginning on a Monday and no patch on the first Shabbos. When he was up to Phase 2 the next Wednesday he decided not to put the patch on but have it with him just in case. The rest is history, he didn’t use the patch and has not smoked since then, now 4 1/2 years. What pushed him was that he developed a severe bronchitis and the doctor gave him inhalers. At night he coughed so hard that the neighbors commented on his coughing. When he coughed i told him he could use a good sucktioning, something done on people who are on vents and develop secretions in their longs which must be sort of vacumed out and is extremely uncomfortable. I kept on telling him that if he was Chas V’shalom sick, i as a wife will be at his side but if it was illness as result of smoking his friend in the nursing home business will care for him. After he stopped he realized why the children didn’t want to ride in his vehicle and had to get a new car. Someone close to us gave a large donation to a needy cause and matched the same for us, which my husband to gave for a needy chosson. In short, where there is a will there is a way. Smoking is an addiction equal to drugs and is horrible. It is also not fair to people around smokers who are affected to with smelling and getting sick to chas v’shalom.
P.S. At one point the doctor perscribed Chantix , at which time insurance did not cover cost. Yet, after reading the side effects and possible lifetime effects, i just dumped the whole batch of pills.