Dear Ann Landers,
When I read your articles against smoking I just shake my head and say, Isn't it a shame there are so many gutless wonders in the world? People will fight with each other at the drop of an adjective, but they can't stand up to a four-inch cigarette. I smoked heavily for twenty-one years. When I decided to quit here's how I did it. I carried a pack of cigarettes in my pocket. Whenever I got the urge to smoke, I reached into my pocket and asked, Who's boss

dear one,
You're beautiful! But unfortunately, not everyone is made of such stem stuff. Some folks need outside help. And if they do-so what? It's the results that count. First, you must believe you can do it. Thirty million adults have already quit. Of the 53 million still smoking cigarettes, 25 million have said they would like to quit. There is no one way that works for everybody. Many commercial groups claim success. Hypnotism works for some. Your doctor can recommend a hypnotist if he believes one might help you. Certain per-sonality types do well with hypnosis, others do not. There are also various programs country-wide that assist smokers trying to quit. Some of these are SmokEnders, Inc., 3435 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 216, San Diego, Cali-fornia, 92108; St. Helena Hospital and Health Clinic, Deer Park, California, 34576; and Seventh-Day Adventist programs available throughout the coun-try. Many smokers have quit through guidelines offered by the American Can-cer Society, which has free Quit Smoking Clinics in many communities. If you decide to do it on your own, here are some suggestions which have proved helpful to others: For many smokers an important first step in the process of giving up ciga-rettes is to set the date for Q (quitting) Day, when you are going to stop completely-perhaps four weeks in the future. As that day approaches, grad-ually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke, day by day, or week by week. A good system is to decide to smoke only once an hour-or to stop smok- ng between the hours of nine and ten o'clock, eleven and twelve, one and two, three and four, etc. Then extend non-smoking by half an hour, an hour, wo hours. You may decide to halve the cigarettes you smoke week by week, cr smoke only half of each cigarette. In the process of reducing smoking keep your pack of cigarettes in a iifferent pocket or place than has been your habit. This way you'll be -eminded you are quitting; also make it tougher to smoke. Wrap your pack in ;everal sheets of paper with an elastic band around it. Shift from a brand you ike to an unpalatable brand. Ask yourself, "Do I really want this cigarette, cr am I acting out of habit?" How can I strengthen my decision as Q Day approaches? Think over the reasons why you should not smoke: the risk of disease, the cad breath, the cough, the cost, the morning-after ashtrays, your own slavery :o the habit. Concentrate each evening before you fall asleep on one good result of quit- 254 THE ANN LANDERS ENCYCLOPEDIA ting. Repeat and repeat that single fact. Drive home another fact the next night, etc. Review the facts about the risks. Remind yourself that you could be the one dying early, cutting years off your life. Be aware that 100,000 doctors have quit cigarettes and ask yourself, "Why?" The answer, of course, is: "They see first hand what happens to thousands of cigarette smokers." On Q Day drink lots of liquids, nibble fruit, celery, carrots, candy, or chew gum. Take vigorous exercise. Avoid places where people smoke. Go to the movies where there's a No Smoking section. Instead of a cigarette after meals, try a mouthwash. Reward yourself. Give yourself all the things you like best. Buy yourself a present with the cigarette money you've saved. Put your arms around someone you love and say, "Our chances for having many more years together are a lot better now." credit: Theodore Adams, Editorial Consultant, American Cancer Society, New York, New York. CIGARETTES A PERSONAL TESTIMONY