Many people believe that if they don’t succeed on their first attempt, they are destined to fail forever. We often say that quitting smoking is hard but not impossible, yet we treat a relapse like a dead end. Think about it: if you failed your driving test, would you give up on driving for life? Probably not. You would study your mistakes and try again. Quitting tobacco follows the same logic—it’s not about superhuman willpower, but about learning from each ‘slip’ until you finally cross the finish line.
“Yes, at my health center, they gave me advice on how to quit smoking…”
“And?”
“Well, I had these intense cravings. I controlled them as much as I could, but in the end, it was inevitable—I started smoking again.”
At that moment, the office door opens again. The young man who had cut in front of you walks out. Just like before, he doesn’t even look at you. He just puts his headphones back on at full volume and disappears down the hallway.
“It’s my turn now, right?” the woman asks the official.
“If you are Mrs. Pilar Arbòs, yes.”
“Well,” she says, turning to you, “it’s been a pleasure chatting with you. Take care.”
“You too!” As she reaches the doorway, she turns back and asks, “Tell me one thing… why didn’t you use medication?”
“Ma’am, are you coming in?” the official insists.
“Just a moment, I’m talking! Especially after how long you made me wait… can’t you see we’re discussing something important?” She turns back to you. “As I was saying, my husband also thought at first that he had to prove he was stronger than the tobacco. He even carried a pack in his pocket just to prove a point.”
“I had plenty of reasons… I doubted if it actually worked, if it would make me feel sick, or why I felt I had to do it all on my own…”
“Let’s take it one step at a time,” she says, taking a breath. “I’ll tell you straight: there is no miracle pill that magically deletes the urge to smoke. But they can help you manage the cravings much better.”
“But a lot of times, what they give you doesn’t work…”
“The same thing happened to him. He was on treatment but still had crazy cravings. He talked to his nurse, and she changed his medication. It’s like an antibiotic—sometimes the first one doesn’t work, and they have to increase the dose or give you a different one altogether.” She pauses, thinking back. “And she also gave him specific tips for the moments when it was hardest to cope.”
“And what if the medicine makes you feel sick?” you ask.
“It’s a problem if it makes you feel unwell or if you simply can’t take it for whatever reason. I remember there was one he couldn’t handle, but there are several options. It’s just a matter of looking into it, isn’t it?”
“And if none of them work, or the ones you can take don’t really help?”
“Then you’re left doing it the way you did—without medication.”
“Exactly. I tried that, and I couldn’t do it.”
“I understand. But tell me this: if you were taking your driving test tomorrow and you failed because you only read the manual since you couldn’t make it to class… what would you do? Would you give up forever, or would you study that book again until you passed?”
“I’d probably try again.”
“Well, quitting smoking is the same thing. You didn’t make it? Bad luck. Learn from the mistakes and think about how to overcome the obstacles. If you keep at it, eventually, things happen. My husband got it on his fifth try! Both the license and quitting!”
“But you can’t compare the two,” you reply.
“Oh, I can. You know what? My husband is up there in years, but he loves wasting time on the internet. He found a post comparing people getting their driver’s license on the first try with people quitting smoking. In the end, the proportion of people succeeding was very similar. That’s what encouraged him to keep trying.”
“Yeah, but…”
“I know. Is quitting smoking hard? For some people, yes. But hard doesn’t mean impossible. So… have you decided to give it another go?”
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