I’m Charlie, and I’m addicted to cigarettes. That is, I believe, the way to start talking about a problem.
Why am I telling you? Because I’m giving up. Of course, wuss that I
am, I’m not going cold turkey. I shall enlist the power of technology to
help.
Here’s a list of the gadgets I will rely on in the coming weeks. The photo, by the way, shows one of Brazil’s rather scary anti-smoking warnings. This one concerns the ability of cigarettes to cause impotence.
NJOY fake cigarette
We covered this last summer, and it looks like a good idea, at least to begin with. The tube takes a cartridge of nicotine-bearing liquid and a heating element vaporizes it. The happy "smoker" inhales the resulting vapor.
Wired: Delivers a nicotine hit without all the other chemicals in smoke; can be used even in non-smoking zones (I’m looking at you, California).
Tired: Expensive (kit starts at $110); contains nicotine.
Product page [NJOY]
Smokes on a Plane: NJOY Electronic Cigarettes [Gadget Lab]
iPhone
I plan to use my iPod Touch as a supportive friend in my weaker moments. First, a quick five minute blast on Monkeyball is a great alternative to a smoke break. But better are the applications designed to help you quit.
A quick look at the App Store shows more than 10 of them, from simple counters that help you track your smoke-free days to full-on "support group" applications that offer advice and tips when you’re feeling weak. Calculators show you how much money you’ve saved — useless for me, as I live in Spain where tobacco costs almost nothing.
Part of the fun will be trying all these apps, so if any of you have recommendations, put them in the comments.
Wired: It’s the iPhone! Games!
Tired: Easy to ignore, yet more money to spend.
Quit Smoking Cold Turkey [iTunes]
Nicotine patches
These aren’t for my benefit, you understand. I will use these to spare my friends from my hideous explosive temper. Normally a happy and tranquil human being, nicotine withdrawal throws me into unpredictable rages where I shout and scream until my voice literally cracks from the effort.
This is actually true. Just ask the employees of a bar I used to run back in England. The poor souls — I gave up smoking, drinking and coffee in the same week.
Wired: I get to keep my friends.
Tired: Takes longer to wean you off nicotine than plain cold turkey; expensive.
Nicostopper
This little box of tricks locks away 10 cancer sticks and doles them out at pre-programmed intervals throughout the day. It also offers advice from its built-in software, but the real trick is the drip feed of fags.
But you can see the problem right away — it’s too easy to just buy another pack. Plus the Spanish gizmo costs around $300, which is really quite absurd.
Wired: Combines most of the above in one device.
Tired: Doomed to failure due to easy availability of cigarettes in bars; it costs $300.
Product page [Nicostop]
Now, over to you. Any tips? Any tech-related tricks (or even non-tech) to help a smoker quit? Answers, please, in the comments
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