5 ways Malaysians are slowly quitting smoking

Group of friends enjoying party and throwing confetti

Celebrate your smoke -free journey with your best friend .  

According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015, 52.3% of Malaysian smokers wish to quit smoking. [1] Similarly, 59.5% of smokers consider quitting after noticing the health warning labels on cigarette packs. For a large number of smokers, their desire to quit is driven by various reasons such as health, family or financial circumstances.

However, quitting is not easy and relapse is not uncommon. However, the good news is that every attempt to quit is a small step towards the day when you can finally say "I quit" !  

Roommates John Wu, 30, and Reuben Michael, 31, agree. They realize that half the battle is having the mental strength and fortitude to resist the urge and desire to smoke. 

According to business owner John and project manager Reuben, both had a long-term heavy smoking habit and would each smoke a pack of cigarettes whenever they worked late into the night. 

“We always had extra cigarettes in the house so we were never short of them. Then we had this awful smell of cigarettes in the house, ” they shared. According to these friends, this made them decide to quit smoking. 

Let’s look at some effective strategies used by John and Reuben.

Step 1: Find a supportive partner to help you quit smoking   

According to John, his first attempt to quit smoking was by quitting suddenly. John said that this method did not work well for him. "It was too hard, my mood was bad, and I was hungry every time," he explained. 

Reuben saw John's struggle and decided to quit smoking with John in order to show his support. Instead of quitting all of a sudden, the two gradually reduced their smoking over a set period. Not only that, but they also talked about their decision to quit smoking with their partner and family. By being open about this decision with those closest to them, they showed that they were ready to take on those who were always ready to laugh in their faces if they failed! 

By doing this and monitoring their daily progress, they are able to motivate each other to quit smoking. 

They also convinced other friends to join them on this journey, and the two eventually created a support group to discuss how to avoid falling back into the habit. 

Step 2: Get rid of the temptation of cigarettes

A man stands in his kitchen preparing a meal with various fresh vegetables on the counter and looking at his tablet with a thoughtful expression on his face

It’s time to pick up a hobby to keep yourself busy and away from cigarettes . 

Another strategy John and Reuben tried was to eliminate temptations that might tempt them to return to smoking. 

The first thing John and Reuben did was to stop buying cigarettes by the carton. Then, they gradually reduced their smoking habit to just one pack per week until they no longer felt the need to buy any more. Then, they removed novelty lighters and ashtrays from their living space to make it harder for them to smoke indoors. 

The two have since changed their daily habits. For example, they no longer smoke cigarettes while working late at night, and make sure they have a bowl of healthy snacks, such as fruit, to eat. 

Whenever Reuben wants to smoke, he chooses to do something small to keep his hands busy, such as squeezing a stress ball or twirling a pen between his fingers. “While these actions may sound random, they helped me a lot, especially in the early days when I was used to having a smoke after finishing work at home,” Reuben said. 

Step 3: Start a New Hobby 

According to John, quitting smoking has allowed him to explore new passions and hobbies, such as cooking. 

John said that his fiancée was learning to cook at the time and often did some experimental cooking in the apartment. This made him discover that he was good at making chicken biryani and roti canai. So, instead of lazily watching TV with a cigarette in hand, he now spends more time in the kitchen helping his fiancée cook. It also became an opportunity for him to get closer to his family and spend quality time together.   

Reuben, on the other hand, starts playing guitar to distract himself from his cigarette. 

“Learning to play guitar not only helped me become more focused, but it also kept my hands busy, which helped resist the temptation to light up the guitar,” Reuben explained. 

Not only that, John’s new love for cooking has reignited other fires. “ Saya suka, tunang pun jatuh cinta,” he adds with a smile. 

A man holding a coffee and wearing headphones

Treat yourself to a treat – maybe a pair of headphones, maybe a cup of coffee ! 

Step 4: Treat yourself !  

The first time John quit smoking for 24 hours, he treated his fiancée to a nice lunch the next day. This inspired John and Reuben to create a reward system for their journey. 

According to the duo, they even started rewarding themselves for small goals they achieved, such as recruiting another friend to join their online support group and staying up late with other smoking friends without smoking. 

Furthermore, when John and Reuben saw how much money they saved by not buying cigarettes, they decided to use the money to treat their family and supportive friends. 

“Cigarettes cost a lot in the long run, so when I saw that I could save so much money by quitting, I decided to buy myself a vintage record player and a new pair of sneakers,” said Reuben, who now enjoys the analog sound of vinyl records and goes out in style in his sneakers. 

Step 5 : Ease the transition with better alternatives  

Another strategy John and Reuben used in their quitting journey was to actively explore alternatives to smoking, such as e-cigarettes. 

“When it came to alternatives, we tried almost everything on the shelf but ultimately chose e-cigarettes because they were the most helpful,” the duo said. 

According to the duo, e-cigarettes, especially those with closed cartridge systems, are useful because they help mimic the movements people typically make when smoking. 

Not only that, e-cigarettes are also affordable, with a starter pack retailing at around RM59, slightly more than the cost of a monthly Netflix Premium subscription. In addition, e-cigarette cartridges are also cost-effective as they allow users to smoke at their own pace without having to finish all at once or waste a whole cigarette. 

Both John and Reuben noted that not everyone has the same experiences they have, and their advice may not immediately work for others. Still, the two shared one tip that did work for them: Stay positive. 

“Ultimately, having a positive mindset is also very important,” John and Reuben said, noting that the affirmations they give themselves every time they feel like failing motivate them to keep going. 

“Keeping a positive mindset makes it easier to keep moving forward and overcome challenges,” the pair said. 

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