Well I stopped smoking 36 days ago, but in the meantime have smoked three times in that time period. After two or three beers in each case. Last time I smoked was Chinese New Years Eve (last week). I have checked around in the internet, and have found claims that when you drink alcohol it enhances the feeling from smoking plus you loose inhibitions, so when you drink you are more likely to slip and smoke. Other than that I am fine. I almost daily get an urge/impulse to smoke, but this fades away after about 15 mins, and it does seem to be getting better. I have had a number of dreams involving smoking and Marlboro. My sinuses are not blocked and I am eating breakfast
Last year I had planned to give up in May, but I judged it not to be the right time (but then when is the right time I guess). Has planned to quite at the New Year, but was sick over the New Years period, so did not stop smoking (have the last smoke) until the second week of January. Was going well for two weeks, and then met up in a bar with a few friends who are smokers, and after a few drinks smoked three cigarettes. Same for the second time and third time I smoked. Therefore I am trying to reduce but not avoid meeting friends who smoke, and will not meet them at a bar. I am not pissed at myself, a little disappointed and know it is my own fault for creating the circumstances for me to smoke, and have learned my lesson I hope. I am trying to avoid giving justification or absolution for my relapse by saying it was the beer or the casual smoker having 2 or 3. I do not believe there is anything such as the causal or 5 per day smoker. A guy I work with because of high blood pressure/bad health has cut down to 5 a day, but from going to lunch with him he seems to spend a lot of time wishing his life away to when he can have that next cigarette.
In the past with attempts to quit I always went back smoking at about the 6 week mark. At such time I think you start leaving your guard down or smoke a few to prove you are not addicted. But nearly 16 years ago smoking a few ended up in smoking a pack a day for nearly half my life. So no more slips or experiments for me with one or two cigarettes.
Another thing I have found from reading on the internet is that people who stop smoking wait for something to happen or something to change at some point after they quit, but nothing happens, and they end up feeling left down, and can slide back into smoking. So when you quite be prepared for nothing to happen, except maybe the occasional urge to smoke and an empty/hungry feeling
The half life of nicotine is 2 hours, so from the time you smoke your last cigarette the decrease is as follows.
TIME (HRS) % in body
0 100.000000000000000000000000000000%
1 50.000000000000000000000000000000%
2 25.000000000000000000000000000000%
4 6.250000000000000000000000000000%
8 0.390625000000000000000000000000%
12 0.024414062500000000000000000000%
24 0.000005960464477539060000000000%
36 0.000000001455191522836690000000%
48 0.000000000000355271367880050000%
60 0.000000000000000086736173798840%
72 0.000000000000000000021175823681%
84 0.000000000000000000000005169879%
96 0.000000000000000000000000001262%
132 0.000000000000000000000000000000%
So after about 3 to 4 days there is almost zero nicotine in your body. I cannot find a definitive answer on how long it takes your body to stop searching/ asking for nicotine, but I assume from the time zero HRS it is been forced to readjust to being without nicotine. And from what MJB said, your body/mind will always in some way or amount have nicotine on its mind, so vigilance to stop slipping back is required, but this comes easier with time
