To Quit Smoking, I Started Hiking
The article recounts a personal journey of overcoming smoking through hiking and physical challenges. The author reflects on their long struggle with nicotine addiction and how a pivotal experience climbing Mt. Fuji sparked a sense of hope. Ultimately, the journey to quit smoking involved multiple attempts and a transformation into an active lifestyle.
- ▪Around 10% of American adults still smoke cigarettes, with many more using e-cigarettes.
- ▪The author began smoking at age 11 and struggled with addiction for over a decade.
- ▪Climbing Mt. Fuji marked a turning point, instilling a sense of hope that contributed to the author's eventual decision to quit smoking.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Despite decades of public health campaigns, smoking remains stubbornly persistent. Around 10% of American adults still smoke cigarettes, while millions more use e-cigarettes and other nicotine products. Nicotine is among the most addictive substances known, altering the brain’s reward pathways and making quitting notoriously difficult. Most people who smoke want to stop. Many try repeatedly before they succeed. I first tried to quit smoking when I was 24 years old. By then, I’d already been smoking for 13 years; I’d started when I was 11 years old by picking up discarded cigarette butts in the neighborhood while I was out wandering. This was made possible because I was left home alone for exceedingly long stretches of time. I was mostly very lonely and lost.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at TIME — Top.
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