Twenty years ago, Jaana M. smoked her first cigarette as a 16 year old in Connecticut, to be “cool,” and to win approval of her peers. Over the years, Jaana, now 36 years old and a resident of Hanalei, has
Twenty years ago, Jaana M. smoked her first cigarette as a 16 year old in Connecticut, to be “cool,” and to win approval of her peers.
Over the years, Jaana, now 36 years old and a resident of Hanalei, has been afflicted with emphysema, her gums have receded as a result of smoking, and she was recently diagnosed with asthma.
Jaana said she regrets ever smoking. “If I could change one thing in my life, I would never have picked up that cigarette.”
To help her beat smoking once and for all, and to help others on Kaua‘i do the same, she launched Nicotine Anonymous two weeks ago.
Jaana (she gave her last name, but in order to keep some anonymity editors chose to leave it out of this story) said the group is the first of its kind on Kaua‘i formed to help people beat their smoking addictions so they can live healthier, richer and longer lives.
The North Shore-based, nonprofit group scheduled its first meeting for today, Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Kapa‘a Library.
The meetings are scheduled to be held every Wednesday at that time for the next three months, she said. If the meetings are successful, they will continue to be held at the library, she said.
“It is important that a group like this exists, because we are killing ourselves,” she said. “This is a very powerful addiction. It is more difficult to get off nicotine than it is to get off heroin,” she said.
“A lot of people would say that quitting smoking is the hardest thing they could do in their lives.”
Jaana said Nicotine Anonymous has put her group on its Web site at www.Nicotine-Anonymous.org. Nicotine Anonymous World Services is located in Huntington Beach, Ca.
Please call 826-6103 for more information on the program.
