(Editor’s note: This post about how Charlotte Laborie quit smoking is her personal story and not an endorsement of any product or method. Dispatches received no remuneration.)
First and foremost, I would like to start by asking Macron to not take away my French nationality. Thank you very much. Smoking truly is the quintessential French pastime, as symbolic as a croissant in the morning or a glass of wine in the evening.
For 10 long years, I embraced this Parisian cliché with the kind of fervor usually reserved for poetry or gastronomy. My journey through the smoky haze started with rolled cigarettes (rollies for those in the know), drifted through the classic Camel Yellows, took a detour via the “healthier” Marlboro Lights, and culminated in the slender sophistication of Vogues. If my smoking habit had been a fashion line, it would have gone from streetwear to haute couture.
Okay, I admit, I just watched “Emily in Paris. “
I need to relax.
Anyways, like all trends, the allure of smoking started to wear thin. Whether it was the fact that my lungs started to feel like they were participating in the Paris Marathon without any of the fun. The smell in my hair after a night out or the feeling of panic when my pack was running out – I knew it was time for a change.
Enter Allen Carr, the Smoking Guru
In my quest for freedom, I stumbled upon Allen Carr’s “Easyway to Stop Smoking.” Now, I’ll admit, I was skeptical. Could a book really do what nicotine patches, cold turkey attempts, and countless New Year’s resolutions had failed to accomplish? But, like a good French citizen, I believe in the power of words, and so I dove into the pages with an open mind.
Carr’s approach is delightfully counterintuitive. He doesn’t lecture you about the dangers of smoking because, let’s face it, we already know them. Instead, he peels away the layers of the smoking illusion.
The more I read, the more I began to see smoking not as a pleasure but as a trap – one I had willingly walked into for a decade. By the time I finished the book, something had clicked.
It was as if a switch had flipped in my brain. I wasn’t losing anything by quitting; I was gaining everything.
My lungs were soon to be free of tar, my wallet was going to get a little fatter, and I was about to regain control over my life. I know it sounds weird, but reading this book worked for millions of smokers.
The laser acupuncture adventure
I wasn’t ready to leave anything to chance. Enter: laser acupuncture. Yes, you read that right. I’d also never heard about it until like a month ago. I decided to put my fate in the hands of a method that sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
Laser acupuncture is a modern twist on the ancient practice of acupuncture, where, instead of needles, a low-level laser is used to stimulate specific points on your ears and nose. The idea is to reduce cravings and ease withdrawal symptoms. I figured that if Allen Carr’s method was the mental game-changer, laser acupuncture could be the physical boost I needed.
The technician, who I’m convinced had the aura of a Parisian mystic, calmly and painlessly zapped my ears and nose with the laser, each zap supposedly dialling down my craving for a cigarette. I honestly found it to work, and it cost me 180 euros. Considering I smoked one pack a day, I figure I’d make my money back in no time, with the benefit of regaining my stamina and health too.
A no-brainer.
And just like that …
… I was done. Well, almost.
The first few days were bizarre. There was no gnawing urge to light up, no internal battle of wills and my mouth tasted as if I had never smoked. It was as if I had simply decided not to smoke, and my body had obediently followed suit.
Of course, there were moments of temptation: an Aperol Spritz with friends, the morning coffee, the afternoon coffee, the post-dinner coffee ….
But each time, the thought of smoking felt like an old, outdated habit, something I had outgrown. In the end, I realized that quitting smoking wasn’t about losing a part of myself; it was about rediscovering who I was without the haze. And if that meant trading in my Vogues for a life of clear lungs and fresh breath, then so be it.
Advice to smokers looking to quit
If you’re considering quitting smoking, my advice is this: find what works for you.
Whether it’s a book, a laser, or sheer willpower, the key is to approach it with the right mindset. I would really recommend reading the book: Worst-case scenario: you lose 10 euros and keep smoking; it’s a low-hanging fruit.
Also, remember, quitting isn’t about giving up something you love; it’s about freeing yourself from something that’s been holding you back. Allen Carr even says we should change the lingo and start saying “escaping smoking” rather than “quitting smoking” because using the word “quitting” insinuates you are sacrificing something.
After all, life is too short to spend it in a cloud of smoke.
––––––––––
Read more abput healthcare here in Dispatches’ archives.
Charlotte Laborie grew up in England, Belgium and Switzerland. Charlotte then moved to Paris and graduated from Sciences Po Paris. She is still based in Paris, where she works in marketing.
