Stop Smoking

Domenic Benedetto

Health Issues

Dr. Glascock

4/15/05

Behavior Change Contract Paper

When the class was first told about the contract, I thought to myself that this can really help me stop smoking if I stick with it. I smoke about a pack a day, which is 20 cigarettes. I wanted to gradually decrease the amount of cigarettes I smoke every week for 7 weeks until I stopped smoking. Unfortunately this didn't work and I was smoking the same amount I started with after the first week of the contract. There were three sets of factors that really

influenced me to continue to smoke.

The first factor is the reinforcing factor, smoking is a very social and there are so many people that do it. There are always groups of people smoking anywhere, anytime. School is where I smoke the most cigarettes because I know a lot of people that smoke and whenever I see someone I know smoking I will join them and have a cigarette.

Next is the predisposing factor, this includes everything that is in my head already. Examples of this would be how I am mentally addicted to cigarettes and it feels like I will never be able to stop. This factor in my opinion has the biggest influence on me smoking.

The last factor is the enabling factor; today cigarettes are so easy to get, even for minors. Many of the stores wont even check IDs; they just sell them to whomever. Another enabling factor is that I make money, and can afford to buy the cigarettes at whatever price they are.

As you see these three factors had a lot to do with the reason why I couldn't stop smoking cigarettes. I also think that another reason why I couldn't stop was because of the whole reward system. My reward was that I was allowed to play video games when my girlfriend was over, which was stupid because now I just do it anyway. I think for the beginning of next semester I am going to try the same exact thing, but I will have a better reward and I have be a lot more serious because I have to stop this habit soon.