Mila, 24

The last cigarette on the balcony

Then

Mila had smoked since she was fifteen. A pack a day, later a vape too because it was easier at work. She was out of breath on the stairs to her apartment and embarrassed by the smell in her hair. Every New Year's Eve she quit, and every January she started again.

The turning point

At a birthday party, her ten-year-old sister pretended to smoke with a breadstick, just like Mila. That hurt more than all the warnings on the packs. Mila chose a start date, threw everything away and told her coworkers so they could help her.

Now

Mila hasn't smoked in two years. She used the money she saved for a trip to Iceland. She climbs the stairs without getting winded. She says: a craving never lasted more than a few minutes. I learned to sit those minutes out.

“Every craving passes. Once you've felt that a few times, you start to trust it.”

The people in these stories are fictional. Their experiences are based on what many people in recovery go through.

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