I was a smoker for almost 43 years. I tried the nicotine patches, the nicotine gum, and snus and chantex which all failed miserably. The longest I was ever able to go without smoking a cigarette was maybe 6 hours before the craving took hold. Three years ago I tried my first electronic cigarette. And after both smoking and using the electronic cigarette together for three days I quit the tobacco cigarettes and have been exclusively using the electronic cigarette for 3 years.