My dad smoked from the age of probably 13 through his early 40s, when I was a teenager. Here's a quick story about his parents:
My grandmother, who had smoked in her 20s, 30s, and 40s, but later quit, was diagnosed with emphysema. After a two long years of watching her condition decline, she eventually had a stroke and was bedridden. She passed away a few weeks later.
Her husband (my grandfather) had smoked his entire adult life and quit when grandma got sick. She was on oxygen and smoking near her wasn't an option. He was so busy taking care of her that last two years that he never had time to realize he had cancer. He passed away six months after she did.
My dad quit cold turkey when his dad died.
He did replace the addiction with another. . . Coca-Cola. . . which essentially just got a different doctor to pester him.
I agree with having gum, Certs, Tic-Tacs, and anything else you can use to occupy your hands and mouth occupied while you go through the withdrawals. Candy isn't great for you, but if you need it early on, drink water, brush your teeth, and go for it. You might also have to alter your routine to avoid triggering the purchasing habit. It's not addictive in the same way, but I had to quit junk food mostly by not buying it, which largely involved avoiding the situations where I would impulsively pick it up.
In my life, I've never seen anybody ease themselves off of the stuff. They all essentially come to a point where they're disgusted by it and walk away. If you keep it around, you'll use it.
I do have several personal anecdotes I could share to encourage you to avoid Chantix.
Best of luck!
