1. He helped people. How could he possibly allow for others to think of him 'as a sucker for the tobacco companies'....powerful tobacco companies!!!Maybe even like the other 'powers' he fought against.

2. The same simple thought that enticed him to start smoking in the first place. simply.

3. He made his own decisions....he would not have allowed his children to hold that against him.....he was a caring man.

4. A personal withdrawal....the moment was right for him......what withdrawal.....it was just a decision.

5. It is a chronic indecision, that is all. Everyone has reasons for NOT wanting to make a decision......

Thank you for reminding me what a unique and fine person Ozzie was!

I think like mentioned in the previous comment, the idea of being a slave to a tobacco company simply struck a powerful chord with Uncle Ozzie and if we could readily identify those chords in other addicts we may be a lot closer to helping them quit harmful habits. The frustrating part is that the addicts themselves can't usually tell you what would make them quit because they don't know. Ozzie didn't know that comment would be the end of his smoking days until he heard it. We harp on the "do it for your kids" statements because we think those have universal appeal. The truth seems to be that even the most devoted father might not "do it for his kids." It doesn't make the addict a bad father, it's just not the right chord to play.

1. Because being a sucker didn't mesh well with his self-concept.

2. Simple thoughts overcome addiction all the time. Ever hear of the crack addict who quit after hearing Jesus talk to him in the form of a rat? Well, maybe not quite so simple, but essentially, quitters are prompted by one impressive line of reasoning: the one that dictates how they see themselves and how they want others to see themselves. (I.e., the heroin addict who discovers "This [addict behavior] isn't [the real] me.)

3. He had lungs too, but he didn't quit for those either. The bottom line is that if people won't stop smoking to save their own lives, we can't reasonably expect them to quit for others. Also, Ozzie was a smoker during the era when "second-hand smoke" wasn't an immediate flashing red light.

4. You haven't provided the reader with enough information to consider his withdrawal. No symptoms listed, so are we to believe Ozzie had no withdrawal? The chemical dependency alone would have provided at least two weeks of withdrawal. That said, Ozzie was apparently a very busy, very determined man. Once he heard the tobacco companies were laughing at every nickel he gave them, every withdrawal symptom was probably paltry compared to his desire to get back at the bad guys. (It was his life, afterall.)

5. Well apparently he was instantaneously cured. Now, if only the rest of us could kick our habits so easily.

My daughter is a drug addict. It started when she was prescribed to pain killers at the age of 14. She got them from the orthodontist when she got her braces on. Nice, huh? She's 20 now, did a year in jail, 2 months of rehab and 4 months more in a halfway house, all mandated by the courts. I agree with your article and comments and I have tried to tell people this over and over. Drug addiction is a disease and should be treated as one. I had words with my daughters probation officer once and told him being on Probation doesn't cure addiction. The problem is, we live in a small town, and frankly, the whole judicial system is on a power trip and they don't give up or let up on these kids. They pound them into the ground every chance they get. So, for the next 5 years, my daughter is on parole and will be watched closely. So far, she's clean, and has been out of jail for 15 months. I just have to pray it continues.

Hello. I can respond!

Q: Why did Ozzie quit smoking that day, based on a few words from a co-worker?
A: He was a militant union man being ridiculed by a co-worker for being a corporate pawn of the tobacco companies. And, he saw that the co-worker was right! It wasn't simply "a few words". "Co-workers" were important to him. I believe it was an epiphany! That's why he told the story in the first place.

Q: How can a simple thought overcome a powerful quarter-century addiction?
A: A "simple thought"? It wasn't a simple thought! He was a militant union man. People fought and died for the sake of the Union. Really.

Q: Ozzie had a small daughter and a teen son, but he didn't quit smoking because of them, even though he was a good father. Why didn't he?
A: At the time he quit smoking, there was no publicized evidence that second hand cigarette smoke could hurt his family. None. It was not considered dangerous.

Q: What about Ozzie's withdrawal? A: He was tough.

Q: Describe Ozzie's behavior from the framework that addiction is a chronic brain disease.
A: Whatever. Look, consider this. He lived through the American Depression. He fought for his Union. He could probably manage discomfort easer than losing a nickel a pack and being a pawn of the tobacco companies.

Now, my surprise: I actually had the privilege of meeting him through his daughter. He was a kind and considerate Dad. None better. Glad he lived so long, and very, very sorry he's gone. Love and condolences to his family, Dr. A. Martin

1. Why did Ozzie quit smoking that day, based on a few words from a co-worker?
Because he wanted to.

2. How can a simple thought overcome a powerful quarter-century addiction?
I don't know. Why didn't my simple thought work as well as his simple thought? Maybe my simple thinker doesn't work as well.

3. Ozzie had a small daughter and a teen son, but he didn't quit smoking because of them, even though he was a good father. Why didn't he?
Because he quit for a different reason.

4. What about Ozzie's withdrawal?
It wasn't life threatening but probably still sucked. After awhile it stopped.

5. Describe Ozzie's behavior from the framework that addiction is a chronic brain disease.
Ozzie wasn't addicted to smoking. Or maybe he became addicted to not smoking. Or maybe a deity changed him from a smoker to a non-smoker.

However he managed to quit, it'd be nice to have it quantified so other smokers could get the same result.

Actually, it'd be really f-ing nice if I could have applied whatever the hell it was that allowed me to quit smoking and drinking in other areas of my life. It's f-ing embarrassing to be an addict and not be able to stop doing shit you don't want to be doing.