Give up your addictions in the order they are going to kill you, please advise

[Addictionsx2]

NC for this post but I've been here for donkeys years.

I am in my late 50s and have no apparent health issues other than 20lb of unwanted flab. But no medications, no diagnoses.

I am addicted to tobacco (5 cigarettes a day) and wine (half a bottle most days). Which should I tackle first please? I absolutely definitely cannot do both at the same time.

I'd say give up the fags first.

I actually stopped smoking cold turkey after my gp found a heart murmur, and I smoked a pack a day. I also stopped drinking at the same time, at least a bottle a night. It might have felt easy for me because I was so scared that I’d left it too late and was facing heart problems and liver failure. This was 10 months ago.

I think it's easier to give up smoking because it's mostly socially unacceptable nowadays - and you could use vapes if you were desperate.

Although fags are probably much worse, I really don't recommend a vape if you can help it- see username 🙈
From a health perspective I'd give up fags first, however if you keep drinking, is it going to make stopping smoking harder than it needs to be? I don't tend to smoke as much when I drink but know I'm in the minority with that. So maybe drink first, then smoking, depending on your triggers.

I would say fags first. You can do it.

Definitely fags first, its the biggest killer. Then work on the alcohol. Plus, take on some exercise, if you don't already

Cigarettes first but be VERY careful. Because booze makes you want cigarettes and vice versa.

Honestly I would do the booze first. If you do cigarettes first you're likely to end up drinking more to cope/ take the edge off. And five a day, while not great, is actually very little and there's lots available to help. So once you're comfortably sober you can tackle that. My mum has stopped smoking this year (getting admitted to hospital for something unrelated and being unable to smoke for five weeks helped) but she was on 60 a day (and has been for the last 49 years) and I've been amazed how well she's coped.

So with 5 cigs a day do you get that amazing buzz of nicotine each time?
I don't miss smoking at all - and there's only been once when I've even thought they smelt nice still, but that doesn't mean I don't remember that first effect of having a cig after a long wait.

<completely missing the point and going to have a small glass of red wine!>

Do you smoke when you drink?
of yes drop the drink first

I would do the wine first.

The reason being is that it’s really hard because it is every-bloody-where. If you give up drinking and it feels tough, at least you can have a fag.

I stopped drinking several years ago and it was really hard but I did it with the help of Soberistas.

Good luck to you x

Start with whichever you think you will find easier, knowing you can succeed once will boost your motivation to tackle the next one.

If it is equal then I'd stop the regular drinking first as you'll feel and look different/ more healthy quite quickly after stopping drinking every day. It will also help with weight loss so has a secondary benefit (not to mention reducing anxiety and helping you sleep better).

PS - top tops:

Get out for a good walk every day (morning is best)
Be easy around sweet treats - just tackle one thing at a time.
Eat dinner early and get straight into a hot bath and into your PJ. You’re done for the night. Into bed early.
Know that it won’t always be this hard.

100% tobacco first. I’ve been there, and an excellent nurse told me just that. She was right.

I didn’t drink much, though. I’d say 1 tobacco, 2 wine, 3 weight.