Hat’s off to our featured Success Story member of the month, Stan Portman, a California resident and father of three whose story is truly special.

“I was pretty much a regular guy growing up, hanging out with my friends and having fun with my 10 brothers and sisters,” he says.

But Stan was already smoking cigarettes by the time he was an 18-year-old high in school, despite the fact that he was athletically inclined and played volleyball, basketball and football on a number of squads.

He puts the blame on smoking where it belongs – himself – but in conversation with him on our Success Story Hotline, we also learned this was in large part because of his family’s frequent relocating.

“Cigarettes got to be a friend,” he mused. He realizes now that they became a “friend” because he was moving so often and didn’t have the chance to establish very many solid relationships.

It would get worse.

By the time he was only 40, Stan was a seasoned smoker of 22 years, saddled with a 2-pack-a-day habit “if there was beer drinking” involved and a one-pack-a-day habit “if I was just smoking,” he said.

“Then the magic happened,” his voice smiled, “I bought a copy of 'THE SMOKE STOPS HERE!'” Stan notes how “I immediately fell in love with your book and knew it was the right one for me.”

Still crazy about sports and an avid camper who loves spending time in the desert and mountains alike, Stan has more than his new smoke-free habit to be grateful about – three beautiful children for whom he wishes to become “the role model they deserve,” he said.

But all the words here and then some would hardly come close to Stan’s own original quit smoking letter to us. Here it is:

“It is so great to have freedom! I think about it often.

“No matter what I am doing, I can do it without having to take a break to go have a cigarette! Every time I think about that, it is so satisfying! Sometimes the urge sneaks up on me and tries to get me, but I am ready for it now, I’ve learned how it works and I know now how to push it back!

“It is VERY difficult at times though. But my freedom, and the way I feel now, both physically and emotionally, are more than enough to keep me going.

“The time I feel the best (as compared to the time I used to feel the worst) is when I first wake up, and realize ‘hey, I didn't smoke for another day’, and it's very special. My lungs don't hurt, my breath and mouth don't taste like an ashtray!

“I don't wake up coughing in the middle of the night 3 and 4 times....it is truly exceptional to feel these things in the morning. They keep me going all day!! Plus, my "nutrition" drink (based on your counseling to me about nutrition) and my nightly vitamin ritual are also giving me strength.

I’m truly amazed at how fast my body is recovering. If my eyes and ears and nose and arms could talk, how they would thank me for not torturing and killing them anymore! And of course your book, "THE SMOKE STOPS HERE!" has been the best!

“Thanks again! YAAAAAAA HOOOOOOOO, I'm still going strong!!!

Well Stan, anything after that would anti-climatical, so just let us say that no one could be more proud of you than your extended family here at THE SMOKE STOP!

You’re an inspiration to us all. Thanks so very much for your story and your photo. We couldn’t have focused our spotlight on a more terrific guy or a more wonderful story!

The Smoke Stop Team that's so Proud of you!