(non) smoking hot

I smoked – like post of my people my age, when I grew up cigarette advertising was everywhere and you could buy a 10 pack of cigies for about $2.50. I was smart enough (no offence to any smokers out there) to give up many years ago, but for those trying to kick the habit, it could be as easy as playing a game.

A new game being launched for the DS based on "Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking" method (which reportedly has apparently helped more than 10 million smokers to quick) is set to be released by Ubisoft in November.

The game requires players to enter a short history about their smoking habits and then choose a personal “coach” to guide them through the process of quitting. The game includes elements to "dispel the illusions about nicotine addiction" and would-be-quitters can track their progress using the "Path to Freedom" meter.

MyTake – Gaming is becoming a bigger part of everyday life and is breaking out of the basement, into the living room and through to other parts of our lives – such as fitness and now, self help. The other interesting is that playing the game gives you something to do with your hands, something that many quitters say is one of the most difficult aspects of the quitting process. I remember my mum telling me how her father, my grandad Freddie Capper, actually ordered a fake cigarette to have something to do with his hands. We’ve got it a lot easier these days, I wonder what he’d say if I told him all the different aids that people have to help them quit – including a game. Well, I pretty much know what he’d say.