"Quitters, Inc." by Stephen King

 

One of the most famous short stories about smoking is "Quitters, Inc." by Stephen King. It was first published in his collection "Night Shift" in 1978.

 

The story follows a man named Dick Morrison, who decides to quit smoking at the urging of his wife. He visits a company called Quitters, Inc. that claims to have a high success rate in helping people quit smoking.

 

However, Dick soon learns that Quitters, Inc. has some unusual methods. The company uses extreme measures to ensure that their clients do not smoke again. This includes electroshock therapy and harming their loved ones if they fail to quit smoking.

 

The story is a dark and satirical take on the struggles of addiction and the lengths people will go to break free from it. It highlights the dangers of relying on extreme methods to quit smoking and how addiction can often be more powerful than any external force.

 

"Quitters, Inc." has become a popular and influential short story and has been adapted into various formats, including a segment in the horror anthology film "Cat's Eye" and a radio drama.

 

Struggling with addictions is no laughing matter, but Stephen King is able to tap into the human psyche and add his own demented sense of humor. Between people watching Dick from inside his own house to parking next to him in a traffic jam, Quitters, Inc. will do everything in their power to ensure that you follow through with quitting.

 

You can listen the story for free from this website: https://bookaudio.online/600-quitters-inc.html, or search for this story at YouTube (several audio versions are available to choose from).