Ex-smoker leads others to quit

As people were encouraged to quit smoking during the recent “Great American Smoke Out,” Queens Village resident Marie Alexis-Torok was leading by example, having quit more than two-and-a-half-years-ago.
Alexis-Torok, a 48-year-old retired New York Police Department officer, first began smoking while she was in high school because of peer pressure. However, she said that she became a real smoker around 1979 when she joined the United States Army.
At that time, she said just about everyone was a smoker so they had smoking breaks literally every 15 minutes. While the smokers would be able to leave the formation for their breaks, the non-smokers had to stay in place at ease, unable to sit or chat like the smokers.
“It was like a fun group to be in,” Alexis-Torok said of the smoking group.
Soon Alexis-Torok joined that smoking group. She continued smoking until 2004. She described herself as a closet smoker, saying that she smoked at home and did not like doing so in public.
Alexis-Torok worked with a lieutenant in the police department who was a chain smoker. When this woman said, in November of 2004, that she quit smoking, Alexis-Torok said she was shocked and thought that if the lieutenant could she could do the same.
“Overall, it’s bad for your health,” Alexis-Torok said. “I wanted to quit for health reasons.”
Although she was not sick, Alexis-Torok said that she did have shortness of breath during physical activity. Also, her family did not like the smell. She added that one of the things her mother wanted to see was for Alexis-Torok to quit smoking.
When Alexis-Torok quit around Thanksgiving of 2004, it was only “off and on.” However, in March of 2006 she “quit for life.”
Since the NYPD had a program with North Shore-LIJ’s Center for Tobacco Control, Alexis-Torok began going there to receive assistance with her efforts to quit. She said that being able to combine products to quit definitely helped. She also attended follow-up sessions there, and still goes to some every once in a while now. Alexis-Torok said that it helped hearing stories of what other people went through and said she “highly recommends” the Center for Tobacco Control.
In honor of the “Great American Smoke Out,” Alexis-Torok recently attended an event at the center where her granddaughters, 6-year-old Gabriella and 5-year-old Brianna, gave her thank you presents for stopping to smoke.
“Everyone is very, very proud of me,” she said.
Alexis-Torok said that quitting is one of the best things she’s done not only for herself but also for her family. Although her mother has since passed, she did see Alexis-Torok quit.
“It’s a great feeling because now I feel totally whole and comfortable,” Alexis-Torok said, noting that she no longer spends her time thinking about the next cigarette and sneaking off to have one.
The North Shore-LIJ Center for Tobacco Control is located at 225 Community Drive in Great Neck. For more information, call 516-466-1980.