Alexandra Shulman reflects in a “notebook” column on the difficulty people often face when trying to stop smoking. She writes that smoking is “famously hard to give up” and describes it as a habit many find “pernicious.” In contrast, she says she has been fortunate in her own experience, stating that during the past two years she has had little difficulty maintaining a smoke-free life. The piece uses the context of an evening described as “heavenly,” but indicates that something was missing, linking the theme of the column to her decision to stop smoking and the lifestyle change that followed. The accounts emphasize personal experience rather than reporting specific events or new developments beyond her reflection. Overall, the articles present Shulman’s commentary on smoking cessation, highlighting that while the habit can be difficult to break, she reports sustained success over the stated two-year period.