The gum is an AID. It doesn't relieve all cravings. In my opinion you have to have set up a good preparation first. Your head has to be in the right place. It helps to know as much of the journey upon which you're about to embark as you can so that as many surprises as possible will be eliminated. If you feel strong in your commitment and preparation, then sure, you can start your quit sooner. The length of time suggested is simply for the educational time most think is necessary before embarking on such a 'strenuous path,' shall I call it. Many quits fail because the necessary homework hadn't been done. You don't run a marathon without training first. You're the boss of your journey. If you think you're ready, that you're educated about this addiction and have gained the necessary skills, that you understand why you may have failed in the past and made new plans for not letting that happen again - then you go for it. You know you better than we do. What we know is the addiction. And we know how changeable it can be and have seen the tricks and traps that people fall into when they haven't first educated themselves. (And that doesn't mean just reading an Allen Carr book.) If you allow no excuses, you'll be fine. Maybe. I have a 13 year quit. I gave myself a month of prep work. Just sayin'.
