Have you read the book by Allen Carr: Easy Way to Stop Smoking? I have never smoked in my life, but I loved the book for its psychological insight (which doesn´t contradict your views as far as I can see... well there is a difference: you say you were a happy smoker, and he says there are no happy smokers). I was so enthralled by the book that I started smoking electronic cigarettes in order to try the book out... (Smoking real cigarettes would have been too much...) Now I have no plans. I don´t think that nicotine itself (without all the other chemicals) is actually very addictive though, I feel kind of disapointed...