welcome aboard.. nowt like a good pint
hope you wasn't a 20 a day chap
if you take the plunge into home brewing grab a complete starter kit with a bucket and a beer to brew its all you need to start off..
dont swallow the marketing spin in the instructions and expect a super pint within a month of brewing, beer can take a few weeks or more to mature in the bottle/keg,
2 things you need to develop if not in your skill set, patience, and an almost ocd aproach to cleanliness and sanitation, always rinse bleach/chlorine based chemicals off at least 3 times..
enjoy the beer home brewed or other and good luck with the quitting..:drunk: