"Quitters, Inc." is a short story by American author Stephen King, first published in his 1978 collection Night Shift. Unlike many of the other stories in that collection, it had not been previously published in magazines before its inclusion in the book. The story blends elements of crime fiction and psychological horror, a departure from the supernatural terrors King is best known for.
The narrative follows Dick Morrison, a middle-aged man struggling with a heavy smoking habit. After a chance encounter with an old friend who has successfully quit, Morrison is referred to Quitters, Inc., a shadowy organization that guarantees a 100% success rate. He soon discovers that their methods involve brutal, escalating punishments inflicted not on him, but on his loved ones, turning his attempt to quit into a harrowing ordeal of surveillance and coercion.
The story explores themes of addiction, free will, and the extreme lengths to which a system might go to enforce behavioral change. It has been recognized for its darkly satirical edge and its tense, thriller-like pacing. "Quitters, Inc." was later adapted as one of the segments in the 1985 anthology horror film Cat's Eye, directed by Lewis Teague and written by King himself.
