Quitters Inc. is a vicious anti-smoking organization and the titular main antagonists of the Stephen King short story, Quitter's Inc. The organization is headed by Counselor Victor Donatti. (Vinnie Donatti in Cat's Eye)
Despite the fact they are trying to benefit society as a whole by erasing smoking their methods are in complete violation of civil and human rights: they are likely inspired by the idea of the "Nanny's State" (also known as Big Brother) - in which governments (or outside forces) directly interfere with the freedoms of its citizenry, often with horrific results.
Quitters Inc. was set up by a mafia boss who was dying of lung cancer and realized he had to help others quit before it was too late, unfortunately, the members of the organization didn't give up on the thuggish tendencies of gangsters, and thus their methods of "helping" clients involved constant monitoring to ensure they complied: any slips would result in family members being subjected to inhuman tortures and abuses. Case of repeated offending will finally result in the death of the client and the dead client becomes 'the part of the unregenerate 2%'.
For the first month, clients will have round-the-clock surveillance to ensure he/she is not smoking and for the second and third months, the surveillance would be 18 hours a day ("but you will never know which eighteen" cautions Donatti). During the fourth month (when relapses often occur) the surveillance would go back to 24 hours. From the fifth month until one full year in the program, it would be reduced to 12 hours a day. After that, the surveillance would be random checks for the remainder of his life, meaning that clients are subjected to Quitters, Inc. for life.
The brutal enforcement methods are as follows:
The first infraction results in non-fatal electric shocks of increasing intensity to a client's spouse.
The second infraction results in non-fatal electric shocks of increasing intensity to the client himself/herself.
The third infraction results in both client and his/her spouse being subjected to electric shocks.
The fourth infraction would involve beatings to a client's children.
The fifth ~ eighth infractions result in more trips to the shock room with higher voltage, and more painful beatings of the client's family.
The ninth infraction results in the client's children will have their limbs broken.
The tenth and final infraction: Quitters, Inc. gives up their cure attempt by killing the client.
Donatti says clients should not worry too much about the torture, as 40% of Quitters' clients never violate the agreement at all, and only 10% are subject to a fourth or greater infraction. Donatti says the greatest problem for their clients will probably be temptation as a result of availability.
Society even had strict rules on weight and if a client gained too much they were expected to lose it, if they did not lose enough weight then a family member would end up with their pinky finger being cut off.
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Trivia
Doctor Synapsis from Tales from the Darkside is another evil anti-smoking activist, who delivered similar tortures to those under his "care".
Prayogshaala from "No Smoking" is a similar and evil anti-smoking organization.
