I picked up the can at 18 during baseball season just to try it and before I knew or cared to admit I was addicted it started with the Grizz wintergreen which the second go at it made me so sick I wintergreen has never been the same since after that my friends and I went to the skoal often mixing the pouches with a wad of sunflowers seeds in our mouths to mask the dip at practice and school, shortly after that became trite and lost the buzz made the switch to Copenhagen long cut then to the natural extra long/ southern blend when available from them on. I was never a can a day man more of a 2-3 cans a week. After marrying I chewed less until I started working nights as a security guard then I found I felt like I had to have a can to get through the night. After doing my best to hide it from my wife for months and learning I was a soon to be father I agreed to trying to quit and I went through the old "this is my last can" for a while but I found anytime I entered a gas station is leave with a can of chew even without meaning to it was like a programmed response to say "Copenhagen natural" when asked if I messed anything else. I then made my first week without a chew but softball season started and finding myself back on the field made the cravings even stronger I then justified going to camel snuss through softball season. After that I decided enough was enough it's time to make a change. And put it all down which as you all can relate was a struggle between the irritability and the nasty migraines I got I wanted to give in every day I even tried avoiding entering gas stations. That was 22 months ago nearly and the migraines are gone the cravings are minimal. They spike when hunting, playing softball, or seeing others with a nice lipper but I've found the non nicotine/ tobacco alternatives while hunting and on the field help a great deal and old fashioned will power for the rest. I used to think I'd catch grief from others for quitting but I've now actually become an example, several teammates and coworkers have since asked for advice and input on better alternatives. And that is the biggest boost to keep going.
