I chewed for about 14 years, the last ten at least a can a day. At first husky strieght, then grizzly strieght, then I thought cophenagen would not be as bad to my gums and I switched to wintergreen, that was about two years. I thought cophenagen long cut would be better on my gums and tried that.
I started chewing in seventh grade, what would that make me 13 or 14 I guess. I was a starter 1st
basemen for the junior high team. A kid that was in 8th grade offered me a skoll berry chew during pregame I took it, and my life changed. I would get a chew from the "cool kids" here and there. That lasted about a year till I needed it. "Luckily" for me I had older friends and relatives that would buy me chew. Looking back I wish the tobacco age was 21, it would have made this stage harder for me. I was a also varsity wrestler, we would all chew to help cut weight. Helps with not eating and helps lose water with spiting. Where I come from it seems like everyone chews, it's just normal here. My friends chew our dad's chew it's just the way it is I thought. That was until I went to college. All of a sudden I was only one that chewed. My new friends tried to get me to stop, and I tried. But I ended up just smoking when I drank at party's hey I ain't chewing, i said, it was not long before i went back to chew. Once I did make it maybe 40 days and thought hey one Redman will not hurt that stuff is fine it's not like cophenagen. It was about a week before I was a can a day again.
Me and my wife got together in college, a time that we just had fun and drank. I don't know when or what crazy night but my amazing wife got hooked on chew from me giving it to her. She is quit not now day 25.
I have two boys and with both she quit when she found out till she was done nursing. But went back cause I still had chew in the house.
I started to get sick of chew it was not cool anymore. Trying to find a spot to put the fix that did not hurt sucked. I was losing my gums, I looked at them everyday. My blood pressure was high. And I want to better a role model for my 2 and 4 year old boys. I am quit forever.
