Hi KTC members,
I remember packing one of my first lips with my high school soccer teammates on a trip to Burger King. I loved the buzz as we drove across town hanging out with my buddies. I remember taking it out after like ten minutes cause I was so buzzed haha.
But it would be another year before I put another lip in. After joining my previous colleges soccer team, the culture of pitchin after practice and on long rides made me familiar to the buzz. I started to drag a cig every few weeks even. However, I noticed I didn't desire it as much as it appeared the others did. Partly due to the fact that I commuted, I never really had time to go get a tin myself to reinforce the habit. It was a once a week thing for me, I knew the health concerns and I didn't find it as appealing as the buzz started to fade very slowly.
Then I transferred, and I wasn't going to commute to boston everyday from my small town so I purchased a dorm with a randomly assigned roommate by the school. The first day, he empties his bag as his parents left after he moved in and what do you know...Red Man, Scoal, Grizz, literally EVERY TYPE of oral tobacco imaginable spilled out.
"You Pack?" He asked, tapping his Apple Scoal tin.
"Hells yeah!" I said, despite the fact that I hadn't in almost 6 months and didn't really ever have the desire.
And then it all started. I would pack about once a day, maybe once every two days. I wouldn't even have to buy it, he just let me have it. I started to smoke a cig once in a while again. I really wasn't paying attention, I didn't really understand the addiction part.
At the same time, some of my friends started to pick up smoking more. I started to join in. Id buy my first tin in sophomore year, and me and my buddy would pack more and more often. Although I would seldom buy my own stuff, it was always around me. One thing I noticed was how much faster my friends became addict than me. I never really had a huge urge, but now in my 3rd year of packing probably about two or three times a week, and buying tins sometimes for myself, when I do have a tin, I can't help but have a few lips in one day, usually huge dogs and I would switch sides and go from top to bottom to fight the soreness.
I guess to break it down and get to the point is that I don't wanna HAVE to pack lips ever. I wanna stop now before I get any damage. My gums are healthy, my urge is limited. I just need help staying On track. My best friends, unfortunely are all highly addicted to smoking and or packing and they are my worst triggers, as well as drinking. I do smoke an electronic cigarette just to keep my guard up.
I hope you all can give advice to kick this shit before so thing happens. It would be greatly appriciated.
Best,
Peter
Ps. Sorry for my life story, felt good letting it out in front of me though.