Day 140 and counting

[Greg5280]

Saw this in another quitters intro today. Seems like a good plan to me !!

"Stay on the site, post roll and you will be fine. "


This simple process has worked for me for 533 days in a row. I will get up tomorrow and repeat.

Keep it simple newbs.

STAY QUIT
Greg

[Greg5280]

Just found this little nugget on SM's page. Very strong message !! Wow...

This guyÂ’s walking down a street, when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep, he canÂ’t get out.

A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up, Hey you! Can you help me out? The doctor writes him a prescription, throws it down the hole, and moves on.

Then a priest comes along, and the guy shouts up, Father, IÂ’m down in this hole! Can you help me out? The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole, and moves on.

Then a friend walks by. Hey Joe, itÂ’s me, can you help me out? And the friend jumps in the hole! Our guy says Are you stupid? Now weÂ’re both down here! And the friend says, Yeah, but IÂ’ve been down here before, and I know the way out.

-from The West Wing, "Noel"

[Greg5280]

** Thanks SM. Putting this here so I can find it. **

Administration of a drug to an addict will cause
re-establishment of chemical dependence
upon the addictive substance."

"After a year or so I was so confident that the battle was over that I left my support system behind...it was only a matter of months before I figured I could get away with "just one". (What a horrible joke that thought is!) Of course my addicition was renewed at full strength, nearly immediately."

"Sometime after that I remember thinking I had overcome my addiction and that I could have ' just a puff' and no harm would come of it. I kept smoking for 7 years after that. I was crushed that I failed but I know now that ' one smoke' is the road to defeat."

"So why did I throw away a 6 month + quit, and with it - my life and all the education and support I was freely given here at Freedom? - well for the sake of one puff! For the illusion of controlled smoking - for the belief that one won't hurt - for the relief of well I can always try again later......."

"I never took a puff for 13 years.
I remember that day in 1999 like it was yesterday. I was in Toronto on business having a drink with a good friend at a hotel bar. My friend smokes and after a couple of adult beverages I did something very stupid. I grabbed one of my friends cigarettes and lit it up. Two days later I was back home in Chicago hooked again after 13 years."

"Tried twice to quit, made it both times to 21/2 months then got the fatal idea that i could smoke just one, well that ist puff hooked for the next 10 years."

"Wow....does this thread ever hit home for me. It was a night back in October of 1997 when I was out drinking after a viewing for a firefighter who died in the line of duty. It was a very emotional evening and I had not injested any nicotine for 30 months. Even though I debated with myself for over an hour about having a cigarette, I finally bummed one to satisfy my mental urge. The next day I was up to my old habit of 2 packs a day. I wasn't aware of this site back then. I am here now every day. I read the threads and thank God I'm still nicotine free. I have a new way of looking at my addiction now. I know that relapse is a choice. Larry 1 Month 3 Weeks 6 Days. Cigarettes not smoked: 2623. Money saved: $489.34. "

[Greg5280]

Nicotine is Highly Addictive

The nicotine in tobacco moves into the bloodstream and up to the users brain within 7 to 10 seconds. Once there, nicotine triggers a number of chemical reactions that create temporary feelings of pleasure for the user, but these sensations are short-lived, subsiding within minutes. As the nicotine level drops in the blood, users feel edgy and agitated -- the start of nicotine withdrawal. So, in order to relieve the discomforts, addicts feed there addictions...and then again..and again. And so it goes -- the vicious cycle of nicotine addiction. One cigarette, one dip, one chew is never enough, a fact that every addict knows all too well.

In order to quit successfully for the long term, it helps to understand the nature of nicotine addiction and what it takes to break free of it. In fact, users are often surprised to learn that they are addicted to a substance in the first place. Many of us believed that smoking, dipping, chewing was just a bad habit; something we could stop easily when we decided it was time. Sound Familiar ?

Let's take a look at how nicotine affects brain chemistry and begin the educational process that will help us battle this addiction to the ground, once and for all.

Nicotine and Adrenaline
When a person receives nicotine, the nicotine is rapidly absorbed into the blood and starts affecting the brain within 10 seconds. Nicotine is a natural herbicide, your body knows it should not be there and the result is the release of adrenaline, the "fight or flight" hormone. Physically, adrenaline increases a person's heart rate, blood pressure and restricts blood flow to the heart muscle. When this occurs, the user experiences rapid, shallow breathing and the feeling of a racing heartbeat. Adrenaline also instructs the body to dump excess glucose into the bloodstream.

Nicotine and Insulin
Nicotine also inhibits the release of insulin from the pancreas, a hormone that is responsible for removing excess sugar from a person's blood. This leaves the user in a slightly hyperglycemic condition, meaning he/she has more sugar in their blood than is normal. High blood sugar acts as an appetite suppressant, which may be why users think their habits reduce hunger.

Nicotine and Dopamine
Nicotine activates the same reward pathways in the brain that other drugs of abuse such as cocaine or amphetamines do, although to a lesser degree. Research has shown that nicotine increases the level of dopamine in the brain, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for feelings of pleasure and well-being. The acute effects of nicotine wear off within minutes, so people must continue dosing themselves frequently throughout the day to maintain the pleasurable effects of nicotine and to prevent withdrawal symptoms.


Recovery from nicotine addiction is a process of gradual release over time.

It doesn't happen overnight, but with perseverance, freedom from nicotine addiction is doable, and will pay you back with benefits that go well beyond what you can probably imagine. Don't offer up another day of your precious life to tobacco - stop today.

[Greg5280]

Day 460

It still amazes me that the whole medical community lacks the knowledge of how to help people quit.  It is not an easy process; it is going to hurt, as addicts we have to pay some dues to gain our freedom.  Trying to ease that burden with a patch, gum, stips, or suppositories will not work.  Like I told bitch before I walked out.  “ The only way to quit is to throw your NIC supply in the toilet, flush it, find a group of bad ass quitters and get the shit done.

Gregg, thats great shit right there, but I dont think the medical community lacks in any way, shape, or form the knowledge of how to help people quit. They also have in their possession the knowledge that most users do not truly want to quit, they want to feel better about their use. And they also know that the makers of NRT products will pay them a monstrous kickback for prescribing their products.

We know its bullshit, they know its bullshit. but in this case, bullshit does talk. and pays. and keeps people hooked.

Also, a fucking addiction counselor who has never been an addict? Could you imagine an AA meeting with the moderator never having touched a drink? these people must think nic makes us all into retards. 'bang head'

I was thinking the same thing. She is merely preaching from whatever book she studied or instructor she listened to. I am still waiting to hear from my HR department... doubt they will take me up on my offer.

[J2b]

Day 460

It still amazes me that the whole medical community lacks the knowledge of how to help people quit.  It is not an easy process; it is going to hurt, as addicts we have to pay some dues to gain our freedom.  Trying to ease that burden with a patch, gum, stips, or suppositories will not work.  Like I told bitch before I walked out.  “ The only way to quit is to throw your NIC supply in the toilet, flush it, find a group of bad ass quitters and get the shit done.

Gregg, thats great shit right there, but I dont think the medical community lacks in any way, shape, or form the knowledge of how to help people quit. They also have in their possession the knowledge that most users do not truly want to quit, they want to feel better about their use. And they also know that the makers of NRT products will pay them a monstrous kickback for prescribing their products.

We know its bullshit, they know its bullshit. but in this case, bullshit does talk. and pays. and keeps people hooked.

Also, a fucking addiction counselor who has never been an addict? Could you imagine an AA meeting with the moderator never having touched a drink? these people must think nic makes us all into retards. 'bang head'

[Dr. Bruce Banner]

Day 460

It has been awhile since I posted to my page. I have been extremely busy for one thing but the other was I spent what little time I had each day going into the groups and helping newbs. I had an interesting encounter this week so I thought I would share it.

My work recently decided to have two different insurance offerings. One of the offerings had noticeably lower premiums. The catch was you have to join a wellness program. I had been part of the pilot program so it was no big shocker to me. The new “surprise” was to remain on the wellness program next year you have to be tobacco free. So Jan 1, 2012 at my work should be an interesting place. Does anyone know where I can get some body armor ?

I am a quit sumanabitch so no sweat. In fact with all these new quitters perhaps I could offer up some of my newly acquired quit knowledge. So I am sitting in the meeting wanting it to end quickly so I can go talk to the HR people and the “Nicotine Cessation Counselor.” I am stoked! A serious chance to get involved in helping people I work with join our community of quit and give Big tobacco a big “Fuck You” !!

So the meeting ends and I am almost jumping over chairs and knocking people over to get up and offer my services. I get up to the front of the group and wait for the people to clear away. I begin to tell the HR people and the NIC counselor about our quitting method, of my journey and the site and how we help new quitters daily. The HR people are clearly impressed but the NIC woman, herinafter called the bitch, was looking at me like I just slapped her kid.

Far be it from me to shy away from confrontation so I had to ask the bitch why she had that stupid look on her face. She began to lecture me on how “lucky” I was that this method worked for me. I am the exception not the norm the bitch says. Her babbling continues and wanders into the realm of NRT and this being the only true way to quit.

Being in the workplace I refrained from actually asking her if she was really that fucking stupid, or wrapping my hands around her shoulders and shaking the shit out of her. My response was more professional and along the lines of “ So you are telling me the best way to quit Nicotine is to use more Nicotine?” “That is like saying the best way to quit drinking Vodka is to switch to Rum. And there is no "Luck" to my method only results. Well bitch just kinda blinks for a minute and says her way has been proven again and again and she quotes some studies, blah, blah, blah. Well I am way past bored with the whole thing by now but the interaction must have been pretty heated because the HR people were standing there eyes wide and jaws open. I told her I know a place where thousands of bad ass quitters reside and would be more than happy to share their experiences and tell her how wrong she really was.

I asked her if she had ever been a nicotine addict. She tells me she has never used tobacco. Well how the fuck can you tell me my method does not work when you never used? I am really getting pissed at her now. I then proceeded to tell her I was a user for more than 20 years and that my experience with the drug and the cessation of it far outdid any schooling or class she ever went to.

I then turned to the HR people and again offered my services if they wanted them. I laid a challenge to bitch and the HR people. I told them I would put my method against theirs and we could compare results each month. If my method had better results her fee would be put into a pool to have a 1 year party for all active quitters. I did offer the people who work for me the chance to quit our way if they want to. I assured them our way would hurt less and work better.

I doubt the company will let me take her fee, even though she is obviously lacking in quit knowledge. I also cannot imagine what a whole building full of fogged up, funky, half ass raging NRT using office people will be like but I plan to lock my office door each morning, carry a bit stick, and screen people before I let them in.

It still amazes me that the whole medical community lacks the knowledge of how to help people quit. It is not an easy process; it is going to hurt, as addicts we have to pay some dues to gain our freedom. Trying to ease that burden with a patch, gum, stips, or suppositories will not work. Like I told bitch before I walked out. “ The only way to quit is to throw your NIC supply in the toilet, flush it, find a group of bad ass quitters and get the shit done.

That's good shit Greg! If you a bat-boy I can lend you my sevices!

[Greg5280]

Day 460

It has been awhile since I posted to my page. I have been extremely busy for one thing but the other was I spent what little time I had each day going into the groups and helping newbs. I had an interesting encounter this week so I thought I would share it.

My work recently decided to have two different insurance offerings. One of the offerings had noticeably lower premiums. The catch was you have to join a wellness program. I had been part of the pilot program so it was no big shocker to me. The new “surprise” was to remain on the wellness program next year you have to be tobacco free. So Jan 1, 2012 at my work should be an interesting place. Does anyone know where I can get some body armor ?

I am a quit sumanabitch so no sweat. In fact with all these new quitters perhaps I could offer up some of my newly acquired quit knowledge. So I am sitting in the meeting wanting it to end quickly so I can go talk to the HR people and the “Nicotine Cessation Counselor.” I am stoked! A serious chance to get involved in helping people I work with join our community of quit and give Big tobacco a big “Fuck You” !!

So the meeting ends and I am almost jumping over chairs and knocking people over to get up and offer my services. I get up to the front of the group and wait for the people to clear away. I begin to tell the HR people and the NIC counselor about our quitting method, of my journey and the site and how we help new quitters daily. The HR people are clearly impressed but the NIC woman, herinafter called the bitch, was looking at me like I just slapped her kid.

Far be it from me to shy away from confrontation so I had to ask the bitch why she had that stupid look on her face. She began to lecture me on how “lucky” I was that this method worked for me. I am the exception not the norm the bitch says. Her babbling continues and wanders into the realm of NRT and this being the only true way to quit.

Being in the workplace I refrained from actually asking her if she was really that fucking stupid, or wrapping my hands around her shoulders and shaking the shit out of her. My response was more professional and along the lines of “ So you are telling me the best way to quit Nicotine is to use more Nicotine?” “That is like saying the best way to quit drinking Vodka is to switch to Rum. And there is no "Luck" to my method only results. Well bitch just kinda blinks for a minute and says her way has been proven again and again and she quotes some studies, blah, blah, blah. Well I am way past bored with the whole thing by now but the interaction must have been pretty heated because the HR people were standing there eyes wide and jaws open. I told her I know a place where thousands of bad ass quitters reside and would be more than happy to share their experiences and tell her how wrong she really was.

I asked her if she had ever been a nicotine addict. She tells me she has never used tobacco. Well how the fuck can you tell me my method does not work when you never used? I am really getting pissed at her now. I then proceeded to tell her I was a user for more than 20 years and that my experience with the drug and the cessation of it far outdid any schooling or class she ever went to.

I then turned to the HR people and again offered my services if they wanted them. I laid a challenge to bitch and the HR people. I told them I would put my method against theirs and we could compare results each month. If my method had better results her fee would be put into a pool to have a 1 year party for all active quitters. I did offer the people who work for me the chance to quit our way if they want to. I assured them our way would hurt less and work better.

I doubt the company will let me take her fee, even though she is obviously lacking in quit knowledge. I also cannot imagine what a whole building full of fogged up, funky, half ass raging NRT using office people will be like but I plan to lock my office door each morning, carry a bit stick, and screen people before I let them in.

It still amazes me that the whole medical community lacks the knowledge of how to help people quit. It is not an easy process; it is going to hurt, as addicts we have to pay some dues to gain our freedom. Trying to ease that burden with a patch, gum, stips, or suppositories will not work. Like I told bitch before I walked out. “ The only way to quit is to throw your NIC supply in the toilet, flush it, find a group of bad ass quitters and get the shit done.

[Souliman]

Great inf on the caf / nic interaction. Thanks.

[Greg5280]

Stole this post from Skoal Monster. Putting it here also so I can find it if needed.

The Caffeine / Nicotine Interaction

If you feel jittery, extra anxious or are having trouble sleeping after a few days, take a look at your caffeine consumption levels. As shown by the below study, nicotine doubles the rate at which the body depletes caffeine and some caffeine users may find that they cannot tolerate caffeine consumption at pre-quitting levels. If you are feeling extra anxious or jittery you may want to experiment with reducing the quantity or strength of caffeinated drinks or products. If you are not having these difficulties it probably is not important to alter anything now.

As previously discussed there is also a nicotine/alcohol interaction. Nicotine is an alkaloid and alcohol an acid generating event within the body. When chewers drink alcohol it causes them to lose nicotine at an accelerated pace thus resulting in heavier chewing while drinking. Although the situation is similar to caffeine there is one huge difference. Alcohol makes you lose nicotine, thus being responsible for making dippers chew more when drinking.

Nicotine on the other hand interferes with the body's ability to absorb and utilize caffeine, often resulting in a person using more caffeine in order to maintain their minimum needed level. When they quit chewing and continue to consume the exact same amount of caffeine they could find themselves actually overdosing on caffeine.

So look closely at caffeine if symptoms persist longer than a few days. You donÂ’t need to get rid of it all together but just keep it in doses that will not cause unwanted effects. Your general state will likely be calmer and youÂ’ll experience a feeling of overall well-being that you should be able to maintain for the rest of your life.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The impact of caffeine use on tobacco cessation and withdrawal.
Addictive Behavior 1997 Jan-Feb;22(1): pages 55-68
Swanson JA, Lee JW, Hopp JW, Berk LS.

“Continuous caffeine consumption with chewing cessation has been associated with more than doubled caffeine plasma levels. Such concentrations may be sufficient to produce caffeine toxicity symptoms in chewing abstinence conditions. To test whether caffeine abstinence influences tobacco cessation, 162 caffeine-using nicotine users were enlisted from American Lung Association cessation programs. Volunteers were randomly assigned by clinic to caffeine-use and caffeine-abstinence conditions and measured for 3 weeks post-chewing cessation, at 6 months and one year. Results showed a significant linear increase in caffeine sputum levels across 3 weeks post cessation for those who quit chewing and continued using caffeine. Three weeks after cessation, concentrations reached 203% of baseline for the caffeine user.”

[Greg5280]

Remember how disgusted you feel right now at the tactics used by big tobacco. Let that grow into a nice warm hatred for them and their products.

They could give a shit less that their products kill someone every 6 seconds. You and everyone else are just numbers, percentages of market share..

Fuck them and their products !!

NEVER AGAIN FOR ANY REASON

[gigemags1155]

Dude your journey is inspiring and the facts that you have dug out are great tools to remind us why we quit. I appreciate you sharing your story and all of the information. What truly amazes me is the tobacco companies going after children and making all of these damn flavors and everything else to make it appealing. It is out right disgusting to have companies be able to get away with this.

[Bean]

Thanks for posting!!! This let's a new quitter know at least two things:
1) what they're up against; and,
2) how high the stakes are.

All of US Tobacco has conspired to make you cave. But here's the good news...you're not alone. We got your back. Join us, post roll, and stay quit.

Of course, you can always keep dipping. But you ought to pick out a nice grave site and prepare your loved ones for months of torture...if you last that long. Don't think you're the only one who you hurt with your decision to dip snuff.

Remember, NOBODY has ever said, "thank goodness I caved just now." Fight cravings with everything you've got...one second at a time. Read the Kern family story. Reach out for help on this site. You can do it.

[Greg5280]

Newbies,
    If you are having trouble staying quit or deciding if you want to quit then read the article below. 

    Make sure you pay attention to the tactics used by Big Tobacco... For fuck sake sending kids ( 9, 10, 11...years old ) free cans ?  Making Cherry flavored tobacco with less Nic so the kids could " get used" to the product. 

    Hard to believe I gave those fucks as much of my money as I did..  NEVER AGAIN FOR ANY REASON !!!


Tobacco Company Pays $5M In Groundbreaking Case

Settlement is nationÂ’s first involving smokeless product
By THOMAS B. SCHEFFEY

Kelly June Hill, Executrix, et al. v. U.S. Smokeless Tobacco: The Altria Group, successor to tobacco marketer United States Smokeless Tobacco of Greenwich, has settled for $5 million a lawsuit filed by the estate of a North Carolina man who died of tongue cancer.

The worker, Bobby Hill, initially went to an Ashville, N.C., lawyer, who referred his case to BridgeportÂ’s Koskoff, Koskoff  Bieder. Partners Antonio Ponvert III and Christopher Bernard launched a state court wrongful death action in Connecticut.
From the beginning, Ponvert said, Hill and his family wanted to draw attention to the danger of “dipping snuff” and to discourage youngsters from starting its addictive use.

“It’s the first time a plaintiff has won a wrongful death chewing tobacco verdict or settlement in the history of the industry,” said Ponvert. Altria, based in Richmond, Va., also owns Philip Morris, and has a corporate policy of not settling any individual consumer cases, he added.  Altria Group spokesman Steve Callahan said, “U.S. Smokeless Tobacco is honoring an agreement it made in this case prior to its acquisition by Altria….We have no current intention to settle cases like this in the future.”

Historically, the tobacco industry has fiercely defended itself in the courts. And for decades, it denied that tobacco is addictive or a health risk. More recently, it has maintained that people know the risks of tobacco and they should take personal responsibility if they use it.  In the industry, a no-settlement rule is standard.

But Bobby Hill, said Ponvert, “was an almost ideal client. Bobby Hill was 13 years old when he started using. He became addicted to this product when he was a child, long before warning labels were put on [packages] in 1987.” That fact, Ponvert said, “destroyed any personal responsibility-type defense that the industry likes to use.”  The defendant retained five defense firms, including New York-based Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher  Flohm, and Winston  Strawn, with local counsel duties handled by Wiggin and Dana, in New Haven.
Attorney David S. Golub, of StamfordÂ’s Silver, Golub  Teitel, has handled other lawsuits against the tobacco industry, and was clearly impressed by the Altria settlement.

“This is unprecedented and amazing. There has never been, to my knowledge, a time when a tobacco company has settled a case. It’s fabulous lawyering, and a wonderful result,” Golub told the Law Tribune. “Every tobacco company fights tooth and nail, because they’re afraid that if they settle one case, they can never again say they won’t settle. This is groundbreaking.”

Smokeless tobacco, or snuff, comes in small cans and is sold under brand names such as Skoal or Copenhagen. It comes in a variety of “cuts,” which describe the lengths of the tobacco strands. The tobacco sits between the user’s cheek and gum. It’s different from chewing tobacco, which is a much longer cut that is literally chewed.

One previous snuff case has gone to trial. An Oklahoma plaintiff, Sean Marsee, contracted mouth cancer in the late 1980s after five years of chewing tobacco use, and USST medical experts testified that tumors caused by “dipping snuff” took 20 years to develop. The suit seeking $147 million resulted in a defense verdict for USST.

“Bobby Hill used for 20 years, so we would have been able to use their experts in the Marsee case against them here,” said Ponvert.  The attorney said the needs of Hill’s widow and two children, 11 and 14, made a settlement for $5 million seem like a wiser course than holding out for more at trial – or maybe nothing. The process of reaching the settlement stage was long and rocky, requiring extensive discovery work and research.

In a 2002 deposition, USST Chairman and CEO Louis Bantle was questioned in another case, and he explained why some 12 million documents in USST files were stamped confidential. Under oath, he conceded they didn’t contain formulas or other business secrets. “A couple of years ago,” Bantle said, “a whole lot of lawyers came to company headquarters and they stamped ‘confidential’ on every single document we had in our possession, whether they were or not.” Ponvert said discovery was challenging, “for the opposite reason one would think.” The plaintiffs “got half a million pages of documents, which made searching them quite interesting. We found some stuff that was out of this world.”

Letters From Children
Some of the most significant material, said Ponvert, was in a cache of internal correspondence from young customers, aged 9 to 18, written between1978 and 1985.  “We found about 50 letters from children to the company, and children’s letters would say, `I am 9 [or 10, 11, 14 or 15] years old, and have been using your product.” The kids had complaints and suggestions. “One was, ‘Please don’t raise the price on Skoal, because I only get $5 in allowance, and can’t afford the seven cans a week that I need,’” Ponvert recounted. “They’d say, ‘I really like the mint flavor, could you make it in a different cut?’

Those letters would be sent to the United States Smokeless Tobacco headquarters in Greenwich. According to the lawyers, a letter would be back to the child saying: “Thank you for your comments. We’ll consider your suggestions, and here are five free cans of Skoal.”  After it became illegal to send tobacco to children in the late 1980s, the company sent young teens complimentary can openers and lids to keep their snuff moist and fresh.

Company correspondence supported a plan to introduce candy-flavored Skoal “Bandits” to hook young customers. “Bandits” are ground tobacco and flavorings placed in a tea bag-like fabric, with less nicotine so the beginner wouldn’t get too sick, Ponvert said.

“They had this very Machiavellian strategy to entice people into the market and keep them as they became more tolerant to the drug,” he said. “It’s well known that the average age for starting to use smokeless tobacco is between 9 and 11 years old. So it’s a product that’s designed for kids, and is being used by and sold to kids.”

Altria Group obtained USST in 2009. On the Altria web site, the company emphasizes its commitment to prevent underage children from purchasing tobacco products. Its charts show the use of smoking tobacco products is declining. However, smokeless tobacco products remain popular, and may be on the rise, the charts indicate.
In some quarters, smokeless tobacco is touted as a less-lethal way to consume tobacco than smoking. But, Ponvert said, young people need to comprehend fully the potentially gruesome results.

“One of our experts described dying by mouth cancer as `death by autopsy,’” Ponvert said. “Literally, over a 10- or 12-month period, your face just falls away. At first, [Hill] lost part of his tongue. Then they took his whole tongue. Then it takes part of your jaw, and your cheeks and your gums. Then the tumor wound its way around his carotid artery and he died.” •

Jones-ing for a dip right now and started reading through some of the literature. This is fucking dead-on. Read this and you will stay quit.

Yep. The tobacco companies could give a shit less about you, your family, friends or anyone else for that matter. You are money to them, that is all. They happily ignore the fact that their products kill its users. They just look for young healthy kids to start another cycle.

NEVER AGAIN for any reason !!

[Jman]

Newbies,
If you are having trouble staying quit or deciding if you want to quit then read the article below.

Make sure you pay attention to the tactics used by Big Tobacco... For fuck sake sending kids ( 9, 10, 11...years old ) free cans ? Making Cherry flavored tobacco with less Nic so the kids could " get used" to the product.

Hard to believe I gave those fucks as much of my money as I did.. NEVER AGAIN FOR ANY REASON !!!


Tobacco Company Pays $5M In Groundbreaking Case

Settlement is nationÂ’s first involving smokeless product
By THOMAS B. SCHEFFEY

Kelly June Hill, Executrix, et al. v. U.S. Smokeless Tobacco: The Altria Group, successor to tobacco marketer United States Smokeless Tobacco of Greenwich, has settled for $5 million a lawsuit filed by the estate of a North Carolina man who died of tongue cancer.

The worker, Bobby Hill, initially went to an Ashville, N.C., lawyer, who referred his case to BridgeportÂ’s Koskoff, Koskoff  Bieder. Partners Antonio Ponvert III and Christopher Bernard launched a state court wrongful death action in Connecticut.
From the beginning, Ponvert said, Hill and his family wanted to draw attention to the danger of “dipping snuff” and to discourage youngsters from starting its addictive use.

“It’s the first time a plaintiff has won a wrongful death chewing tobacco verdict or settlement in the history of the industry,” said Ponvert. Altria, based in Richmond, Va., also owns Philip Morris, and has a corporate policy of not settling any individual consumer cases, he added. Altria Group spokesman Steve Callahan said, “U.S. Smokeless Tobacco is honoring an agreement it made in this case prior to its acquisition by Altria….We have no current intention to settle cases like this in the future.”

Historically, the tobacco industry has fiercely defended itself in the courts. And for decades, it denied that tobacco is addictive or a health risk. More recently, it has maintained that people know the risks of tobacco and they should take personal responsibility if they use it. In the industry, a no-settlement rule is standard.

But Bobby Hill, said Ponvert, “was an almost ideal client. Bobby Hill was 13 years old when he started using. He became addicted to this product when he was a child, long before warning labels were put on [packages] in 1987.” That fact, Ponvert said, “destroyed any personal responsibility-type defense that the industry likes to use.” The defendant retained five defense firms, including New York-based Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher  Flohm, and Winston  Strawn, with local counsel duties handled by Wiggin and Dana, in New Haven.
Attorney David S. Golub, of StamfordÂ’s Silver, Golub  Teitel, has handled other lawsuits against the tobacco industry, and was clearly impressed by the Altria settlement.

“This is unprecedented and amazing. There has never been, to my knowledge, a time when a tobacco company has settled a case. It’s fabulous lawyering, and a wonderful result,” Golub told the Law Tribune. “Every tobacco company fights tooth and nail, because they’re afraid that if they settle one case, they can never again say they won’t settle. This is groundbreaking.”

Smokeless tobacco, or snuff, comes in small cans and is sold under brand names such as Skoal or Copenhagen. It comes in a variety of “cuts,” which describe the lengths of the tobacco strands. The tobacco sits between the user’s cheek and gum. It’s different from chewing tobacco, which is a much longer cut that is literally chewed.

One previous snuff case has gone to trial. An Oklahoma plaintiff, Sean Marsee, contracted mouth cancer in the late 1980s after five years of chewing tobacco use, and USST medical experts testified that tumors caused by “dipping snuff” took 20 years to develop. The suit seeking $147 million resulted in a defense verdict for USST.

“Bobby Hill used for 20 years, so we would have been able to use their experts in the Marsee case against them here,” said Ponvert. The attorney said the needs of Hill’s widow and two children, 11 and 14, made a settlement for $5 million seem like a wiser course than holding out for more at trial – or maybe nothing. The process of reaching the settlement stage was long and rocky, requiring extensive discovery work and research.

In a 2002 deposition, USST Chairman and CEO Louis Bantle was questioned in another case, and he explained why some 12 million documents in USST files were stamped confidential. Under oath, he conceded they didn’t contain formulas or other business secrets. “A couple of years ago,” Bantle said, “a whole lot of lawyers came to company headquarters and they stamped ‘confidential’ on every single document we had in our possession, whether they were or not.” Ponvert said discovery was challenging, “for the opposite reason one would think.” The plaintiffs “got half a million pages of documents, which made searching them quite interesting. We found some stuff that was out of this world.”

Letters From Children
Some of the most significant material, said Ponvert, was in a cache of internal correspondence from young customers, aged 9 to 18, written between1978 and 1985. “We found about 50 letters from children to the company, and children’s letters would say, `I am 9 [or 10, 11, 14 or 15] years old, and have been using your product.” The kids had complaints and suggestions. “One was, ‘Please don’t raise the price on Skoal, because I only get $5 in allowance, and can’t afford the seven cans a week that I need,’” Ponvert recounted. “They’d say, ‘I really like the mint flavor, could you make it in a different cut?’

Those letters would be sent to the United States Smokeless Tobacco headquarters in Greenwich. According to the lawyers, a letter would be back to the child saying: “Thank you for your comments. We’ll consider your suggestions, and here are five free cans of Skoal.” After it became illegal to send tobacco to children in the late 1980s, the company sent young teens complimentary can openers and lids to keep their snuff moist and fresh.

Company correspondence supported a plan to introduce candy-flavored Skoal “Bandits” to hook young customers. “Bandits” are ground tobacco and flavorings placed in a tea bag-like fabric, with less nicotine so the beginner wouldn’t get too sick, Ponvert said.

“They had this very Machiavellian strategy to entice people into the market and keep them as they became more tolerant to the drug,” he said. “It’s well known that the average age for starting to use smokeless tobacco is between 9 and 11 years old. So it’s a product that’s designed for kids, and is being used by and sold to kids.”

Altria Group obtained USST in 2009. On the Altria web site, the company emphasizes its commitment to prevent underage children from purchasing tobacco products. Its charts show the use of smoking tobacco products is declining. However, smokeless tobacco products remain popular, and may be on the rise, the charts indicate.
In some quarters, smokeless tobacco is touted as a less-lethal way to consume tobacco than smoking. But, Ponvert said, young people need to comprehend fully the potentially gruesome results.

“One of our experts described dying by mouth cancer as `death by autopsy,’” Ponvert said. “Literally, over a 10- or 12-month period, your face just falls away. At first, [Hill] lost part of his tongue. Then they took his whole tongue. Then it takes part of your jaw, and your cheeks and your gums. Then the tumor wound its way around his carotid artery and he died.” •

Jones-ing for a dip right now and started reading through some of the literature. This is fucking dead-on. Read this and you will stay quit.