Day 140 and counting

[Greg5280]

Day 194

Good day today. Was sitting at work when my wife sent me this in an e-mail. Pretty good stuff. I have read most of this stuff before but it takes on a whole new meaning since I quit. Here's to the good days !!

'I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today,
life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.'

'I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.'

'I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a life.'

'I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.'

'I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back...'

'I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.'

'I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.'

'I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back....'

'I've learned that I still have a lot to learn..'

'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'


Newbies, there are many added benefits to quitting. You will feel better but you will also become a better person. I look back at the person I used to be 194 days ago and wonder how and why my family put up with my shit. I am so glad I am done with dipping. I just wish I had quit sooner.

[Greg5280]

Day 193

    The past week has probably been the best week of my quit so far !  My mood has been great and to be honest I have rarely thought about dip, and when I did it was more of a passing thought.  It has been a very nice change from the previous days of my quit.  I feel like I did as I was heading to the HOF, I fought through a bad ass funk and now its easy street to the second floor.

      The first Fucknut hit the second floor today ! I hate that our group has gotten so small but I guess it just goes to show the power of this addiction.  Even 193 days into my quit she still whispers in my ear sometimes.  I still wish I had never started dipping the shit in the first place, but I guess I cannot undo that.  I also wish I had started quitting a long time ago. 

      Newbies, I know the first parts of your quit are going to suck ass, mine sure did.  Enjoy the good days when you get them and realize the deeper into your quit you get the more good days you have.  I certainly do not know it all, but I do know at 193 I enjoy more good days than I did at 160.  Do not give in when the shit gets wierd, fight through it and lets see how good it can really get.

hey man - just wanted to let you know that I've had a bit of a funk going on this morning and was looking for some quit inspiration on the site. spent the morning reading through your whole journal and it's really helped strengthen my resolve. your tales of battles fought and won and reaping the benefits of clean living were just what i needed today. thanks, brother. -KD

Great to hear ! That was the whole intent of my intro page so hearing that it actually helps is very nice to hear. Keep fighting it, it really does get better.

[kneedragger]

Day 193

The past week has probably been the best week of my quit so far ! My mood has been great and to be honest I have rarely thought about dip, and when I did it was more of a passing thought. It has been a very nice change from the previous days of my quit. I feel like I did as I was heading to the HOF, I fought through a bad ass funk and now its easy street to the second floor.

The first Fucknut hit the second floor today ! I hate that our group has gotten so small but I guess it just goes to show the power of this addiction. Even 193 days into my quit she still whispers in my ear sometimes. I still wish I had never started dipping the shit in the first place, but I guess I cannot undo that. I also wish I had started quitting a long time ago.

Newbies, I know the first parts of your quit are going to suck ass, mine sure did. Enjoy the good days when you get them and realize the deeper into your quit you get the more good days you have. I certainly do not know it all, but I do know at 193 I enjoy more good days than I did at 160. Do not give in when the shit gets wierd, fight through it and lets see how good it can really get.

hey man - just wanted to let you know that I've had a bit of a funk going on this morning and was looking for some quit inspiration on the site. spent the morning reading through your whole journal and it's really helped strengthen my resolve. your tales of battles fought and won and reaping the benefits of clean living were just what i needed today. thanks, brother. -KD

[Greg5280]

Day 193

The past week has probably been the best week of my quit so far ! My mood has been great and to be honest I have rarely thought about dip, and when I did it was more of a passing thought. It has been a very nice change from the previous days of my quit. I feel like I did as I was heading to the HOF, I fought through a bad ass funk and now its easy street to the second floor.

The first Fucknut hit the second floor today ! I hate that our group has gotten so small but I guess it just goes to show the power of this addiction. Even 193 days into my quit she still whispers in my ear sometimes. I still wish I had never started dipping the shit in the first place, but I guess I cannot undo that. I also wish I had started quitting a long time ago.

Newbies, I know the first parts of your quit are going to suck ass, mine sure did. Enjoy the good days when you get them and realize the deeper into your quit you get the more good days you have. I certainly do not know it all, but I do know at 193 I enjoy more good days than I did at 160. Do not give in when the shit gets wierd, fight through it and lets see how good it can really get.

[Greg5280]

Day 186

As has been the case during my entire quit I can bank on the fact that after a funk no matter how bad or how long I am going to have some great days after. Well this funk has been no different. I did have a terrible week last week and after reading SM's post it makes sense to me why I had trouble.

The good part is I have my tools in place and can work my way through the wierd stuff. I am not sure if the funks will ever totally go away and as I have said before if I have to fight off funks forever... well I guess I earned that. Could be much worse.

What I do know is living through a funk sucks ass, sometimes sucks major ass, but the days that follow make it clear to me that being free of the demon is worth fighting for. I read the other day a statement something like this.

On the days when you are struggling you are "working" on your quit. On the days when everything is going well you are "living" your quit. Well I "worked" the shit out of my quit last week and so far this week I am enjoying "living" my quit.

" The only time Success comes before Work is in the Dictionary."

Newbies: There will be days you have to fight your ass off to stay quit. There is no magic number that makes it all better. Keep your tools close and use them. The days you "live" your quit certainly make up for the days you have to "work" your quit.

[Greg5280]

Day 183


    Well I am not sure exactly what the cause was, full moon, planet alignment, reverse polarity whatever but 183 has been MISERABLE.  I woke up and it flet like day 4 all over again.  My anxiety was insane all day long and the craves came in waves.  I was eating seeds, dipping fake, chewing straws and gum like there was no tomorrow.  INTENSE !!

      I have not had a day like this one in a LONG time.  I had almost forgotten how wierd the shit can get.  I simply dropped my expectations for the day and focused on getting past this shit and back to the good days.  The NIC bitch has been whispering to me some this week, today she threw out all the stops !!

      No matter how hard you try the answer is still the same... FUCK YOU !!!  I do not do that shit anymore....


Hopefully 184 will be better.....

G5280- couple things.

First, I can't speak for anybody else, but I hit a nice patch of funk around 200. It can and does come back. The time between funks gets larger and larger but you'll still hit patches that suck. You need to stay prepared for them, I think this is where alot of people fail. They have become secure in there quit and then hit some rough times and POW a day 1.

Second, I notice that if I hang out with guys smoking cigars in a smoke filled room for any period of time, it leads to some rough craves shortly thereafter. Even second hand smoke can re-ignite the nicotine receptors in your brain. When this happens they are all going to scream for nic until they quiest down and " go back to sleep". I would be suspicious of your poker game. If you got enough smoke you could be dealing with some of the after effects.

The law of addiction is that once you re-introduce the substance you are addicted to. YOu instantly re-boot the cravings for it. As an example I left a smoke filled bar on St Patty's day because I knew that sitting there for an hour was going to lead to a rough few days after the fact for me. Not quite a day 1-3 but intense craves.

Stay on your toes.

sm

SM,
You know I never even thought about that but it does make sense. I watched how much I drank etc, but I never really thought about all those guys smoking and if it would bother me at all. Interesting; and it would explain the "off" week I had. Another lesson learned.

Good thing about living where I do is you cannot smoke in public places so I do not have to avoid going out with people, but I certainly will be watching being in a room full of smokers in the future.

I won't say this past week has been good for me, or that I enjoyed it, because I certainly have not. But weeks like this do make you re-focus !!

[Skoal Monster]

Day 183


Well I am not sure exactly what the cause was, full moon, planet alignment, reverse polarity whatever but 183 has been MISERABLE. I woke up and it flet like day 4 all over again. My anxiety was insane all day long and the craves came in waves. I was eating seeds, dipping fake, chewing straws and gum like there was no tomorrow. INTENSE !!

I have not had a day like this one in a LONG time. I had almost forgotten how wierd the shit can get. I simply dropped my expectations for the day and focused on getting past this shit and back to the good days. The NIC bitch has been whispering to me some this week, today she threw out all the stops !!

No matter how hard you try the answer is still the same... FUCK YOU !!! I do not do that shit anymore....


Hopefully 184 will be better.....

G5280- couple things.

First, I can't speak for anybody else, but I hit a nice patch of funk around 200. It can and does come back. The time between funks gets larger and larger but you'll still hit patches that suck. You need to stay prepared for them, I think this is where alot of people fail. They have become secure in there quit and then hit some rough times and POW a day 1.

Second, I notice that if I hang out with guys smoking cigars in a smoke filled room for any period of time, it leads to some rough craves shortly thereafter. Even second hand smoke can re-ignite the nicotine receptors in your brain. When this happens they are all going to scream for nic until they quiest down and " go back to sleep". I would be suspicious of your poker game. If you got enough smoke you could be dealing with some of the after effects.

The law of addiction is that once you re-introduce the substance you are addicted to. YOu instantly re-boot the cravings for it. As an example I left a smoke filled bar on St Patty's day because I knew that sitting there for an hour was going to lead to a rough few days after the fact for me. Not quite a day 1-3 but intense craves.

Stay on your toes.

sm

[Greg5280]

Day 183


Well I am not sure exactly what the cause was, full moon, planet alignment, reverse polarity whatever but 183 has been MISERABLE. I woke up and it flet like day 4 all over again. My anxiety was insane all day long and the craves came in waves. I was eating seeds, dipping fake, chewing straws and gum like there was no tomorrow. INTENSE !!

I have not had a day like this one in a LONG time. I had almost forgotten how wierd the shit can get. I simply dropped my expectations for the day and focused on getting past this shit and back to the good days. The NIC bitch has been whispering to me some this week, today she threw out all the stops !!

No matter how hard you try the answer is still the same... FUCK YOU !!! I do not do that shit anymore....


Hopefully 184 will be better.....

[Greg5280]

Post has been edited by a moderator.

[Greg5280]

Day 181

Today was wierd for me. Kind of a mini funk I guess. Woke up for the first time in a long time in a shitty mood. No reason for it really just woke up pissed off. Got to work and that certainly did not help my mood any. My boss is on my last fucking nerve anyway and today he got all over it.

I have not had a real crave in a long time. It is funny when I get a crave now it is really more for a fakie than the real stuff, but today for some reason the bitch started whispering to me. At first it caught me off gaurd, like some voice from the past, sounded farmilar but strange at the same time. "Come on, you can have one you deserve it. " " One will not hurt you, you deserve it." My jaws started hurting, my mouth was watering, holy shit a white knuckle full blown crave. WTF ?

I remembered I had not posted this morning. I was so busy I did not post so I jumped on the site quick and posted my promise. I then got up and walked around the building for a bit, still craving, got my coffee straw and chewed the shit out of it, tore up a half bag of seeds, and some gum. Crave started to pass. Felt like day 5 again. Wow, I have not had a crave like that in a long time, pissed me off when it was over. Not really sure if it was the stress, the anger, whatever but something set it off.

I felt like a dumb ass when it was over, allowing outside influences to get me off balance. But I felt like a BAD ASS when I kicked the crave in the ass and got on with my day.

Keep your gaurd up at all times... the shit can sneak up on you.

[sensei]

Day 178

    Well just got back from a 3 day golf trip.  GREAT time, the weather was good two of the three days. But it was a GREAT trip even playing in the wind and rain one day.

      Sadly I almost backed out of this trip.  It was the first time during my quit I was going to be surrounded by numerous guys dipping, smoking, and drinking and to be honest I was not sure how comfortable I was going to be. I was not really worried about caving, just was not sure about my comfort level with that much alcohol and NIC in the same place.  I was nervous about the trip for a couple of days leading up to leaving and my anxiety was cranked up a notch on the trip down.

      Now I am sitting here after the trip is over and feel like I should kick my own ass.  To think I would even consider NOT going on this trip pisses me off.  What a great time, and a great bunch of guys. (And I won enough between poker and golf to pay for my trip.  )  I had a couple of light craves on the course and when we were playing cards but nothing bad.

      I watched my friends stuffing their lips or lighting up a cigar and just thought to myself how sad it was that I used to be the same way.  One of the guys even got a  bit too much NIC and was feeling like shit for about 5 holes.  I told him it was the NIC from the cigar and that he should just stop smoking them all together since he only smokes them from time to time. 

      I took my HOF coin out of the plastic cover it came in and used it as a ball marker on this trip.  My original thought for doing this was every time I lined up a putt I would see the coin and no matter how bad the craves got I would have that reminder.  The craves never got that bad but I got an unexpected bonus, a bunch of the guys commented on it, and a couple of guys asked me about the site.  Hopefully they will show up. It does make a wicked ball marker!! 

      I got through this trip with just a couple of light craves, easily laughed off.  Spent the rest of the time kicking the NIC bitch in the ass and spending time with friends and doing something I really enjoy.  And to think I actually thought about skipping it so I would not "possibly" have a problem.  I still cannot believe how my mind works sometimes.  I am FIRMLY committed to my quit, just need days like these to re-affirm that from time to time.....

      Newbies, get out of the house, enjoy your family and your friends.  Life really is BETTER without stuffing that crap in your face.

Life is great when you're quit. Don't let it pass you by.

Well done.

Epic

'clap'

[Ready]

Day 178

Well just got back from a 3 day golf trip. GREAT time, the weather was good two of the three days. But it was a GREAT trip even playing in the wind and rain one day.

Sadly I almost backed out of this trip. It was the first time during my quit I was going to be surrounded by numerous guys dipping, smoking, and drinking and to be honest I was not sure how comfortable I was going to be. I was not really worried about caving, just was not sure about my comfort level with that much alcohol and NIC in the same place. I was nervous about the trip for a couple of days leading up to leaving and my anxiety was cranked up a notch on the trip down.

Now I am sitting here after the trip is over and feel like I should kick my own ass. To think I would even consider NOT going on this trip pisses me off. What a great time, and a great bunch of guys. (And I won enough between poker and golf to pay for my trip. ) I had a couple of light craves on the course and when we were playing cards but nothing bad.

I watched my friends stuffing their lips or lighting up a cigar and just thought to myself how sad it was that I used to be the same way. One of the guys even got a bit too much NIC and was feeling like shit for about 5 holes. I told him it was the NIC from the cigar and that he should just stop smoking them all together since he only smokes them from time to time.

I took my HOF coin out of the plastic cover it came in and used it as a ball marker on this trip. My original thought for doing this was every time I lined up a putt I would see the coin and no matter how bad the craves got I would have that reminder. The craves never got that bad but I got an unexpected bonus, a bunch of the guys commented on it, and a couple of guys asked me about the site. Hopefully they will show up. It does make a wicked ball marker!!

I got through this trip with just a couple of light craves, easily laughed off. Spent the rest of the time kicking the NIC bitch in the ass and spending time with friends and doing something I really enjoy. And to think I actually thought about skipping it so I would not "possibly" have a problem. I still cannot believe how my mind works sometimes. I am FIRMLY committed to my quit, just need days like these to re-affirm that from time to time.....

Newbies, get out of the house, enjoy your family and your friends. Life really is BETTER without stuffing that crap in your face.

Life is great when you're quit. Don't let it pass you by.

Well done.

[Greg5280]

Day 178

Well just got back from a 3 day golf trip. GREAT time, the weather was good two of the three days. But it was a GREAT trip even playing in the wind and rain one day.

Sadly I almost backed out of this trip. It was the first time during my quit I was going to be surrounded by numerous guys dipping, smoking, and drinking and to be honest I was not sure how comfortable I was going to be. I was not really worried about caving, just was not sure about my comfort level with that much alcohol and NIC in the same place. I was nervous about the trip for a couple of days leading up to leaving and my anxiety was cranked up a notch on the trip down.

Now I am sitting here after the trip is over and feel like I should kick my own ass. To think I would even consider NOT going on this trip pisses me off. What a great time, and a great bunch of guys. (And I won enough between poker and golf to pay for my trip. ) I had a couple of light craves on the course and when we were playing cards but nothing bad.

I watched my friends stuffing their lips or lighting up a cigar and just thought to myself how sad it was that I used to be the same way. One of the guys even got a bit too much NIC and was feeling like shit for about 5 holes. I told him it was the NIC from the cigar and that he should just stop smoking them all together since he only smokes them from time to time.

I took my HOF coin out of the plastic cover it came in and used it as a ball marker on this trip. My original thought for doing this was every time I lined up a putt I would see the coin and no matter how bad the craves got I would have that reminder. The craves never got that bad but I got an unexpected bonus, a bunch of the guys commented on it, and a couple of guys asked me about the site. Hopefully they will show up. It does make a wicked ball marker!!

I got through this trip with just a couple of light craves, easily laughed off. Spent the rest of the time kicking the NIC bitch in the ass and spending time with friends and doing something I really enjoy. And to think I actually thought about skipping it so I would not "possibly" have a problem. I still cannot believe how my mind works sometimes. I am FIRMLY committed to my quit, just need days like these to re-affirm that from time to time.....

Newbies, get out of the house, enjoy your family and your friends. Life really is BETTER without stuffing that crap in your face.

[Greg5280]

Day 171

The last few days have been good ones.  Typical of how my quit has been, come off a funk and have some of the best days of quitting.  I am a little on the pissed off side of things right now though and I will explain why.

To be honest with everyone I have avoided C stores like the plague, and if I did have to go into one I would not let my eyes stray to the tobacco layout behind the counter.  I was not sure how I would handle seeing rows of my chosen poison, so I chose to stay away.  Something for you newbs to think about and add to your plan. 

Well I was feeling pretty damn good yesterday morning.  Had a great day and evening on Saturday and was feeling bulletproof.  So I headed too my old stomping ground to see my favorite girl,  that I had not seen since I quit.  I walked in and grabbed my OJ and proceeded to check out.  There it was, right in front of me.. rows and rows of tobacco.  Funny thing is I did not get a bad ass craving, I really felt more disgusted by it. 

Sadly I have never spent much time looking at all the choices there were these days.  I knew my particular brand and was not that concerned about the rest.  Looking at the display started pissing me off. ( Now remember when I started this shit there were two choices Skoal fine cut and Copenhagen unless you wanted to chew or snort.)  It was almost mind numbing the choices and flavors Grape, Apple, Cherry, Long Cut, Pouches, Snus, I got dizzy trying to see all the different choices.  Why so many ?? Simple, to addict as many people as possible. 

These fuckers are making and selling the perfect addictive drug and are marketing it to every sector of society, especially kids.  If you think I am full of shit who would dip apple flavored pouches ??  To think I supported the tobacco industry for as long as I did nauseates me. 

So I get up this morning still pissed about what I had seen at the store yesterday.  I get on the site and see a story posted about Nicotine candy, Nicotine toothpicks, Nicotine breath strips.. WTF ??  This has gotten to new lows!!  For those of you that may have missed it I will add it to this post but for FUCK sake what will they think of next.  The only way to get them hooked any younger would be adding Nicotine to baby formula…  Wow. 

For those of you that are just starting your quit and are thinking you miss how good it was read the story below.  The people at  BIG TOBACCO are death dealers and will stop at nothing to have a new generation of ‘addicts” to line their pockets with cash.  If you are reading this and have not chosen to stop yet, dump your shit and get to quitting.  Stop giving your money to these fucks…..  I am so glad I am QUIT.  Seeing shit like this just makes my resolve that much stronger. 




Nicotine Candy

(Health.com) -- A new generation of smokeless, flavored tobacco products that look like breath mints or breath-freshening strips may be life-threatening for children who mistake them for candy, according to researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"Nicotine is a poison, and now we're seeing smokeless tobacco products that look like Tic Tacs or MM's, which parents can leave on the counter and children can be attracted to," says Greg N. Connolly, D.M.D., the director of the Tobacco Control Research Group at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston, Massachusetts.
Connolly led a research team that found that smokeless tobacco products are the second most common cause of nicotine poisoning in children, after cigarettes. The researchers reviewed data from 61 poison control centers and identified 13,705 cases of tobacco ingestion between 2006 and 2008, the vast majority of which were in infants. Smokeless tobacco was involved in 1,768 of the cases.
The new products -- currently being test-marketed in three cities -- include Camel Orbs, which resemble breath mints; Camel Sticks, which are about the size of a toothpick and dissolve in the mouth; and Camel Strips, which are similar to breath-freshening strips. Small, teabag-like "snus" -- pouches filled with tobacco that are placed between the upper lip and gum -- are also a potential hazard, according to the study, which appears in the journal Pediatrics.
These products are not smoking cessation aids; rather, they are marketed as a nicotine alternative in places where smoking isn't allowed.

Although children in the study were most often poisoned from eating cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products in general, the researchers single out the new, dissolvable products -- especially Camel Orbs -- as a "major concern." Orbs are available in cinnamon and mint flavors and could easily be mistaken for candy, the researchers say."The candy form can only mean trouble, particularly for children and infants," says Connolly. "And snus are attractive, flavorful, and easily ingested by an infant or child."
R.J. Reynolds spokesman David Howard says that the packaging of Camel Orbs and the other dissolvable products is "100 percent child-resistant in accordance with Consumer Product Safety Commission standards" and bears a label that says "Keep Out of Reach of Children." Adults, he adds, should ensure that "children do not have access to any tobacco products -- including dissolvable tobacco products."
Still, the researchers say, the pellets could find their way into children's mouths. Nicotine poisoning can cause nausea or vomiting, and severe cases can result in convulsions, respiratory failure, and even death. Just under 0.5 milligrams of nicotine per pound of body weight is the minimum lethal dose for children, according to Connolly.

A chemical analysis conducted by Connolly and his colleagues found that Camel Orbs contain an average of 0.83 milligrams of nicotine in each pellet. Some of the nicotine is "un-ionized," which allows for more rapid absorption and may be more toxic than other forms of the drug, they write.
"A small pellet with a rapid release of nicotine and a young child with a low body weight can be a very serious problem," Connolly says. "We have to look at high-risk groups who may ingest these thinking that they are candy and be very cautious about dispensing them and not leaving them around."
Regulators, he adds, "must ask tough questions about who is at risk from these products, and who we are trying to help with them."
To focus on the poison risk of Camel Orbs and dissolvable nicotine products is "remarkably selective," Howard says. He points out that Connolly and his colleagues make no mention of nicotine gums and lozenges used in smoking cessation, which are also available in a range of flavors and resemble candy and gum.

In a commentary accompanying the study, officials from the Center for Tobacco Products at the Food and Drug Administration write that dissolvable tobacco products "pose unique concerns for public health authorities." Dr. Marisa Cruz, M.D., and Dr. Lawrence Deyton, M.D., write that the FDA has requested research on the products from tobacco companies and will hold a series of public meetings to help develop a regulatory policy.
The FDA has broad authority to regulate tobacco products under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which was signed into law last June. Later that fall, the agency banned the sale of candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes.
"I would feel safer if the FDA...looked at the packaging [of these products] as well as their safety," says Dr. Jonathan P. Winickoff, M.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
Health.com: How to buy the right air cleaner
While accidental infant poisonings are certainly cause for concern, purposeful ingestion of smokeless tobacco products by kids and teens may be a larger problem, Winickoff points out. As the study notes, the use of smokeless tobacco products among adolescents increased 6 percent per year from 2002 to 2006."An adolescent thinks this is harmless because it looks harmless, but they're exposing their brain to nicotine, and there's a chance that they would be primed to develop a nicotine addiction," says Winickoff, who was not involved in the study. "If teens ended up using smokeless product because they are attracted to candy flavors and they end up getting addicted to nicotine, the public health benefit of smokeless tobacco is neutralized."

One of the study authors, Terry F. Pechacek, Ph.D., the associate director for science at the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health in Atlanta said that more than half of people who use smokeless tobacco are underage.


Products such as Camel Orbs, he says, "look like candy, are more easily concealed, and can be used at school or in front of parents. That raises even greater concerns."

Greg, that is some scary shit!!! New lows big tobacco will stoop down to to make up for steadily declining cigarette sales. FUCKERS!!!! Like you all I had was Cope, Skoal, and you forgot that Happy Days Work crap. 'bang head'

Dammit I did forget happy days... oh well. And you are right, Candy Nicotine is some scary shit.. !! It should be illegal !!

[Kdip]

Day 171

The last few days have been good ones. Typical of how my quit has been, come off a funk and have some of the best days of quitting. I am a little on the pissed off side of things right now though and I will explain why.

To be honest with everyone I have avoided C stores like the plague, and if I did have to go into one I would not let my eyes stray to the tobacco layout behind the counter. I was not sure how I would handle seeing rows of my chosen poison, so I chose to stay away. Something for you newbs to think about and add to your plan.

Well I was feeling pretty damn good yesterday morning. Had a great day and evening on Saturday and was feeling bulletproof. So I headed too my old stomping ground to see my favorite girl, that I had not seen since I quit. I walked in and grabbed my OJ and proceeded to check out. There it was, right in front of me.. rows and rows of tobacco. Funny thing is I did not get a bad ass craving, I really felt more disgusted by it.

Sadly I have never spent much time looking at all the choices there were these days. I knew my particular brand and was not that concerned about the rest. Looking at the display started pissing me off. ( Now remember when I started this shit there were two choices Skoal fine cut and Copenhagen unless you wanted to chew or snort.) It was almost mind numbing the choices and flavors Grape, Apple, Cherry, Long Cut, Pouches, Snus, I got dizzy trying to see all the different choices. Why so many ?? Simple, to addict as many people as possible.

These fuckers are making and selling the perfect addictive drug and are marketing it to every sector of society, especially kids. If you think I am full of shit who would dip apple flavored pouches ?? To think I supported the tobacco industry for as long as I did nauseates me.

So I get up this morning still pissed about what I had seen at the store yesterday. I get on the site and see a story posted about Nicotine candy, Nicotine toothpicks, Nicotine breath strips.. WTF ?? This has gotten to new lows!! For those of you that may have missed it I will add it to this post but for FUCK sake what will they think of next. The only way to get them hooked any younger would be adding Nicotine to baby formulaÂ… Wow.

For those of you that are just starting your quit and are thinking you miss how good it was read the story below. The people at BIG TOBACCO are death dealers and will stop at nothing to have a new generation of ‘addicts” to line their pockets with cash. If you are reading this and have not chosen to stop yet, dump your shit and get to quitting. Stop giving your money to these fucks….. I am so glad I am QUIT. Seeing shit like this just makes my resolve that much stronger.




Nicotine Candy

(Health.com) -- A new generation of smokeless, flavored tobacco products that look like breath mints or breath-freshening strips may be life-threatening for children who mistake them for candy, according to researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"Nicotine is a poison, and now we're seeing smokeless tobacco products that look like Tic Tacs or MM's, which parents can leave on the counter and children can be attracted to," says Greg N. Connolly, D.M.D., the director of the Tobacco Control Research Group at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston, Massachusetts.
Connolly led a research team that found that smokeless tobacco products are the second most common cause of nicotine poisoning in children, after cigarettes. The researchers reviewed data from 61 poison control centers and identified 13,705 cases of tobacco ingestion between 2006 and 2008, the vast majority of which were in infants. Smokeless tobacco was involved in 1,768 of the cases.
The new products -- currently being test-marketed in three cities -- include Camel Orbs, which resemble breath mints; Camel Sticks, which are about the size of a toothpick and dissolve in the mouth; and Camel Strips, which are similar to breath-freshening strips. Small, teabag-like "snus" -- pouches filled with tobacco that are placed between the upper lip and gum -- are also a potential hazard, according to the study, which appears in the journal Pediatrics.
These products are not smoking cessation aids; rather, they are marketed as a nicotine alternative in places where smoking isn't allowed.

Although children in the study were most often poisoned from eating cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products in general, the researchers single out the new, dissolvable products -- especially Camel Orbs -- as a "major concern." Orbs are available in cinnamon and mint flavors and could easily be mistaken for candy, the researchers say."The candy form can only mean trouble, particularly for children and infants," says Connolly. "And snus are attractive, flavorful, and easily ingested by an infant or child."
R.J. Reynolds spokesman David Howard says that the packaging of Camel Orbs and the other dissolvable products is "100 percent child-resistant in accordance with Consumer Product Safety Commission standards" and bears a label that says "Keep Out of Reach of Children." Adults, he adds, should ensure that "children do not have access to any tobacco products -- including dissolvable tobacco products."
Still, the researchers say, the pellets could find their way into children's mouths. Nicotine poisoning can cause nausea or vomiting, and severe cases can result in convulsions, respiratory failure, and even death. Just under 0.5 milligrams of nicotine per pound of body weight is the minimum lethal dose for children, according to Connolly.

A chemical analysis conducted by Connolly and his colleagues found that Camel Orbs contain an average of 0.83 milligrams of nicotine in each pellet. Some of the nicotine is "un-ionized," which allows for more rapid absorption and may be more toxic than other forms of the drug, they write.
"A small pellet with a rapid release of nicotine and a young child with a low body weight can be a very serious problem," Connolly says. "We have to look at high-risk groups who may ingest these thinking that they are candy and be very cautious about dispensing them and not leaving them around."
Regulators, he adds, "must ask tough questions about who is at risk from these products, and who we are trying to help with them."
To focus on the poison risk of Camel Orbs and dissolvable nicotine products is "remarkably selective," Howard says. He points out that Connolly and his colleagues make no mention of nicotine gums and lozenges used in smoking cessation, which are also available in a range of flavors and resemble candy and gum.

In a commentary accompanying the study, officials from the Center for Tobacco Products at the Food and Drug Administration write that dissolvable tobacco products "pose unique concerns for public health authorities." Dr. Marisa Cruz, M.D., and Dr. Lawrence Deyton, M.D., write that the FDA has requested research on the products from tobacco companies and will hold a series of public meetings to help develop a regulatory policy.
The FDA has broad authority to regulate tobacco products under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which was signed into law last June. Later that fall, the agency banned the sale of candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes.
"I would feel safer if the FDA...looked at the packaging [of these products] as well as their safety," says Dr. Jonathan P. Winickoff, M.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
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While accidental infant poisonings are certainly cause for concern, purposeful ingestion of smokeless tobacco products by kids and teens may be a larger problem, Winickoff points out. As the study notes, the use of smokeless tobacco products among adolescents increased 6 percent per year from 2002 to 2006."An adolescent thinks this is harmless because it looks harmless, but they're exposing their brain to nicotine, and there's a chance that they would be primed to develop a nicotine addiction," says Winickoff, who was not involved in the study. "If teens ended up using smokeless product because they are attracted to candy flavors and they end up getting addicted to nicotine, the public health benefit of smokeless tobacco is neutralized."

One of the study authors, Terry F. Pechacek, Ph.D., the associate director for science at the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health in Atlanta said that more than half of people who use smokeless tobacco are underage.


Products such as Camel Orbs, he says, "look like candy, are more easily concealed, and can be used at school or in front of parents. That raises even greater concerns."

Greg, that is some scary shit!!! New lows big tobacco will stoop down to to make up for steadily declining cigarette sales. FUCKERS!!!! Like you all I had was Cope, Skoal, and you forgot that Happy Days Work crap. 'bang head'