NO NICOTINE (Cope)since 2/19/09

[hunterridgefarm]

since 2/16/09


Thanks for all the encouragement! This is going to be tough the next few days. Today was no nicotine gum, 1st day in 27 years with no nicotine.

 

[polo1665]

I watched my dad get ill soon after he retired. Worked his butt off and when it was finally time to enjoy the fruits of his labor he couldn't breath well enough to do it. For the next ten years, his last ten years, he lived his life regretting the choice he made to keep smoking. Finally last year he lost his fight to COPD. Granted, smoking was not the only contributer. He worked most of his adult life in a manufacturing environment, breathing soot and metal dust, and had tuberculosis as a youth. The smoking was however the one factor that he had the most control over. I wasn't smart enough to see that at the age of sixteen, when I decided to start smoking. It took seeing him hooked up to an oxygen bottle to wake me up. I quit thirty months ago after smoking for 25 years. It wasn't easy and I've gained some weight, but that's small potatoes compared to what could happen if I had continued. You stick to your NO NICOTINE commitment. If you are able to quit, and I am sure you are, you will be a much better man for it. If you have family, they will appreciate the extra years they will get to spend with you as well.

Mark

 

[Bird]

Yep, it just takes a bit of determination, and I guess the longer you go without smoking, the easier it becomes.

And yes, I've gained too much weight since I quit smoking. But my wife just finished having a general physical, knew she's had alergies in the past, and a bit of chronic bronchitis, so after all the tests, the doctor says, as expected, that she has COPD and about 50% of normal lung capacity. Was it caused by smoking, or other factors? I don't know.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

One thing to remember is the anti-tobacco industry may have more money than the tobacco industry now - they've definitely got better PR. Most of those chemical lists are misleading at best, it makes it seem like they drain corpses and toss car batteries into chewing tobacco. "Battery Acid" is really sulfuric acid and it's found in a ton of stuff naturally. It's the sulfur that adds the stink to garlic and sulfur compounds are also responsible for reacting with your tears to create sulfuric acid when you cut onions. "Embalming fluid" is a double whammy, not only does it sound like an industrial chemical additive but it also makes you think about death. Really they probably mean formaldehyde which is a natural byproduct of combustion and is also found in volatile compounds in many plants - including tobacco as well as red wine. Nearly all the chemicals listed are produced naturally by the tobacco plant and are not added separately (and for those who prefer their tobaccy of the whacky variety, marijuana has many similar chemicals), are found in the paper you roll a cigarette in, are in levels barely detectable and not really relevant compared to the overall carcinogenic effect of smoking ANYTHING, or require you to smoke the filter as well (a safety feature missing on most marijuana products). This isn't to say quitting isn't a good thing to do, tobacco products still have an extremely high health risk-to-benefit ratio. But unfortunately you now have to weed through the misinformation on both sides if you want to look for the facts.

The makers put in all the chemicals, that's why it is so additive.

They want to get you hooked on it.

 

[Solo]

I started chewing Mail Pouch when I was 11 years old. I chewed for 28 years and quit cold turkey on July 4th 2008. I get a craving now and then but I've stuck it out. Don't give up David.

Solo

 

[Egon]

Persevere. It's hard. Takes a lot of will power.

 

[RollTideRam]

I quit first of February last year. I made it to December before I eased back on it. My BIL said the craving never goes away. He has been quit for 10 years. It is the hardest thing I have ever done, and I am going to have to do it again. JC

 

[scott_vt]

since 2/16/09


Thanks for all the encouragement! This is going to be tough the next few days. Today was no nicotine gum, 1st day in 27 years with no nicotine.

Good Mornin David,
You just need to get through today, dont worry about tommorrow until it gets here ! Go for it, you can do it !

 

[scott_vt]

The makers put in all the chemicals, that's why it is so additive.

They want to get you hooked on it.

Good Mornin Bill,
Thats the truth, it shouldnt be that way but it is !

 

[JohnDeere4300]

Good Mornin Bill,
Thats the truth, it shouldnt be that way but it is !

Good Mornin Scott,

No it shouldn't be that way, but that's how they get ya hooked.

I did quit smoking, but really haven't tried to quit dipping, i have been thinking about it. But after DAVID posted this i think its time to quit.

David i think you are doing fine, i wished i already had the days without tobacco that you have.

 

[Nissan197]

You can do it!!! I started chewing when I was 14. Chewed throughout college and stopped when I was around 25. Prices started going up and when I heard of mouth cancer and saw a picture of someone with half their face gone I stopped and have not chewed since. You will probably crave it but you just have to be psychologically stronger. Keep it up you can do it.

 

[IH3444]

I wish you all whom use tobacco products the best of luck. The odds are not in your favor. I spent almost a week in the cancer ward to have a tumor removed that the doctors told me I was born with. I was 26 at the time. Two operations to remove it, no chemo, no radiation. Over the 20 year mark now. Cured of that one.The point I am getting at is while in the cancer ward, late at night you can hear the other patients moaning, and groaning. And I mean deep, painful, no let up groans. It is extremely uncomforting, and you know that some of those guys, and gals are not going home. They are going to the morge. If I could transplant those experiences to you, I'm almost certain it would cause at least half of you to lay down those tobacco products, never to be picked up again. Once again, I wish you the absolute best of luck with kicking your habits.
Oral Cavity and Pharynx Cancer

 

[greenmule]

Well chewing is not good for you,but,if its not,its because of the things they put in the tobacco,probably not the tobbaco itself so much,and the fact that you put it in one or two spots in your mouth over and over again,rubbing/chewing on it. Anybody who rubs copenhagen can tell about calluses on their lips and red/white spots on gums etc. You could probably rub spinich with those additives and get same result.Too much of anything will kill you.

Now smoking is not natural,if you are outside around a fire and smoke drifts your way,you'll move.

But all this talk of chewing causing cancer is overblown as far as I'm concerned,I believe we all have the cancer gene in us,but somes might be triggered by chemicals of some kind,some might be triggered by beer,electric magnetic field, smoking,etc,and some rubbing snuff. Thats why you find old men and woman who have smoked for 60 years and still kicking,and old men[generally] who have rubbed or chewed for 60 years and still doing it.If it for sure caused cancer,than they wouldn't be here.

Like skin cancer,I had a spot of skin cancer cut out between my big and next toe,melanoma,not precancer or such. Now my feet ain't seen the sun in 30 years probably,and even back when they did,it was BETWEEN MY TOES! But the sun[they say] causes skin cancer for sure.

My thoughts on cancer,its like aids,if they knew what caused it,they could cure it,they don't really know how it starts,they just see it after it is there. Somethings that you can do after years of them studying it, seems to contribute to certain cancers,but....

 

[dancck]

Re: NO NICOTINE (Cope)since 2/16/09

smoked for 22 years been 6 years since i had a smoke ...you just know when its time ,good luck

 

[tallyho8]

Reward yourself. That is the best incentive to quit. I tried to quit smoking many times over the years without success. Finally I promised myself a new truck if I quit. I told myself I would quit in 3 months when I got my new truck. The desirable anticipation of getting the new truck also was giving me the desire to quit smoking so much that I actually looked forward to the day I would quit. After smoking 20 years, I went to the dealer, bought a new 1986 Ford Ranger XLT Supercab 4wd on March 15, 1986, got in it and threw my pack of cigarettes out the window. Never touched one since. The Ranger was $15,000 and I have probably saved $30,000 so far by not buying cigarettes.

The freedom a non-smoker has is priceless. I can go somewhere now without the worry of having to stop and get my cigarettes and lighter and extra pack in case I run out, and I can make it through a movie or a ball game without the jitters of not having a smoke or missing some of the action to leave and go somewhere to smoke. I can even walk in the rain and enjoy it without worrying about my smokes getting wet.

The only thing better than quitting tobacco is never starting it.

 

[Bird]

I didn't plan a specific reward, as you did, but I did know that in 2005, I spent an average of $132 a month on smoking materials and in 2006, it was averaging about $160 a month and I could think of several better ways to spend that money.

In January, 1990, we spent the month in an RV park in Tucson, AZ, and one of our neighbors there was a farmer from Illinois who wintered in Arizona each winter after the crops were in. He said he had quit smoking a couple of years earlier; said he couldn't tell that he felt any better, but he did have a little more change in his pocket and fewer burn holes in his shirts and pickup seat.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Well today has been a little rough but no dip or nicotine gum. I am gettings a little bug or having withdraw not sure which.

I did have one close call that I am proud of. Went to thecar to get a pack of chewing gum out of the console. Found a can of Cope dark straight cut. I had forgot about it because I bought it when they were out of my regular Cope straight cut. So when I found my regular I put this in the console for hard times. Well when I found it I thought it would be dried out but when I opened it it was still moist. I looked at it smelled it several times and started to get just one dip, started to put it back in the console, stood in the driveway for 10 min just looking at the open can. Finally dumped it on the ground...that is about the hardest thing I have ever done. It felt good and bad at the same time.

I think putting this on TBN for you guys to help is one of the best things I have done. I have not told my wife yet because I have tried so many times before and failed. I want to go a couple of weeks and then tell her. But I have already done better than ever before since I have never quit without the use of nicotine gum. So now its been 4 days with no dip and two days with no nicotine!!!


As far as tobacco/dip causing cancer I know it is a contributing factor that will affect some people and not others, just like smoking, the sun, and other things.

And I do know about cancer, I had it 21 years ago, tumor and 28 radiation treatments. Get blood work and xrays every year since. Still dipped, thats the addiction of nicotine...

I still can't believe I have made it 4 daysno dip, 2 days no nicotine.

Thanks guys...I owe you big time

 

[Bird]

I have not told my wife yet because I have tried so many times before and failed.

Does she smoke? About 43 years ago, I had an older partner and he and I decided we'd quit smoking. We decided that the one who smoked first would have to buy the other a steak dinner. Well, we quit for about 2 weeks (my wife never quit, which didn't help any) and then one day when my partner and I got off work, we decided to stop for a beer before going home. He said, "If you want to call it a tie, I'll buy us a pack of cigarettes" and I said, "Go get'em."

But when I quit in July '06, I didn't say anything to anyone until my wife noticed I wasn't smoking after just a couple of days. She didn't quit until the next year, but when she saw I wasn't smoking, she quit smoking in the house and instead would go out on the patio outside the back door.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

Well today has been a little rough but no dip or nicotine gum. I am gettings a little bug or having withdraw not sure which.

I did have one close call that I am proud of. Went to thecar to get a pack of chewing gum out of the console. Found a can of Cope dark straight cut. I had forgot about it because I bought it when they were out of my regular Cope straight cut. So when I found my regular I put this in the console for hard times. Well when I found it I thought it would be dried out but when I opened it it was still moist. I looked at it smelled it several times and started to get just one dip, started to put it back in the console, stood in the driveway for 10 min just looking at the open can. Finally dumped it on the ground...that is about the hardest thing I have ever done. It felt good and bad at the same time.

I think putting this on TBN for you guys to help is one of the best things I have done. I have not told my wife yet because I have tried so many times before and failed. I want to go a couple of weeks and then tell her. But I have already done better than ever before since I have never quit without the use of nicotine gum. So now its been 4 days with no dip and two days with no nicotine!!!


As far as tobacco/dip causing cancer I know it is a contributing factor that will affect some people and not others, just like smoking, the sun, and other things.

And I do know about cancer, I had it 21 years ago, tumor and 28 radiation treatments. Get blood work and xrays every year since. Still dipped, thats the addiction of nicotine...

I still can't believe I have made it 4 daysno dip, 2 days no nicotine.

Thanks guys...I owe you big time

You are doing a great job and i thank you for starting this, because it
has helped me, every time i reach for the can, i think about this thread.

Seems like smoking was easy for me to quit, but i feel that dipping will be much harder to quit.

I will turn it over to the Lord.
_______________________
Thanks for sharing.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Does she smoke?

No, she has never smoked. I'm the only one with bad habits.

Bird I read your post about quiting smoking after all those years...ya did good!
If you can quit after all those years with your wife still smoking, I should be able to quit dipping!!!