Okay here's what an idiot I am.

[Armstead]

I smoke cigarettes. Yes it's idiotic, and I keep trying to kick it. But that's another story.

But what's really idiotic is that I live in New England, and we're currently being buried in snow....

And I'm about to go dig out my car and brave the icy roads -- just because I ran out of smokes and am gong out to get a pack.

jeezum.

[LiberalEsto]

1. Don't go to a CVS

They just announced they're going to stop selling tobacco products

[Armstead]

2. All drug stores in my states stopped selling them about a year ago -- is the law here

[PoliticAverse]

3. You can no longer get 'nicotine delivery devices' in drug stores?... n/t

[snooper2]

24. WHAT!

That's where they are the cheapest...

Now I have to look this up...

Time to get a new e-cig anyway- Maybe I can use CVS as the reason

[LiberalEsto]

25. Posted here on DU

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014719153

CVS to become first major U.S. drugstore to drop cigarettes

Last edited Wed Feb 5, 2014, 09:49 AM - Edit history (3)
Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - CVS Caremark Corp said on Wednesday that it would stop selling tobacco products at its 7,600 stores by October, becoming the first U.S. drugstore chain to take cigarettes off the shelf. Public health experts called the decision by the No. 2 U.S. drugstore chain a precedent-setting step that could pressure other stores to follow suit.

[femmocrat]

4. Today could be the day you decide to quit!

Carpe Diem!

[Armstead]

5. Logically, yes. But the one time I actually was successful in quitting I always carried a pack

Call it a quirk, but I feel like to truly quit one has to have cigarettes nearby, to enforce the fact that quitting is a choice. Weird I know.
But being stuck in a snowstorm with no smokes...well I know that as soon as the flakes stop falling I'll head out to the store.

[femmocrat]

6. Stay safe!

[Arkansas Granny]

20. I had cigarettes in the house when I quit, also. Just knowing that I had them available if the

craving got too bad kept the anxiety at bay. It may sound weird, but it worked for me. I didn't smoke any of them and got rid of them after a week or so.

[pipi_k]

21. Eh, not so weird...

I quit in 1996, a couple of days after buying about four cartons (it's a long story).

Well, I guess I gave a couple of those cartons away to someone...they're not around the house, but I did keep two cartons in the closet of the spare bedroom.

Like you said, to reinforce the idea that I'm choosing to quit (which was very hard to believe, seeing as how even thinking about quitting made me feel like I was losing my best friend).

So anyway, about a month ago we were cleaning out the closet up there and what gets uncovered? Two cartons and two single packs of cigarettes from 1996.

Mmmmmmm....! Can't imagine what those taste like! hahaahaha

[eShirl]

38. having a pack at home helped me to not buy any when I was out & about

it worked, haven't smoked for well over a decade

[VanillaRhapsody]

55. I quit 6 yrs ago and I still have the 2 last packs of smokes I bought...

they were my "in case of emergency" cigarettes....that I had no need to use. I just didn't want to find out I couldn't do it and rush to the store in the middle of the night...

I never did! Best thing I ever did....this is why I always tell folks not to try quitting "when they finish this pack". They will get freaked out and go buy another whole pack.

The way to quit "you gotta wanta"

[Armstead]

56. True...The one time i successfuly quit was a flash of disgust at the habit

Had the flu, coughing, but still reached for a cig. I suddenly realized how stupid that was and stopped cold turkey for almost a year because I wanted to quit. Actually never had a craving after that.

(Ironically, I started again when I reached for a smoke as an instinctual response to the shock when I was told my father had a fatal heart attack.)

[VanillaRhapsody]

59. people don't know that the actual withdrawal symptoms only last 4 to 5 days...

after that its just fixing your physical patterns. You use cigarettes as a reward system....you wash the car...you have a cigarette...you took out the trash...you have a cigarette. So a big step is to find a new reward system...

[Le Taz Hot]

7. You're not an idiot, you're just addicted.

My impetus for quitting smoking after 35 years? I had a HORRIBLE respiratory infection after, get this, repeatedly going outside in the cold and the wind to smoke. And even though I could barely breathe, I kept trying to smoke. I'd take a hit and cough for 5 minutes. Take a hit and cough for 5 minutes. Now, add to that, I'm asthmatic. Finally, I ran out of cigarettes. I thought about how utterly stupid this was and decided this would be a good time to quit. I asked my husband to run to the store for me and buy me the nicotine patch instead of cigarettes. That was 10 years ago this month.

Nicotine is so incredibly addictive and different people have different levels of addiction. At some point you're going to get sick and tired of the inconvenience of it all and it will be the inspiration you need to finally do it.

[madokie]

8. Buy one of these and a can of loose leaf tobacco

http://www.mcig.org/buy-online/
If you must smoke this is a lot more benign way to do it.

I don't smoke, quit in August of '77. Kept a pack with me at all times for several months just in case I felt I just had to have a cig. I even got to the point to where I opened the package at some point in those months.

[Armstead]

16. MY girlfriend uses those....I've tried them but Alas they don't do it for me

No logical reason. It;s the same dynamic of sucking nicotine. But for some reason...

Like i said...I'm an idiot (at least about some things)

[madokie]

19. This is different from the average Ecig

as this vaporizes the tobacco rather than using a glycol mixture to deliver the nicotine.

I bought one just in case I decide somewhere down the road to take back up smoking that ol devil weed. I figure this will be a lot better for my lungs if I do.

[Armstead]

29. interesting...I'll look into that

[Oilwellian]

31. They didn't work for me as well...

until I got this bad boy:



Going on six months now since I quit smoking cigarettes. A bad habit I had for over forty years. I was starting to have that constant smokers cough and knew it was time...I was pushing my luck. I first tried the patch. Pffffttt! Tried the gum. Pffftttt! Tried the less powerful ecigs. They worked, but after a few days I knew it wasn't going to last. I just wasn't getting that satisfying hit. So I powered up to what a vaping connoisseur would call seriously high-level. It did the trick and I don't even think about smoking anymore.

I'll be happy to introduce you or anyone else to the world of serious vaporizers. There are things you should know about the liquid you buy and the type of tank you should use to get that satisfying hit. If those weaker ecigs just didn't quite cut it for you, perhaps powering up is what's necessary to be successful.

I'm no longer coughing, have a lot more energy, haven't gained that dreaded weight that most ex smokers fear, and no more standing outside in the cold to get that nicotine fix. My husband has quit as well and we're saving several hundred dollars a month since we powered up.

Best of luck, and be careful out there on those icy roads.

[Armstead]

33. A nicotine hookah

[Oilwellian]

41. LOL, yes

That's exactly what it is.

[Cleita]

9. Golden opportunity to go cold turkey and quit.

The first week is the worst. Challenge yourself with a multitude of tasks to keep your mind off smokes. If you ever wanted to write a novel, now's the time to start.

[Armstead]

35. Your right -- But whenever I've quit my anxiety level goes through the roof

I have inherent anxiety issues, which is the excuse i give for not really quitting.

Not a great excuse though.

[Cleita]

50. I understand. You should make some effort that is suitable for you,

of course. From personal experience the reward down the line, after the initial suffering from breaking the addiction, is the satisfaction of getting the monkey off your back not to mention the benefits to your health. No longer will you have to arrange your life, like going out in bad weather, around this insidious plant.

[OnyxCollie]

10. Pick up some essential staples on the way to make the trip worthwhile.

I suggest beer.

[Armstead]

11. Good strategy.....Rationalize it somehow

I need to buy a copy of that book on the Theory of Quantum Physics that I've been meaning to read.

yeah, that's the ticket

[hfojvt]

12. well that certainly puts a new perspective

on your dislike of Hillary

[dixiegrrrrl]

13. And now you know what this phrase means:

"the insanity of addiction"

Been there, done that....

[Douglas Carpenter]

14. i quit a year and a half ago - but now a year and a half after quiting it looks like I probably have

COPD. One friend of mine suggest that maybe I should start again and see if that makes it go away.

[Armstead]

17. COPD?

[Douglas Carpenter]

18. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Emphysema or Chronic Bronchitis)

Approximately 97% of adult COPD patients were long term smokers.

[etherealtruth]

15. ADDICTION

(I know it, I understand it) Be careful

[Earth_First]

22. Try some advice, friend?

As a former smoker, pick up one of the disposable e-cigs while you're there.

For the cost of an extra pack today, you very well could have the device necessary to help you overcome your addiction and make your quit successful.

While e-cigs are not 'certified' as a smoking cessation tool, I know a handful of people who used one to successfully aid in their attempt to kick the habit, myself included.

What's the potential harm in at least trying it. For it's cost, it's one less pack that you were able to smoke; for that your health will commend you.

If you simply must head out, please be safe and try to think of any other potential items you may need while you are out to prevent an additional trip out into this weather later on in the day...

Good luck, friend. You have all the support in the world behind you in my confidence that you can quit successfully.

I know the old adage 'if I can do it...' never seems like much, however those are my closing words.

#confidence

[Armstead]

30. Thanks

[Iggo]

23. LOL.

I remember walking through a driving wind and rainstorm to get me some smokes.

It's what we do.

(Well, I don't do it anymore, but that don't make it any less funny.)

[Armstead]

36. I always think of a cartoon I saw in mad magazine long ago

It perfectly captured this dilemma

[TheKentuckian]

26. That minds me, I need to order some disposables to put away in case of a prolonged power outage.

I feel ya, I once trudged through like 3 feet of snow in a storm with two pockets full of pennies for cigarettes, lol.

[Armstead]

37. That's hard core...Congrats for graduating to e-cigs

Just don't go trudging for refills lol

[Ichingcarpenter]

27. Rent this movie while you're out

Nightmares (1983)

These well-made, tense tales -- featuring early roles from Emilio Estevez and Lance Henriksen -- were originally scheduled to air on TV but were deemed strong enough for the big screen, and justifiably so. Stories include:

A chain-smoking woman goes out for a pack of cigarettes while a serial killer is on the loose..... she was warned, actually its pretty good and I smoke and use e cigs to cut down so I can wait to buy tobacco without running into a serial killer now.



A teen addicted to a mysterious video game finds out what happens when he gets to the end.

A supernatural take on the Steven Spielberg movie Duel with a disillusioned priest engaging in a game of cat and mouse with a sinister pickup truck.


A man-versus-giant rat tale that predates the similar Of Unknown Origin...by two months.

[johnp3907]

63. How'd I miss that one???

Found it on youtube, so I can watch it later.

[upaloopa]

28. Smoking is an addition. I rarely hear people saying that.

You body craves nicotine. To kick the habit you have to go through withdrawal. It is a hard thing to do. I did it through will power it wasn't pleasant but I really wanted to quit

[Armstead]

39. The one time I sucessfully quit was an Aha moment

I had the flu and I was hacking my lungs out. I lit up a cigarette -- then looked at it and said "This is stupid."

I quit instantly for a year, because I had no desire to smoke. Wish i could repeat that.

(Only started again because of extenuating circumstances.)

[marions ghost]

57. Nicotine is harder to kick than heroin they say

I knew when I was 12 that my mother would die of it. I could see the intensity of that addiction, that craving. She battled COPD hard but lost eventually. Exercise in a good supportive program does make a difference tho. Helps the lungs keep open for awhile.

[RebelOne]

32. I know the feeling.

I am a nicotine addict also. I will brave any kind to weather to get my nicotine fix,

[dionysus]

34. jeezum crow is right! nt

[HipChick]

40. What's your fav food?

Link it to cig butts, and dog ends...you'll lose the desire for cigs as well as your fav foods...

[SomethingFishy]

42. You try E-Cigs yet?

I switched a couple months ago. It took a few weeks to get off the cigs, once I bought the e-cig I dropped to less than a pack a week, smoked em' more for the flavor than anything else. Now I'm on e-cigs only.. Cheaper and healthier and I find I want it less and less..

[RebelOne]

66. I have tried E-Cigs and they made me cough

where cigarettes never do. Plus they are terribly expensive.

[SomethingFishy]

67. I'm spending half of what I did for regular cigs..

And I learned that you are supposed to draw the vapor into your mouth first and then inhale it, I had the same coughing problem.

That said, they are probably not for everyone and the worst thing in trying to quit was learning that it wasn't really the nicotine I loved, but the tobacco.

[Ghost in the Machine]

43. I feel for you my friend, nicotine is a VERY addictive drug... even without the additives they spray

on it to make it more addicting. I speak from experience, too! I have tried to quit *many* times, and the longest I lasted was almost 4 months. I usually only last 2 to 3 days.

Just to show how hard it is, I am speaking as someone who once had a $1,000/day cocaine habit and quit cold turkey. I never had to go to rehab, and the withdrawals weren't too bad, they lasted about 3 days. Mostly just a LOT of sweating combined with nausea and aching in every bone and joint in my body. It wasn't some "stepped on 100 times garbage", either. I was getting stuff straight off the kilo when it came in off the boats. This was back in the height of the "cocaine cowboy" days... the early 80's to the early 90's in Miami, Florida. I quit in 1993, severed all ties with "friends", and moved 700+ miles away to get a fresh start.

The next thing was alcohol. I used to drink a fifth of Jim Beam, chased with a case of beer, every day. That was just a normal day, didn't include parties where everyone came over and brought cases of beer and/or bottles of liquor. When I went to bed, I had a beer on the night stand just in case I woke up thirsty in the middle of the night. I quit that cold turkey, too. No rehab, no withdrawals and not even any cravings. I quit on Oct. 1st, 1996. I never touched a drop for over 10 years. Since 2006, I've probably had 10 drinks, if that. Could be more like 7 or 8, but it was always just one drink, and I have not been drunk since before Oct. 1st of '96.

These #*^%&^^%&$# cigarettes are a totally different animal. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to shake them, though I am down from 3 packs a day to less tan 1 pack per day. Hopefully I can finally quit for good soon, on my own, before they kill me.

Best of luck to you, Armstead, I hope you can fight this battle and win! At least I know I'm not alone.

Peace,

Ghost

[Armstead]

44. Thanks for the suppport

Smoking's my only real bad addictive habit (aside from politically spouting off) but it does seem to have me by the short and curlies.

[Behind the Aegis]

45. Bless your heart.

They were calling for up to 8 inches here in NE OK. Normally, 8 inches is exciting, but not when it is snow! So, I stocked up. I am trying to quit, but I plateaued. I am trying to up my usage of the vapor cig and plan to start the Nicorette. Like you, I can get quite anxious if I don't have any...if they are there, sometimes I can hold off; but if they aren't, it is an ugly situation.

Be safe!

[Armstead]

49. What's strange is that I do sometimes block out the need

There have been times when I tell myself "I'll hold off on this particular urge and wait a half hour."

Then several hours later I realize I haven't even thought about lighting up.

If I can only channel that on a more permanent basis....

[Behind the Aegis]

51. I fully understand.

For me, it is a matter or breaking my physiological/psychological issues...lighting up when I am on the phone, driving, taking the puppies out to piddle, after eating, things like that. I have good days and bad days. The pull is strong.

[marions ghost]

58. Try to find another small 'reward"

system.

[Behind the Aegis]

60. Like what?

Please don't say food. One of my biggest fears is putting on weight. I don't know of another "reward" that might fit the bill. I am open to ideas, with that one exception.

[marions ghost]

62. My sis had good luck with SmokeEnders

--it deals with the reward substitution ideas and the weight issue. Addresses the psychological as well as the physical.

http://smokendersonline.com/

I can't vouch for it personally as I've never smoked --but my sister quit several years ago and hasn't gone back. I think she used peppermint lifesavers but it could be different for everybody--and I'm not sure it has to be something you take orally. For ex, you could put the cost of one cigarette in a jar every time you don't smoke when you want to (don't empty the jar for a long time). Yes--you have to watch the food rewards, unless you can be fooled by carrot and celery sticks...

The point is--it makes you make a contract with yourself that does not deny small rewards that get you through the day. For a lot of people the reward is the "space" that a cigarette gives you in a hectic world. What if you do something else in that small space? It's a re-training, and not easy. But look at SmokeEnders--it's has many more strategies than I can detail effectively here.

Did you hear in the news today that CVS is no longer selling tobacco products & riling up a lot of people...? Stands to lose 2 billion dollars. Pretty amazing.

Good luck. Now is the time.

[Behind the Aegis]

65. Thanks for the info!!!

It is greatly appreciated. I decided last August to quit, but at my own pace, and under my own terms. It was going well, but then I plateaued. I will check out that site and see what I can find.

I did get a few rewards already. By my estimation, I have already saved over $600! When I went to the dentist, he asked if I had quit smoking because my gums had turned back to a coral pink color. Those have been big motivators.

I did read about CVS, but we don't even have one in this town. We ain't all that big.

I like the lifesaver idea. I hadn't thought f it and I do like lifesavers. I couldn't do gum, but I don't like chewing gum. I do it rarely and usually only when I have breath that could peel paint.

Thanks again the for the information. I prefer my slow and steady, less chance of a major set back, but I have to do more.

[marions ghost]

68. !

[edbermac]

46. My mother died a few months ago because of lung cancer.

Went through chemo and radiation a year ago and still smoked afterwards! Though she cut down a bit. And she was a retired nurse! And the end was painful as a tumor was growing on her spine.

Give it up!

[randr]

47. You will never know how happy you have made

The fat uber rich tobacco imperialists who are at this moment laughing their asses off at your expense on some private golf course.

[Armstead]

48. I'm sure I am makong them happy

But they're the least of my worries regarding this

[Behind the Aegis]

61. How supportive.

[randr]

70. I have no sympathy for smokers

Having been one and having lost my mother due to this mass marketed corporate evil. Most of my friends have smoked at one point in their lives and I now know no one who still smokes today. We all concur that you start feeling better within a few days and the rewards are enormous.
I found that if I thought of the assholes getting wealthy at my expense it gave me comfort. Much the same way I feel when I boycott a Koch product.

[Behind the Aegis]

71. That much was apparent.

"Having been one " and that explains it all.

[Quantess]

52. gong to get a pack

is that with a bong or with your dong?

[Armstead]

53. My typing fingers must have been going through nicotine withdrawal

Or it's just the all-to-frequent result of my tendency to type very fast

[Quantess]

54. It's cool.

[pangaia]

64. Maybe acupuncture could work for you.

I good friend of mine, a Chinese doctor, has an acupuncture clinic and treats many different conditions. He is now about 75. He also has a deep understanding of Chinese medicine in general. One condition that he has been extremely successful at is getting people to quit smoking. The craving and urge disappears. I am sure it doesn't work for everyone, but a very high percentage of people who come to him for this quit.

This is not to say that every acupuncturist could help, or any. But it might be worth a try. But be careful of acupuncturists who 'advertise' that they can help smokers..... maybe, maybe , not. I would do your own research, friends of friends, etc....

Good luck, whatever.

[Armstead]

72. Thanks for the suggestion

It's got me thinking

[mstinamotorcity2]

69. Try the E cigs.

I have and now can breathe deeply. Only pick up my e-cig a couple times a day now. I am about three months in after smoking 40 years.