New snuser - first Minnesotan to post?

[Shrewd]

After lurking around on this nice forum for a week I decided I should probably join, especially since you've all been so helpful!

I've been snusing about a week now. I discovered snus a while ago through RJ Reynolds - they send me wintergreen snus for free. I liked them, but to be honest I didn't get my motivation until recently when the same company decided to discontinue my smokes (Camel Special Lights) - so rather than learn a new cig, I decided to take snus seriously. I ordered a sampler mini pack from buysnus and have really enjoyed it. Having been a heavy smoker for the last 9 years I was surprised that I was able to quickly get off of smokes with snus. I know it's not a perfect solution, but it's a definite improvement! In one day I went from 20+ to 4 smokes, then 2 the next, and then a steady 1 (hard to kill that one in the morning, but I'll get it).

I, like others here, found that for the first couple days my gums were sore, and burned somethin' fierce when I snus'ed. I got through it though and now don't really notice my portions in. The only real mistake I've made so far is that when you're a pack-a-day smoker, mini's don't quite cut it nicotine-wise. Needless to say I haven't experienced the "rush" of snusing . I have my 2nd order on the way with skruf strong and nick and johnny included.

Am I the only one from Minnesota, US on the forums here? I haven't seen any posts from this part of the world. And no, Canada doesn't count . I'm actually shocked that I don't know any snusers around here, MN has a lot of Swedish people (my wife is one of 'em).

For those interested, I'm a (psuedo) scientist like some of those here - Electrical Engineer.

Thanks for putting this forum out there, all the advice and info contained here is very useful to a new snuser who doesn't have the benefit of any other snusers around!

[Zero]

I think PrisMaster is from Minnesota, he posts on here regularly enough - look for "Nick & Johnny, RIP" in his avatar :lol: Always great to have fresh blood in here, it keeps things lively. Congrats and keep it up with quitting smoking - it's remarkably easy to quit with snus and your lungs will thank you for the rest of your life! What sort of electrical engineering do you do? Power or electronics?

[Shrewd]

I've done both types of electrical engineering. Currently I'm in electronics - specifically ASIC's (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) for hard drives. However, I did do a 3 year stint at the local power company as an intern, so I've done a fair amount of power electronics.

[Zero]

Paradigm shift, eh? Next step is writing a textbook and becoming a consultant, I guess - "Megawatts to Microamps : Application and Theory for the Practising Engineer" 8)

[PrisMaster]

Nice to see some new peeps from my area, although I live near Duluth so kinda a ways away. I got a few friends who snus in the area also so there are some of us around in Minnesota. Welcome to the board.

[MN_Snuser]

I know this is a old post, but I am new to the forum. Minneapolis, MN snus user here. Any other Minnesota folks new to the forum ??

[Shrewd]

Welcome to the forum! There aren't too many of us around these parts, but I think I've seen another 3 or 4 on the forums. I think you're the only other one I know of from the Twin Cities area.

I've been snusing now for over 4 months now, still off the cig's. I enjoy it a lot and have saved a lot of money and lifetime by doing the switch.

Enjoy your new found happiness .

[jamesstew]

I've been lurking around the forum for a couple of weeks and just saw this post. I live in the northern suburbs and work in Eagan. I had used snus occasionally for the last couple of years primarily as a way to supplement cigarette smoking. The last time I attempted to quit cigarettes I ended up gaining a lot of weight. It seems that an easy way to quit smoking is to stop at the nearest fast-food place whenever the urge to smoke strikes. Since starting snusing full-time I have actually dropped a few pounds and feel much better. I usually order from BuySnus but have been using Tourney while waiting for deliveries. It is available at most Super-America locations and is much better IMHO than Camel. They're dry-white portions made by the company that makes Roots, formerly Kicks.

[reshumate]

I am amazed that with the relatively high Swedish descendant population in MN, that finer tobacco stores do not carry snus.

[Shrewd]

I'm of Irish decent but I married a "Carlson" blond-haired blue eyed Swedish beauty . I think Swedens climate and MN's climate are much the same which is why so many of them settled here.

As a response to jamesstew: I live in Blaine and work in Mendota Heights, I've probably seen your car on the way to work more than once (with the bridge out - 35W South - 280 South - 94 East - Snelling -> Ayd Mill Rd S - 35E S - 494 W). I've noticed that SA has started carrying tourney and camel snus, but I haven't run out yet so I haven't tried either yet - beside from what I remember the cost was something like $5.35 a tin which seems outrageous - for that price I could live on Onyx .

[jamesstew]

I am amazed that with the relatively high Swedish descendant population in MN, that finer tobacco stores do not carry snus.

True, but you have to remember that most of these original immigrants came over in the nineteenth century. For most of the twentieth century both here and in Sweden cigarettes were king.