I think I'm finally smoke free!

[alex]

So for the past couple of months I have been tossing it up between Snus and smoking. I have preferred snus, but when I woke up in the morning my brain said 'SMOKE NOW'. Also, if I had a bad day or something frustrating happened I would fall back on cigs and smoke for a few days.

Well Saturday morning I woke up and my first Nic craving was for some loose. So a baked a pris of N&J and sauntered into the shower thoroughly enjoying a wicked Nic hit. This happened again Sunday and yesterday. I didn't really think anything of it until I was talking to my girlfriend about it.

Snus had been a lateral move to smoking, but when I needed nicotine 'like right now', I would want to smoke. Somehow starting Saturday, I craved snus instead of "craving a cig, and snussing instead".

Well I haven't even touched a ciggarette in 4 days, and I don't want to. I hope this post made sense, I just found it amazing that one day my brain decided snus was better than burned tobacco.

side note : I hadn't used loose until the middle of last week, I wonder if that has any relation?

[The Cook]

Congratulations on quitting smoking! If you let the snus do its thing, you'll have no problems letting the cigarettes go for good. I quit completely about three months ago, I switched from cigs to snus overnight. I have no cravings for cigarettes.

[Coffey]

Congrats alex! I understand completely what you mean, even though I love snus, there were still times when I wanted a smoke, especially in the morning, or after a meal. I had a similar snus awakening about a month ago. I found it just took being preemptive with snus, and putting in a pris before I really felt the nic craving.

[lxskllr]

Congratulations alex I hope you can keep it up. Remember, don't take 1 cigarette because you think it won't be a problem. If you're anything like me you'll enjoy it too much and be off the wagon. Hold strong mate 8)

[jqlynch]

Congratulations, alex! I'm in the middle of a similar change of thinking as well. I haven't had a smoke for about a week, myself.

I think loose does come into play, seriously. There's an element of preparation in smoking (packing the cigarettes, lighting, etc) that the hand-work of hand-baking or even using a Prismaster or Icetool captures almost as well. I started out on portions, and now during the day I tend to alternate between portions and loose.

At the times when I would have most wanted a cigarette (after meals, after waking up), I load up the icetool and I'm perfectly fine.

[Zero]

I've found both with myself and from talks with others that the best way to "convince" yourself of quitting (if you're having a hard time) is just to take, say, two or three weeks and make that a snus-only two/three weeks. Then have a cigarette - best if you "borrow" one rather than buy a whole pack because I guarantee you that you won't want another one after that! The few weeks of downtime gives your tastebuds, nose, and throat a chance to start noticing the world again and a cig is just like filth by comparison.

That said, it sounds like you've got things locked down as it is so I leave that as advice for anyone else who may be reading. Congrats 8)

[Soft Morning, City!]

Alex:

Congrats, man! I used to crave the cigarettes too, but I haven't even thought about cigarettes in weeks. I wake up every morning and crave that first snus of the day like I crave food when I haven't eaten all day.

I agree with Zero. I went a good two weeks only using snus and then I decided to have just one cigarette. I bummed one from a friend and lit it up and it wasn't enjoyable at all. I dropped it into the ashtray after less than 5 drags and instead took out a portion of Ettan and relished in it.

It was one of the most beautiful days of my life, that day when the cigarette was rendered obsolete in my eyes and when the snus took over and became my new companion.

However, I still smoke a bit of tobacco here and there... Jester rolling tobacco, to be specific. No cigarettes, just spliffs. I find cigarette tobacco by itself to be disgusting now, but when you mix it with some good grass it's smooth like brand new tires on fresh pavement. :wink:

[dennisdk]

I do miss the "smoke" though

First of all congratulations There is no doubt that the switch to snus is a better alternative to smoking cigarettes.

I haven't been smoking for about a month, and use snus instead - I started using nicorette but that didn't work for me.

I miss the feeling of smoking - the smoke itself - but i suppose thats just for a period. I am though somewhat affraid of taking just the one cigarette - so I wont. But it is awfully tempting.

[chainsnuser]

Congratulations, Alex!

I haven't been smoking for about a month, and use snus instead - I started using nicorette but that didn't work for me.
I miss the feeling of smoking - the smoke itself - but i suppose thats just for a period. I am though somewhat affraid of taking just the one cigarette - so I wont. But it is awfully tempting.

After one month of snusing, there is a big chance, that you don't like the cigarettes anymore.

I gave in to my temptation to smoke a cigarette, 6 weeks after I had begun snusing, only to find out, that I, in fact, no longer want or need the cigarettes. I know from personal experience, that when you try to stop smoking and nicotine-use entirely, a single cigarette will most likely get you hooked again. Yes, about a decade ago, I once managed to stop smoking for three months, but one single cigarette made me take up the habit again. With snus, it was just a totally different experience.

What worked for me, may, of course, not necessarily work for you.

Cheers!

[alex]

dennisdk, don't cave in! One day the temptation to smoke will just go away. My girlfriend still smokes and we live together, sometimes I go outside with coworkers just to chat while they smoke. And now the smell of smoke makes me want to gag.

Smoking was fun while it lasted, but eventually I realised snus is way more fun, and you don't have to go out of the way to use it (i.e. step outside, find a place for the used butts, not ash on someones carpet, etc.). It's virtually stealth!

[TVisdoG]

Congratulations on quitting smoking! I made the decision to quit (I've been a smoker for the better part of 9 years) before I found out about snus. I turned to snus after trying some from a friend and realizing that it worked so much better than nicotine gum. At the time, I still had incredibly strong cravings for a cigarette. However, over the past few weeks, I've shared your experience of losing the cigarette cravings in favor of snus cravings. I realized a few days ago that it's probably been 2 weeks since my last cigarette craving.

Bars and social drinking situations were always a huge problem for me any time I tried to quit smoking, and were usually the nail in the coffin for any quit attempt. The times I've been in those situations and had snus with me, I experienced absolutely zero desire to smoke. In fact, the presence of cigarette smoke was actually unappealing to me, which was a complete shock, as I've always loved smoking, and second hand smoke was always a major trigger for cravings.

I still feel like I'd be healthier without any tobacco or nicotine in my life, but I also think I'd be a complete wreck (in fact, I'm quite sure this is the case, though I still have it set as a distant goal to eventually kick the habit entirely). But snusing instead of smoking has improved my health significantly. Working out is substantially easier, I don't cough or get frequent sore throats or colds, and even my blood pressure had dropped significantly at my last visit to the doctor.

Anyway, I guess my main point is that based on my own experience, I find myself in full agreement with the proponents of "harm reduction" using snus, and think it's pretty discouraging that there are still people advocating an unrealistic "abstinence-only" policy for such a powerful and (in the case of smoking) tremendously harmful addiction.

[alex]

TVisdoG, that was an excellent post. I feel like anyone who is curious/skeptical about snus and it's benefits over smoking and dipping, could make their way to this forum and find enough convincing and honest posts to show them through the 'all tobacco will kill you' propaganda.

[TVisdoG]

alex, I totally agree. Some of the misinformation is really mind-boggling to me. When I was first researching whether or not I wanted to use snus, I first came across all the coverage in the mainstream media, which left me with a sense that it probably wasn't a very good idea. Then I decided to get down to business and read the peer-reviewed literature (I needed this to make the case to my girlfriend anyway -- she's in grad school and won't accept any argument that isn't backed up by a peer-reviewed journal article) and was left with a completely different perception.

I came across a very humorous article last night from 2006 regarding the release of Camel Snus in Texas. Some woman was claiming that the product was clearly being marketed to children, who could "chew" the snus in class and their teachers wouldn't know it wasn't gum. After making that boldly ignorant statement, she went on to express health concerns as though she hadn't just proven she knew nothing about the product in question.


We've had decades of "tobacco is bad!" without a whole lot of "why is tobacco bad?" Having been a smoker, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that it is incredibly detrimental to your health. I had high blood pressure and frequent illness including severe bronchitis. I haven't been using snus long enough to know for sure what impact it will have on me in the long term, but I do know that all the short-term health problems I experienced from smoking are gone, and I take that as an indication that the negative impacts of snus in general are substantially less. The research seems to back that up. I don't know how these anti-tobacco people can, in good conscience, withhold information about safer alternatives from people chronically addicted to smoking.

My main health concerns with snus involve oral hygiene. I've definitely noticed changes to my mouth since I started, which I will be monitoring closely as I continue to use it. I have read about people experiencing gum disease and tooth loss and, while the numbers seem very small relative to the population, the prospect of losing teeth scares the crap out of me. But even known that risk, I'd still rather be an old guy with no teeth than die young from lung cancer or a heart attack.

[Soft Morning, City!]

My main health concerns with snus involve oral hygiene. I've definitely noticed changes to my mouth since I started, which I will be monitoring closely as I continue to use it. I have read about people experiencing gum disease and tooth loss and, while the numbers seem very small relative to the population, the prospect of losing teeth scares the crap out of me. But even known that risk, I'd still rather be an old guy with no teeth than die young from lung cancer or a heart attack.

I've noticed changes in my mouth too, but none of them have amounted to anything. No mouth sores, no bleeding or anything. Just some rough patches that occur in the areas of my mouth where I put the snus. However, they go away over night (at least for me). Just brush and floss and all that jazz and I don't think you'll be having any problems.

[Stargazer]

Just wait, if you continue to snus, your mouth will change in a big way.
I have huge space under my upper lip now.

I can push my tongue up to the point where I can feel my noise bone.

My sister’s boyfriend has snused since he was young and is now about
30years old. he can't snus loose anymore, because it get's stuck up
in the big cavity he has under his upper lip.

the snus will eat it's way up to the nose, slowly but surly.
It will probably not make a hole into the nose, but I have heard of rare
chases where that has happened.