Questions before becoming Snuser - then trying to become one

[TropicalBob]

ASVM: I've now been eight months without cigarettes. I failed miserably last year using snus. Made it 45 days. I FULLY understand that a cigarette has been your best friend for however long you've smoked. It's a reward for a task accomplished; a break from boredom. It's always a pickup. And it's instant, unlike snus.

So here's what works for me: Throw EVERYTHING at the cig habit. Do not make it either cigarettes or snus. Either pipes or cigarettes. Either nasal snuff or cigarettes. Look at every alternative to inhaling smoke -- and use all you want. It much easier to quit the alternatives later than it is to quit cigarettes.

And I see how little Zero smoked to say snus after dinner is a substitute for a cigarette. I beg to differ. NOTHING replaces a cigarette after a meal. Nothing. Don't think snus will or Stonewall dissolvable bits or Oliver Twist or even a mellow pipe of latakia tobacco. You will have to live with that fact, using willpower and replacement products to pass the time of maximum desire. Each, however, provides a different kind of pleasure. You will come to enjoy each.

I am very excited now about electronic smoking devices online from China. This is a tidal wave about to break over the world. I have an electronic cigarette, cigar and pipe that I use all day. They each mimic their counterpart and deliver the same nicotine as a puff of a cigarette. A user inhales nicotine vapor! I usually have a snus in at all times, but use the e-smoking devices much as I would my old cigarette habit. And they're legal where smoking is not. www.e-cig.com if you want to see the products.

I still want a cigarette. But I know I can't have even one or I'll be back to my 30 a day. Try what I did. Throw everything at your habit/addiction and just vow to never inhale tobacco smoke again. Use what feels right for you at the moment. And good luck.

[chainsnuser]

So here's what works for me: Throw EVERYTHING at the cig habit. Do not make it either cigarettes or snus. Either pipes or cigarettes. Either nasal snuff or cigarettes. Look at every alternative to inhaling smoke -- and use all you want. It much easier to quit the alternatives later than it is to quit cigarettes.

These are words of wisdom. My actual consumption is about 85% snus, 10% chewing tobacco and 5% nasal snuff.

I must say though, that I managed to get off the cigarettes solely with snus. Chewing tobacco and nasal snuff came later, just to satisfy my curiosity to try some other types of smokeless tobacco. I won't recommend nasal snuff to anyone, who still has to kick the cigarettes, because the tiny amounts of tobacco, that can be placed in the nose are not enough to give a nicotine-kick (anyone who says that nasal snuff gives a nicotine kick seems to confuse it with the 'menthol-haze', that some brands give), it's just a nice alternation and another way to enjoy tobacco.

Chewing tobacco indeed gives a kick similar to snus and it's often made from smoke-cured tobacco that sometimes even resembles the taste of a cigarette.

All smokeless tobacco is worth a try, that is.

I still want a cigarette. But I know I can't have even one or I'll be back to my 30 a day.

TropicalBob, don't trouble yourself too much with that belief. Just smoke a cigarette again. It is very likely that you just won't like it anymore. That happened to me and many others here on the forum, who just smoked a cigarette again, months after they switched to snus. Once you find, that you don't like the cigarettes anymore, you're really freed from the smoking habit for good.

Just my 2 cents, not more!

Cheers!

[Zero]

And I see how little Zero smoked to say snus after dinner is a substitute for a cigarette. I beg to differ. NOTHING replaces a cigarette after a meal. Nothing.

:lol: Fair enough, man. I can't argue with that.


Another strategy that might work well, which I've seen in an interesting and impromptu experiment with a mate of mine, is this - take a weekend or some time when you're not likely to be stressed out or whatever, and just tough out a cold-turkey for a few days. No cigarettes, no snus - no nicotine at all. Obviously, this is not a practical long-term strategy for most people, but tough it out as long as you can, and when you're just shy of going a bit nuts, throw in a strong portion of snus.

Having been nicotine starved you will amply notice the walloping rush of nicotine that the snus throws at you and, with any luck, will take a solid first step in re-associating the resolution of nicotine cravings with snus rather than with smoking. :idea:

[asvm]

First, Hi to you, yummi4tunekookie. How thoroughly refreshing to hear from another female, like a breath of fresh air! I appreciate your input. It looks like we're going in the same direction, except that I'm a bit behind you.

I've been around smokers for very many years and had never heard about snus, let alone seen anyone using it. It was just recently that a friend sent me a magazine article about it since she knew I was trying, and failing, to quit smoking.

Seems like in the US snus is more known about and some places even sell it, whereas in the UK it's not sold anywhere, and I don't reckon many folks here even know about it.

Because it's not really known about here therefore opinions about it unformed, I don't reckon anybody will actually turn their noses up at me if I use a portion, except those that turn their noses up at smoking anyway.

I just kept quiet about my new snusing thing because I felt I wasn't really a proper snuser yet. If/when it becomes more established, I'll let friends and family know. I reckon they will be delighted if it means I am off the cigarettes.

I think what you say about quitting cigs is really good. I been getting guilt trips, disappointments and have been accusing myself of not trying hard enough to smoke less, or not trying hard enough to use snus more. That's not really a very chilled out way of doing things.

Yeh, the forum rocks - but now there's also a bit of swing with you around too! Let me know how you're doing. (Hug back!)

TropicalBob, you're right too - it would be prudent to give my all to quitting smoking and the accuser in me sternly points this out to me with a frown. I have the opportunity to do this now that I have a nicotine alternative. Perhaps I'm being weak and pathetic because I am not quitting.

I think for the time being I'll try and get more acquainted with my new friend snus to see if we can become good buddies before I throw away my good old faithful friend the cigarette.

I've still got enough tobacco left for a few weeks yet (bought a while back). I hope over the coming weeks I'll snus more and smoke less. I plan never to buy tobacco again so when it runs out, that's it.

Thanks for the e-cig link. Never heard of it. Had a quick look. Shall look into it further. Thanks for your advice and best wishes.

Chainsnuser, how long did it take YOU to come off the cigarettes? And how easy/not easy was it?

Zero, that's a very interesting experiment and I see what the point of it is. I don't think they'll be many volunteers for that though. Too tough even for the most relaxing of weekends. I think if I was to last out 2 or 3 days without, I would prefer to go the whole stretch and try quitting nicotine altogether, which would be the best thing all round, and my ambition latterly.

And a question for lxskllr.

Why do you snus and still smoke?

Isn't snusing a brilliant opportunity to end the damage you're doing with smoking?

Thanks again to everyone for your efforts to help me and for sharing so much with me.

[lxskllr]

And a question for lxskllr.

Why do you snus and still smoke?

Isn't snusing a brilliant opportunity to end the damage you're doing with smoking?

I really enjoy smoking. I've always loved the taste, smell, and the sight of smoke curling into the air :^) Smoking isn't /that/ bad for you in moderation. It's just that most people have problems with the moderation part.

If I can smoke a couple of cigarettes a day for awhile, then quit, and smoke a couple of cigarettes again, I'm cool with that. The air we breath on a daily basis is just as bad, if not worse than moderate cigarette smoking. Smog, car exhaust, outgassing from plastics, glues, and petrochemicals... At least I enjoy the toxins from tobacco ;^)

[darkwing]

Ah, cigarettes! I love them! And I have never feared health consequences of smoking. But alas, I live in the most cigarette-phobic nation on the planet, in a city with 420 cm of snow and temps that plunge to minus 30 for weeks in winter. Stepping outside is life-threatening for much of the year, plus I live with a smoke-hater. So it is snus. A different sort of tobacco pleasure. But, as Tropical says, nothing substitutes for a cig. Nothing.

[asvm]

Fair enough, lxskllr!

Poor you, Darkwing!

[Zero]

Zero, that's a very interesting experiment and I see what the point of it is. I don't think they'll be many volunteers for that though. Too tough even for the most relaxing of weekends. I think if I was to last out 2 or 3 days without, I would prefer to go the whole stretch and try quitting nicotine altogether, which would be the best thing all round, and my ambition latterly.

Yeah, absolutely, but if you reach that point where you know you're going to cave, why not cave for snus instead, just to see what happens, eh? I think uniformly people seem to agree that quitting snus is easier than quitting smoking. Like climing a mountain and securing a peg along the way - maybe all the way to the top is too mammoth to do in one go, but if you can anchor yourself half-way, why not capitalise? Not an easy experiment, mind, I grant you that, but easier to sit down and say "I'm going to quit for at least three days" than to sit down one day and say "This is my last cigarette forever and ever, until the end of time, amen!" :lol:

[Premium Parrots]

"This is my last cigarette forever and ever, until the end of time, amen!" :lol:

If it ever comes to that just kill me.

[asvm]

"This is my last cigarette forever and ever, until the end of time, amen!"

If it ever comes to that just kill me.

You've just got to laugh at that, haven't you!

[chainsnuser]

Chainsnuser, how long did it take YOU to come off the cigarettes? And how easy/not easy was it?

I'll just give you my full story.

I smoked my first cigarette in 1977 or 1978 as an 8 or 9 year old child. I also smoked occasional cigarillos and a pipe without ever getting hooked. A young person just won't get hooked on tobacco, so I don't understand the explanation of anti-tobacco workers to ban or to demonize snus, because a few young persons could get hooked to it. Far more persons, who already are hooked to nicotine just can use it to quit smoking.

In 1988, during my military service, I really began to enjoy tobacco heavily, up to the state of chainsmoking, but still didn't get hooked and was able to stop whenever I wanted to.

From 1994 till 2006 I simply chainsmoked, without any quit attempt and without the will to quit. I was born 1969 and the concept to "live fast and die young" always was around and the concept to simply die fast at the age of 65 was more familiar to me than to die at 85, after many years of age-related misery.

BUT, the smoking bans made it less and less possible and less fun to smoke, until in November 2006, I decided to quit smoking and nicotine use altogether.

From the beginning till the end of November 2006 I tried to quit smoking with the help of nicotine-gums. That lead me up to a stage where I used nicotine-gums all day and still smoked between 5 and 10 cigarettes. I just felt miserable all the time and even the cigarettes more and more didn't help me to feel better. So, I just to googled for "Kautabak" (the German word for chewing tobacco) which lead me to snus, dip, chewing tobacco and nasal snuff. After checking some smokeless-tobacco-forums and information-sites, I decided to give snus a try, as it seemed to be the best option (I already knew that nasal snuff doesn't give a reasonable nicotine-kick from my early-youth-trials and the few available chewing tobacco-brands seemed to be harder to get than snus, ditto for American dip).

On December 2, 2006, my first snus order-arrived and within 3 days I got heavy nicotine-kicks from Skruf Stark Portions and Ettan lös. These kicks were more heavy than what I have gotten from cigarettes for years. After day 2 of snus use, I only smoked in situations when I thought, it would be a waste to use snus, which was shortly before a dinner or shortly before I went to bed. A cigarette, consumed in 5 minutes was more appropriate, than a portion or prilla of snus, that could kick in the same time, but would be a waste to spit out after so little time. On day 4 I was done with cigarettes, I didn't like the taste any more and so I timed my snus-consumption in a way, that cigarettes really were unnecessary.

In February 2007 I smoked a cigarette again only to make clear that I wasn't fooling myself, but it didn't impress me. The only reason for me to smoke a cigarette since then was, when I was drunk, which, to my dishonour, was a few times. I smoked 11 cigarettes in total since December 2, 2006 and the last one, smoked in November 2007 even gave me a very heavy nicotine-kick, that knocked me out for about 5 minutes and was the first real kick I got from a cigarette since 1988, but the disgusting smell was enough for me not to light up a second one.

Now, after all this talking about cigarettes, I wouldn't hate myself to light up again, maybe today, in a month, in a year or whenever, but I absolutely don't feel the the need to do so. I don't know, if the smoking bans helped me to quit the cigarettes, maybe my failed trials with nicotine gums helped a bit to find out that I like nicotine, but not necessarily smoking. I only know, that snus is the best way to get off the cigarettes. In my case it worked very, VERY well.

This is, after all, a forum of tobacco-lovers (in every form!). Though I really was a heavy smoker, I personally have found my perfect nicotine-fix in snus comparatively fast, others will have more problems, or less! Snus is just the best way for everyone, who wants to get off the smokes IMHO.

Cheers!

[asvm]

Wow, chainsnuser, that was amazing. Thanks very much for that story. I feel very humbled that you told it.

Snus has really worked for you. Now that you've quit such heavy smoking, I imagine you must feel very much healthier. Is this the case?

I'm at a loss to respond more as I'm kind of flabbergasted after that and it's also after 2am so I'm not thinking straight. I'm sure what you have written will be very inspirational to a lot of people, including myself.

Thanks for taking the time to share it.

Cheers

[chainsnuser]

[color=indigo]Now that you've quit such heavy smoking, I imagine you must feel very much healthier. Is this the case?

Sure. I have much more energy and much less shortness of breath. I feel better and better with every month off the smokes. And last but not least, I still get more than enough of my beloved vitamine N.

Did you know, that when tobacco first came to Europe, all doctors were excited to have found a medicine for all diseases? It's only the smoke that gave tobacco a bad name.

Cheers!

[TropicalBob]

You got that right. Even the Queen was prescribed nicotine.

Same for chocolate, by the way.

How chocolate and nicotine got left off the Food Pyramid is beyond me.

[DraculaViktor]

Interesting. I wrote last week on another subject about my uncle who used to smoke a lot all his life. He did have a heart attack years ago and went in for a procedure. He lived, and the doctors had told him that if he had not been a smoker, he would have died. They weren't promoting smoking, but nicotine is what saved my uncle according to them. Now you could argue that he wouldn't have had a heart attack in the first place had he smoked. Fair enough, but fact is nicotine has proven to be medicinal. Also, he ate a bad diet all his life full of fats and junk. So I don't think smoking was the main contributor considering his arteries were 90% clogged.