some advice on trying snus? (edited from or original topic)

[micheal K]

I am dying to try this stuff - Just found out about it.

I am thinking the domestic from P.M. - but hell, I'll even check out the 'real thing' - either way! .

I have been trying to quit smoking with no success.
Driving me nuts!

My wife has been noticing my mood swings lately...
She thinks I quit years ago, but in reality I have been sneaking it - what can I say???

This product seems like it might be a great way to eliminate the 'smoking' thing and be able to minimize the nicotine over time...

Can anyone point me to retail outlets in Pgh area?
I will even drive some to get there if I have to.

(ordering it online is not an option as my wife ALWAYS gets the mail... )

[Asquar]

Not that it's any of my business, and if you think this is out of line, just ignore me. But perhaps you could place a snus order online if you were honest with your wife?

[micheal K]

Not that it's any of my business, and if you think this is out of line, just ignore me. But perhaps you could place a snus order online if you were honest with your wife?

I suppose someone had to get that out of the way.
Yes, I agree.
Yes, you are right about that.
Thank you for the suggestion.

But, no, not an option - too long of a story... you could say it is about 'damage control'

[lxskllr]

Pay cash to a friend, then have him use his card and address to order?

Edit:
Here's Swedish Match's store locator results for PA, pretty slim.
http://swedishsnus.com/US/storelocator.asp

Edit2:
added link :^D

[micheal K]

lxskllr -

Thank You!!! We have a 'hit'.

Allegheny Smokeworks 217 Freeport Road Blawnox 15238 412-828-6653

Now it's a matter of figuring out which product I want to pick up...

[lxskllr]

Well, you're making the trip as it is. I would pick up all of them, and give them a try. You may be able to dismiss some right off the bat(wintergreen for me), but with the current cost of fuel, getting most(all) of them at 1 time would be a cheap gamble.

[micheal K]

...Good idea.

I am not a heavy smoker at all.
No more than 5-7 a day tops.
Thing is I am pretty attached to those 5-7 a day.
ha ha.

This Swedish stuff, from the research I have done, seems pretty strong.
I am concerned that if I go and do this Swedish Snus, it will possibly ramp me up to a greater degree of nicotine intake than I am used to (possibly w/o me even realizing it?) and making the whole addition thing even stronger.

Am I just paranoid, or is there any merit to this concern?

Can I keep my use of this as light or even less than my level of cigarette smoking?

Am I making any sense?

This is not a private exchange, anyone else can feel free if they want. Thank you!

[lxskllr]

Addiction is always a danger with addictive substances. Some say snus is harder to quit than cigarettes, and others say the opposite. One first hand account I can give you is from a friend of mine. He had stopped smoking about 1 year prior to using snus. Now he uses snus once or twice per day, and sometimes goes a few days without snus. He doesn't seem particularly addicted to me, though everybody's has different reactions to addictive substances. In any case the way I see it, is it's better to be addicted to snus, than it is to cigarettes. If you can quit smoking altogether, but replace that with using snus a couple of times per day, you'll be better off in the long term.

[Asquar]

...Good idea.
I am not a heavy smoker at all.
No more than 5-7 a day tops.
Thing is I am pretty attached to those 5-7 a day.
ha ha.

I 2nd lxskllr. There's no need to worry about getting addicted to nicotine, because this is already a done deal. You are addicted. Based on personal experience as well as discussion with others, ramping up or down a particular level of nicotine use isn't really that difficult. What is difficult is transitioning from some to none. So you, IMHO, have nothing to lose by attempting to substitute snus for cigarettes.

If it doesn't work out for whatever reason, you can always go back to the 5-7 smokes you are using now. But for most of us, snus has proven to be a more than adequate alternative. I was a hard core smoker of strong, unfiltered tobacco for 30 years, and after 4 months without a cigarette, I can honestly say that I don't miss them at all. I now prefer Swedish snus. But it did take a 10-15 day "adjustment period" before that happened, and it was at times painful. Good luck!

[Zero]

Mate, just be honest with your wife - you'll thank yourself in the long run. All this sneaking around is not healthy. I mean, it's like being a teenager married to your mother, lol - why put yourself through that?

[reshumate]

I was a 5-7 a day smoker as well. Now with snus, I use maybe 4-5 portions per day. Nic hit is slower but stays with you longer than with cigs.

[bondzai]

What I did was tell her about all the psychological benefits from that Washington Post article. I wasn't even smoking, just took up dipping and snus. I am 52 and hoping it helps my brain.

[MN_Snuser]

I was concerned my wife wouldn't like me using snus. I don't like to keep secrets from my her, she is my best friend. It really takes away from the enjoyment of snusing if you gotta hide it all the time. I would not keep it from your wife, and instead tell her, and educate her on the reduced harm of snus compared to american snuff, and cigarettes. Thats what I did. Also unless you wanna keep a secret fridge to store your snus, she will see the tins in the fridge. My .02