Chewing tobacco shouldn't exist !

[K.O.W.]

Coming off my yetti post and my Mike Peluso topic I pray at 3AM or whatever it is I can get at least 1 of you to stop chewing tobacco.I did on May 10th, 2017 cold turkey. Guys and a few gals I think it's a bit of a different battle for each of us. I have had no craving other then the first day/night where I declared I am not giving $8.48 a day for a can to basically
Roll the dice further and suffer the consequences at some point. I chewed for 30 years starting when I was 16. Bingo I'm 46. I just googled the chew I chose and couldn't be sicker after reading through their website sending them on trips, buying em trucks, etc quarterly bonuses,  plant corn and wheat please plow those frickin tobacco fields under hell I'll pay for that for a year. What I've spent saddens me because in life people down the road you're gonna need those funds. YES it is my fault I put that crap in my mouth, I always thought of myself as a strong person but I was a liar over and over again after deer season I'll quit, no New Years never again, when I'm done playing baseball, when I sorta quit farming, when my daughter is born, when she turns 5 definitely then. I made more excuses and lied and hid it and eventually here I am with guilt pouring out of me. Today I had a very brutal tooth extraction huge molar, he said see these (gum disease areas) this might be the start of more. Then ambulance called because I was under and my heart lately has been going awol. I feel strongly nicotine at least played a part. It's poison packaged up to look cool and make a buck. I don't want to put the hundreds of tobacco employees out of business in a sense but how about turning those massive farms into something else ? I know never happen but if I can save 1 kid 1 adult and I'm only talking quality of life your health then this post/topic is well worth it. Cigarettes get all the attention smoking really and chew has flown under the radar for years. Doesn't Tony Gwynn or Kurt Schilling let's learn from them Which Butler was it Brett ? Let's not forget in this high speed never a chance to think or reflect kinda world it's become, save your money. For me $2,500 a year for heavens sake and who would like to offer a bet that tobacco prices and taxing will always go up never down. I'm using my money to kill myself ? My daughter and son were so so scared today, as I was, how can I be so selfish my life and yours it isn't about just like us there's our parents and kids and friends our wives people who count on us and love us. I'd be so heartbroken if my kids or wife started any tobacco product. As you all can tell this really has beat me up. Time for a vicadin for the tooth surgery today, my metroprol to maybe help my heart it's not yet,  Zoloft (anxiety from chewing/quitting) etc among other things. Tell you what if I owned a crop duster I'd fly straight to North Carolina and Tennessee and spray roundup on every tobacco plant I could. My first chew 11 years old and sorta here and there until 16 then wood shop in high school both those teachers were so away I went. Take a stand and please help yourself and your family and say I've had enough and get to this point mentally where it's me VS tobacco companies. I hate them and I hate that poison sitting behind the counter at every gas station in the country !!!!! Done putting CEO's in Cadillacs and sending them on trips around the world. Guess what couldn't find on any website these CEO's or anyone with their product in their mouth not a one and there teeth were whiter than snow. Please try to assist or help someone you know that chews or smokes, that will be a goal of mine every chance or day I get and I agree it's not a topic many want to hear about were adults we do adult things right and I don't know how u get that topic on the table to discuss but I hope some readers can, YOU can save a life or at least extend it or a go around with cancer or like me losing teeth/heart might be connected to it. I did do my 3 rehab appointments at the hospital unreal my insurance covered it but he told me the truth the facts he made me look in the mirror and look closely at my gums, I had to leave the room in tears, it was the first time I truly faced the reality of it. I wish all of you the best of health, we only get 1 shot at life, some of you learn from my mistakes and YOU can beat it guys you can. You can get back some quality of life if you can beat it, kick its you know what. Save your money. Don't keep hurting yourself, you got people that love you dearly in your life I hope if not call me I care about you as a Minnesotan and fellow American. I purposely didn't name a tobacco brand because 100% of em are poison. Kids it's not cool to smoke or chew. Stay safe everybody! Sorry so long but thank you for your time this also is helping me to speak the truth, time for me to eat better etc go a different direction with my life. Nancy Reagan should've added just say no to drugs and tobacco.

[Jerkbiat]

Congrats on quitting KOW!!! I really hope you stick to it now. I am lucky, I never picked up the habit of smoking or chewing. Never cared for either one. I am guessing your heart issue must be tachycardia, being that you take metropolol. I take the same med for my heart for tachycardia. I am 47 years old and this all started 4 years ago. I have had 3 ablations to fix my heart and non of them worked that is why I am still on meds. Not to detract from your quitting, but if it is tachycardia, it is not from the chewing. Good luck and stick with it!!!

[mike89]

congrats KOW!! stay the course!!  I quit smoking last Sept. 5 or 6th.  I had quit for 20 plus years but then started again for another 7 to 8 years until then.  this time seemed easier to quit and not sure why!!  I'm rooting for ya!!!

[Boar]

yup good for kow, i quite both sometime ago also.

[Rebel SS]

I quit in '05 after 25 years of a pack and a half a day. Doc told me I had to STOP right now. As I walked out of his office , lit my last one. Stuck to it. Cold turkey. Hardest thing I ever did. Went crazy for about a month. YOU CAN do it!

[corny13]

Keep it up KOW !!!!  I found not going into the gas station and paying at the pump helped.  I always bought at the till!   BTW my sister gets 5K a year for not planting tobacco on her farm in TN.  Some gov program..heck she is a MD and would never plant it anyway .

[K.O.W.]

Appreciate the well wishes and to think about putting quitting to the test I did it on May 10th. Opening of walleye days away. I've made it likely because mentally I beat it as much as physically. Guilt, my conscience, recent health issues, it just was the right time and what a better way to get a pay raise talking net dollars here $2,400 roughly a year. That's a solid raise really. I agree jerkbait on the heart thing there no it isn't chewing going on as the cause. You guys all take care and if you beat it awesome ! If you never started wise choices were made. If you're going to go to battle with it at some point I wish you the best, you can be strong enough to do it. In a way I wish chew was safe and ok I enjoyed doing it kinda but reality says delivering nicotine loads into my blood stream is a bad idea overall and a spendy one. Let's let the other 49 states and beyond fund the tobacco companies and somehow let's cut it down here in MN the hard earned MN dollars going to the tobacco farms. Let's blow those dollars on our families here in MN. Please share if you have a tobacco related story.

[glenn57]

Well Glenn and Sue will be giving it our A game trying to quit here real soon also.

[LPS]

Good man KOW.  I quit smoking cigs in 1987.  Best thing I ever did for myself.  I can't stand being around smoking anymore.  Man what a bad habit.  Hope all can quit.  Tough thing to do.  Hang in there KOW.

[Rebel SS]

Quitting cold turkey, (after trying twice with the patches and gum, why put the nicotine back in yer system?) I found one thing that helps is break all yer routines that have to do with smoking. Change places you'd go to have a smoke, and do something else when you'd light up (like after a meal) . What helped me was a chart from a local medical center where you could chart yer progress every day, with daily tips and help suggestions. These things are always free and do help.
A buddy told me to stick a toothpick in my mug every time I wanted to light up. That did help a lot, but 12 yrs later, I can't get rid of THAT habit...I kid you not. No desire to smoke, I HATE the smell of it, but gotta have my toothpick to chomp on.    Good luck to all of ya that are going to try.

[markn]

Smoked a carton a week and I quit cigs cold turkey 11 years ago. good luck KOW and everyone else.