SMOKING...NECESSARY EVIL?

Cargo Commando

Well-Known Member
I'll start this by saying yes, I am a smoker and have been one from conception on up. My parents were smoking from day 0 and continue to smoke now. I was raised in the environment and started smoking at 12 (thanks mom n dad!). All was good in my teens, 20's, 30's, and even early forty's. Yet now my health is heading south and I would love to quit. Easier said than done. I associate smoking with every aspect of my day. Traffic jam? Light up...Pretrip? Light up...Grab a coffee? Light up. When it comes down to it I do understand what I'm doing to my body yet continue to participate in this activity. Then along comes E-CIGS. They're not that bad and if you experiment a 'lil you'll find one that suits your taste, but I have yet to convert. Its just not the same. I just might have to consider it now...The Feds are gonna add another tax of .94 per pk soon, and the demographic that tends to smoke will not be able to absorb this additional cost (as a side note, the system as of now pisses me off that those taxes go to miscellaneous groups that have nadda to do w/ smoking...talk about taxation without representation!). Outrageous sin taxes tend to promote bootlegging, so wtf??! I'm the type that navigates well in the underground, but why force me there? If and when the new tax takes effect that's where I'm headed. But, until I make a personal choice to quit, I think the government is overstepping the boundaries on choice and intervention. I might quit when IM READY, not when they try to dictate that I gotta. And for the record I do have health insurance and pay for my smoking. So, evil? I think so. But the government AND industry created this conundrum, and I refuse to be the fall guy/gal.
 
I'll start this by saying yes, I am a smoker and have been one from conception on up. My parents were smoking from day 0 and continue to smoke now. I was raised in the environment and started smoking at 12 (thanks mom n dad!). All was good in my teens, 20's, 30's, and even early forty's. Yet now my health is heading south and I would love to quit. Easier said than done. I associate smoking with every aspect of my day. Traffic jam? Light up...Pretrip? Light up...Grab a coffee? Light up. When it comes down to it I do understand what I'm doing to my body yet continue to participate in this activity. Then along comes E-CIGS. They're not that bad and if you experiment a 'lil you'll find one that suits your taste, but I have yet to convert. Its just not the same. I just might have to consider it now...The Feds are gonna add another tax of .94 per pk soon, and the demographic that tends to smoke will not be able to absorb this additional cost (as a side note, the system as of now pisses me off that those taxes go to miscellaneous groups that have nadda to do w/ smoking...talk about taxation without representation!). Outrageous sin taxes tend to promote bootlegging, so wtf??! I'm the type that navigates well in the underground, but why force me there? If and when the new tax takes effect that's where I'm headed. But, until I make a personal choice to quit, I think the government is overstepping the boundaries on choice and intervention. I might quit when IM READY, not when they try to dictate that I gotta. And for the record I do have health insurance and pay for my smoking. So, evil? I think so. But the government AND industry created this conundrum, and I refuse to be the fall guy/gal.

AMEN! Despite the health risks, the government has no right to single out one demographic and persecute it.

As a doctor its so easy for me to say "Quit Smoking", but I understand how difficult it must be and unfortunately the patches, e-cigs, Chantix aren't 100% effective, and to quit you need to quit %100. Sending good vibes your way. Good luck in your endeavors!!!!
 
I hear thee. I got to smoke in the morning to clear the phlegm. I must have coffee, I can't have coffee with out a smoke. By afternoon smoking is good again and by evening I am so tired of smoking but I do it any way.
I think about my health every time I light up. And ever time I look at the discoloration of things I own. I don't want to imagine what my lungs look like.

I got myself into this and I am the only one that can get me out. Higher taxes have not changed anything. I pay 11 plus dollars for a pack of 25.
 
AMEN! Despite the health risks, the government has no right to single out one demographic and persecute it.

As a doctor its so easy for me to say "Quit Smoking", but I understand how difficult it must be and unfortunately the patches, e-cigs, Chantix aren't 100% effective, and to quit you need to quit %100. Sending good vibes your way. Good luck in your endeavors!!!!
Thanks, Dr! My physician refuses to let me try Chantix. He claims it causes road rage. I understand though - we really don't need any more pissed off and aggressive drivers out here...
 
Thanks, Dr! My physician refuses to let me try Chantix. He claims it causes road rage. I understand though - we really don't need any more pissed off and aggressive drivers out here...
I quit road rage. It seemed like jacking up my heart rate for no reason. Smoking is jacking up my heart rate for no reason. How would a Doctor weigh this out? Call it a wash? lol.
 
Chantix did not cause road rage for me, but it didn't let me sleep either. Which is probably worse. It did work for my wife.

I do not think smoking is a "necessary evil". I think you're like someone who can't imagine life without eating crap constantly. So I think it's an individual thing. I've been quitting on and off for years. The first thing that helps me is that I can't do ANYTHING without being affected by smoking. I can't roll out tarps, throw straps, walk briskly from one end of the truck to the other without a coughing fit. Sometimes they even happen at random, though now less frequently. I constantly struggle.

http://www.truckersforum.net/forum/threads/holy-i-need-a-smoke-the-quit-thread.73121/
 
Oh I think Sinister has finally figured out one thing makes you quit. The decision to do it.

All those "quit smoking" technologies were and are quite the economic boon to their purveyors. However all it takes is the decision to do it.
 
Thanks, Dr! My physician refuses to let me try Chantix. He claims it causes road rage. I understand though - we really don't need any more pissed off and aggressive drivers out here...
I haven't seen the road rage or vivid dreams or suicidal thinking with my patients luckily, most actually do well, but its rare when someone completely quits smoking as we hope. Since Chantix acts like a nicotine decoy, it builds up for the first 7 days and then on day 7 one is to quit smoking cold turkey, and hopefully the "decoy" does the job preventing the nicotene withdrawl. I think more side effects happen when one continues to smoke while on the med. The brain probably goes, "Wait, if this is the real nicotine, what the $%*6 then is this??!!" and then comes the weird rage, and dreams.
 
Some years ago, I quit with bupropion. I stayed quit for five years. After I weaned off the bupropion, I gained 30 pounds. During the time I was on it, I had all kinds of energy and life was nothing but beautiful. I did have the vivid dreams, but nothing crazy. And I did not notice any rage issues. Maybe it's because I'm not predisposed to rage.

I take low dose bupropion now to help control the arthritis. Chronic pain causes depression, depression causes pain.... It helps break the cycle and keep it from starting back up.
 
Dropping ashes on the key board as I type this.
Smoking for(too) many years and until recently when I started driving regionally and parking the truck for the weekend and going back out on mondays, The smell of my truck is really starting to bug the hell out of me, the nasty smell on smoke on everything, But after a few minutes the smell goes away, not really but I just adapt to the smell Iguess.
Started buying those e-cigs Jax is the brand $5. and they last = to 4 packs which is working well right now,I quit buying more than one pack at a time and using the e-cig Ihave been able to cut down quite a bit, My daughters mother in law gave me some prescription(nicotrol inhaler) vapor cigs I have yet to try, Not sure what kind of chemicals are in them, Dont need to fail a random.

Next step Cold turkey
 
Chantix does work. Some people have more will power then others and can quit cold turkey. I never could. I tried Chantix and actually succeeded. Although, the side effects sucked. Yes there was sucidal tendancies, rage, depression, etc. It would have helped if my Dr had told be before hand of the side effects. Once I knew of them I learned to deal with it. Anyway, it worked for me and I have been smoke free for going on 7 years. Glad I did, with the outrageous prices these days, remember when a pack was 25 cents a pack, from a mechine.
 
AMEN! Despite the health risks, the government has no right to single out one demographic and persecute it.

As a doctor its so easy for me to say "Quit Smoking", but I understand how difficult it must be and unfortunately the patches, e-cigs, Chantix aren't 100% effective, and to quit you need to quit %100. Sending good vibes your way. Good luck in your endeavors!!!!

You aren't allowed to operate a commercial motor vehicle while on Chantix. It was working great for me right up until my safety manager told me he had to pull my medical card while I was on it.
 
When someone is truly ready to quit, they will quit.

The addiction is only part of the battle. It's the habit that takes the effort.
I quit several years ago using Chantix. Why, after several unsuccessful attempts did this one take??

Because I truly wanted to quit.

Get honest with yourselves and if you really want to quit you can.. meds help get you over the hump.. then... it's on you.

Keep reminding yourself WHY... you want to NOT smoke.

Funny thing.. I "cost" many things based on packs of cigs... not dollars... so as a most recent expample....

.... I was home and went with the boss to get haircuts.. mine was the $7.95 variety while she got the dye, foil, two tone paint.. etc.

A hobby shop 4 doors down was calling me and she told me to go waste some time...

The Quad Copter I bought cost just under 4 cartons and it's really FUN!
 

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