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About to quit the smoke
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Ruphus
Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
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 About to quit the smoke
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Just opened the last package of tobacco.
Cross your fingers for me. Am about to give up smoking after 40 years.
Past experience with a couple of temporary quits was that I can do after some initial, very hard days of craving.
However, that was after own conviction to stop.
Whereas this time it will be for unrelated reason, named usury.
Local dealers have gauched up prices for a package of tobacco to the equivalent of 8 bucks. Such while they import it without tax.
It´s my distinct distaste of misuse and usury that has me not giving in to scumbags blackmail. ( In the same time can´t evade to prefabricated cigars, as the only brand coming close to the full taste of halfzware would be American Lucky Strike without filters. None of which - LS brand nor filterless cigarettes - is even known here, let aside available.
- Whereas common prefabricated with those 500 chemicals [ like acteon, ammoniac etc.] in there to keep you addicted without high quotes of condensate yield such an acid smoke that I can´t stand it.)
Otherwise I would prefer to keep enjoyng well rolled cigs. They grant me those little moments of contemplative pleasure over the day. Especially here, where joy is condamned, with no cafés, bars, dance clubs, live gigs or whatsoever spare time leisure opportunity.
Without cigarettes there will be left over not much more of delight than enjoying my doggies and the guitars.
Rant over.
Ruphus
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Sep. 30 2012 11:30:24
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Ruphus
Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
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RE: About to quit the smoke (in reply to kozz)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: kozz
If resource/price would have been the issue and you really want to stop, you would allready got rid of it.
Ney.
I´ve been wearing away for past 1,5 or 2 years from a whole box with 125 or so packages, purchased when prices were already tweaked up, yet at half of current pricing.
Went out to a special smoke ware bazar intending to obtain another box, over a month ago. As officials had decided to out of a sudden actualy pursue the supply of tabacco sans tax bandaroles, my preferred brand is considered contraband now.
Of diverse dealers that I consulted only one claimed to be able to deliver, yet at quoted through-the-roof price.
I know myself well enough to predict that I will not enable greedy guts margins of over 500%. ( Which we are all allowing already concerning the local food market racketeering, as you just can´t decide to stop eating, or let your pets starve.)
Have had someone asking smugglers whether they can get a hold from abroad, but no reply so far.
Only predictable options to prolong the run out would be to either weed out woody strings from the crumb remains of used up packages, or passing over to prefabricated cigs; with the latter being unlikely, as smoking without pleasure ain´t my cup of tea.
Wearing off lousy and bitter tasting crumbs would be the most potential of escapes, yet not very probable.
I only would had preferred to have come to a stop by internal decision, as it would be more of reason than a background of racketeering refusal.
Let´s see what there may be on the matter of drying out in a while.
Ruphus
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Sep. 30 2012 15:17:18
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Ruphus
Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
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RE: About to quit the smoke (in reply to KMMI77)
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Hi my friend!
It´s tough indeed, but last time I was surprised by how it went.
The first days were unbearable, with me seeking for escape by drinking water all the time. Then again, drinking water made me long for a cig just the more. Yet, after three or four days the immediate craving was over. I was proud and astouned of how easy it actually was altogether. ( It must be considered that hand rolling tobacco commonly contains not much more of additives than glycol for humidity. Thus its cold turkey differes dramatically from the quitting of prefabricated mixtures, where you have been exposed to / addicted to much more vicious substances than "only" nicotine and tar. - How a stinking / sticking chemical smoke tells it already!)
Abstinence lasted for four months, until a friend visited me and brought me of that other kind of tobacco as a present. Pure it wouldn´t taste well though, so I thought to add a miniscule portion of tobacco. First only as filter, then a minute portion for matters of taste ... and you guessed it already ... after a five or six smokes yours truely was back to regular tobacco consumption. Lesson learned.
Smoking isn´t as B&W as it used to be interpreted. Actual scientific releases dare to mention also the subjectively relieving ways that it has especially to intellectually vivid or creative minds.
The way I consume, which is 8-10 cigs a day, I deem the subjective rewards higher than the physical damages. And I would had resumed if the extreme pricing was backed up by something other than just outrageous profiteering.
Ruphus
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Sep. 30 2012 15:59:12
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Ruphus
Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
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RE: About to quit the smoke (in reply to Ruphus)
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All of your comments are just to agree with.
Though your suggestion is sounding so funny, it hits the nail on its head as can be.
As dedicated friend of objectivity and reason I´m going through the weirdest paradox with the current location. And in sight of my intention to just sue my rights and goods back and then leave, seems less and less feasible, as I´ve been reminded of just yesterday by a well-meaning local. As the thieves thanks to the booty can always invest more bribe than I could, chances are about zero to win a court case, no matter how clear the evidence of crime is.
Who can raise the most money for bribe wins. Shamelessly commonly. Period. - In a place that is rated no. 185 or so in a degrading corruption list of Transparency International.
I´m just having a hard time again to accept that one can´t defend himself yet in the most obvious of cases.
- I have seen blatant legal depriving through corruption in Germany; and how not in the Near East. Then again: I´m of the type who just can´t take it / about to risk losing everything.
You know it, Anders: In a shabby world those with ideals are doomed.
And concerning the ban of joy: Sometimes over the top hypocricy of the game will officially exorcise human desire as "hedonism", whilst out of all parvenus of the miter are in the same time hording thick slices of whole countrie´s proceeds on their private accounts abroad as just another variant of presumptuous global sports.
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Absolutely agreed, Jeff. That´s the only way.
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MP,
I experienced similar when a group of Spanish officers entered our train cabine when I was six or seven years old, firing up their cigars, so that I had to vomit. Sometime afterwards I told my mother that I would never ever start smoking in my life. It turned out to be one of maybe a handful of broken promisses.
Ruphus
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Oct. 1 2012 12:03:17
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Ruphus
Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
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RE: About to quit the smoke (in reply to Ruphus)
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Well, I am truly perplexed.
I think to be into the fourth day, and of this morning ... pinch me ... it has been all too easy with smoking none.
Sure, after breakfast: a cig would have been just perfect. And right now at this mug of coffee: One would be delicious.
But there has been nothing you could consider craving today. You know, in the actual sense of badly needing something. It is really unexpected.
I have proven to myself with several engagements that I can bring forth strong will, but can´t believe this to be the background for what I am currently experiencing.
Rather do I assume that tobacco is not really being as addictive as claimed. Personally suspecting industrial additives as the true reason for what a majority of smokers is going through.
From there my suggestion to consumers of the normal stuff:
Should you experience quitting as invincible hurdle, maybe switch to tobacco a while before ceasing.
The minute your sense of taste has adapted you will be discovering anway the utterly miserable mixture formerly adapted to.
You will then likely face a time of withdrawal concerning chemicals only, and can afterwards quit finally by putting aside the tobacco.
Besides, I have been using those two blue halfzware brands from Holland, in case of you wanting to know. However, you must know in the same time that the quality of rolling yields essential for the taste of a cigarette. ( Which is why my smoking girl friends used to beg me to role one for them.) It takes moderate measure and homogenous distribution of tobacco along the roling paper. Gaps and jams must be avoided. The first resulting in hot and fast burning sort of hay, the latter into badly stinking and tasting sticks. You gotta take your time.
If done right however, even non-smokers will remark every other time that your cigs smell "so different / nice!" with some even making exceptions for you in their otherwise strict none-smokers home. ( Those coming close enough will as well discover with surprise that your breath does not smell in the way used from smokers.)
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Anyway, the minute your tongue starts appreciating tobacco you might never be able to enjoy prefabricated cigs again. I have seen a number of folks for whome it evolved that way. With me first in line, who prefers to quit rather than to switch to acid fumes.
Ruphus
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Oct. 12 2012 15:54:36
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Ruphus
Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
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RE: About to quit the smoke (in reply to Ruphus)
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Thank you for asking!
I was since quite a while thinking of digging out this thread to see how much time passed from the quit, but always forgot to do when roaming the foro.
So, it´s 3 months now.
And yes, I have not taken a drag in that time. - Meanwhile even serving as example for my best friend who must quit now for physical reasons. We have been appointing these days for him to fly over to here next month and I suggested that he shall keep smoking in that time to fully enjoy his stay, and quit right after his visit.
There are folks standing vis-a-vis while we talk in the street and smoke `into my face´, and same when smokers come by and make fume in my house. I even leave the ashtray with their ends on the table for days and don´t care.
Fruther there are opened tobacco packages in reach all the time and lighters flying around still in every room ( except of bed rooms).
My approach is that one must ensure to avoid any slightest of external dependency.
No appointments to quit, no attempts to keep environment off challenges ... nada.
I always disliked hysterical ex-smokers who´d want you to siver away on winter balconies, and adored my ex-smoker brother who would let folks smoke even inside his cars without the slightest sign of discomfort. - Mostly even sports cars with relatively small cabines.
The nonechalance is certainly contributing to the surprisingly easy abstain.
Another reason I assume to be that tobacco ( for cigarette roling ) is much less treated with addictive chemistry cocktails than common cigarettes.
~ 95% of the time I am flabbergasted how easy it actually is, with ocassional returns of minutes where you are an inch away from rolling yourself a yummy stick. Usually under depressing news, but also with positive emotions.
( Like Christmas night, with me depressed about being isolated from its hemisphere - and with most of my dear not being among us anymore to celebrate anyway. Then I opened the DVDs a friend had sent me and watched gigs and interviews from a David Gilmour tour. Can´t even try to tell how it moved me; - and it was hard like hell to NOT light up a cigarette.)
Damn, heavens gate music without a smoke ...
Living smokeless is just a tad too sterile, well-behaved and bland for me.
I had it twice already. Waking up from a nightmare. Both times, in a dream I had unconsciously fired up a cigarette and been smoking it with sparkling pleasure when suddenly midst of it I realized to have broken the lent / inevitably returned to the sin, shocked so much that it woke me up.
I guess Todd has it right. It certainly contributes to the abstinence that I manage to almost not think of smoke at all.
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In my experience the first three days are the worst ( it is being said that it would be four days actually), so I suppose that you will be feeling some relief from tomorrow on, my friend.
Hold out, and wellcome in the clean club! 
Best,
Ruphus
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Date Jan. 3 2013 10:08:17
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