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If you have never been an addict, thank whatever God you pray to.
I have been addicted to both cigarettes and other substances. The cigarettes were harder to give up. I enjoyed them for ten years, and it took another ten to finally be able to quit them.
Nicotine acts on the same receptors in the brain that cocaine does. Withdrawal hurts beyond your imagining. Take it from the voice of experience.
I'm a smoker.
There have also been times when I have been unable to smoke for periods of hours to days. While it is far from pleasant, I did not go through dramatic withdrawals. I mostly ate more, got about two hours less sleep, and squirmed around a lot. Not something I enjoy going through, but I can think of plenty of things that are far more unpleasant than nicotine withdrawal. Food poisoning for one.
Now, I am glad that you wanted to quit and eventually found out a way to help you quit, but I do not want to quit. I enjoy smoking very much and whenever someone tries to force something onto me, I tend to get very confrontational. I don't care if it quitting smoking, religion, supporting a sports team, or what have you. I am an adult and although you may not agree with the choices I make; if you cannot debate them with me in a rational and respectful manner, expect me to disrespect you and trust me, I am very good at disrespecting people.
There have also been times when I have been unable to smoke for periods of hours to days. While it is far from pleasant, I did not go through dramatic withdrawals. I mostly ate more, got about two hours less sleep, and squirmed around a lot. Not something I enjoy going through, but I can think of plenty of things that are far more unpleasant than nicotine withdrawal. Food poisoning for one.
Now, I am glad that you wanted to quit and eventually found out a way to help you quit, but I do not want to quit. I enjoy smoking very much and whenever someone tries to force something onto me, I tend to get very confrontational. I don't care if it quitting smoking, religion, supporting a sports team, or what have you. I am an adult and although you may not agree with the choices I make; if you cannot debate them with me in a rational and respectful manner, expect me to disrespect you and trust me, I am very good at disrespecting people.
It's not a matter of debate.
If you cannot simply put the cigarettes down and not go back to them, you are addicted.
As I said, I enjoyed them also, for ten years.
All addicts are alike. We are addicted whether we are using or not. As long as you don't use your substance of choice, you still have that choice. When you do use, the substance takes your choice away. When you quit and the level of drug in your system gets low, you will experience unpleasantness and become confrontational. No, nicotine does not produce the DTs or cramps that draw your body into a question mark, but the feeling of withdrawal is not something you can ignore, either. I never meant to imply that the level of pain was the same, but that the experience of withdrawal was. To relieve the withdrawal from nicotine, all you have to do is visit the 7-11. You don't have to meet a dealer in an alley.
Best of luck to you when you finally decide you want to quit. I'm in your corner.
If you cannot simply put the cigarettes down and not go back to them, you are addicted.
As I said, I enjoyed them also, for ten years.
All addicts are alike. We are addicted whether we are using or not. As long as you don't use your substance of choice, you still have that choice. When you do use, the substance takes your choice away. When you quit and the level of drug in your system gets low, you will experience unpleasantness. No, nicotine does not produce the DTs or cramps that draw your body into a question mark, but the feeling of withdrawal is not something you can ignore, either. I never meant to imply that the level of pain was the same, but that the experience of withdrawal was. To relieve the withdrawal from nicotine, all you have to do is visit the 7-11. You don't have to meet a dealer in an alley.
Best of luck to you when you finally decide you want to quit. I'm in your corner.
In other words, it is easier you to simply dismiss what I have to say and my thoughts on the matter.
You admit that the withdrawals of nicotine are much more mild than cocaine or heroin or alcohol. You want to know what else is addictive? Caffeine. Caffeine has many similarities to nicotine in its effects on the brain and its addictive qualities. Have you ever had someone who was especially cranky because they "didn't have [their] morning coffee"? You know why they are cranky? Because they are going through withdrawals. Now, do you have the same condescending attitude and hard deterministic view with coffee drinkers as you do with smokers? If you do, at least you are consistent and I imagine you get told to f--k off more than any other person on the planet. If not, is it because you realize that it is merely a matter of degree and that when an addiction is relatively mild that maybe they are a few steps above blowing the Starbucks staff to get a Mochacino?
If smokers have a problem with the price of their cigarettes then they have no right to complain.
Grow your own and your problem is solved. Not to mention that if you grow your own tobacco it won't be loaded with rat poison and thousands of other chemicals.
Or you can buy the materials to roll your own. A bag of organic tobacco that you can roll probably 100 cigarettes out of costs about as much as a pack of standard cigarettes.
In other words, it is easier you to simply dismiss what I have to say and my thoughts on the matter.
You admit that the withdrawals of nicotine are much more mild than cocaine or heroin or alcohol. You want to know what else is addictive? Caffeine. Caffeine has many similarities to nicotine in its effects on the brain and its addictive qualities. Have you ever had someone who was especially cranky because they "didn't have [their] morning coffee"? You know why they are cranky? Because they are going through withdrawals. Now, do you have the same condescending attitude and hard deterministic view with coffee drinkers as you do with smokers? If you do, at least you are consistent and I imagine you get told to f--k off more than any other person on the planet. If not, is it because you realize that it is merely a matter of degree and that when an addiction is relatively mild that maybe they are a few steps above blowing the Starbucks staff to get a Mochacino?
So your point is that an addiction is not an addicition unless it causes withdrawal pains at a certain level?
Don't blame me if you can't quit. I didn't get up this morning and make the choice for you to smoke a cigarette. If you did, in all likelihood you were only part of that decision making process. Your addiction made at least half of the decision for you.
Like I said, I'm on your side, but I won't lie about things we both know to be true.
Location: Partisanship Is An Intellectual/Emotional Handicap
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sailordave
FOXNews.com - States' Budget Woes Ignites Debate Over Raising Tobacco Taxes
A proposal to states from health advocates to raise the state taxes on cigarettes by another $1 per pack. Their argument is that it will help raise money for the state while reducing the number of smokers and reducing the amount of young people to take up smoking. Opponents say it'll hurt poor people the most and cause a further increase in blackmarket cigarette sales which are illegal and bypasses taxes.
I'm all for everyone quitting smoking. I'm just worried that with so much of the states' budgets coming from cigarette taxes, what are they going to increase taxes on to make up for the loss of cigarette tax revenue? Will alcohol prices double from taxes (beer, wine, and other spirits)? Will gas prices jump from tax increases? What about food and clothing?
So to all you smokers, if your state raises taxes by $1 per pack,...what will you do? Will you keep paying and smoking as usual? Cut back on smoking? Quit smoking? Or buy on the blackmarket?
You and your Nanny State need to get your noses and grubby little fingers out of everyone else's personal lives and find a productive hobby.
So to all you smokers, if your state raises taxes by $1 per pack,...what will you do? Will you keep paying and smoking as usual? Cut back on smoking? Quit smoking? Or buy on the blackmarket?
Option 5, which you didn't list - I'll keep buying them from the Paiute tribal store.
So your point is that an addiction is not an addicition unless it causes withdrawal pains at a certain level?
Don't blame me if you can't quit. I didn't get up this morning and make the choice for you to smoke a cigarette. If you did, in all likelihood you were only part of that decision making process. Your addiction made at least half of the decision for you.
Like I said, I'm on your side, but I won't lie about things we both know to be true.
Absolutely not. My point is that if an addiction is not an all-consuming factor in someone's life and if the withdrawal symptoms are mild enough that people who are going through them can complete military basic training (they do not allow smoking or the us of any tobacco products in the US military during basic training), that maybe just maybe, lumping smokers in the exact same category as crackheads is misleading at best.
Also, I never blamed you for my habit. I have never blamed anyone, but myself. Not my friends, not my parents, not the movies, not the tobacco companies, not television, and not you. Also, "blame" isn't the right word because it is something I enjoy so very much. I like the taste, I like the feeling in my hand, and I like the buzz.
Well, you can continue being on my side while I will continue to not care.
So to all you smokers, if your state raises taxes by $1 per pack,...what will you do? Will you keep paying and smoking as usual? Cut back on smoking? Quit smoking? Or buy on the blackmarket?
When I lived in Western NY, my smoker friends would drive out to the Indian Reservations to get their smokes.
A bag of organic tobacco that you can roll probably 100 cigarettes out of costs about as much as a pack of standard cigarettes.
Not anymore.
One of the first things Obama did as President was sign the SCHIP legislation into law. That legislation included the two largest tax increases in U.S history, one of which was a 2100% increase in loose tobacco. A 1lb bag used to have $1.10 in federal tax. It now has $24 in federal tax. Just the tax increase is three times what the bag used to cost.
The loose cigarette tobacco industry was put out of business in this country with a stroke of Obama's pen. Many have turned to rolling pipe tobacco instead, but the cut's too rough for me and the smoke is too harsh. I'm buying cartons now.
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