Snus

by **ThadFilms** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:11 am

So hey, I know I have met a lot of you in the smokers area at Fjord, er, Ford. Oh and to the kids who read this site, I was one of, if not the most anti-smoking proponents I knew in high school... but still I ended up taking it up in college, for god knows what reason (okay it was because my friends were experimenting with drogas and I wanted to at least do something rebelious... well crap if I din't choose the wrong thing).

Anyhow I used snus well more than a year ago as a way to quit smoking. But I just used it for a day. Stupid, because I eventually went right back to smoking.

Snus is a Swedish produt, and all of the info. points to this being the one thing we smokers have always looked for - I've always said, if smoking didn't cause death, my uncontrollable coughing, or a bad smell.... I wouldn't have any reason to ever want to quit.

Instead of pretending to quit, or really bogging myself down, I just extremely calmly switched to snus. And it's been amazing. Albeit only a couple of days. But, I used to think there would be nothing tha could possibly stop that NEED to smoke.

Just google "snus health risks" and be amazed.

I know this sounds like an add... but seriosuly. I never intended to be a smoker, and I know most of the smokers on this board really never intended to be either. I'm just amazed that I am able to have a normal night in the immediate aftermath of "quitting" smoking, and not fixating on it at all. Because everytime I think, damn I need a cigarette and that silly tiny teabag ain't gonna' help - I just pop one in my mouth and I'm fine.

I told my mother, with the absolute little that scientists have to go on that snus is bad for you that..... even if it does turn out to be marginally not good.... I'd much rather be fretting about quiting snus than cigarettes.

Seriously folks, I didn't believe it was possible.... for this kind of thing to happen. Heck, earlier tonight, I started to put on my shoes - completely absent mindedly - to walk down to the corner store for some smokes. I, of course, caught myself and popped in a snus, and was fine.

Yes, it's still early for me and I work with a lot of smokers. But tonight was a major experiment night. To drink heavily and work on my movie tihout cigarettes. I can say that I have passed with flying colors.

As all of us smokers are well freaking aware, the dangers of smoking... is exactly that, the smoke. I thought that I could never feel that again, that moment. But I have. Just give it a try, and tell yourself, every time I want a smoke to use this innocuous little thing. For me it was only hard the first 4 times after I had completely run out of cigarettes.

BTW - for all the kids reading this board, I hope you haven't read this far... I'm not advocating anything here. True here is much evidence to show that snus is almos completely okay, I'm going to go with the just don't ever start thing.

Anyhow, I know that Camel started their trial run of there brand of snus (thankfully made by a Swedish company.... snus is after all usually referred to as Swedish Snus) here in Austin and in Portland. Has it spread elsewhere,yet? I know when I first read about it (in the New York Times in an article talking about the drastic difference in tobacco related deaths - drastically lower - in Sweden than that of the rest of Europe) you could only get it online, and from a handful of places.

Anyhow, this was a public service announcement from me... and also a question, has anyone else here tried the snus?

For me when I first did it, I was like, yeah whatever I still want to have that cigarette in my hand. It wasn't until this go around that I said, NO, whenever I want that cigarette I'll just drop in a tiny packet of snus. I started to really do that, and I can report I'm 100% okay. The only thing I did is thatt when I felt like I wanted a smoke and was already "with snus" I just changed out the packet and was fine.

Smokers! I think we have found it!

I want your thoughts.

Peace,
Thaddeus

by **ThadFilms** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:25 am

I just wanted to add an addendum here, as soon as I stood up from writing that whole thing, I thought to myself, damn, that was a nice bit of writing you should go out and have a smoke. I haven't even popped another snus, because I know I am fine.

By the way, you guys know me, I'm no big tobacco plant (pun perhaps intended). I'm just amazed at this products ability to be all that I wanted from smoking, without the health risks..... sure sure, I hear the oral cancer pancreatic cancer bit, I don't know about the pancreatic cancer, but oral cancer???? This isn't dip or chaw, in fact, as I have read, smoking is something on the order of 100 times more dangerous for mouth cancer.

And again, I'll go back to this fact. Among makes Sweden has the lowest rate of tobacco related deaths in Europe. BY FAR. Why? Snus. I thought it was too good to be true....and I'm sorry to sound like an infomercial (act now and get a set of ginsu knives) but it's exactly what I am going through, and why I am so verbose on the subject.... I never thought that I could drink heavily - and work on my movie - without giving into that smoking demon. I've never been able too, in my adult life, too resist the death kill need/urge for a cigarette.

Life... is... good.

by **couch 'em** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:57 am

First off, I thought everything that wasn't SMU related was going to get deleted off this board?

Second, if you want to quit smoking, go get hypnotized. Sounds crazy, but my mother went to one (Shawn Mash) for three days in a row at lunch time. At the end of the last session she threw away her cigarettes and never smoked again, even with my father smoking in front of her. She smoked for 30+ years, but claims no cravings at all.

by **mrydel** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:59 am

couch 'em wrote:First off, I thought everything that wasn't SMU related was going to get deleted off this board?

Second, if you want to quit smoking, go get hypnotized. Sounds crazy, but my mother went to one (Shawn Mash) for three days in a row at lunch time. At the end of the last session she threw away her cigarettes and never smoked again, even with my father smoking in front of her. She smoked for 30+ years, but claims no cravings at all.

and if done properly we can have Thad cluck like a chicken on the Boulevard. :lol:

by **Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:50 am

mrydel wrote:
couch 'em wrote:First off, I thought everything that wasn't SMU related was going to get deleted off this board?

Second, if you want to quit smoking, go get hypnotized. Sounds crazy, but my mother went to one (Shawn Mash) for three days in a row at lunch time. At the end of the last session she threw away her cigarettes and never smoked again, even with my father smoking in front of her. She smoked for 30+ years, but claims no cravings at all.

and if done properly we can have Thad cluck like a chicken on the Boulevard.

Haha..reminds me of an old In Living Color skit where Jim Carrey gets hypnotized to cluck like a chicken and, during the performance, the hypnotist dies and so he gets stuck clucking like a chicken.

by **expony18** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:15 am

Skoal is also making it's own version of snus... and I have tried snus many of times, but I prefer longcut health issues and all

by **smupony94** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:18 am

Copenhagen is the devil - I am trying to quit

by **expony18** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:32 am

switch to skoal

by **jtstang** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:38 am

I smoked a pack a day plus some for about ten years. Bought some of the nicotine gum in 1998 and tried to quit for my new year resolution in 1999. Failed miserably. After waking up too many nights in a fit of coughing, I decided to try the strategy again for my next resolution. Glad to say I have not smoked in the new millenium. Chewed the gum incessantly for about a year, then one day just decided not to buy any more when I ran out.

Hardest thing I ever did. I applaud anybody who quits and makes it stick. Good luck Thad.

by **mrydel** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:23 am

jtstang wrote:I smoked a pack a day plus some for about ten years. Bought some of the nicotine gum in 1998 and tried to quit for my new year resolution in 1999. Failed miserably. After waking up too many nights in a fit of coughing, I decided to try the strategy again for my next resolution. Glad to say I have not smoked in the new millenium. Chewed the gum incessantly for about a year, then one day just decided not to buy any more when I ran out.

Hardest thing I ever did. I applaud anybody who quits and makes it stick. Good luck Thad.

I smoked for 25+ years and was at 3 packs a day for the last 5 or 6. Tried most everything. Dipped Skoal and since I had an office job just had to swallow rather than spit. Doctor said I was 98% better off with the Skoal than the smoking but would probably still die of stomach cancer.

Then I had my first date with my current wife, decided I was going to marry her after the first date, and decided to quit smoking for her sake and the sake of her kids. I put them down the night of our first date and have not had one in over 16 years. All the wrong reasons to quit (you need to do it for yourself, not someone else) but it worked and continues to this day.

by **Stallion** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:30 am

Sounds like you traded one addiction for another-only more expensive.

by **mrydel** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:37 am

Stallion wrote:Sounds like you traded one addiction for another-only more expensive.

No doubt about it. Even at today's prices I could smoke a carton a day and have money to spare compared to one trip to the mall a month.

by **The Spaz** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:45 am

The anus?

by **MustangStealth** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:54 am

The Spaz wrote:The anus?

It's unremarkable.

by **ThadFilms** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:46 am

jtstang wrote:I smoked a pack a day plus some for about ten years. Bought some of the nicotine gum in 1998 and tried to quit for my new year resolution in 1999. Failed miserably. After waking up too many nights in a fit of coughing, I decided to try the strategy again for my next resolution. Glad to say I have not smoked in the new millenium. Chewed the gum incessantly for about a year, then one day just decided not to buy any more when I ran out.

Hardest thing I ever did. I applaud anybody who quits and makes it stick. Good luck Thad.

Thanks fir the encouragement, JT. Your strategy sounds just like the new strategy I am on. I might just switch the snus for the gum here in a month. Instead of telling myself I am quitting smoking, I told myself I am switching to snus.

Last night was the first good sign that at my weakest snus still helped me out. The next big test will be tomorrow evening at happy hour. Half of the happy hour regulars smoke (with me it was more than half) so we always sit outside at bars. It will be quite the test for me to have booze and have cigarettes right at hand.

Last year, when I quit for new years it lasted until right about now, in fact a year ago this week. But I would still smoke when I went to bars with friends who smoked. I think it was leaving the door open that did me in.

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