How Nicotine Grabbed Me and Held On For 30 Years!

It all began when I was about 13 years old, in the state of Virginia. Back then, it was cheap and easy to get dip. Just walk to the corner store and put your change on the counter. That is all it took to get a can of Happy Days! The flavor and strength was not too bad, since I think it was targeted towards kids. Now you were “cool” in the agricultural circles that I ran in. It was a novelty at that age, adults said not to do it, but what do they know!

Once I returned to Missouri, it was still easy to get, just needed a ride to town since we lived further out. Luckily the neighbor boys could drive or so I thought! Maybe not lucky for me in the long run. My addiction went to Skoal, since my craving grew stronger and longed for more of it. It smelled like wintergreen mints, so being ninja with it was easy, as long as you had mints available.

When I began to drive, I switched to Copenhagen. The ultimate in chew and coolness to be able to put that in your mouth and not get sick! I was on top of the dip world now. I began getting a little less ninja with it and had spittoons in my trucks, just said I had them for my friends. Who was I fooling? The parents had to know.

I started dating and was told that she would never kiss a guy with chew in his mouth, well that was partially correct, it took years but it did happen.

We dated into college and then we were married. She wanted me to quit before we got married, never happened!

Then we were expecting a child, she wanted me to quit before the child arrived, my daughter, never happened.

Stress of life was my excuse to keep it going, can a day habit was starting to get expensive!!

Well how about quitting before your daughter starts to walk so she will not spill a spittoon, she asked. It came and went with her being very mobile, the chew still in my lip.

Fast forward to several weak quit attempts and the ability of my daughter to harass me to give it up. Still no result, WOW, this shit is getting expensive now!!

Finally I made the decision to quit the dip after my company put a tobacco sure charge on my insurance!! Now it is starting to hit home that cancer or some other health issue could arise from this crap in my mouth.

I found the site KillTheCan.org and some great folks that helped me reach 100 days and counting…..the coin is in my pocket now!

Thanks KillTheCan.org, hopefully I can help others there, cdaniels, hunter1333 and so many others.

Of course a special thanks go to my wife and daughter, for putting up with me all these years and supporting the quit by being my biggest cheerleaders!! Love ya.

NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan.org forum member blazer1975