A P R I L Cigarette Tax,..Who is quitting????

[Up-the-Creek]

Quote:
Sorry to hear about the financial situation.

 

[Judy]

I have smoked for about 50 years. When I started, I had no idea how harmful it was.

Nicotine patches and gum are nice for plane trips. Chantix nearly killed me. It is insane to start, but stopping an essentially lifelong practice is quite another matter. I have quit about 500 times. I never even actually stopped when I was pregnant. I have never gotten through 24 hours without a cigarette. Ever. Now my 34 year old son smokes, and is trying to quit.

I am retired and on a fixed income. I switched to a cheaper brand.

Tell me why this tax is fair to me....

 

[Up-the-Creek]

I dont think they do taxes to be fair. Is it fair that there is children that cannot go to a doctor because they fall in between loop holes in the welfare system? There is nothing fair about anything.

 

[willowcol]

What I believe is the part that is not that fair is that the cig. companies raised the prices first just incase people do quit because of the tax so they won't lose money. So the tax went in place yesterday but the price jump a few weeks back was to make sure they didn't lose money over the tax. I wouldn't mind the price going up just for the tax, but raising the price "just incase" seems wrong on so many levels.

 

[Fancie]

I want to make something incredably addictive that people can't live with out.....

Thats why I breed chickens

It just makes no since!! If it is so incredably bad for people why don't they just make it illegal... Here this stuff is going to kill you... but not before we tax you out of all your money first!!

Next they are going to tax gambling...

 

[turney31]

count me in to quit.

 

[wolfbaine30]

It's a habit that is really hard to break.I have been smoking since I was 15,right after my grandma passed away.And now is even harder since the houseing market has took a dump.I frame resedintal(sp?) homes and we only have 1 house left.Talking about making it hard to quit,especially knowing you might be without work soon.

 

[girlsaint]

B. Saffles Farms :

I quit last September due to a heart attack. Im glad I did. I dont think I couldnt justify paying $5 a pack.

Here they cost between 8 and 12 dollars a package, depending which brand you buy. I had a heart attack last year as well. I lasted 65 days, and then started again. So here I am with 2 stents in my heart, smoking.

I gained 35 pounds in 65 days. I felt awful. None of my leathers fit me...I did not want my friends to see me, so I stayed home and was miserable.
It's one thing to have jeans fit a little tight, but its another matter to not be able to go out with my friends riding because I don't have 400 dollars for new gear.
I want to quit, but I am also not sure I can "stay" quit when I pack on the pounds like that.

I tried one of those "group therapy" quit smoking programs. I lasted 1 session. The newly-non-smokers in the group grated my nerves so bad I just wanted to smoke when I left. Nothing as fun as a militant non smoker rubbing it in that "it's easy! just don't smoke" I'm thinking ok- you go deal with my stress, and I'll go lay on a beach in Jamaica and not smoke.

I'm sure I will quit again. I am worried for my health. Maybe this could be the month for at least another try

 

[pamperedpoultry]

Me and my husbands bestfriends their also husband and wife are trying to quit and have been for about 6 months but have never suceeded. Their going for another round of quiting now. Their just trying to slack off day by day. But I learned that aint goin to happen. I quit April 4, 2004. I was in a bad 4wheeler wreck and fractured a vertebra and ripped the ligaments and tendons and all that away from my spine. I had a 2 week stay in the hospital a surgery to fuse the vertebra, they took a piece of bone from my hip and I now have 2 13inch titanium rods holding my spine up.. I'm BLESSED!! I have no problems with my back course I'm only 26 but I ride horses and all kinds of stuff you would think I shouldn't, Anyhows sorry off subject but I laid there the day we wrecked couldn't get up but i smoked my last 3 cigs before the medic's came and got me.. I had tried before to quit and I couldn't go 30 mins of being awake without having one. That was my first thoughts when I woke up, was "gotta go smoke" but me and my husband both just had to throw them out and never pick one up again. I just doesn't work to kinda wean ya self off them, or for us it didnt. Good luck to ya'll tryin to quit I know ya can, If I did anyone could...

 

[Jena]

We had another Quit thread on BYC back at New Year and I finally succeeded then. It was not easy believe me but here in the UK we are also facing new Tax rises, and the whole economic situation here is so bad I am really glad I have stuck with it.

I started smoking when I got a divorce. Then it became a real crutch. A cigarette was the only thing that did not let me down in some way. I spent 30 years bringing up my boys alone and cigarettes were my only support.

What a fool I feel I was now. I have spent so much money that could have made a difference in my life, and technically it was just killing myself for the taxes and for the tabacco companies.

I understand all of your reasons, and how you are all feeling right now. I can also tell you that is posible.

I have put the money aside each day, and some days even that is not easy to do. but I have watched it grow and I have pasted a little sign on my glass jar saying " I refuse to allow this litle white stick of poison to control my life any longer, and I will not die for the sake of government and big business" (I put one roll up cigarette in there and swamped it with coins) It was good to see it disappear.

It has been an inspiration for me when it has been tough.

I wish you all the very best. Support each other and come to any of us that made it last time and we will help you through. Your life is worth saving, your life is for you to make choices about, not to be controlled by an addiction.

No matter how you get there, by cutting down or just quitting either with a patch or cold turkey, just go for it and if you fall off the wagon just climb back on, you will get there.

If you want to help children less fortunate then make a donation out of the money you save. I have, and I have also started growing my own food, which also stops me reaching for a cigarette. I am enjoying my garden and enjoying my life more since I stopped.

Best Wishes to you all. Go for it.

Jena.