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Smoke a Different Brand of Cigarettes: The Elephant in the Living Room

by Joshua A.

Onalaska, Wisconsin
United States

In preporation for the day when I would quit, I rolled my own cigarettes. By using a "natural" tobacco, I still got to smoke, but, more importantly, I got myself off all the additional chemicals so prevelent in the brands we all prefer to smoke. It would sure seem to me that the "other" non-nicotine chemicals are just as hard to kick as the nicotine itself. (The beauty of this plan, of course, was that I still got to smoke) So, I slowly weened myself from the chemicals other than the natural nicotine inherent to the tobacco plant. Also, the monetary cost of my habit went from dollars to pennies a day. I was able to roll filtered cigarettes which were visually indistinguishable from what I had store bought, and I could do so for two weeks on ten dollars. In retrospect, one of the side effects to rolling my own high quality cigarettes was all the time I spent contemplating how much time I was devoting towards the preparation of killing myself. I would spend a lot of time rolling out twenty ciagarettes in preparation for the next day or the next few hours. Before, all the time I had to donate was the five minutes it took for me to stop at the convienance store. I suppose you could say that taking the time to roll my own cigarettes was a way for me to reflect on my actions and, perhaps, notice the "elephant in the living room". I never planned an exact day to quit, but I did grow accustom to having the extra money I saved from rolling my own cigarettes. When I grew tired of taking the time to produce a product which I did/didn't enjoy in the first place coupled with my newfound unwillingness to spend anymore money on the problem, I quit. I quit cold turkey. I always kept my cigarettes on me. Whenever I wanted a cigarette I would ask myself who was in charge? I made the decision I would spite myself into quitting. The first day was not easy, but the second was easier. After that, I kid you not, it wasn't that bad. I haven't smoked for six months now. Now this technique I used for quiting may not work for everyone. I don't claim it will. There is one truth I think all smokers need to realize, though. When your under the influence of the drug (nicotine), you don't ever think there is the possibility that you could quit. Right? It's impossible?! Remember, that thinking is the influence of the drug.! You are under the influence of a drug. If you try to quit, it will be tough! But it will not be as tough as you think it is, and as every second of every day passes it will get easier. Good luck and God bless.