Can I Help U Free Yourself from Tobacco?

[Prometheus]

Great thread BOG! I would hope that someday the world will realize what a dangerous substance tobacco is. I almost feel ashamed to admit that I am a tobacco smoker myself. (But hopefully not for long) In addition almost everybody smoking weed or espescially hash in my country use tobacco mixed in with the hash and weed. I know it ruins the taste, but when almost everybody does it new smokers are very likely to pick up the habit from more experienced tokers. Many of them insist on using tobacco together with hash, and will frown upon anybody suggesting otherwise. This is how I got hooked on tobacco. I smoked a lot of hash with tobacco and in times when I wanted to smoke less I turned to cigarettes to satisfy the sudden craving for niccotine. Now I keep tobacco and hash/weed seperate, but I still can't kick the old cancer sticks.

I'm also very interested in the anti cancer effects of THC, as I have had cancer myself about 8 years ago. I can tell you that chemo therapy has some of the most horrible side effects possible, and I believe the only reason that it is still used is because of the enourmous amounts of money the pharmaceutical companies make producing it. It kills cancer cells allright, along with almost anything else in your body. If I get cancer again, I am pretty sure I will rather attempt alternative treatments than having that shit in my system again. When on Chemo, even your urine has to be treated as hazardous waste, that totally creeps me out.

Somebody mentioned earlier in this discussion that cannabis smoke contains just as much or even more tar than cigarettes and I believe this to be true. The main factor that makes cigarettes so harmful, is in my opinion all the different additives they put in them. If one would smoke pure dried tobacco leaves I think the damage to the lungs would be greatly reduced. The following is a brief summary of the different groups of additives used in most brands of cigarettes:

Additives that are used to make cigarettes that provide high levels of 'free' nicotine which increases the addictive 'kick' of the nicotine. Ammonium compounds can fulfil this role by raising the alkalinity of smoke

Additives that are used to enhance the taste of tobacco smoke, to make the product more desirable to consumers. Although seemingly innocuous the addition of flavourings making the cigarette 'attractive' and 'palatable' is in itself cause for concern.

Sweeteners and chocolate may help to make cigarettes more palatable to children and first time users; eugenol and menthol numb the throat so the smoker cannot feel the smoke's aggravating effects.

Additives such as cocoa may be used to dilate the airways allowing the smoke an easier and deeper passage into the lungs exposing the body to more nicotine and higher levels of tar.
Some additives are toxic or addictive in their own right or in combination. When additives are burned, new products of combustion are formed and these may be toxic or pharmacologically active.

Additives are used to mask the smell and visibility of side-stream smoke, making it harder for people to protect themselves and undermining claims that smoking is anti-social without at the same time reducing the health risks of passive smoking.

A detailed and serious survey of tobacco additives, and their effect can be found at:

http://www.ash.org.uk/html/regulation/html/additives.html

The first time I read that the average cigarette contains about 600 additional substances to enhance the effects I got pretty sick, thinking about what I inhale..

Compared to all of this, I would think that cannabis is a pretty healthy alternative despite the tar content of the smoke. But as with everything else moderation is a key here as well.

I'm currently in the process of cutting down on tobacco consumpton, and I currently only smoke 4-5 cigs a day.
The plan is to quit cold turkey in about a week or two, haven't set the exact date yet. Everybody wish me luck.... My best wishes go out to everybody else in the same situation. I must admit that reading BOG's advice has made me even more determined to make it.

Sorry for the long post by the way, but this is such a serious topic that I feel as much input as impossible can't be bad.

 

[Prometheus]

My cancer was not related to smoking or anything like that. In my opinion it was caused by the ever increasing amount of hormones they use espescially in commercial animal foods. Tere are no conclusive evidence to why certain people get this particular type of cancer, but studies show that it is most common in young men living in or around farms that use hormones in for example chicken food. I rarely eat meat now, and if I do it comes from free range animals fed with all natural foods.

I know that continuing smoking after all the punishment the body has to take with chemo and surgeries is pretty damn foolish. In fact I only used to smoke when drinking prior to getting cancer, but due to depressions and other after effects after getting well I did many stupid things. One of them was taking up smoking. At least I'm highly motivated to quit now, and I think I'll make it. I witnessed plenty of cancer patients on my ward with throat cancer smoking through a hole in their throat. That's something I don't want happening to me.

Long life and good health to you too Bazeado!

 

[BushyOldGrower]

We will Save some Lifesavers for you

We will Save some Lifesavers for you

There is no greater love a man can give then to give his life for another. A few seeds will save some lives? Perhaps I do have a lever to push you. This thread can be continuous and I will take peoples word for it when they say they have had no tobacco for 3 months if they checked in here.

I would be more than happy to supply those seeds free if Gypsy can send them for me. We will expect some takers in 3 months so please do take me up on this offer.

Gypsy and I hate tobacco. We believe it is actually a dividing force in the world. The stupid addiction is really beyond the limit if reason and why it can be sold is a mystery to me. The liability of selling such toxic poison should bankrupt tobacco companies but the gov't actually makes deals to limit their liability in return for money.

But, an individual is not permitted to grow a few plants that are much safer for their own usage? Lock them up for it while tobacco companies plot to addict our youth? What a world huh?

Just do it...The patches do work and while you wear them you start to lose those connections to the things you associate with smoking. When you later get off the patches, and you will, it will be much easier to stay clean. Give it a try. No prescription needed either just go to the pharmacy. BOG

 

[HOT CARGO]

there are some tobacco haters here i see. hope thing are all good for you now BOG.
it is terrible when people get sick from whatever they doing. but in the end it is ar choice and most of us know what the results may be.I had a Grammy that never had a cig or drink in her life, most healthy life style she lived and what she gets ? lung cancer. if i told the doctor that she smoke cigs than this will be the cause of the cancer. and any one that got lung cancer and smoke than this must of ben the reason for it. but is it? i workt for environmental company before and they will remove asbestos and other shit that is out there. they will have a guy to monitor the whole project. he will have samples set up all over the place so he can check the air quality we work in and around the place. and guess what , the samples were more dirty from outside than were we are working. and what the guy said? he said that this is good result and air out side it is always dirty with some number of ppi. there is no place to run. one can smoke drink do all kinds of flips and he will die of old age like my gdaddy ,and some will die on they way to health store. so i just cant blame cigs for the part they take in peoples sicknesses because i believe there are more shit out here that can take you away just as eze. o and i like Tobacco i like the taste of it and dif flavors just as i enjoy good bud. i hope i did not offend any one this is just my small couple cents.

 

[Prometheus]

BOG; I will take you up on your offer, or at least use it for some extra motivation when the craving for cigarettes gets too big. Most likely I will have a good supply of both weed and seeds in three months, but some extra motivation is allways welcome. I will try some niccotine patches for the first weeks. How about niccotine gum? Anyone had any experience with those?

I will keep everyone updatet on how things are going, and I hope everyone else in the process of quitting will do so as well. Maybe if we all support and encourage eachother many of us will be succsessfull.

I agree totally with you views of tobacco companies BOG. I hope that someday there will be laws prohibiting them to make money from posoning people. I watched a documentary about the tobacco industry some time ago, and it did nothing to help my impression of these cynical individuals. They actually admitted that it was higly likely that tobacco would become banned from most countries in the near future. They are allready looking into alternatives for making money. Representatives from Camel and Marlboro talked about their plans for selling weed cigarettes if weed becomes legalized. They have allready designed and copyrighted packaging and brand names for cannabis cigarettes. This worries me. I wonder what additives they will use for those. Remember the 600 different substances they add to regular tobacco. I bet they would contaminate our weed in just the same way.

Hot Cargo; Everybody is of course entitled to do as they please with their lives. And there are people who can smoke heavily all their life without getting sick, but this only goes for a tiny percentage of all tobacco users. If tobacco was outlawed, the ones who really feel it is neccesary to smoke it could grow their own maybe? You have to understand that the flavour you say you are enjoying does not come from the tobacco itself, but from the hundreds of additives they use in all comercial tobacco. I have have a freind who is a farmer, and used to grow his own tobacco plants. This tobacco was nearly impossible for anyone to smoke because of it's harshness and vile taste.

 

[HOT CARGO]

i can see your point
Prometheus. but this must apply to cigarettes that are fill with all kinds of s..
The tobacco i buy in my local tobacco shop is by oz. one pound of virginia gold fine shag cost under $25. and the taste is great. you do have to get ust to it the new natural flavor when you switch from regular cigarettes. but once you start smoking for couple weeks you actually get to like them even more. i wonder now which of the two human kind smoke first?
was it cannabis or tobacco? wow that got me thinking haha.

 

[Prometheus]

From what I've read the additives are added before cutting the tobacco. This means that rolling tobacco should contain the same nasty stuff as cigarettes. I smoke rolling tobacco as well, and roll my own cigs. Even though it is a bit more harsh compared to normal cigarettes it still is a lot milder than smoking pure natural tobacco. That said I think rolling tobacco is a little bit less harmfull, the taste does not have the same chemical aftertaste as many prerolled cigs on the market. Personally I'm really fed up with the taste and smell of all tobacco. Every time I light a cig it's like a personal defeat. I hate it, but still can't stop completely...

It would be interesting to find out which was used first; weed or tobacco. I think it might differ in different parts of the world. In China they have references to cannabis that go back to 1000 years Bc. or something. At that time it was primarily mentioned for it's medical properties. So I guess in some parts of the world weed was first, while other parts where cannbis does not grow naturally tobacco would probably have been used first.

 

[baccas125]

I quite December 24

I quite December 24

I recently quite smoking tobacco Christmas Eve. I had been sick with the flu and felt like hell and didn't smoke for three days. I was leaving the house to visit family and fired up a cig took one puff and thought to myself what am I doing at that particular moment I put out the cig and realised that I didn't want to smoke anylonger. I never considered myself a big time smoker maybee 5-7 a day for years. I never smoked cig until I had my post grad degree, how smart am I? I still think about tobacco a lot most all the time but I now were that leads. Thaks for the thread BOG I need all the support I can get I will let you now when I gain control over my need for nicotine if it ever stops

 

[Telepod]

I am doing fine, you can too

I am doing fine, you can too

Hi, I thought I should check in here as it is very timely for me-- I have not smoked a cigarette in probably three weeks now. I'm not sure exactly how long as I haven't been counting the days. But one of those days I didn't have a cigarette, nor the next, and so on until now. I think I can go on a good while this way.

I had been an occasional smoker recently, with periods before that of lighter and heavier smoking and occasional short spells of quitting. I would call it a very slow extinguishing process. Prometheus, I think you are somewhere in that process, as I found that the periods where I wanted to quit were characterized by an increasing dislike for the smell and taste of tobacco. Then spells would reoccur where I absolutely loved the sensations and aromas of tobacco smoking, and I smoked more for pleasure, which would lead to increased habitual smoking, and so on in a familiar cycle. It can have an end, I am convinced.

Looking back over my post, I see I may be in just another short spell of non-smoking, but I am committed to quitting for good this time. My wife and I were both pack-a-day smokers when we married; she has been quit for about four years now and I admire her for it. I hope to follow her example.

I almost forgot my main point, which is that at no point did anyone ever make me smoke a cigarette. Every one I lit was by choice, even when I was the most habitually accustomed to it... No matter how addicted you think you are, you are in control of your muscles and your mind as you choose whether or not to light that cigarette. None of the physical discomfort lasts, if you really want to quit just be patient. You might have felt that crappy on those days anyway, and still have a tobacco addiction to deal with at the end of it. So, take the long view...


Good luck to everyone here -- let's stay clean and green.

-Telepod

 

[Noah]

my thoughts

my thoughts

Hello, from my experience and my friends experience with tobacco I will let you know a couple of key points nobody is touching on. The craving for tobacco (or any drug in particular) stems from eating incorrectly. This may sound crazy at first but hear me out. The closest thing to perfection on this planet is nature. Without it our bodies are in turmoil, the body then craves something, anything, to rectify the depression, stress, anxiety, & other emotions that come along with eating anything but raw, natural, organic foods. Cigarettes fill this void for millions of people, however, people never put the two together. I cannot really prove this point in words but it can be proven in application. First of all the body needs an immediate cleanse to get rid of all of the years and years of toxins the nicotine, etc have built up in your body. This can be done very effectively using this link as information. The day you start this cleanse your cravings will dissapear, this is not a joke, GONE!! If you continue to eat natural, mostly raw foods after the cleanse you will never even think about a cigarette again. The proof is in the pudding, I have done this cleanse for up to a month at a time several times & the results each and every time are amazing. Hopefully this can help some of you out there take control of your life, and actually understand what's going on & why you crave that which you know is harmful. Don't believe the hype, 99% of all disease, addiction, & depression directly stem from the bodies inability to receive the nutrients it really needs from animals and food destroyed with heat. Try it and see. I'm available if you have any questions.

the links:
www.curezone.com
www.rawfoods.com
the cleanse (a great read for anyone interested in finding out the truth about the food we eat, not just smokers): http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/7244/master_cleanse.html

 

[Chronage]

This next harvest I get I am going to quit smoking ciggarettes. It's only about 3 weeks away and I'm down to the last carton I will ever buy. I'd really like to say I could quit now, but I know it's going to be hard, and quitting without a nice stash would be a lot harder than quitting with a half lb of some supreme bud. I think using cannabis as substitute will work great for me, because when I'm high I don't even think about ciggarettes hardly at all, and even if I want one, I'd rather pack a nice bowl of dank than get up and walk outside to smoke a ciggarette. Luckily I've only been smoking ciggarettes for about 5 years, so quitting for me should be a lot easier than people who have been smoking for decades.

 

[ken]

Prometheus: cannabis was used long before tobacco in most of the world, at least.

tobacco is an american plant, it was used by the native americans, but not by the rest of the world until after america was discovered by europeans.

 

[Bodhi]

Wow!!

Wow!!

This thread is so very inspirational! Way to go BOG helping people ditch their addiction.

I hate to admit it...but I too am a tobacco user Its funny...I try and hide it for the most part, rarely taking smoke breaks at work or when I'm out with particular friends. But once I meet up with my usual crew it's a total smokefest! My best friends girlfriend has been smoking since elementary school so when my friend started seeing her he quickly picked up the habit. A year and a half later I've found myself with a nasty habit...and the thing is I HATE cigarettes! That to me is the sign that I've got an addiction; I hate them but I still regularly put one to my mouth and light it up.

I've tried using MJ to cope with the irritability from going without them but it seems like the strains I've smoked most recently just make me wanna chainsmoke.

I know I have to quit soon before I get in too deep...hopefully the Lifesaver infleunce in your LSD will be able to help me. As soon as it's dry (about a week) I'll be smoking my last pack. Until then I'm going to cut back..and encourage my friends to do the same.

Thanks BOG, I'm gonna make a good attempt at kicking those cancer sticks for good. I think my main concern is that I'm a young smoker..so it's even more important for me to lose the cigs before it develops into a life-long thing.

I'll keep you posted on how it's going. This thread is really goign to be my motivation.

peace n' love
-sun

 

[HOT CARGO]

well it looks like i have a very dif opinion on many subjects here. first is the tobacco addiction. Yes i smoke every day and yet i dont believe iam addicted. How can i explain this. i cant. or i try to,any one i know will crave for a cig if they dont have one. this is not a case with me. i will let say be little thirsty for it , like wanting some candy or drink. so i dont see it as something that is gonna make me go nuts. i completely forget about it. Than there is the flavor that is big part of tobacco that i like. infact that is the biggest likes i have for it. I know that tobacco has a bad name when it comes to health. But some times you born unhealthy and there is nothing you can do .people will always get sick and some will never even ge simple cold. so i think you must decide for your self is this stuff is really bad for you. And i really hate when someone tells me i shod quit. like iam only five and maybe i dont know what iam doing haha. let people do what they want with them selfs. o no you cant there is still a second hand smoke. shit i cant evan smoke o cig in any restaurant and soon maybe bars and streets too.
all i want it is a cigarette...

ken
I think they found tobacco and cocaine in egyptian mummies so i dont know if the europeans were first .

 

[Noah]

ya

ya

ya for your sake I hope you at least roll your own with some real tobacco, & don't smoke the name brand shit. anything on mother earth can be used in moderation safely, it's here for a reason. addiction is another story however. if you're not addicted great, but if you smoke everyday then it's hardly for the "taste", what taste does tobacco have that is even the least bit desirable by the way? compared to pot it's like smoking a chimney. on the second hand thing, keep your crap far away from me, tobacco smoke does not leave your clothes, hair, house, restaurant, club, lungs. It makes you smell like a pig, and if I'm not smoking I sure as hell don't want to smell like one. With that said nothing beats a good tobacco/hash spliff now and again

 

[HOT CARGO]

compared to pot it's like smoking a chimney.

what?

smoke from pot is much more worst then tobacco smoke. and the smell of pot is much more stronger than tobacco.so its ok for pot because you like it and tobacco is bad because you just don like it.

 

[BushyOldGrower]

Hate Smokers?

Hate Smokers?

No, we love everyone but we believe tobacco is very addictive and very toxic in itself actually. There are many reasons people smoke but in reality nicotine when smoked is proven to be more addictive than Heroin. Most people who try heroin don't get addicted but most who try tobacco do.

I am not trying to force anyone to quit or to create any further division over this health issue. But, I will reiterate that only by Gov't.s exempting tobacco companies from liability do they still exist. You could always grow a little high quality tobacco for yourself if you find it necessary.

Many who combine tobacco with hashish or buds are in denial of their addiction to tobacco. We often fool ourselves with our rationalizations when addicted to something. I would prefer an addiction to cannabis but it is safer eaten or vaped as nothing should be smoked in reality. I smoke but I am an imperfect creature and I dont smoke tobacco. If we don't want people hating us pot smokers we can't hate tobacco smokers either. Thats the Golden rule that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

That works unless you are a masochist. No rule is perfect except the rule of love. If your intentions are based on love you are doing your best. Just try not to contribute to the chaos and confusion of this world. Love everyone. We can help each other.

BOG

 

[Noah]

right on

right on

well, marijuana smoke is known to not be "dirty". If you smoke pot in a room a couple hours later the smell will be completely gone for good, and no yellowing of the walls...etc. I am reminded of a rather large 420 party I was at in San Francisco 2 years back. It was a huge lawyer's office in the rich district of sorts. There was probably about 400 people crammed in there all smoking as much pot as they could consume. However, common sense dictated that if anyone wanted to smoke a cigarette, they would have to go outside to do so. This is not hipocrasy it's the fact that second hand pot smoke does not hurt anything, unlike tobacco. As for hating smokers I absolutely don't or I would hate pretty much everyone I know I just hate the selfish mentality that comes along with it. Believe me, there isn't a non-smoker on this planet who wants to be around tobacco smoke. I have yet to run into someone who is offended by the smell of second hand marijuana (not schwag of course ). There's a reason one smells pleasant to us and the other doesn't . peace.

 

[BushyOldGrower]

I agree

I agree

Tobacco shouldn't be inflicted on anyone. Our second hand smoke is harmful from tobacco. I wouldn't want to annoy people with my pot smoking either. In my area an adult having some pot is not really a problem with anyone unless they are out with their kids and see it in public. That's why we find a private place to do our thing and then no one cares.

I understand that not everyone wants their kids exposed to vices too early and cooperation makes us responcible stoners.

Remember the Marlboro Man? He looked so cool but now he's dead from smoking all those cowboy killers as we called them. He would still be riding high if not for Sir Walter Raliegh...he was such a stupic Get. beatles... BOG

I say, "Ride ON!!!"

 

[gonzo2012]

i just ran across this article about working out and how you have to not only physically train, but mentally train to achieve that which you desire. i figure this is a good place to post it since quitting smoking requires a stong mind that overcomes ones physical addiction. i've been smoking for the past 8-9 years and i really don't want to hit that 10-year bench mark. so good luck to all and i hope this helps. * and on a side note, this shit is the first steps to using your strongest muscle -- the mind that you only use 5% of which is capable of doing a lot more than people give it credit for.....

anyway---


* goal- setting
* self-talk and self-fulfilling prophecy
* concentration
* imagery

--in this case the first part is easy. snuff that wretched smelling cancer stick. the rest of the article is applied to competition weight-lifting.

Self-talk and Self-fulfilling prophecy

Self-Talk is a motivational technique with which you communicate
positive thoughts to yourself. If you want to succeed in your lift
you must believe in yourself and encourage yourself through self-
talk. We can be our own worst saboteurs when it comes to self-
improvement! If you don't think you deserve to be successful, you
never will be. If you think you cannot do something, chances are
you will never be able to do it! 2 examples : The first athlete is
waiting for his turn, and is thinking : "Hope i don't screw up
again. **** man that looks heavy." When he attempts his lift, the
weight will indeed feel heavy as hell, and he will screw up. Now
take a look at the other athlete. He literally speaks to himself :
"Come on, you can do it. You worked hard for it, you're way
stronger now. Besides, it's only x lbs more than your previous PR.
You can do it." Well, the weight may feel heavy. After all, it is a
PR, but he has a lot more chances to make the lift. and indeed he
did. To improve your performances it's important that the content
of the self-talk should be POSITIVE!

Self-fulfilling prophecy is closely related to self-talk. And it is
something to watch out for. Like self-talk, this can work both
ways. Take the example of the first, nervous, athlete. A man
comes up to him and says that it looked like a real heavyweight,
and he was wondering if he would make the next. What
happens? Well the guy starts to doubt his abilities, does negative
self-talk and will screw up. The guy who walked up to him will see
the confirmation of what he thought he saw. This is a self-
fulfilling prophecy. Always watch out with these kind of things.


Concentration

I can be quite brief with this topic. When you are preparing for
your lift, and when you are performing it, NOTHING or NOBODY
should be able to disturb or distract your from what you are
doing. Pamela Anderson could come up and spread her legs in
front of you, that should not distract you. Concentration is
something i still have problems with sometimes. Ideally, you
shouldn't hear or see anything BUT the head referee. The rest
doesn't exist. And what doesn't exist, can't reach you.

Illustration : This is concentration

http://users.chello.be/cr34222/Powe...ng/File0013.jpg


Imagery

Imagery can be a powerful ally. In the past, neurologists have
proven the fact that you can increase performance by thinking
about them intensively enough. This technique consists
of 'seeing' yourself doing the lift. you go trough the lift in your
head before you walk up the platform. Just like in a dream, only
conscious. But there are certain things you should pay attention
to;

- Go trough the lift as if you were doing it yourself. This works
better than to just watch from the third person.
- Again, the content should be positive. You don't want to miss it
in your head.
- Make it as real as it can be.
- Do it. You have gone trough it in your mind, you made the lift,
now you will do the same in real life.


Keep practicing

Mental training should be regarded as an important part of your
entire training. Don't forget, what goes on in your head can make
the difference between the national title or bombing out of the
competition.


*****

so lets all throw our packs out the window and pledge to live a cleaner life and give the big "fuck you" to the corporations that simultaneously kill us and run our country.

I QUIT.