Monday, December 6, 2010

The Cig-Free/God-Free/Bitch-Free Post

Hello Everyone,

With Kim running off to California you are once again stuck with me...and I with you :-)

I have a lot talk about lately so maybe this will be broken into two posts, or 3 if anyone can stand it. 

First of all, lets talk about cigarettes, a product of which, I am no longer a purveyor. Yes, you heard it here first. JimNotMike is Cigarette/Smoke Free and I have been for a few days (perhaps a week, till this gets posted). My hubby Kevin is also now Cig/Smoke Free and by the time you read this for him it will probably be 2 weeks.

Just so we're clear. This had nothing to do with health(cause as long as I look good, it doesn't matter to me), or wellness(we all gotta die sometime) or stinky clothes(that is what cologne and laundry are for). This had to do with money, pure and simple. I sat down a few months ago and figured out that between the 2 of us, Kevin and I were spending $300 a month to stick flaming cancer sticks, coffin nails, fags (if you're in Britain) into our mouths one after the other. $300 a month! Hell, that's a car payment or a nice addition to the vacation fund. Heck, that'll buy a ton of booze! Yeah, don't expect the liquid libations to be going away anytime soon.

Kevin did it cold turkey(while I wasn't around, bless his ever-lovin heart). I, on the other hand, being the heavier smoker and the far more maniacal of the 2 of us decided I needed some help. I had tried the patch, and the pill, and the other pill, and the pill after that, and the gum, and even the hypnosis in the past. I knew that none of that worked for me. So I did a little research, on the web, of course. Google, I LOVE YOU!

Turns out, the nicotine in cigarettes isn't really whats bad for you(in unconcentrated doses less than 60mg, anyway). It's the 599 other things (Wiki Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_additives_in_cigarettes) that they add to cigarettes that will kill you. Not to mention the fact that you're basically willfully submitting yourself to smoke inhalation every time you light one up. So, years ago when I was getting pissed off that I wasn't being allowed to smoke anywhere (airplanes, restaurants, bars, strip clubs, my office) I found a product called Njoy(http://www.njoy.com/). It's an electronic cigarette that basically provides you with a little bit of nicotine and the feeling like you're smoking, but you aren't really smoking per say. They say very clearly on their website that it is not marketed as a smoking cessation device, but I think its a great idea, even if the FDA doesn't. Njoy offers a way for you to stop smoking (the bad part) with out killing those around you (the good part) and right now, let me just say that my Body Count stands at zero. The greatest part is that once you're over the idea that a burning torch isn't stuck between your index and middle finger, Njoy has cartridges that have no nicotine in them. So you can switch to those and still feel like you are smoking while your body gets off of the nicotine habit. It's a win/win for everyone. Not to mention the fact that you can "light them up" in restaurants, train cars, airplanes, offices, strip clubs, etc.

In the meantime, the cartridges cost less than cigarettes and since the only byproduct is water vapor, my house, my car and I don't smell like we spent the night inside a burning building.

So, as it stands right now. I have quit smoking without quitting my addiction to nicotine, and I am ok with that. I'll work on the nicotine part later. Oh, and for anyone who is interested...it looks like the 7-Eleven chain of stores is carrying the Njoy product everywhere. I'm not getting paid to endorse that...but I sure wish I was!

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