My Stop-Smoking Hero and My Helpful Crutch Down the Road
I would give these 10 stars if I could. They are the reason i was able to quit smoking in November 2002, and they are the reason I never backslid, because I could have one of these instead of a regular nicotine cigarette.<br /><br />They are not as tasty as my menthol Virginia Slims, or my Misty menthols, or even the generic menthols I was smoking at the end because cigarettes had gone up so high, but they approximate smoking well enough, and taste enough like menthols, that I was not only able to quit with no nicotine withdrawal (because I switched to these a month before I quit), but also I always had my pack of Honeyrose around after I quit in case I felt the urge for a smoke. That urge dissipated over time. I haven't smoked one of these in a couple of years, but I still have a pack in my freezer just in case.<br /><br />I didn't follow the Honeyrose advice specifically. I just stopped the nicotine cold turkey and switched to these. The habit was really more compelling to me than the nicotine addiction, so the act of smoking overcame whatever withdrawal symptoms I had. Then I quit smoking the herbals. I did it out of town, out of the country even, while staying with a friend in Montreal, not around smokers, and it went OK. I'd say, "I want a cigarette," he'd say, "You're missing the point," and that would be that.<br /><br />I smoked these on and off for years after I quit, sometimes just one or two, sometimes a bunch if I was drinking. I always enjoyed smoking (which makes it really hard to quit in standard ways -- nicotine delivery systems really aren't helpful for me, as I miss *smoking*), so it was nice to have the option to have an occasional cigarette.<br /><br />I still walk by smoking people and breathe in their smoke and enjoy it. I remember that during my transition time I ran out of herbals and bought a few packs of regular menthol cigarettes while I waited for my Honeyrose cartons to arrive. The nicotine does make a difference, and you really realize it more when you haven't been getting any.<br /><br />Btw, these cigarettes smell a bit like pot. I've gotten a few weird looks. I was once outside a Greyhound bus smoking and someone asked, "Do you realize ...? " and I said, Yep, I know, they smell like pot." :) I was at a music street festival in Montreal at some point after I quit, and I commented to my friend, "Hey, people are smoking herbal cigarettes." ;)<br /><br />They may not be just as good as the original menthol cigarettes I smoked, but they always felt good to smoke. And I think it's fine that they don't taste like smoking, since it's better not to smoke anything at all.<br /><br />(And they still taste way better than non-menthol cigarettes! :D)
Rating: 5 stars