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It was during one of those all-out wars, the nonsmokers were waged against the smokers who were already banned from smoking in all public buildings; theaters, restaurants, and such. This was the time when one city banned smoking everywhere within its limits, although you could still smoke in your own home. Other cities were considering the same thing. There is also a movement growing that would want smoking banned in the entire State of California!
When D heard about that one he had to laugh. He thought, ‘ Man,….those Nons are having a real melt down.’ Even the place of solitude and refuge, the Neighborhood Bar, even it was not spared, a place where ninety percent of the patrons smoke and the other ten percent are oblivious. Where the ashtray soon gave way to a coffee can on the ground, outside the door for the discarded cigarette butts. D was getting sick of the whole crazy, mess, those begging cigarette bums, the sideway looks from strangers. It was getting where he felt like an out-and-out criminal whenever someone saw him smoking. And now, after all of that, the price of tobacco was going up again.
D was sitting in his doctor’s office when he finally began to unload, ” Doc! Did you happen to hear those sanctimonious nabobs in power are raisin’ the tax on cigarettes again?…….They never hike it,……….. maybe, two or three cents at a time like they do on everything else, but ridiculously gauging amounts. They just love picking on the poor smoker. We’re such easy targets. But, this time it’s really bad Doc. This time I gotta quit. I really, really do. I can hardly afford them at four fifty a pack now, let alone when they’re five bucks!”
D has weathered many price hikes during a life time of smoking. But, it was different for him this time. Already, having a hard time paying for them now. When the price goes up this time, who knows?
D started smoking at the age of ten. Sneaking dads’ Lucky Strikes and moms’ Salems. Cigarettes were only a mere twenty-five cents a pack then. Now, at the age of sixty, he has to consider the unimaginable, because, smoking to him is like that lifelong friend, one of the family, an unthinkable sacrifice. Years ago when he promised himself that; if, and when they ever got to be a dollar a pack he would cut them loose. Well, that time came and went without a second thought.
He paid it. There was even one M.D. a few years back, who told him, ” You might as well keep right on smoking. They’ve already taken their toll.”
” I did hear something about that D!” said the Doctor, “would you want me to prescribe something? Have you ever tried anything to help you quit before?” D mentions the chewing gum he tried, and how it didn’t work for him. The doctor suggests tje ‘Patch ‘. D thinks about it for a moment. ” Huh, oh ya, the nicotine patch.” Encouragingly, the Doc says, “Go ahead D, try them. You have nothing to lose. And who knows? They just may be your ‘Silver Bullet’, the one to kill that dreadful monkey you’ve carried around all your life.
D leaves the Doctor’s Office and goes to the bus stop. Where he immediately, automatically lights up a cigarette and takes a deep, deep drag, letting the mentholated smoke roll down his throat and into his lungs doing it’s horribly addictive thing.
At home, he opens the box of patches. While reading the directions, a shadow of discouragement suddenly came over his face when he reads, ‘ DO NOT SMOKE WHILE USING THE PATCH ‘ That was the same instructions that came with the gum. He knew, right then and there in his heart, that was just not going to happen. But he thought to himself, “what the heck .” And like the doctor said, he, ‘had nothing to lose,’ and just maybe, the Doc was right about everything. So, he tore open the little envelope of a ‘first stage’ patch, slapped on his right shoulder and then stepped outside to have a smoke.
Days went by, and nothing had changed, he still smoked the same amount of cigarettes. One morning his wife came into the kitchen where he was in the middle of changing patches. She watched him with skepticism. She then suggested, “Why don’t you try leaving all of them on? Just don’t take them off.” He thought about how the patches weren’t working for him. He had to agree with her, “I’ll sure do that! I’m willing to try almost anything now thanks, honey!” Some more days go by. His shoulders were covered in nicotine patches. He was well into the ‘final step’ patches and miraculously down to two cigarettes a day!
And then one morning, he didn’t need to go outside to have his usual cup of coffee and smoke. Painlessly, almost effortlessly, and with a lot of praying to Jehovah God. It was right then and there he had just quit smoking!
At first, he kept a few cigarettes and his trusty old Zippo handy. That was, just in case. And, he did have few dreams that he started smoking again. He would be so disappointed in himself. But, so relieved when he woke up. That was eight years ago and he never looked back. He wouldn’t recommend his approach to quitting for everyone. He only found out a few years later that the amount of nicotine that must have been in his system could have killed a lesser smoker!
Everyone who knows D couldn’t believe it! Smoking had been such a large part of his persona. And, now, when the tax on cigarettes goes up, D doesn’t give it a second thought. Although he still feels bad for the poor smoker on a tight budget. And, once in a while when he gets a whiff of tobacco smoke, he’ll breathe in just a bit deeper, and gives thanks to Jehovah, and for his wife, a big, hug, and kiss, because, D never dreams of smoking anymore.
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Photo: Getty Images
