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Why treat it different?

Since I became a quitter and learned about my addiction I continue to be amazed at how much of an addict I was.  I have also been somewhat stunned by how a nicotine addiction is thought of differently than other substances.  It’s a known fact they tobacco kills, so why do people not treat those who want help with the same rigor as other substances? 

I recently saw a “health program” offer to help people get off tobacco.  One of the ways they have pushed this program is with free nicotine gum and patches.  Why would you give someone a drug that they are addicted to?  It isn’t the tobacco people are addicted to,  it’s nicotine.  I always hear that the patch and gum “help take the edge off the cravings”, well of course it does, you are giving the addict his drug of choice.  If an alcoholic needs to take the edge off, would you hand them a six-pack of beer to help with cravings?  Of course not, so why do we continue to treat the nicotine addict differently?  If you are giving them patches or gum, you may as well just hand them a can of dip or a pack of smokes.

I today still chew on a straw on a daily basis.  This helps when I have crave having a dip, I don’t go feed my addiction with my drug of choice.  There are many things you can do to stop the oral fixation, but until you stop shoving nicotine in your body you cannot rid yourself of this addiction.

The goal in all of this should be to get people off nicotine and until you do that you will never truly help people.  When health professionals go to help patients, they need to get them off nicotine.  If all us talk to our doctors and dentists, and give them the perspective of addicts, then the message from them can start to change.  Get off the nicotine, and here is a way to get some support, go to and get advice from someone who has quit nicotine.  If we do this then maybe we can stop feeding the addicts.

klark – 581

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