I think its time to let this latest cig tax(fee) on Minnesota backfire and quit smoking all together so they dont get any extra money at all…
How much are cigs in Wisconsin? I also heard you can buy smokes at the airport with no tax??
Derek;
I’m smoking my last pack now……..I hope anyways. It will be tough when I have a beer or hop in the boat. But no more smoking to the best I can do.
I now don’t smoke at home, or around the wife and kids. But I still light up on the way to work and on the way home, with a couple here and there at work.
I have to quit, not because of cost, but because of health/family reasons.
As for cost, it doesn’t cost squat, when a guy compares it to purchasing a 12 pack of beer……..
Good for you guys. It aint easy, but you can do it. Remember, you are addicted to a drug as powerful as cocaine and heroine and eventually just as deadly……
I quit in 97 and still get cravings. I was one crabby a-hole for at least 6 months. It’s not easy. You may not succeed on the first try, but there are a lot of guys like me who did it, so can you.
By the way, it took me at least a dozen tries. Took up chew to take the edge off of quitting smoking. Ended up chewing 2 tins a day. Then, it was 2 tins and a pack a day! I was as bad as a nicotine freak gets! Even got up in the middle of the night for a smoke…..
For me, it was cold turkey. Just did it. Didn’t sneak one in, didn’t have just one puff, nuttin…. Just quit cold turkey and never looked back.
Good Luck!
-J.
It can be done…I quit a 3 pack a day habit on October 14, 1978, Cold Turkey! Best thing I ever did for my health!
I did quit for 3 years, but when I went through my divorce back in 97, I picked it back up again.
Now, a pack last me 2 days, sometimes 3. But when I fish or drink beer with the buddies, a pack last about 4 to 8 hours. That is my downfall…….beer and fishing…….
From 94 to 97, I craved cigarettes every single day. My father smoked for 20 years and in 1980 placed a bet with his brother and the local banker for $500 each, if he quit. He never picked up a cigarette again and doesn’t crave it anymore. My mother smoked for 25 years and quit in 1985. She still craves a smoke once in awhile to this day, but hasn’t fired one up since she quit in 1985.
The good thing about it is that neither one has any adverse health affects due to smoking!!!
However, I have lost 2 uncles and my grandfather due to smoking…….
The worst part of it all, is that I enjoy lighting up. I actually enjoy a smoke. But dang does it really stink!!!!! The odor is unbearable when you don’t smoke for 2 days, then light one up!!!!!
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The worst part of it all, is that I enjoy lighting up. I actually enjoy a smoke.
I hear ya. If the news came that the US was going to be obliterated by an asteroid in 48 hours….. Gimme 2 packs of Marlboro reds, a tin of Kodiak and a bottle of Scotch baby!!!
My mom quit after 20+ years. She did the accupuncture treatment. For her, it totally erased the cravings immediately.
-J.
Not only did the tax hit cigs, it hit chew as well. The price for a can of Copenhagen in Buffalo Mn. is $6.25 right now! We stopped for gas last night and when the woman got in the car she told me, “enjoy that last can of snuff”…she’s on me now! 
BIRDDOG
I think you can take it to the bank that if everybody did quit smoking and chewing, all of the other taxes you pay will go up. They’ll even invent new taxes. Too many state budgets are figuired with sin taxes. The money is spent, so they’ll have to get some other way for sure.
No I don’t smoke, but I do find this absolutely ridiculous, what happened to all the money we sued the tobacco industry for? It’s gone already? Good job MN! 
way to waste more of my money….
Taxes are getting out of hand in this state, and I think taxes like this are sick, heck you won’t be able to smoke anymore in MN soon enough anyways, and yeah herbs right they’ll just find another way to pass it on. Chicken [censored] tactics to attach a tax, might as well make a tax to tax people who drive Chevy trucks then too, because those who don’t drive Chevy trucks won’t care and will just screw those that will be effected, chicken [censored] tactics… try taxing alcohol more, see if that gets you people reelected. Minnesota has long been called the no fun state by many people I know, and for awhile there I thought things were getting better, with bar closing getting later to 2am, but then they decide people can’t smoke in private establishments and now they want to tax those who still can, they want to stop ATV’s in Minnesota, and I hear they hiked a fee for boats too, but I’m not sure what and how that effects me yet. Heck the state of MN is making laws to limit walleye size now too, great, what an awesome government we have here, stay out of my business, that’s the DNR’s job let them do it. I will make sure those who voted for these measures to be enacted will never see my vote, as if that will do anything anyways. I’m to the point in my life that moving isn’t that big of a deal, and I may have to make my vote that way.
Regardless what I personally think about cigarettes and walleyes, I don’t think these are things our government needs to spend time and money on, how about just getting your darn jobs done in the first place and get the budget done on time, like your suppose to, I wish we could just fire politicians, 
hey get one of those idiots to make that law for me. I mean can anyone here imagine if you did your job as poorly as they do? Would you still have a job?
There I’ve vented, not that it really makes anything better… 
I am also trying to quit. Fishing and drinking beer has been my downfall. As far as taxes are concerned. The job of the government is to spend the tax payers money. What we need is strict term limits to end career politicians. That way they do not have to take money from the special interests on either side and they can do the bidding of the people. I wouldn’t hold my breath though because career politicians would never fire themselves. so get used to it.
Tax, User Fee, what ever you call it stinks. Lets put a really small tax on clothes, like .05%. Use the money for schools and roads.
I do smoke 8-10 smokes a day. Why don’t the tax (I mean user fee) lighters, matches and then we can’t light up.
I am going to quit also, I have about 8 cigs left. I need to my 5 year old daughter has asked me too. Can’t let her down.
Ron
Grizzly straight. Its horsebleep compared to Cope. But at half the price it does the job. But even $3.50 a can for Grizzly is too much. Time to buy the gum and quit (again).
dd
They banned smoking in Madison earlier this summer and the bars are claiming 40 percent losses. I have to quit or I will certainly die young. I have been trying for a while, but when the bullies are out and the wait begins…..
You guys ever see that SNL skit when the Rock played a guy that lived in a guys house to keep him from smoking.. 
Everytime the guy lit up, the Rock would drop kick him or smash a chair over his head..
He played a character called Nicotrel.
One of the best parts was how Nicotrel gave Chris Parnell a cigarette just to beat the living tar out of him!
That was good stuff, but I still think it needs more cowbell… 
Yes, thats it!!!! And yes more cowbell.. 
Feb. 2nd 2005, my last dip of Copenhagen. I quit cold turkey and so far so good. it’s tough but it can be done. And I agree with Gary….I get out in the boat and I start thinking about it.
Good luck to everyone trying to quit.
Rootski
Quit chewing and smoking for a year and a half now. Cost me a kidney so my doctor says. Just lucky it wasn’t my lungs…Knock on wood! Just not worth it! I watched two buddies parents die of lung cancer.
Like John, quit cold turkey. I promised myself I would never have another. Now, it is a matter of life and death. It makes you think!
Quit three years ago this month..third time was the charm..that and the fact I used hypnosis AND the patch at the same time. I can drink beer and hang out with the mokers and not phase me in the slightest.
I havent had the urge to quit anything other than smoking, I love the cope, goes well with some beer, might have a cigarette once a month. at 6.25 a can I would definetly be thinkin about quittin! 
this is a crazy tax. i cant say i am totally against it. now noth of my parents are quitting and my dad is using the money for a boat payment. i keep telling him he needs a ranger,muskie class,225 merc,with a 9.9 kicker,75lb thrust bowmount. talk about a boat. he just thinks i am telling him what i want. 
but i havent seen a price increase on tins of chew up here. still $5.50 a tin of skoal. but im on my last roll. with it goignt to go up. it is going to need a bank loan to pay for it anymore.
Well, I stopped on the way into work for a can of Skoal, looked at the price and could’nt do it, too dang expensive. So it looks like i’ll be on the quitting wagon all to soon myself. Anyone know a good hypnotist? Maybe we could get a group rate if we get enough people to sign up. This isn’t going to be easy… 
I just want to wish all of you the best in your efforts to quit the habits. I join the list of those who were stuck in the same game but made it out alive! 
I quit smoking back in ’92 but picked it up again in ’95 when I got married, became a dad, and promoted to management at work. On July 28, 1998, I looked at that last lit cherry, took my last drag and said, “You’ve had it your way long enough.” Hard to believe it’s been 7 years already! I seldom have cravings anymore but when they come, I just turn my attention to something else and within 10 minutes, if I can just distract the craving 10 lousy minutes, I forget all about ever having one.
There’s nothing “no fun” about preserving good health. It seems like it sometimes, but when you realize, as Eye Guide pointed to, that you’re living……… when you could be dead……… suddenly it seems a little more fun to have sacrificed some indulgence.
Best wishes to all of you…… it’s a hard battle but a very worthy cause.
Good luck, guys. The best way to kick the habit……..don’t ever start. As a non-smoker I don’t really sympathize with smokers as far as the tax is concerned except for one thing–if it isn’t on tobacco products it will be on something else. And it just may be on something else next year. I hear George Harrison singing “Taxman.”
Deal. The money the state would save down the road on health care from smoking related illnesses would more than cover it.
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I think its time to let this latest cig tax(fee) on Minnesota backfire and quit smoking all together so they dont get any extra money at all…
How much are cigs in Wisconsin? I also heard you can buy smokes at the airport with no tax??
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Deal. The money the state would save down the road on health care for smoking related illnesses would more than cover it.
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I think its time to let this latest cig tax(fee) on Minnesota backfire and quit smoking all together so they dont get any extra money at all…
How much are cigs in Wisconsin? I also heard you can buy smokes at the airport with no tax??
I know that you are right James.
I just wonder with all the money that is saved on smoking issues how the state will urine it away?
I have one cig left and will not buy another pack. I do not care about the user fee but it is a great reason to quit. I need to do it for me, my wife and most of all my KIDS.
Ron
I gave up smoking 5 years ago. THANK GOD. Since then I take what I would have spent on cartons of cigs and spend it on fishing trips and tackle. What a nice trade huh. GOOD LUCK YOU NEW QUITTERS. ITS GREAT TO BE A QUITTER. FISHINFOOL 
I gave up smoking 28 years ago in June after 34 years of doing the habbit. I quit cold turkey and don’t have the urge to go back. I felt better every day I didn’t smoke. Smoking does take the wind out of your sails.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF WHO ARE QUITING
Here is a formula that worked for me when all else failed:
Prescription for Zyban from the doc. Use it for three weeks before trying to quit. Takes the craving away. Also use toothpics to have something to put in your mouth if a craving does occur. Tried the Zyban without this and it did not work the first time.
You have to eliminate the physical craving (Zyban) and the psychological habit (toothpics) at the same time. Hope this will help someone. I got off the Zyban after 8 weeks and have not had a relapse for five years now. No craving whatsoever.
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