10 Oct 2010
The Blog is Not Forgotten

It's just been on hold for a bit, while other some other things we've got going on get hashed out. I've been hesitant to blog about it, because, well, I wasn't sure of success. You see, we're in the process of quitting cigarettes. And it's actually going quite well.

We got a prescription for Chantix, and are starting week four of the regimen. So far so good - we've both broken down and had a couple since our official date, but on this program that's OK. The drug blocks the nicotine receptors and you get nothing from smoking. All that's left is the habit, not the addiction. And it's a lot easier to kick a habit than it is to break an addiction.

What finally prompted us? Cash. A pack here in Indiana costs about $5. Both of us were smoking one pack a day. You do the math. Microsoft Money tells me that since January 1st, 2002 (when I started the database) I've spent over $21,000 on cigarettes. There's our tractor, our bailer, a livestock trailer and a used half ton pickup truck.

The really galling thing about it is that of that twenty grand, the tobacco company probably grossed five. The rest went to taxes at various levels. We've been paying the state for the "privilege" of our habit. If that's not motivation for anarchists I don't know what is...

Of course, the non-smoking majority may well be in for a surprise. If we smokers quit and stop paying taxes to fund all these great programs, either the great program's gonna disappear or somebody else's gonna hafta pick up the tab. I wonder who that will be?

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