A Smoke-free Life
25
September
Says it all really. Oz has made the life changing decison to give up the deathsticks. As a result, I have been sick as a dog all weekend. Stuck on the couch with a brain-numbing headache, overhwelming lethargy and a cough that refuses to get nasty (you know you’re getting better when you’re coughing up furballs). I thought I’d have a more serious crack this time around, so I dragged my sorry ass of my couch and went to my local pharmacy to buy some nicotine patches. The Nicorette brand, just in case you were wondering.
My quest for better breathing really isn’t the point of this post. The Daydreamer has already pointed out I only have myself to blame for smoking so now I’m just correcting earlier mistakes (very supportive - lucky I don’t have a drug addiction with a mate like that). In my packet o’ patches, there was a wonderful little booklet full of information about my purchase: how to use the patch, how the patch works, blah blah blah. The section that caught my interest was When you must NOT use Nicorette Patch.
Do not use Nicorette patch if:
• you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant
• you are breastfeeding or intend to breastfeed
• you have heart disease
• you have had a recent heart attack or stroke
• you have a long term skin disorder
• you are a non-smoker, or smoke occasionally
• you are under 18 years old
• you are allergic to nicotine
Why would a non-smoker want to use a nicotine patch? Who honestly gives up smoking before they turn 18? If you’re allergic to nicotine, surely you would have figured it out when you lit up a smoke? Maybe my brain has gone a little soft without the smokes but I honestly would have thought these last three exclusions were rather self explanatory. Though my information booklet was kind enough to let me know ‘there is not enough information about the use of the nicotine patch in children’. I’d love to see the consent forms for that study.
1. Jimmy James | September 26th, 2006 at 09:39
Good luck Oz.
I gave up at 24, but out in the burbs we start smoking at 5 anyway, so I had a good career behind me.
Did you know that Nicotine is used in many commercial insecticides?
Nice.
2. Jade | September 26th, 2006 at 13:54
Good work Oz!
I was going to tell you that giving up is easy but then I thought you might track me down and harm me. I guess it was easy for me because I fell pregnant, but it wasnt easy for any real maternal instinct or anything, it was just that I was so sick with morning (all day and night) sickness that I would puke everytime I would even smell it. Guess that helped :)
You can do it! (kinda glad I’m not around you at the moment tho he he he)
3. The DayDreamer | September 26th, 2006 at 20:46
First things first Oz. If you thought you could come to me for sympathy over something like this, you were and are gravely mistaken my friend! BTW… if you were a crack-head iPod stealer you wouldn’t be any of our friends for long! If you want support, maybe you should go on Jamie’s Kitchen…
Anyway, I digress. As someone who has put up with smokers for years, you are suffering a Karmic kick in the arse. I don’t smoke, but whenever I come home after a night out, my clothes smell like an ashtray and I’ve second-hand smoked a pack anyway. (I know MonekyBoy will agree with this. I’ve put up with him bitching about this for years). So suck it up, and suffer like a man you big girl’s blouse!
All that said, drug companies should be able to conduct experiments on minors… well… I guess that’s what the third world is for!
4. MonkeyBoy | September 27th, 2006 at 18:06
Take it like a man Oz!
I’ll congratulate you in about 12 months, because as a (old) smoker you’ll be puffing away within months, weeks or even days AGAIN!
But good luck anyway - don’t let the little suckers win….
5. Jimmy James | December 4th, 2007 at 19:56
How is this going Oz?