Chewing Is Fun Again… When It’s Gum
I’ve had 1 cigarette in the past 5 weeks. Impressive, no? Most of my addiction (Yea. I said it.) stems from long drives and goin’ out on the town. I haven’t been out out in a while, but don’t worry. It’s a good thing. I have other things to occupy my time *wink wink*. On the serious tip, most of my success comes from chewing gum every time I jump in my car or hit the bars to suppress my bad habits. That damn twitch I get in my fingers is always a constant bother and the cravings are especially unbearable when I’m in bumper to bumper traffic. I’m doing well so far, even though I’m sure I’ll be fighting that incomplete feeling for the rest of my life. So today, I’m officially saying goodbye to Marlboro Country. No more Parliment P-Funks. Take care Phillip Morris. I don’t need you guys much anymore.
What are my favorite smoke alternatives? Wrigley’s Winterfresh for that minty ‘menthol’ feeling and Wrigley’s EXTRA Cool Green Apple. I buy the Winterfresh gum that comes in those new ‘foil packs’ where there’s a crunchy candy coating on the outside. It refreshes well especially after that sushi dinner you just HAD TO HAVE @ 10pm. Not exactly the same pleasure from a drag from an after-supper cancer stick, but it’ll do. It’ll do.
EXTRA’s new “Cool Green Apple” flavor tastes exactly like those generic boxes of apple flavored gum from Asian supermarkets. At first bite, the gum bursts with intense apple with a slight hint of mint… then fades away instantly. I really hated that. I always end up eating 2 boxes before I was completely satisfied. Fear not! The Cool Green Apple gum doesn’t fade away as quickly. I’d say you’re getting the same burst of flavor with a 250% increase in ‘taste duration’. I still go with 1 stick followed by another piece when the flavor dies, but at least I’m not sticking 50 pieces in my mouth @ the same time.
So if you’re trying to quit… go on the gum diet. It’s cheap! And at 5 calories a stick, you don’t have much to lose. It’s sugar free too, so you won’t get those hyper-hyper moments at work. Go try some, it’ll bring back some memories or make new ‘breathe friendly’ ones.
At least it’s not CHAW! 
~Spec
Added Note: If you’re a smoker and your significant other isn’t and you two lock lips frequently… keep one thing in mind: it tastes NASTY. It’s not so bad if both of you smoke, ’cause the two have already burned away all your taste buds. But if you’re the only one, it’s simply not fair. You’re not the one that has to endure that burnt taste just to kiss the one they love. It’s pretty gross. Just FYI. I wanted to throw that out there.
