The most under reported story of the week was.....

[steelmania75]

the largest tax increase on cigarettes in U.S. history.

Read more here:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2009-03-31-cigarettetax_N.htm#table

This is going to help cut the deficits, and pay for Obama's budget because it's hard for cigarette smokers to get off the stuff, so they'll keep buying. Has anyone heard of an alcohol tax as well?
I hope they legalize weed and tax the shit out of that as well. The U.S. needs all the money it could get.

[greenbriar]

I paid 52 dollars for my carton this week

sheesh

[emilyg]

3. Me, too - and will keep paying.

[greenbriar]

5. I don't know...I am thinking it is about time for me to quit

I could go on a cruise every year with the money I spend on tobacco

and I love cruising more than I like smoking

[emilyg]

9. I've tried patch, gum, hypnosis

guess I don't really want to quit.

[gratuitous]

14. Try everything you can think of

You're battling the major leagues of addiction. I had the "opportunity" to interview somewhere between 250 and 300 smokers, ex-smokers and survivors of dead smokers about 10 years ago (just before I quit; no I don't recommend doing it, it's depressing as hell). I'm sure several of the people I talked to are dead now.

One of the guys I talked to was a drug and alcohol counselor, someone who helped other addicts kick their habits. A guy who understood the mechanism and psychology of addiction. He'd quit drinking, he'd kicked heroin, but he couldn't stop smoking. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug, and fixes are no farther away than the corner market. Ads may be illegal on electronic media, but they're everywhere otherwise, and cigarettes are so easily available.

Try everything you can think of. Gum, patches, hypnosis, tapering off, setting a date, rubber band on your wrist - anything. It's unbelievably tough. But your life is at stake. The toxins in cigarettes go right for your lungs and your heart. If you fail, don't beat yourself up. Not even the Yankees or the Lakers win every game. Enlist your relatives, your friends, hell even your enemies to help you. Good luck.

[emilyg]

15. Thanks.

[sam sarrha]

11. LEARN TO MEDITATE, IT CAN END THE CRAVINGS, worked for me, >link>>

if there isnt an insight meditation group near you, or buddhist group, there is Web Instruction available or books http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/imc-medinstruct.html is the best for the long run.. it is important to get the basics down well...first.

you don't empty your ming, not possible till you are dead. you simply watch your breath, with about 20% of your consciousness, you can sit back straight in a chair, if you recline you fall sleep. thoughts come and you touch them with the name "Thinking" like bouncing a soap bubble with a feather, let it go, if you resist it it attaches to you with an emotion

after a while you let go of emotional associations with thoughts, words, images. you will probably never stop the welling up of thoughts fears desires, but you will not be controlled by them anymore.. pema chodron has some great tapes CD's books, i quit drinking after 26 years of chronic alcoholism listening to her 'When Things Fall Apart'
this is the tape set.. more complete
http://www.amazon.com/When-Things-Fall-Apart-Difficult/dp/157062285X there' a CD set and a book, all real cheap used

after you achieve basic meditation fairly well, stop smoking and use the technique on cravings,

you only meditate 5-10 minutes at a time for the first 30 days, but you can do it several times a day, i do it in line at the store, doing dishes.. etc. but do it the same time every day if you can, early morning is good, your mind isn't cluttered/tired and it sets your mind frame early in the day

NSA, SGI or NKT ..are not Buddhist groups to learn Meditation from..

Vipassana is what people usually start with, i got some training in Tibetan Lojong
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22Lojong%22 ..but first things first

[Mojorabbit]

13. These sound wonderful. nt

[Faux pas]

6. Check into buying your cigs at Indian reservations, not taxed and

MUCH cheaper.

[OhioChick]

10. $58 here. n/t

[PDJane]

1. sin taxes........

and yes, I'd be very surprised if alcohol is not already taxed.

[sam sarrha]

2. guy at work was complaining, i told him it was to help pay for that O2 tank he'd drag'n around soon.

:rofl:

[Mojorabbit]

4. That was kind and considerate of you. nt

[sam sarrha]

8. thank you... he could be one of the 1200 cutomers DAILY killed by tobacco

[Mojorabbit]

12. I am sure he appreciated your comments. nt

[Redbear]

7. Alcohol is taxed by the fed govt and states as well

The feds get a nickel of tax on every can of beer and 21 cents on every bottle of wine.