Tobacco-Free Anniversary

April 1, 1996 marked a major event in my life.

It was my anniversary for going a whole year without using tobacco, the first time in 30 years! I began chewing tobacco with my cousins around 1965 and switched to Skoal™ in 1974. My habit grew to 2 cans, sometimes 3 a day. Most mornings started with a dip as soon as I woke up. I tried to quit several times and seriously in 1989 when my doctor prescribed nicotine-chewing gum. I went 2 weeks without a dip until my wife, Penny, told me we were going to have twins! Man, did I need that Skoal™ and went back immediately; I could find a more convenient time to quit later. We are the proud parents of identical twin daughters, Rachel and Sarah, age 7. They have an older brother, Alex, age 8.

One morning I was working in the yard and dipping, Alex saw me spit and said “Dad that is not good for you”. God bless the DARE program and its officers. One of their points is that nicotine is a drug. There was the school system doing their part educating my son and then look at the role model I was. I knew I had to quit, but oh, how I hated even to think about it.

Earlier, a friend had given me a can of Bacc-Off and it tasted good, but I was not ready to quit. Alex had changed that. I ordered the Dipstop Program and quit tobacco April 1, 1996 . Today I am no longer addicted to nor want nicotine. I still use Bacc-Off.