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I consider my gateway drug nicotine. It was my first - started in about 2nd grade. Today, this is consider one of the most highly addictive drugs there is, right up there with heroine.

BPB,...Disagree with what?.....You think I don't love drugs? I didn't do them for 40 years because I hated them. I went into recovery because I can't control myself.

I never had any problems with them either! Right.

Here's a post, I tried earlier, but my PC froze-up:

...Speaking of "more potent drugs", Cigarettes, kill 3 times as many people as Alcohol and murder. Meanwhile, Alcohol kills more people than Heroin, cocaine, marijuana,and handguns, put together.

BillW and Booman<

I was a heavy cigarette smoker for more than 20 years. It's been 21 years since I went "cold turkey" and gave up the smokes.

My brain still, however, craves a nicotine high. I honestly believe that drinking one drink at this point in my recovery would not send me back out. (I will not try the one drink today, of course.)

However, were I to smoke just one cigarette, I know I'd be immediately hooked by the nicotine and would have to fork out the $20+ it now takes to buy a carton. I'm not going to do this either because I have, here in my golden years, developed some health problems directly related to smoking. And I haven't had a cigarette in 21 years, and yet my health has still suffered due to my smoking career.

boo, a stat I often like to point out - much less the cost, put cost to those stats and it is phenominal. Then look at the cost to society for pot - this stat is even more phenominal, while the leaders in their wisdom sit smoking their cigars and drinking their martinis. Oh, don't get me started.

williamhenry - agreed, agreed, agreed - but, like you, ain't into testing. Left that to my youth!

Speaking of cost..... 20+ In New york, that's almost enough for three packs.

Booman<

Just about everything known to man-and-womankind is much more expensive in New York.

In my younger days of drunkeness, I lived in NYC for awhile. An evening's binge in a single's bar certainly was expensive. I can only imagine how expensive it is to live there now.

If I really stopped to guesstimate the amount of money I have spent on booze, cigarettes, traffic citations, and wrecked cars, I suppose I'd have my first million by now.

I have learned in AA, however, that things like serenity are much more important than money.

People have questioned my sanity, for doing things like buying an old record album for 50, or 75 dollars. I tell them, " this will give me pleasure for years, I've blown hundreds in one night on drugs."

I accepted serenity into my life, later in my sobriety I learned that was good cause I wasn't meant to ever have money in my life

That's the one consistent thing in my life, whether active ,or in recovery. I HATE MONEY! As soon as I get it , I'm trying to spend it. I love making it, and I love spending it. I always do my part to keep the economy flowing.

I hear ya Booman. I've tried to fluster the Bush Administration many times by saving my paycheck - maybe I'm powerless over money?

Booman<

Sorry, but I don't believe you've "blown thousands a night on drugs."

Daily Reflection:

April 10

GROWING UP


The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 115


Sometimes when I've become willing to do what I should have been doing all along, I want praise and recognition. I don't realize that the more I'm willing to act differently, the more exciting my life is. The more I am willing to help others, the more rewards I receive. That's what practicing the principles means to me. Fun and benefits for me are in the willingness to do the actions, not to get immediate results. Being a little kinder, a little slower to anger, a little more loving makes my life a better - day by day.

If you can rate an addictive substance based on how
difficult it is to stop using it then nicotine was my
#1, lowest level - bottom line drug of choice & I was into
my 10th year of sobriety before I even TRIED to give it
up! It was horror. It was grief. It was my BEST FRIEND.
As long as I continued having a relationship with my drug
of choice, it was kind of really impossible for me to have
any kind of relationship with another human being. I was
"already committed" to my drug of choice. So many
AA'ers still smoke pot and claim sobriety. Personally, I
don't give a rats ass, one way or the other, simply due to
the fact that it isn't hurting my sobriety. But - if someone
was to ASK me what I thought about using recreational drugs
whilst claiming to be clean and sober - then I guess I'd have
to decide what to say. But, funny thing is, NO ONE HAS EVER
ASKED. So I just keep on working on all 12 of the steps like
it says in the textbook,I keep on chairing my Tuesday night
meeting committment, I keep on giving newcomer "females
only" my phone number and I keep on being grateful to be
sober and free & I hope to live long enough to continue to
keep enjoying the results of the 12 steps in MY life.By the
way - any newcomers come in lately? If you want to be a
member, just send me a private message and I'll add your
name to our group and in the future we can have closed
meetings. Meanwhile - we COULD have open chat sessions
if everyone was available at the same time, or day or
anything..... oh well, life is good!! Love to you all, Babs

WH,
...Look again, I said HUNDREDS! I 've been in the company of people, who've spent thousands in one night.

Booman<

My mistake; your original post said hundreds.

Maybe the eyes, are the first to go, oldtimer. (hee-hee)

Booman<

I am as young right now as I'll ever be again

Uh........Damn, you're right. Me too!