Nicotine gum for LTS and barter.

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INresponse

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A couple years ago I started using a vape, Ya, not proud but I can explain. Lousy day working on a project in the garage, nothing going right. Girlfriend walks in and I suggest sitting in the yard and smoking a cigar. I rarely smoked cigars, know little about what is good, and I am certain the $3 or $5 ones I was buying were not high quality but luckily I grabbed a random one that tasted great so I was puffing more frequently enjoying the taste. After a bit my water was empty so I stood up to get a refill, and my head started spinning so I sat down and dang I felt relaxed. The first time in a long time I felt relaxed. Obviously the nicotine doing its thing. Sooo, my GF sent a text to her son to bring home a vape, he grabbed a mint with menthol. A few hours later he handed it to her and she handed it to me and I said NO WAY. She reminded me about earlier so I tried it and again I felt the wave of relaxation. So I used it occasionally throughout the day and after a few months I realized I was taking less and less allergy medication because the menthol was keeping my sinuses clear.

Fast forward to last summer when I was flying to Michigan and couldn't use the vape on the plane or in airports. I bought some nicotine gum. It seemed kind of pricy but it worked and I slept like a baby on both flights, each way. I would occasionally use the gum instead of the vape depending on where I was or what I was doing. Yesterday I bought some more gum, about $50 for 160 pieces of the store brand. They are in sealed individual packs, that are a pain to open, but obviously well packaged and should store a long time.

Now to my point, if SHTF and cigarettes are difficult to find, and difficult to store long term without them going stale it wont be long before people start getting edgy. Myself included but occasionally I back off for a few days and can tolerate the lack of nicotine so I wont be as bad as most. I think for a $50 investment for a pack of 160 well packaged little bits of joy it could have some good trade value when the time comes. If stored in a cool dry place it should last a long time, and even if it did get hard and stale I doubt someone would care if they were in need.

Just a thought.
Michael
 
smoking is an addiction same as drugs and alcohol, in a SHTF situation I dont want anyone near me who is an addict, if they cant keep a clear head they are no good to me.
I would rather be alone than with anyone I could not trust especially in SHTF.
and you can forget barter, barter wont be safe for many decades as people fight over what is or isnt left.
 
smoking is an addiction same as drugs and alcohol, in a SHTF situation I dont want anyone near me who is an addict, if they cant keep a clear head they are no good to me.
I would rather be alone than with anyone I could not trust especially in SHTF.
and you can forget barter, barter wont be safe for many decades as people fight over what is or isnt left.
I agree. And, there are plenty of areas where barter will be impossible due to criminal thugs. I do believe in rural areas barter will prosper, simply because that is what many of us in small communities do on a regular basis.

Addictions come in many forms, caffeine is the most popular and sugar causes cravings too but few people recognize it. Plenty of people reach for candy when things are not going well.
 
better to store the things we will actually need post SHTF than barter goods, there may be no one to barter with post event depending on what the event is, I live in a low population area in a rural part of the south west of England, post SHTF that population will be even lower.
I drink instant coffee which isnt habit forming, I can take it or leave it, I prefer apple juice anyway, havent eaten candy since I was a kid.
 
Fortunately I have never had to try the gum, but if things got bad, I would.
Cigs are one of the 2 things I will run out of if SHTF.
At $80 a carton, you can't stockpile them:oops:.
But the flipside is, the amount of profit they make selling them, they are at the very top of the list for stores to not run out of.:)
They may not have any meat or milk... but your Marlboros will be there:thumbs:.
 
IIRC, nicotine gum has a pretty short shelf life. Not sure though.
The box I just purchased has a sell by date 2.5 years from now. I am guessing it would be good maybe 4 or 5 years, at least. The nicotine is inside the gum which is inside the hard shell, similar to chiclets. Sealed inside their individual packets they might even last 10 years or longer.
I know everyone has their preferences but it's an idea to be considered for some.
If things go well in a year or so I will be done with using the vape, it's just a stress reliever for me, and I don't use it regularly. But, I will probably toss a few boxes of the gum in storage just because it is small and not very expensive. When it comes time to trade, I think one or two pieces of gum could be worth a basket full of apples or maybe a dozen fish, depending on how much a regular smoker is craving it.
 
At $80 a carton, you can't stockpile them:oops:.
That depends a lot on where you live.
Here in PA, it's over $100/carton. We have a place in FL and it's around $4.30/carton. When I go to FL, I bring back enough to hold me over until my next trip to FL. Oh - I should mention that you're only allowed something like 6 cartons across state lines.
 
That depends a lot on where you live.
Here in PA, it's over $100/carton. We have a place in FL and it's around $4.30/carton. When I go to FL, I bring back enough to hold me over until my next trip to FL. Oh - I should mention that you're only allowed something like 6 cartons across state lines.
Yeah, that was one of the good things about cruising the Caribbean, they were always less than 50% of the US price.
Read the customs declarations form you have to fill out.
Cigs are the first thing the cruise-ship people mention that they are looking for.
I always killed my limit. :thumbs: :D
 
I don't think it's a bad idea. I have neighbors who smoke or drink so I have a little on hand to smooth them out if it came to it. You can't always pick the people who may be standing next to you watching over your community.
 
a pack of 20 cigarettes over here is nearly £16/$20, and many pubs/taverns are closing because people cant afford the beer prices.
I gave up smoking in 1995 and alcohol in 2000 and probably saved myself a small fortune in doing so.
 
I've been chewing Nicorette gum for over 21 years. I use the 2MG (the lesser amount of the two) and yes, it is a much healthier option than smoking or vaping, but I'm sure it is causing damage somewhere in my body.

I spent about $80 per month under Trump, and now the same is $140 under the Bidone administration, so it is a bit costly. I do have generic emergency back up boxes which I've had for a few years, but they would be just fine if or when needed. I just don't like the way they taste or feel, but half the cost of the Nicorette brand.
 
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I've been chewing Nicorette gum for over 21 years. I use the 2MG (the lesser amount of the two) and yes, it is a much healthier option than smoking or vaping, but I'm sure it is causing damage somewhere in my body.

I spent about $80 per month under Trump, and now the same is $140 under the Bidone administration, so it is a bit costly. I do have generic emergency back up boxes which I've had for a few years, but they would be just fine if or when needed. I just don't like the way they taste or feel, but half the cost of the Nicorette brand.
I only bought the store brand, Walgreens. It is a mint gum, it tastes the same to me as any other mint gum. I don't use it often, only when I can't vape and in areas where I am stressed. I have grown to hate crowds even though I am not claustrophobic. Too many years as a cop taught me to want to be away from people.
 
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Back on topic:

For LTS and barter

I think a smoker or gum-chewer who is in withdrawal would probably barter valuable stuff away to get their 'fix'.
...I know I would :(.
I agree. That is why I had the idea for the initial post.
Just the store brand from Walgreens works out to about 30 cents each. For a $2.10 cent investment you could give them a weeks supply and probably get something of good value in return. If someone stocked up at Sam's or Costco the price would probably be a lot less.

As for sell by dates, which are about 2.5 to 3 years, I don't think many smokers would care, or even look.
 
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