Hand rolled Bugler tobacco cigarettes.

    I roll my own cigarettes about 80% of the time. At home I roll my own 100% of the time. The only reason I don't roll my own 100% of the time all of the time is because I'm still a little weirded out by the thought of someone mistakenly thinking I'm smoking a joint. That's what they look like. They look like big fat doobs. That's one reason. The other reason is I don't want people thinking I'm broke. Only hobos and convicts roll their own cigarettes and I'm self conscious enough that I don't want people thinking I'm either, even though I've been a little of both in my time.

    Smoking is a disgusting habit. It's one of the few disgusting habits I have left and I seem to be clinging to it tenaciously. I haven't tried to quit, not seriously anyway. I tell myself that I'm not ready, but the truth is that I'm just afraid I'll fail... you know, make this big production about how I'm finally going to quit smoking, maybe even tear up a pack or two cigarette by cigarette for the added psychological boost. By the end of the day I'd be going crazy. By 3:00 a.m. the following morning I'd be sucking one down in the parking lot of a 24-hour quick shop like a junkie getting a fix. That's probably how that scenario would play out. I've already got it in my mind that I won't be able to do it. Predisposed to failure, I believe it's called. I can cite all the reasons (and there are many) that I should quit smoking easily enough. The main reason is because it's killing me. It's killing me even as I type these lines.

    I realized years ago that it didn't matter what brand of cigarette I smoked because they were all designed to do the same thing - deliver nicotine to the blood stream. That's all they do. They do it efficiently, but - that's - all - they - do. Whether I'm paying $35.00 for a carton of premium brand name cigarettes, or $10.00 for a six ounce can of Bugler smoking tobacco (Turkish blend, no less), I'm essentially paying for the same thing: a way to get nicotine into my system. Once you get past that, the rest is easy.

    Well, maybe "easy" wasn't the best word to use. There are some adjustments that need to be made in switching from tailor-made cigarettes to hand rolled. The lack of filter means you're getting unadulterated tobacco smoke directly into your lungs and that can be a heavy experience for the uninitiated, especially with Bugler tobacco. I think I read once that Marlboro Lights (my usual brand) contain 17 mgs of nicotine per cigarette. Marlboro reds were something like 21 mgs of nicotine per cigarette. I don't know what the nicotine level of Bugler cigarettes is, but it has to be at least that high or higher. For adult use only.

    I don't smoke as much when I roll my own cigarettes. I don't sit down and roll a bunch of smokes in advance, but instead roll each one as needed. Having to actually stop whatever it is I'm doing at the time and roll a cigarette has had the effect of making me smoke less, and yes, I can tell the difference in my health.

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