Hello and happy Summer every - Wait, what do you mean summer is almost over?!
Oh well.
I think I mentioned a while ago that after I quit smoking, I avoided the local CVS for at least a month. Why? Because for years my day started as follows:
Get out of bed.
Smoke.
Walk up to CVS to buy more cigs.
If I ran out during the day, I'd go back up there. Sometimes I'd make the trip in weather conditions that normal people avoid. Sometimes I'd sneak, even late at night, so my husband wouldn't know I was buying a second pack that day. (And wouldn't it have stunk if I got run over by a car or something? Talk about embarrassing!)
And even after I could go into the store without making a beeline to the register or breaking out in a cold sweat, I was still way too aware that the place sells cigarettes.
So naturally I was thrilled when I heard CVS was going to stop carrying them and double thrilled when I went up this morning and there were big signs about how CVS had quit and inviting people to ask for help quitting. According to HHS, they’re a month ahead of schedule.
I asked the manager if they'd had any problems with disappointed customers. He said no. And he said that he was glad they weren't carrying tobacco products because they don't generate a lot of revenue for the store. People who come in for TP don't tend to make additional purchases. They just want their fix.
Tell me about it.
But I also thought about how I would have felt this morning if I hadn’t quit. (Mentally. Physically I’d be pretty gross.) Panicked? Sad? Even angry? Yes, I can see me being angry as I went to 7-11 to buy cigarettes that cost about .50 more than at CVS. Mumblegrumbling about how stupid it was and how inconvenient and then feeling disgusted with myself for whining.
Glad I quit when I did!
