The Nicotine Anonymous Quarterly SEVEN Minutes A Forum for Nicotine Users Who Don’t Use Volume XV June 2004 Number 2 In This Issue My Story Gary M., San Clemente, California 1 My Story Gary M. he insanity began at the age of ten. That was I remember the times I smoked in my bedroom Twhen my ritual began as a confirmed smoker. and I waved the cigarette around with the win- I carried on in the insanity for another 49 years. dow open so if my parents came in they wouldn’t 3 My friends had a club and the only way I could know that I was smoking. How little did I know From the Chair, join was to be a smoker. So out of the necessity of then! I believed that no one could smell the smoke Jean L-S. wanting to be wanted and accepted I learned how or knew that I was smoking. My actions proved to smoke. I coughed, puked and gagged while that even then I was an addict. 6 learning to smoke. Once I got over the agonies of After graduating High School I joined the Navy, The 2004 Conference learning how to smoke I discovered this stuff is and found booze. Beer and cigarettes went a long Wrap-Up great! After I had a cigarette I felt as though I had way together. By this time I was smoking up to the world by the ying yang. Holding the cigarette two packs a day. Let me tell you, I loved my ciga- 8 between my fingers or letting it hang out of my rettes! They were the greatest and there was no NAWS Financial mouth made me feel like a big shot. way I was ever going to quit! Statements There were times that I couldn’t afford my habit I didn’t have much of a problem until I was in Jeff C. so I stole to support it. Every morning I took some my mid-30’s. I started to cough off and on and got cigarettess from my Mom’s pack. I really thought a case of bronchitis once or twice a year. After a 9 that I was getting away with it until one morning few days it went away and it seemed a small price Surrendering to Be Free I went to get my fix and there was a note that said, to pay to smoke. As time went on my health got Robin S. “Gary, leave my da-- cigarettes alone. If you’re worse: I was constantly going to doctors and they going to smoke go buy your own.” I remember were constantly telling me to quit. I may have had thinking, “Oh sh--, she knows . .” My Dad was a few fleeting thoughts about quitting. but I 10 an alcoholic and he was always passed out in the believed I couldn’t quit, and I didn’t want to. I Thank You! morning before I went to school. Every morning wanted my antibiotics so I could get rid of my Jan S., Maureen PROOF–DOI used to sneak into his room andNOT dig into hisDISTRIBUTE pock- “cold.” Soon I started to have a continual cough ets for money so I could buy my cigarettes. I had with chest pains, wheezing, etc. One doctor 11 a lot of close calls but I never got caught. It was a told me that if I didn’t quit, within three years I Birthday Gratitude Form good thing I didn’t get caught, he would’ve killed would have a massive heart attack. I smoked more Subscription Form me if he knew. just to hide the fear I was feeling. My cough was getting to me physically and also it was embar- rassing me. In a theatre, church or elsewhere every- Has your subscription run out? one looked at me with that “hey knock it off” look. Look at your address label on the back of Being the defiant and defensive person I was, I this issue to see if there is a notice that looked at them and gave them my “f—- you” look. your subscription is about to run out. And I got dizzy spells, walking pneumonia, and one resubscribe! You don’t want to miss any of thing after another. Before I finally quit I had called the great stories and news that you get in 911 on myself three times in ten years. The last Seven Minutes. continued on page 4 Send letters to the editor, articles, The Twelve Steps stories, poems, artwork, or other material for Seven Minutes to: of Nicotine Anonymous Seven Minutes c/o NAWSO 1. We admitted we were powerless over nicotine—that our lives 419 Main St., PMB #370 had become unmanageable. Huntington Beach, CA 92648 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Subscription requests, circulation 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of additions and deletions may be sent God, as we understood Him. to the same address, or go to 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. www.nicotine-anonymous.org to 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the subscribe online. exact nature of our wrongs. 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of char- Material may also be sent acter. by e-mail to: 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. <SevenMinutesEditor@nicotine- 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to anonymous.org> make amends to them all. 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except All articles accepted for publication when to do so would injure them or others. may be reprinted in outside 10. Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, publications in their entirety at the promptly admitted it. discretion of the chair and editor. 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowl- Your trusted servants, edge of His will for us and the power to carry it out. Gary M., Publisher 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we Catherine C., Editor tried to carry this message to other nicotine users and to practice Joe S., Subscriptions these principles in all our affairs. Our Preamble The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become Nicotine Anonymous is a fellowship unmanageable. of men and women helping each 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. other to live our lives free of nicotine. 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood Him. We share our experience, strength 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. and hope with each other so that we 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature may be free from this powerful addic- of our wrongs. tion. The only requirement for mem- 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. bership is the desire to stop using 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make nicotine. There are no dues or fees for amends to them all. Nicotine Anonymous membership; 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so we are self-supporting through our would injure them or others. 10. Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly own contributions. Nicotine Anony- admitted it. mous is not allied with any sect, 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with denomination, political entity, orga- God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and nization or institution; does not the power to carry it out. 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry engage in any controversy, neither this message to other alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our endorses nor opposes any cause. Our affairs. primary purpose is to offer support to The Twelve Steps reprinted and adapted here with the permission of Alcoholics Anony- those who are trying to gain freedom mous World Services, Inc. Permission to reprint and adapt the Twelve Steps does not from nicotine. mean that A.A. is affiliated with this program. A.A. is a program of recovery from alcoholism—use of the Twelve Steps in connection with programs and activities which Reprinted for adaptation with are patterned after A.A., but which address other problems, does not imply otherwise. permission of the A.A. Grapevine 2 ■ Seven Minutes ■ June 2004 From the Chair . Jean L., Westminster, California i, my name is Jean and I am a one in their convertible with the top stay free from nicotine. I realized Hnicotine addict. It is not often down, hair blowing in the wind and that I had to stay very close to Nico- that I must think about my smok- cigarette between their fingers while tine Anonymous if I wanted a life- ing on a personal level any more, they tap out the beat from their time of this freedom. You see, I am except in meetings. In the last two radio that I don’t have to romanti- someone like most of you, whose weeks there has been a constant cize this picture any more.