The last thing an addict needs is justification. Rarely is an addicts justification parallel to the real world, but more of a compromise with their crutch within their head.

As with everyone else on this site, I started with the "Nobody knows what I'm going through" mentality, and after reading previous speeches, as with everyone else I was proven wrong. Everyone is going through the same thing that you are, the craves, the stress, and all the toppings and condiments that go with it.

The place where I'm from is a vicious circle of addiction and justification. With my friends, and all others in my age bracket, dipping is the norm. The only people that don't dip are the ones that never have. If you dip, you don't quit (I am the only person out of my friends that has successfully quit for over 2 weeks). Everyone, everywhere you go in this town has a dip in, or lights up a cig, and nobody thinks anything of it.
I can remember my first dip like it was yesterday. 2 or so weeks before my 15th birthday (late may), I was, as always, fishing in the creek with a couple friends. I finally broke down to their request and took my first dip-kodiak wintergreen. We were fishing under an overpass, and the next thing I remember was walking down the creek and my friend was on the bridge asking where his fishing pole was. Apparently he ran to the car and gave me his pole to hold till he came back, but I had thrown it into the weeds without remembering. We had a good laugh. To the mind of a 14 year old, a substance that lets you have that much fun has got to be awesome, right??? Justification. Needless to say, the bitch had sunk her claws into me, but my journey wasn't over yet.
My older brother (by 2 years) dipped. All of my friends dipped. At any wrestling meet in the locker room all the other guys from different schools even dipped. We would all meet up in the locker rooms to dip and bs together. Even when I wrestled in the state tournament, young men from all over Ohio (go figure) were tossing in chews....... The most important thing in a young man's life appeared to nurture dipping. If that isn't justification, I don't know what is.

Fast forward to college, and I'm serving. In class, a fellow classmate of mine dipped right out in the open with me. Justification. After a stressful night dealing with unruly customers, the only thing I wanted was a lip full of grizzly straight on the drive home. At the time, I thought that the dip was the only thing comforting me on those drives home.

I had always been an unruly dipper. I liked to do it, but I didn't. You would've had to force me to put in a dip in public. The only time I could dip was when I was alone, driving in my car. But alas, I digress.

The one rule that I've had is to not romanticize dipping.... I don't even give it the time of day, which I guess I'm doing by writing a speech about it. That is also the reason I rarely post anything on this site other than roll call. Oftentimes I get caught up in the world and when I post on this site it reminds me that I used to dip.

Anyways, I graduated college 5 days before I quit, and that friend that dipped with me in class doesn't believe that I quit. Shows what he knows... I moved back to my hometown a couple weeks ago, where everyone still dips. Whenever my friends use a tobacco product, much to their chagrin, they can see a condescending glance + a snide comment condemning their habit. I turned 21 a couple weeks ago, and had the first birthday in 6 years where there wasn't a dip in my lip. I was pretty happy with that. The one thing people won't find when they put money into UST's pocket is justification from me. That cycle is over.


Stay quit, everyone, and if you're quitting right now, don't be a stranger, pm me and I'm sure I can help you out.


Thanks for reading,

Dylan (Daggins)