When you just can't quit: New forms of smokeless tobacco can help

When I quit smoking, almost three years ago, my main reason for doing so was the birth of my daughter. Both of my parents had died from smoking-related illnesses, and I decided that I wanted to be around when my kid graduated from high school. Beyond that, I also wasn't a big fan of the seasonal bouts of bronchitis that I had every year, the occasional coughing fits, the lack of stamina, and the assorted other health miseries. The final nail in the coffin was the price: because of the ever-increasing taxes levied on cigarettes, it had gotten to the point where I was spending over $5 a day on my habit.

It's hard to find that ultimate reason to quit, and I have numerous close friends who simply can't make the final step to nicotine independence. With that in mind, I've been getting excited about the array of smokeless tobacco options that are now entering the market.

By combating the smoke that causes most smoking-related health problems and the taxes that bankrupt smokers, these companies are finding ways to make nicotine addiction less expensive and more socially acceptable. Of course, quitting is still the ideal, but if smokers can't find that final reason to push them over the edge into nonsmoking, these are some other options: