Candy Cigarettes Memories

My favorite candy memory would have to be candy cigarettes. I remember hanging out with my best friend across the street when we were about 8 or 9. We would always want to act cool and be with the older guys on our street who always used to smoke cigarettes.

Well there was no way me and my friend were going to start smoking, we both had bad asthma and could never touch the stuff (or ever want too). We would then always walk down the street with as much change we could find under our couches to the candy store and buy boxes of candy cigarettes. We felt so cool. Looking back now, I don't know why I ever wanted to hang out with people like that, but at the time it felt good to feel like that, and in a weird way, that candy gave us confidence.

My grandfather was a heavy smoker too, and later lost his life to lung cancer, but whenever he saw me with those candy cigarettes, he told me and my friend to stick with the candy, not the real stuff. that has always stayed with me. ~ Steven from Pennsylvania

When I was in 3rd grade or so, an ice cream truck would always pass by my house during the afternoon, with the same song of "Pop, Goes The Weasle." Oftentimes (when I had the money) I would rush out to buy my pack of candy cigarettes. And although I knew real cigarettes were bad for me and never wanted actually smoke, I did think that the look of smoking was really cool and grownup. Candy cigarettes was my closest link to looking cool, and yes, I did pretend I was smoking by holding it between my index and middle finger, and blowing air out as if I was blowing smoke.

Eventually, after a while, the ice cream truck stopped selling candy cigarettes, and it killed me (Like what real cigs can do, but this is not the point)! Every once in a while, I'd still think about the candy cigarettes I once loved, and how much I missed it. And for some reason I never thought of checking it up online if anyone was selling. That is, until now. I won't let you get away from me again, candy cigarettes!

To this day, I have not met one friend who didn't know and love candy cigarettes. We all sure miss it, and I'm definitely passing them out when they arrive at my door. Ahem, please excuse me as I purchase 10 boxes. ~ Stephanie from California

When I was a child growing up in Brooklyn, New York, my neighborhood was full of Mom-and-Pop grocery stores and candy was quite inexpensive -- if you had an allowance. Since I didn't have an allowance, I had to EARN my money by finding soda bottles I could return for a deposit; or running an errand for a neighbor; or finding a few coins left behind in a payphone.

Even when I was a school kid, it seemed like EARNING money was hard work. As soon as I acquired 10 cents or 15 cents, I'd be at the penny candy emporium, buying my candy cigarettes. If you licked the "cigarette" a certain way, it lasted longer. Learning to prolong the pleasure of candy cigarettes was an art that went along with the ARTIFICE of being grown up enough to smoke. So cool. ~ Linda from New York

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