Why quit?

[BigBuxNoWhammy]

If all of the bad parts and side effects of a cigarette are removed by using an e-cigarette, is there a reason you 'should' still quit? I mean if it's something you enjoy, and it's not harming you anymore, what are the reasons to quit?

[Jason]

Honestly, I'm no longer trying to quit. I enjoy my new smoke toys and don't have the same guilt I did when I was smoking cigarettes.

As a note: my brother-in-law dragged me outside for an old fashioned cigarette last weekend, I couldn't stand the thing. One month with my e-cigar and I find that I can't stand the "old way" of smoking.

[TropicalBob]

No. And yes. Most manufacturers savvy about U.S. advertising know they should NOT advertise the e-devices for quitting. That would bring the Federal Trade Commission and the Food & Drug Administration into play. Those we do not want looking into e-smoking. E-smoking is an alternative to cigarette smoking, not a quitting method.

But quitting is desirable. Nicotine causes a constriction of the arteries, in addition to an increased pulse rate and blood pressure. The latter two impacts are transient and normalcy returns after nicotine exits the body in a couple of hours. But the constriction of the arteries can, over time, lead to artheroschorosis. That triggers artery blockage, with stroke and heart attack looming as possibilities in later life.

So it's not just cancer to fear. It's damage being done inside the body. Those who use nicotine now will surely face numerous problems later -- erectile dysfunction, hearing loss, diminished vision, cold extremities. But the biggie is stroke or heart attack. Those can result from using nicotine, easily obtained with our e-smoking devices. That's why quitting is always best.

[BigBuxNoWhammy]

Thanks, very informative response. I didnt know nicotine was that bad. Isnt it only really bad if you overdo it or OD? I dont even smoke cigarettes all that much anymore, but here and there it relaxes me which is why I ordered an njoy. I'll probably only smoke it once or so a day.

[trog100]

nicotine does have its plus side.. it must have else people wouldnt continue to tolerate the well known minus side caused by the most common way people use of getting it.. we just dont hear of it very often.. its not fashionable to look for the plus side of nicotine..

what we still dont know much about is the effects of excessive e-smoking.. so far my pretty bad smokers cough has instantly disappeared.. my temperament has remained tolerable.. but what bothers me isnt my nicotine intake its my glycerol intake.. thats one (excessive) intake that isnt really known.. its thought to be relatively harmless but then again people havnt been gulping it in the same quantities that i now am..

time will tell.. but it has to be better than my roll-ups.. he he

trog

[TropicalBob]

Trog, you're right on extended use of propylene glycol. I don't know any researcher sounding a warning on inhaling it, but certainly there are no extended studies on this simply because no one has ever inhaled it multiple times daily for a long period. We've expressed concerns about that here many times. We are the guinea pigs for PG inhalation.

Nicotine has some well-known pluses. It's even used for ADHD now. In the brain, it triggers the release of serotonin and dopamine, which are your "feel good" chemicals. It also triggers releases from the liver and pancreas -- which are not good and lead to later problems with those organs. That's in addition to what it does to your heart rate, blood pressure and arterial constriction. Surely no one would argue that for the average person, using nicotine is a good thing overall. It isn't.

But we're a lot better off getting it from e-smoking than from inhaling tobacco smoke. My real question: Would I be safer getting it from puffing my pipe or using Swedish snus all day?

[trog100]

i tend to take most of the bad things i read about nicotine with large pinch of salt.. its too connected with tobacco not be be biased on the bad side..

i am not saying its "good" simply not as bad as made out.. its hard to find genuine (unbiased) research on anything.. people tend to try and please those that pay them.. i dont even think tobacco is as bad as its made out to be either.. but thats probably down to my life long use of the stuff.. and being abit older.. he he..

i dont fancy snus somehow.. but it might be the safest option overall ..

trog

[TropicalBob]

Maybe we're close in age, Trog. I did 30 cigarettes a day for 50 years.

I do snus all day now. All day. E-smoke and snus at the same time. Doing both as I type this. Also use Stonewall hard snuff. Tastes great. I have never overdosed on nicotine while e-smoking the 24mg liquid, but have knocked myself flat several times on snus, and became well acquainted with my bathroom facilities. Snus can be very powerful. But it has a 300-year history of safe use in Sweden. The statistics are there for anyone to check. Much safer than cigarette smoking, for sure.

I think both SJ and I are getting a bit more concerned about the NEW nicotine discoveries. It's always been the fall guy for evil tobacco, etc., but it is a powerful drug on its own. Don't think for a moment that I believe all the anti-tobacco crap funded by Big Pharmaceutical to get us off tobacco and onto their expensive products. I don't. But there are indications now that nicotine is not altogether the benign substance we once thought. I'm not going to lose sleep over it, but I would eventually like to be free of this monkey. BananaDoc is my new hero! I, too, hope to "smoke" nothing but flavors before long.

Nicotine is not my friend, that's for sure. Why quit? Why keep using it is a better question.

[NerdyCinderella]

Dumb question: what are snus?

[TropicalBob]

I have to smile. The folks who use the snus forums (even more users than here) ask me, "What's an electronic cigarette?"

The snus I use are tiny teabag-like pouches of flavored tobacco. They've been used in Sweden for centuries now -- more users of snus than cigarettes. But they are fairly new in popularity in America. We've recently added Camel, Lucky Strike and Marlboro snus to the offerings. Also snus from P. Lorrilard and Vector Group. All the Big Tobacco players are now aggressively marketing snus. Very safe. Very tasty. Very potent.

Basically (don't even think of loose tobacco) you tuck the teabag between cheek and gum and just let it sit for an hour or so. Your mouth absorbs the nicotine from the tobacco. Many snus taste terrible, but not the new American ones. They taste more like chewing gum.

Most people call 'em snooze, but the Swedish rhyme it was "loose".

One last thought: Lots of women use them because snus can't be seen in use. They can be used at work, in a restaurant, anywhere. Very discreet. They maintain a steady-state nicotine level of your choice.