Nicotine Myth Busted - Nicotine does not cause adiction IMO

[gayhalo]

I think from my smoking experience that 35 years of smoking has changed something in my brain. I gave up and had problems with depression..... Before you tell me if I had waited I would have got over it I waited 14 years. During that time I had lots of help from doctors with many drugs and other kinds of help. You may ask why 14 years. I had lots of problems in my life during some of that time and put the depression down to them, it was not till I got my life back on track for a number of years but was still depressed to the point os suicide that I decided that I may as well die from smoking so I went back to the ciggies. it was not an overnight success but after a couple of months I was back to my normal (my friends will tell you that's not very normal). I have concluded that it must be the nicotine my brain wants as after 3 years of smoking I changed to vaping in three days. Now very happy with life and I don't have to smoke, I hated it.
There is one thing I don't know.... And I don't think anyone else does...... Would e cigs do the same to users brains.
I think a lot of long term smokers are just like me.

 

[New_World]

there are pros and cons just like everything else.

nicotine is very addictive....so i disagree there.
its a stimulant....i don't know if its worse than caffeine.
i do know from MY experience that it is far more addictive than caffeine.

i find that people who vape are generally for vaping and nicotine
people who don't are generally against it.
I'm trying to see both sides....but nicotine alone is moderation.....idk

i think if you are very moderate with it (and are vaping instead of smoking) the risks go way down.
thats my problem...its difficult for me to be moderate with nicotine.

i quit nicotine for several years and recently started again for about a month now.
honestly I'm tired of being a slave to nicotine and plan on quiting vaping monday!
I believe i felt better without it in my life.


nothing against those who do vape, but just a personal choice.

the short term effects aren't bad for vaping and that has been proven.
long term....no one knows for sure but we can make educated guesses.
smoking.....no way....with i would have never picked up a cig......permanent damage to my lungs.
nicotine gets the blame but its the other ..... thats in there and you're "smoking" it.

wish me luck on my quest to quitting nicotine.
maybe some of you will follow in my footsteps......I'll see you at the end of a nic free new world.

 

[TrickyRicky71]

I don't think nic is as highly addictive as some claim, is it addictive, yea probably. I was a heavy smoker for over 20 years and finally had enough burning up all all that money! they just became too expensive for me so I quit back in 2009 for good! then 3 yrs later I was intrigued with the idea of vaping and doing the zero nic and going back to having a "smoke" with my morning coffee or even a beer. I started vaping in late 2012 and now I do use nic in my juice, granted its always the lowest I can get from Johnson creek which is 1.1% and after a yr of steady vaping I can honestly say I could walk away this minute without vaping again and not miss it. sure you can say I started vaping because I did in fact miss it, the smoking or nic, but I'm not sure that's true, I missed the act of smoking while drinking my fav beverages. I never missed the nic. oh and since I've started vaping I have lost the 30 or so lbs I put on because of me quitting smoking the analogs. I will never smoke a analog again and hate them till this day. so after a yr of vaping I don't consider myself addicted at all, I more addicted to this forum!

 

[Koman]

I dunno, I was addicted to it!

 

[dahlialady]

I'm really sorry for bumping this thread, but I am a fairly new member, the thread is not closed, and I would like to thank the OP for his thoughts. They may not be so out to lunch as I thought they were when I first read the post.

I read the entire thread. It is still my belief that nicotine is a highly addictive substance. With that said, there are other addictive substances in tobacco that keep us smoking. Keep in mind that since 1998 tobacco companies have increased their products nicotine content. (1)

The thread reply about harman, harmine, harmaline and Norharmane being in tobacco AND being addictive is indeed relevant. Tobacco contains the harmala alkaloids harman and norharman, and the closely related harmine and harmaline are known hallucinogens. The levels of harman and norharman in cigarette smoke are between forty and 100 times greater than in tobacco leaf, showing that the burning of the plant generates this dramatic increase.(2)

My personal experience is that I smoked tobacco for 33 years, and have given up tobacco and replaced it with e-cigarettes. If I get agitated, I take a puff from my vaper, and am calmed down. This to me concludes that nicotine was the root of my addiction and cravings. I am not vaping tobacco type flavors, and I would say there is no harmine, etc in the ejuice I vape. Only nicotine.

I am ecstatic to be off tobacco. I have used and even abused mary jane (apparently this forum won't take the proper word), caffeine, alcohol, and other addictive substances in the past. Although there is skepticism that mary jane is not addictive, I have been able to walk away from every one of these substances even after prolonged use with no withdrawal symptoms. All but tobacco. I don't see myself as walking away from vaping very easily. It is definately the nicotine I am addicted to. To imply nicotine is NOT addictive is controversial to say the least. Thank you for hearing me out.


(1) Harvard Study Confirms Tobacco Companies Increased Nicotine Levels In Cigarettes, Highlights - Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
(2) Tobacco : the most dangerous drug in the world

 

[Nermal]

Well, that was certainly a politely worded post, dahlialady. I've never heard anyone dispute some level of addictiveness, but the concensus seems to be that it is greatly increased by other substances in burning tobacco. I'm inclined to agree if only because I can go much longer without vaping than I ever could with smoking. Of course, consensus is pretty much the same as saying "Well, everybody knows. . . ." Anyhow, my opinion seems to be working for me. What's your own experience?

 

[dahlialady]

I was going to say implying nicotine is not addictive is ludicrous, but yeah.....I was polite. In a post earlier today I remarked:
After reading this thread at least 3 people have said how it is easier to not vape than it is not to smoke. So this makes me think that there are actually many more addictive additives in tobacco than we can imagine.

The thread is linked at the bottom of my page and entitled "After 2 weeks..." The OP interestingly enough states what you said about going longer between vapes then tobacco, Nermal.
After reading this thread and researching the Harmala alkaloids I am intrigued more so than ever why people seem to be able to go longer without a vape than a smoke. I was a smoker for 33 years. The only time I felt I REALLY NEEDED a smoke was when I woke up in the morning. With that said, I just quit tobacco recently and find I can wake up in the morning without having to immediately reach for my PV.
Very interesting stuff out there on Harmala alkaloids even beyond Wikipedia.

Harmala alkaloid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/494184-2-weeks-smoke-free-i-passed-little-test-yesterday-3.html#post11366816

 

[nebulas]

I would agree that there are lots of addictive chemicals in cigarettes that add to the addiction. I have suspected that for years and have suggested it to people who were trying to make the switch to vaping. However, I simply can't buy that nicotine isn't addictive. I definitely have a chemical addiction to my vape. Do I experience the same withdrawal as I did with smokes? No. But I most definitely experience withdrawal when I don't have my vape.

 

[stevegmu]

I'm addicted to nicotine and the act of smoking. If I weren't addicted to nicotine, I'd vape 0nic. Tried it; it wasn't for me.

 

[Racehorse]

(Carr's book was very helpful)

Best book i have ever read on trying to quit smoking, I guess that is why it's a "classic". I have cited that book many times on ECF, glad someone else is using it. Actually it's about psyching yourself up, to do anything, even diet or start running, or whatever. I still like to read the book at night sometimes, just because.

As for nicotine being addictive, I believe it is. Because before vaping I used the patch and nic gum, and I was not climbing the walls like I was when I quit cold turkey before that.

 

[dahlialady]

Best book i have ever read on trying to quit smoking, I guess that is why it's a "classic". I have cited that book many times on ECF, glad someone else is using it. Actually it's about psyching yourself up, to do anything, even diet or start running, or whatever. I still like to read the book at night sometimes, just because.

As for nicotine being addictive, I believe it is. Because before vaping I used the patch and nic gum, and I was not climbing the walls like I was when I quit cold turkey before that.

Carr's book, "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" is a very good book. I personally know 2 HARDCORE tobacco users that had been smoking for decades to quit using this method. Please remember that Carr did not quit by his own method, but rather through hypnotherapy. Carr uses what I call "reverse brainwashing". He is totally credible in his book. I myself have read the book (twice) and could not quit. It was at this point of my life, I told myself that I would never be able to quit tobacco. That was until I discovered e-cigarettes one month ago, and I have not looked back on lung darts. I do still occasionally crave one....but I take a puff from my PV, and the craving is gone. Thank you to e-cigarettes for delivering the quick hit of nicotine I crave, and holding back the vast majority of the other carcinogenic chemicals that are produced from burning tobacco.