At what point is somebody really a non smoker?

[DaveP]

I have to wonder how using WTA fits into that. I am not smoking, have not smoked in a month, but to keep the cravings at bay and away, as well as weather the emotional mayhem, I'm also adding a very small amount of WTA -- that does not make me a smoker, but I wonder how it would show up in testing.

Andria

I think WTA might just include all or most of the alkaloids they test for. Here's a thread that talks about a guy who quit smoking and started vaping. They did a random nic test on him and it came back positive for anabasine. Now, he has to pay back $1200 in premiums he saved by saying he was a non smoker.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...nly-vaping-but-tested-positive-anabasine.html

That's the issue I've been concerned with. I haven't smoked a cigarette in over two years, but the tests they use show tiny amounts. Those tests can even detect people who have been around smokers. If you stand in the break area with smokers, you may fail the test depending on the cutoff level for second hand smoke detection.

 

[windxrunner]

Find a homeless smoker and give it to him. I'm positive he would be thrilled.

 

[AndriaD]

I think WTA might just include all or most of the alkaloids they test for. Here's a thread that talks about a guy who quit smoking and started vaping. They did a random nic test on him and it came back positive for anabasine. Now, he has to pay back $1200 in premiums he saved by saying he was a non smoker.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...nly-vaping-but-tested-positive-anabasine.html

That's the issue I've been concerned with. I haven't smoked a cigarette in over two years, but the tests they use show tiny amounts. Those tests can even detect people who have been around smokers. If you stand in the break area with smokers, you may fail the test depending on the cutoff level for second hand smoke detection.

Ok, that's about what I figured. I don't have any insurance anyway, but was curious. I'm also not planning to stay on WTA indefinitely, but plan to continue until I've over the 3 month hump. After that I'll start weaning away from it gradually, which is a lot easier with vaping than it was with smoking!

Andria

 

[Davey59]

Find a homeless smoker and give it to him. I'm positive he would be thrilled.

I'm sure he would be thrilled......... but I only give it to my wife these days sorry about that.

 

[Recycled Roadkill]

In my opinion one becomes a non smoker when they can spend an evening at a bar where it seems almost everyone is smoking and resist the urge to smoke a cigarette.

 

[LowLyfe]

I smoked camel cigs roughly from 15 until I was 19 then I started using camel frost snus to quit the cig but would also still smoke from time to time. And I was tired of either stinking from smoke or having stained teeth and torn up cheeks from dipping. So I ordered a stillare v2 and a hades and went at it and quit everything cold turkey and i haven't turned back or even really wanted to but a few times. My buddy also did the same but he's dipped his whole life little to no smoking and it didn't work for him but he also wasn't 100% on quitting. So now I vape everyday while he still dips and I feel so much better than when I was smoking 9-10 cigs a day. Anyway I've been vaping for 4-5 months now and it's 12 o'clock now and I haven't had a vape since last nite at 1 or 2 am.... on my off days I don't vape as much as when I'm working or gone from the house... weird. But I still feel like my nicotine addiction is still there just good to know I don't have to have it every few hours to function.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S5 using Tapatalk Pro

 

[nate_]

To me it's just words - a label. If you were to go by the Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous philosophy (I spent years in both) you will always be a smoker, a "recovering smoker" if you continue to not smoke. I believe that ALL OF US who have been "addicted" (another label but with more substantive criteria to back up that label) to any substance and no longer partake of that substance are on a road to the same place - not doing it again. Some are at one spot on that road, some are at another spot. Some have been on that road for a while, some just got on it.
Being a non-smoker is a term you have to decide for yourself. I haven't smoked a real cig since Feb 2014, but if I smoked one right now I wouldn't call myself a smoker. If I continued to smoke on a regular basis I would call myself a smoker.
Like many who've posted, I think it's more of an attitude. A good sign of how comfortable you are with not smoking would be to ditch the spare pack. That could be very tough, don't do it til you KNOW you don't need it.

 

[GinnyTx]

In my Opinion, you are a Non-Smoker Until you Smoke again.

So if you haven't Smoked a Cigarette in 3 Days, you have been a Non-Smoker for 3 Days.

I agree, I don't smoke therefore I'm not a smoker imo too.

More importantly it's no big deal, cut yourself some slack, this is a stopping an addiction, both physiologic and psychological (which that latter part is the hardest). So revel in that you got off those horrible things (me too, a 2 + PAD habit that spanned most of my adult life) and improving the quality of life here and now and for the future. That's more than most with our old habit can say! Congrats

 

[AndriaD]

If you were to go by the Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous philosophy (I spent years in both) you will always be a smoker, a "recovering smoker" if you continue to not smoke.

No, you will always be a "recovering addict", not a smoker; just as an alcoholic becomes a "recovering alcoholic" but not a drinker if you aren't drinking alcohol anymore.

Andria

 

[nate_]

OK. Point taken. Just words and labels, but I guess that was the original point of Davey.

 

[DC2]

I have a unique perspective on this...

I think when you reach the point where you can have a cigarette any time you want, with no fear whatsoever of going back to smoking regularly...
That is when you are truly a vaper.

And I think you can't be a non-smoker until you are truly a vaper.


I smoke a cigarette every now and then, whenever the mood strikes me...
Like maybe once every month or two.

I no longer fear cigarettes, and I know for certain I am a non-smoker now.

 

[Davey59]

No, I am not recovering anything, I still use my nicotine, have no immediate intention of stopping, I simply changed my delivery method. I dropped a unhealthy bad habit. A habit is not an addiction but a behavior. Once a physical addiction is broken it is purely mental.

 

[ScottChensoda]

A true ex-smoker is one who has had the lid nailed down. In fact thinking about it, he's an ex-everything.

 

[DC2]

In my opinion one becomes a non smoker when they can spend an evening at a bar where it seems almost everyone is smoking and resist the urge to smoke a cigarette.

Or even better, not have an urge at all.

 

[Spatchka]

Also think beside the hand to mouth trigger for the brain,
seeing the 'cloud' for me seems to flip a switch that says, " thank you, you can go back to your normal life now..."
Why vaping works for me when patches, gum, pills fell way short.

 

[Burblepuff]

I remember when my great aunt was recommended to give up by her dr. He told her not to throw them out...just put them in a drawer. Maybe it was good advice...maybe it wasn't. She never smoked them again and kept them quite a long time. I would say you're a non smoker..or an ex smoker. I think it's irrelevant that you hold onto them if you don't use them.

 

[zoiDman]

To me it's just words - a label. If you were to go by the Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous philosophy (I spent years in both) you will always be a smoker, a "recovering smoker" if you continue to not smoke. ...

I'm not trying to put Words into the OP's mouth.

But I didn't perceive him as saying... "When will I Not be a Nicoholic?". Just when I be a Non Smoker?

For me, if a person believes that they are an Real Alcoholic and their Life has Become Unmanageable, that they will Most Likely be an Alcoholic for the Rest of their Life. Because Very Few can go back to being a Normal Drinker no matter how long they are Sober. A Very, Very Few can. But Most Can't.

I see the Same Similarity with Smoking.

I Know I could Never go back to Smoking just 2 or 3 Cigarettes a Day. Or to Take or Leave Cigarettes at will. Like some of the People I know. I'm either going to be a PAD+ Smoker. Or a Non Smoker.

Which gets back to when a Person is a Non Smoker (to me). I didn't Smoke a Cigarette Today. It doesn't Matter what I have done in my Past. And the Future hasn't occurred yet. Today I am a Non Smoker. If I want to Quantify it with Consecutive Days, that's Great. But the Concept is what did I do Today? I'm a Non Smoker Today and I do it One Day at a Time.

Saying I haven't had a Drink Today though does Not Change the Fact that I May or May Not be an Alcoholic. Because for a Real Alcoholic, no amount of Days without Drinking is going to Change this. Saying I Don't Do Something Today (like being a Non Smoker) is a Different Concept, to me, than Saying you Free of the Addiction to Something (like Smoking).

I Know I will Never be Free of the Addiction to Cigarettes. But that Doesn't Mean that I can't be a Non Smoker Today.

---

Note: All this is Just My Personal Opinion. And the Only Frame of Reference it Applies to is Myself.

 

[AndriaD]

I'm not trying to put Words into the OP's mouth.

But I didn't perceive him as saying... "When will I Not be a Nicoholic?". Just when I be a Non Smoker?

For me, if a person believes that they are an Real Alcoholic and their Life has Become Unmanageable, that they will Most Likely be an Alcoholic for the Rest of their Life. Because Very Few can go back to being a Normal Drinker no matter how long they are Sober. A Very, Very Few can. But Most Can't.

I see the Same Similarity with Smoking.

I Know I could Never go back to Smoking just 2 or 3 Cigarettes a Day. Or to Take or Leave Cigarettes at will. Like some of the People I know. I'm either going to be a PAD+ Smoker. Or a Non Smoker.

Which gets back to when a Person is a Non Smoker (to me). I didn't Smoke a Cigarette Today. It doesn't Matter what I have done in my Past. And the Future hasn't occurred yet. Today I am a Non Smoker. If I want to Quantify it with Consecutive Days, that's Great. But the Concept is what did I do Today? I'm a Non Smoker Today and I do it One Day at a Time.

Saying I haven't had a Drink Today though does Not Change the Fact that I May or May Not be an Alcoholic. Because for a Real Alcoholic, no amount of Days without Drinking is going to Change this. Saying I Don't Do Something Today (like being a Non Smoker) is a Different Concept, to me, than Saying you Free of the Addiction to Something (like Smoking).

I Know I will Never be Free of the Addiction to Cigarettes. But that Doesn't Mean that I can't be a Non Smoker Today.

---

Note: All this is Just My Personal Opinion. And the Only Frame of Reference it Applies to is Myself.

PRECISELY!!!

Andria

 

[Keith Jackson]

I have to say a lot of vapors feel the same way and struggle with the same question. I myself stopped smoking cigarettes back in 2005. It was New years and it was also the first time I picked up an e-cig. My resolution was to stop smoking and I did just that. I have to say that even though I wasn't smoking I did feel like I hadn't quit. And on some fronts I still feel that way.

But if I am not a smoker then I most certainly am a vapor. Is that better? Yes! Is it more healthy than being free of smoking or vaping? No!

One day I hope to say I am free of everything. But until that time I will take my 6mg Cowboy and vape on.

If you truly want to quit smoking and vaping. They make a pill that can help you. I don't remember the name but it has some weird side effects, so be careful.

As long as you're happy and healthy what does it matter what other people think? You want to lead. Not follow.

 

[mrsgeno]

non smoker as soon as u are done with analogs